Program Updates

Pentagon gives EADS (and Boeing) 60 more days to respond to the KC-X Tanker RFP. EADS, which wanted 90 days, says "not enough time" and Boeing cries foul, reserving the company's right to "review all options going forward" if May 10th deadline is extended.

General Dynamics Demonstrates Precision Strike Capability for Tactical UAVs with 81mm Air-Dropped Guided Mortar

Ash Carter: DoD Focusing On Safer Resupply Techniques, IED Detection

RFP Imminent For U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Patrol Aircraft

USAF Eyes Service-Life Extensions for Older Fighters

MBDA: more nations to order Meteor this year

Marine CH-53K Faces Multiyear Slide

CRS: Alternate Engine Could Reduce U.S. F-35 Buy

DDG Farragut sinks skiff in 2nd pirate skirmish

DARPA looks for portable power from poop

Chinooks are lifeline for remote Afghan FOBs

DoD releases Selected Acquisition Reports on Major Weapon Systems

GAO weighs in on the DoD SARs....

Pentagon eyeing drone shift to aid Somalia

EADS: KC-X position unchanged after Sarkozy weighs in at White House

Obama Cites F/A-18 Green Hornet Test in Announcement

DoD Acquisition Tsar Proposes Pilot Project for U.S. Army To Speed Acquisition

Italy Pressuring U.S., Lockheed Over JSF Work

Lockheed Martin Successfully Tests Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) Tri-Mode Seeker

EADS issues fresh ultimatum on Talarion UAV Development

GAO: Weapons Face Delays, Cost Hikes

Britain's £35bn defense industry could shrink by up to 70%

Obama, Medvedev Agree on Strategic Arms Control Terms

Commandant Conway: JSF Not Too Hot For Carriers

BAE Producing 24 Archer Artillery Systems For Norway, Sweden Armies

Super Hornets arrive in Australia

USAF releases new plan to replace Pave Hawk SAR Helicopters

MarineCorps Must Drive, Fly Lighter

Congress presses Army on speed of Ground Combat Vehicle acquisition

Denmark Delays Fighter Decision by at least two years

Australia's first five Super Hornets to arrive on Friday

Navy seeks to field carrier-based UAV by 2018

Gates: Endorses KC-X Requirement, says DoD examining F/A-18 multiyear buy plans for savings

Swedish Saab Surprised at Romania's F-16 Choice

UH-72A Lakotas arrive at U.S. Naval Test Pilot School

Britain Picks GD UK for massive FRES Vehicle contract, Delays Warrior Upgrades

EADS North America CEO expects air tanker deadline decision this week

Lawmakers: Navy and Marines facing larger than expected fighter jet shortfall

Army Awards Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinders Delivery Order to Northrop Grumman

Oshkosh Defense and General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada Team for Canadian Wheeled Vehicle Programs

Russian Tanker Bid or Not? Firm Backs Lawyer at Center of Latest Tanker Controversy

Defense Earmarks Ban Denies Vital Programs

US Navy looks to develop unmanned, stealthy combat aircraft on mature technologies

India Will Buy More MiG-29Ks

Triumph Group buys Vought from Carlyle

Israeli air force showcases G550 surveillance fleet

Grant Thornton examines Aerospace and Defense M&A activity

F-35 Second Engine has successful test

Boeing stock upped, Lockheed cut by Oppenheimer

Russia - United Aircraft Chief Fyodorov Denies U.S. Tanker Bid

EADS Now Eyes Prime Bid For USAF KC-X

U.K. To Launch Long-Endurance UAV Acquisition

EADS plans a 'medium-sized' acquisition in the US with view to more defense contracts

