2012-11-08 By Robbin Laird Many analysts and politicians have discussed the F-35 as if it was a simple replacement aircraft. And in such conversations, the notion of stealth is seen as a high-end capability needed only sparingly and in specialized circumstances. If this were true, the Marines would not be…
Nov. 6, 2012 Northrop Grumman Corporation has entered a long-term agreement (LTA) with the advanced composites manufacturer Terma A/S in Denmark to manufacture component parts for the international F-35 Lightning II program. The LTA, which has a potential value of more than $97 million upon completion of all follow-on options,…
11/5/12 The Royal Australian Air Force's Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Geoff Brown, met Northrop Grumman Corporation NOC -1.56% executives during a visit to the company's F-35 Lightning II production facility in Palmdale on Nov. 2. As part of his visit, Brown received an update on the F-35 program…
2012-11-07 By Richard Weitz The U.S-ROK military alliance has been the foundation of both countries’ strategic policies for over fifty years. The United States and South Korea signed a Mutual Defense Treaty in October 1953 following the 1950-53 Korean War, in which 33,600 American troops were killed and more than 100,000…
2012-11-06 In a four-part follow up set of interviews, Second Line of Defense is looking at the role and impact of the USS America. Interviews have been conducted with the prospective commander of the ship, the head of amphibious ship building in the USN, a senior USMC general on its role,…
By Jeff Sloan, Editor in Chief, Composites World The advantage of the F-35 is its “joint” concept, which spreads cost, manufacturing and risk among several partner countries, each of which is a program customer as well. The disadvantage — as with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner — is that too many cooks…
2012-10-31 Singapore is at the vortex of what we are calling the Strategic Quadrangle in the Pacific. The intersection of the defense of Japan, South Korea, Australia and Singapore forms a quadrangle of defense interests in providing for the security of key US allies in the region. The US is…
2012-10-30 by Robbin Laird It is not often that a new ship of the line is christened. And when it is, thoughts of how it might be used, where it might operate and how it might make new naval history are part of the excitement. This was clearly evident at the…
