The House Dems launch the first salvo in what promises to be a long defense budget saga, and they are drawing lines that will be hard to cross.

The Pentagon says a new F-35 deal is coming this summer, and promises more costs savings even as the program struggles to get needed spare parts.

Acquisition chief Ellen Lord wants a radically new way of buying software, but appropriators have to approve.

F-35 Program Executive Officer Vice Adm. Mat Winter today told the HASC tactical air and land subcommittee that Lockheed was guilty of just that, adding that this had helped lead to a shortage of an average of 600 parts each month, causing production line slowdowns and cost increases.

Adding extra firepower to the F-35 shows how loudly Lockheed hears the footsteps of Boeing’s F-15X approaching.

“F-35 aircraft performance is falling short of warfighter requirements—that is, aircraft cannot perform as many missions or fly as often as required. This lower-than-desired aircraft performance is due largely to F-35 spare parts shortages and difficulty in managing and moving parts around the world”

Acting Defense Secretary Shanahan did not abuse his office, the DoD Inspector General found.

PENTAGON:  The Air Force is looking across the enterprise to build a comprehensive map of all electronic warfare capabilities for the second stage of its landmark service-wide probe of how to bolster the Air Force’s EW and cyber warfare capabilities. Gen. Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has already been briefed… Keep reading →

Can a risk-averse procurement bureaucracy recapture the pioneering spirit of its past? The Air Force’s acquisition chief says yes.

US forces ready to do more as other nations and Lockheed Martin watch for clues as to how an F-35 fell out of the sky without warning.