Pentagon says it may extend tanker-bid deadline

F-35 Is 62% Over Cost, Four Years Late

Marines Laud JSF's maiden Vertical Landing

First Test of Raytheon's SM-3 Block IB Slated For 2011

EADS CEO Sees 'Room For' U.S. Acquisition in 2010

DSJ's "A View from the Hill" -- Defense Contract Reform as Cover for Insourcing

What's up from down under -- Australia Defence News Summary

France, Germany Take Issue With Tanker Competition

Work to cease on DHS SBInet 'virtual fence' along U.S.-Mexico border

Vice Admiral Venlet nominated for top F-35 post

Danish MoD: Fighter Review still on - no decision taken on F-35

Pressure Builds for More Hornets; Multi-Year OK Likely

GAO: Challenges Remain in Battlefield Contracting

India orders more MiG-29s as Tejas naval fighter slips further

F-35B Hovers for First Time

Korea Utility Helicopter makes first flight

Finmeccanica Seeks To Make U.S. Home Market

LockMart lands massive order for IED Jammer Systems

KC-X Sole-Source Contract Will Draw Scrutiny

Report: General Dynamics bests BAE Systems U.K. Scout Contract

A160T Hummingbird: Boeing's robo-copter flexes its muscle

Boeing and Qatar celebrate C-17 airlifter deployment

Report: Denmark bails on F-35 for F/A-18E/F?

No MEADS Decision From U.S. Army-MDA Meeting

China close to testing next-generation fighter

DoD Concurs With GAO on post-FCS U.S. Army Modernization

New Israeli Aerostar UAV makes first flight

New Littoral Combat Ship Scores Drug Hits

India's Prithvi Missile System Fails Test

ATK Outlines Reorganization

Carter Confirms JSF Unit Price Nearly Doubled

EADS confident on A400M exports after rescue deal

GD bests BAE Systems for £1bn UK army Scout vehicle award

104 F/A-18 Hornets grounded after cracks discovered

More Sukhoi T-50 fighters to fly in next 12 months

U.S. setting bad example on protectionism with KC-X: French PM Sarkozy

EADS Seeking New Tanker-Bid Partner?

White House Wants Faster Export Approval

New Army Modernization Plan Under Fire

Northrop/EADS KC-X no-bid produces transatlantic blowback

SECDEF Gates sez tanker compeition fair

DoD: F-35 to massively breach Nunn-McCurdy Limits by 50%

Boeing Plans For UAS Flight Demos of two independently funded UAS

BAE Systems to provide Textron with armor kits for Armored Security Vehicles

GeoEye Selects Lockheed Martin to Begin Engineering and Manufacturing of GeoEye-2, the Company's Next Commercial Earth-Imaging Satellite

Greek financial crisis prompts Defendory show postponement

USAF will not modify KC-X Tanker RFP

Senator McCain say single tanker bid okay with him

EADS won't pursue air tanker contract without Northrop Grumman

U.S. Army Requests Permission To Modify Strykers with Double V-Hulls

SECAF Donley: No alternatives exist to F-35

RAF outlines Afghan experience with Reaper UAV

Mach 6 missile ready for prime time?

AvWeek: U.S. Needs Plan For Tactical Vehicle Fleet

Malaysia to rely on Beechcraft King Air aircraft for surveillance role

Northrop Grumman will not bid KC-X Tanker Replacement

-- Statement from Northrop Grumman

-- Statement from EADS North America on NGC's decision not to bid on KC-X

-- Statement from DEPSECDEF Bill Lynn on NGC's Decision not to bid on KC-X

ASD Mike Vickers: U.S. Special Operators Need 'Armed ISR,' More Helos

A400M Cost Overrun Pegged at 10%

Boeing 'Phantom Eye' Hydrogen Powered Vehicle Takes Shape

Office of Naval Research taps LMCO for "sense-and-respond" logistics effort

U.S. Army Struggles With JTRS Radio Fielding Plan

Memo from incoming USCG Commandant Sparks Hill Worries

India Plans To Induct long-delayed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) in 2011

Obama taps former intelligence officer -- Army Major General Robert Harding -- to lead TSA

Aluminum Glitters Inside 2nd Littoral Combat Ship Variant

EADS strikes deal with A400M customers

Boeing Starts C-17 Production Rate-Reduction Process

EADS To Post Loss After Reaching A400M Funding Deal

Orbital To Acquire GD's Satellite Development and Manufacturing Business

Ground Combat Vehicle PM McVeigh: Army wants tough industry battle

Spec Ops Needs Faster Helos

USAF considers options to save F-22 production tooling... just in case...

