FARNBOURGH AIR SHOW: When Lockheed Martin bumped North Grumman’s Disgtributed Aperture System from the F-35 program in favor one offered by Raytheon, analysts were shocked. it largely drove Northrop out of a significant segment of the electro-optical sensor market and was believed to significantly reduce the company’s revenue over the life of the F-35. Greg… Keep reading →

Northrop Grumman was pushed aside today by Lockheed Martin as it picked Raytheon to build perhaps the F-35’s most important sensor, the Distributed Aperture System. “It’s a major upset,” Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group said when I asked him to discuss the decision.

“I’d say six to seven years to essentially work out the Concept of Operations (and) develop the capabilities,” Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves told the Senate.

ARLINGTON, VA: Three years ago, Lockheed Martin made the bold boast that F-35s would cost less than $85 million a copy by 2019, less than any existing fourth-generation fighter. Skeptics howled. Boeing scoffed (eager to sell their ostensibly cheaper F-18 and keep its production line open). Most of us were impressed at then-Lockheed Martin program manager… Keep reading →