DefenceTalkThe Pentagon is fighting an uphill battle against a fractured Congress eager to rein in deficits, though lawmakers thus far appear either unwilling or unable to do so in a sound and practical manner, according to a recent analysis by Forecast International. “The discord on Capitol Hill threatens to undermine the Pentagon’s acquisition plans through […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-bracing-for-major-acquisition-decisions-49888/

DefenceTalkAs training with the new F-35B Lightning II stealth aircraft continues in Florida, USA, a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot has described how impressed he is with the ‘game-changing’ jet. Flight Lieutenant Hugh Nichols completed his first sortie in the next-generation stealth fighter at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, United States earlier this month. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35b-lightning-ii-impresses-raf-pilot-as-training-continues-in-usa-49775/

DefenceTalkThe F-35 Lightning II executed its first live-fire launch of a guided air-to-air missile over a military test range off the California coast on Oct. 30. The AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) was fired from an F-35A (AF-6) conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant fighter operating from the F-35 Integrated Test Facility at […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35a-conducts-first-live-fire-with-amraam-49554/

DefenceTalkAn F-35B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) fighter aircraft piloted by Marine Corps Maj. Richard Rusnok, successfully employed a Guided Bomb Unit-12 (GBU-12) Paveway II laser-guided weapon from the F-35’s internal weapons bay against a fixed ground tank test target yesterday. The GBU-12 is a 500-pound, Mk-82 general purpose bomb mated with a nose-mounted […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35b-lightning-ii-completes-first-guided-weapon-delivery-against-ground-target-49535/

DefenceTalkIn the national budget for 2014, the government continues to give considerable priority to the Norwegian Armed Forces, and to ensure a predictable and stable foundation for the further modernisation of the Defence sector. Maintaining a sustainable balance between resources, assignments and future ambitions continues to be at the heart of the Norwegian defence transformation. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/the-norwegian-defence-budget-for-2014-49382/

DefenceTalkThe F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) today informed Lockheed Martin that it decided to halt development of the alternate F-35 helmet and focus exclusively on maturing the Rockwell Collins Elbit Systems of America Vision Systems Generation 2 (Gen 2) helmet currently used in training and testing. The program will recoup approximately $45 million in funds […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35-program-halts-development-of-alternate-helmet-49364/

DefenceTalkLockheed Martin and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) celebrated the beginnings of the first F-35 Lightning II for Australia yesterday. The aircraft, designated as AU-1, officially began the mate process, where major components of the aircraft are joined together to form the aircraft’s structure. AU-1 will then make its way down the assembly line […]https://www.defencetalk.com/first-f-35-for-australia-takes-shape-in-fort-worth-49348/

DefenceTalkThe Navy’s first F-35C Lightning II carrier variant aircraft squadron, the “Grim Reapers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, hosted a rollout ceremony for their new aircraft at the squadron’s home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Oct.1. The rollout ceremony commemorated the long, storied history of the “Grim Reapers” and the establishment of VFA-101 […]https://www.defencetalk.com/strike-fighter-squadron-101-hosts-f-35c-lightning-ii-rollout-ceremony-49266/

DefenceTalkThe US military’s bureaucratic watchdog on Monday accused companies building the F-35 fighter of shoddy management that could jeopardize the reliability, performance and cost of the aircraft. The Pentagon inspector general cited 363 problems in the design and manufacture of the costly Joint Strike Fighter, the hi-tech warplane that is supposed to serve as the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-f-35-jet-plagued-by-shoddy-quality-control-audit-49237/

DefenceTalkShe didn’t have a smudge on her. Not a leak found anywhere. She even had that “new jet smell.” Skies were blue, everything was perfect. Those were the conditions on that July day in 2011 when Lt. Col. Eric Smith took off from the Lockheed facilities at Fort Worth, Texas, in the first operational F-35 […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35-new-fighter-creates-new-culture-for-21st-century-and-beyond-49176/