China's Defense Spending Growth Slows

Armor Holdings' shady dealings spanned globe authorities say

Portugal picks Elta radar for upgraded P-3s

GD and Austal Split Up To Bid on Littoral Combat Ship

Boeing surprises no one with announcement that it will bid a 767 derivative for KC-X

General Dynamics shakes up leadership

Lockheed to Speed Development of Joint Strike Fighter

Lockheed receives first contract to restart Egypt F-16 production

European Defense Ministers To Approve A400M Support Package Next Week

U.S. Senate Confirms 3 DoD Nominees Held Up by Senator Shelby

Lockheed Martin, Boeing win key Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) contract

Virginia Leaders Continue to Fight Move of Aircraft Carrier to Florida

DoD Comptroller: F-35 Buy Shrinks If Costs Grow

DoD Memo Formalizes F-35 Program Overhaul, Extension

Monthly audits show F-35 production plagued by parts shortages

GD, Northrop warn of shipyard layoffs based on anemic shipbulding plans

Army Chief of Staff Caset: Casey: V-hull will be added to Strykers

Boeing plots course for unmanned Phantom Ray

U.S. Defense Budgets And Plans Collide

U.S. State Department Hold on Export Licenses for BAE Systems

U.S. Army 'Moving Rapidly' To Add V-Hull to Strykers

OSD Official: Many Platforms Being Examined for CSAR

Snipers Zero-In On Longer-Range Kills

CSBA: Littoral Combat Ship CONOPS

BAE Systems, Northrop to team on Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) Bid

NATO destroyer sinks pirate ship off Somalia

New Predator Variants, New UAV Roles

With New RFP, Northrop Weighs KC-X Risk

Commandant: EFV has MRAP-level protection

Boeing, Lockheed Put Bomber Partnership on Ice

India's HAL sets sights on global presence

Budget Crunch Raises Stakes For Weapons Platforms, yet NextGen Progams may Resurge

Army seeks robot for combat casualty extraction

Lexington: Air Force looks backwards on CSAR decision

DoD Study -- F-35 program costs the same with or without second engine

Army issues Ground Combat Vehicle RFP - Responses Due on 26 April

USAF Sets KC-X First Flight (2012), IOC (2017) Dates

Air Force faces no-bid decision by Northrop Grumman on KC-X Tanker

EADS Accepts A400M Financing Offer: France

Elbit Systems Unveils its UAS Intelligence Management Center

Double V-hulled 'MRAP-like' Strykers Could Be Fielded in 2011

HASC's McKeon Decries Drop in U.S. Army R&D Funding

Australia confirms order for seven CH-47F Chinooks

BAE Systems proves concepts In Mantis MALE UAS Trials

Australia to choose new naval combat helicopter in 2011

Final Tanker RfP Keeps Evaluation Plans, Features Only 'Technical' Adjustments

DOD briefs on tanker competition - Question remains of Northrop Grumman/EADS participation

EADS Strikes Airbus A400M Finance Deal: Spain

Another battle brews between Congress, Pentagon on F-35 second engine

Military services scale back their wish lists to Congress

LONGBOW LLC Awarded $86 Million to Support and Sustain U.K. Apache Attack Helicopters

USAF chief: F-35 programme cost increases 'likely' to force recertification process

C-17 Production Rate To Be Cut By Third

State Dept. Ends ITT Debarment over ITAR Violations

Poland grounds Hercules fleet after Afghan mishap

Sikorsky's X-2 Helo aims for World Speed Record

Germany's HERON UAV emerges. The leased ISR platforms, built by Israel Aerospace Industries and provided to the German MoD/BWB under a service lease from German prime contractor Rheinmettal Defence, are poised for deployment to Afghanistan in the coming weeks.

