US announces Israeli JSF buy
Filed under: Contract Awards, Department of Defense, FMS, Israel, Lockheed Martin, Military Aviation, production program
The US Department of Defense announced that Israel has agreed to buy 25 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) and support. The contract is worth about $15 B. While eight partner countries will also fly the JSF, Israel becomes the first FMS customer. The JSF will be a short take-off and landing aircraft to replace F-16 and AV-8 aircraft.
See the story at Rueters.com.
USAF Secretary comments on protests
Filed under: Boeing, Contract Awards, EADS, GAO, Northrop Grumman Corp., Protest, U.S. Air Force, commercial aviation, logistics, production program
Secretary Wynne of the US Air Force discusses protests in this article. The gist is that the Air Force is accepting protests as a matter of course and is working to make the selection process more transparent in an attempt to limit them. The key quote is “”We’ve got so few suppliers that I’m not going to treat them badly because they protest. It’s their right,” Wynne told an aerospace industry group.” Read more
Gansler talks reality on KC-45 protest
Filed under: Boeing, Contract Awards, EADS, Northrop Grumman Corp., Protest, U.S. Air Force, commercial aviation, development program, logistics
At the bottom of this article about the leak of a US Air Force meeting that determined Boeing is not likely to win the protest former DoD Acquisition Head Jacques Gansler is described as saying overturning the KC-45 award on purely political grounds would be a disaster. I would have to agree. Not only does it set a terrible precedent for future contracts, but it would dissuade European companies from bidding on future work. Due to the integration and consolidation in the defense industry future contracts will only see more bids by non-US companies. EADS, BAE, Augusta Westland and so on provide in many cases the only competition for some hardware, and it gets even more difficult with the mingling of these companies and their American subsidiaries.
More KC-X reaction
Filed under: Boeing, Contract Awards, EADS, Northrop Grumman Corp., U.S. Air Force, commercial aviation, logistics
Seattle PI on Union Reaction.
Seattle Times on Washington’s Congressional delegation reaction. Notice even the Democrats are unhappy – all DoD dollars are local.
Reuters on general Congressional reactions – Alabama happy.
California Fox station says the larger capacity of the KC-30 was key.
Spokane just wants new tankers to replace their KC-135 aircraft.
India seen as future large weapons buyer
Filed under: India, Lockheed Martin, Military Aviation, production program
Lockheed Martin has expressed their belief that India will be one of the largest, future weapon markets. See Reuters for a story from the Singapore Airshow. With a projected market of $20 Billion over the next decades Lockheed plans to bid on whatever work it thinks it can get. It recently won an award for C-130 aircraft. See this previous post.