Saudi Arabia has signed a deal to acquire MBDA's Storm Shadow cruise missile as part of a Tornado strike aircraft update package. This news comes as Ankara lifts sanctions prohibiting MBDA from competing for contracts in Turkey and as the company announces fighter upgrade inroads in India.

The U.S. Navy is planning to demonstrate an armed, sensor-equipped, carrier-based UCAS by 2018, as a follow-on to carrier-suitability and autonomous aerial-refueling demonstrations planned for completion in 2013. RADM William Shannon, PEO Aviation and Strike weapons, says that an RFI will be released this year.

Recertification and more scrutiny looms as Air Force Chief General Schwartz says that the F-35 program likely to breach the Nunn-McCurdy limits on unit cost growth. This as the Air Force Chief of Staff suggests that the Service may slide its F-35 IOC and Lockheed Martin confirmed that it is addressing potentially serious problems with the fuselage strength of the carrier-launched variant.

General Atomics working with FAA and USAF and ready to test its new Predator C - AVENGER UAS at Edwards AFB

In the aftermath of the first successful Airborne Laser test (after 16 years), Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell says that its the ABL's 747 platform -- and not the directed energy laser itself that is the problem with the system. Indeed, Morrell told reporters today that the Administration supports continued development of the laser in the FY11 budget request.

Lockheed Martin's enhanced version of the combat-proven PAC-3 Missile, the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE), successfully intercepted a threat representative tactical ballistic missile target yesterday at White Sands Missile Range, NM

Future unclear for the U.S. rotorcraft industry, despite DoD efforts to shape and nurture the industrial base.

The Pentagon restarts (kinda) the snakebit Presidential helicopter competition with release of a "VXX" Request for Information. Short responses from industry are due on 3 March to inform a new Analaysis of Alternatives.

DoD delay in a key "go ahead" decision on the Army's pending Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) program is based on the system's growing notional weight (70 tons!) and a desire to promote competition in the context of an aggressive fielding schedule.

Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale confirms that the DoD budget growth has likely topped out with the FY11 request.

The French want a decision on a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAS early this year... and, while a US or Israel platform might fill an interim gap, they utlimately want a European program.

EADS says it will take some time to develop a cogent response to the offer of support from the seven A400M nations. Speculation suggests that EADS may offer to provide a simpler version of the airlifter to speed its introduction.

Elbit Systems has completed a series of successful flights of its enhanced Micro CoMPASS EO payload with advanced capabilities aboard the HERMES 90 UAS.

DRASH shelters are supporting U.S. troops in Haitian earthquake relief efforts.

DepSecDef Bill Lynn confirms what everyone knows... that the F-35 program has slipped to the right by 12 to 13 months. Unclear is whether the Marines will get their first jump jets in 2012 as planned.

Officials: India's emerging defense procurement policy will focus on enhancing indigenous industrial capability via a move from offsets to a "buy and make Indian" approach.

As Iran's defiance over its nuclear weapons program heightens, Tehran has unveiled a new satellite launch vehicle, which experts say could be the basis for a future ICBM.

Boeing aims squarely at Indian market and forges industry links to sell SuperHornet fighters, C-17 airlifters, P-8A multi-mission aircraft, AH-64D Apache and CH-47 Chinook helicopters. AgustaWestland is also forging industry ties.

FlightGlobal's Craig Hoyle wonders whether, after BAE Systems' admission of guilt and agreement to pay nearly a half a billion dollars in fines, everyone is ready to move on.

As the US Army explores its plans for an Armed Aerial Scout (AAS) helicopter, pilots may be optional.

The USS Freedom (LCS1) -- the first of what will turn into a much larger Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) fleet -- pulled out early this week for its first operational deployment. A downselect between two very distinct designs looms for later this year.