Israel and F-35 Production

10/23/2012
Advanced negotiations are underway between IAI and Lockheed Martin, as the IDF is considering procurement of a second F-35 squadron Against the backdrop of the Israeli intent to procure a second squadron of F-35 fighters from Lockheed Martin, negotiations are advancing over the production of several hundred pairs of the…

BAE Assembly Line for F-35 Key Elements

10/23/2012
A new state of the art production line for the F-35 fifth generation fighter jet has been switched on at BAE Systems’ Samlesbury site. The new production line, known as the Integrated Assembly Line (IAL) has been installed in the latest phase of the new F-35 fifth generation stealthy fighter…

The Strategic Impact of the Global Sustainment Approach of the F-35

10/22/2012
2012-10-22 By Robbin Laird The F-35 is a fifth generation aircraft, which has been characterized by one of its most notable pilots as a “situational awareness machine.” I referred to in a Defense News op ed in 2005 as a “flying combat system.” But too often in a platform centric acquisition…

The UK and the F-35

10/22/2012
10/08/12 Excerpt from The Manfucturer The best engineering solutions for specific parts of the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft have inadvertently created a very British supply chain. Will Stirling reports. When plans for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) were first drawn up about 20-years ago, the prime contractor Lockheed Martin…

The A400M Prepares for Delivery: An Update from Seville, September 2012

10/22/2012
2012-10-22 Second Line of Defense visited the Seville final assembly line (FAL) in late September for an update on the delivery schedule and process. And our guide to the effort was the senior Airbus Military engineer Jesús Portillo, in charge of the A400M Program Management Office. As with engineers, the approach…

China-US Relations: The Obama Administration Record

10/22/2012
2012-10-22 by Richard Weitz The government of China will play a key role, either positively or negatively, in whether the next U.S. administration will achieve its foreign and domestic objectives. The Obama administration’s increased focus on China and the Asia-Pacific region enjoys widespread bipartisan support in Washington and even a…

The Christening of the America Class Amphibious Ship: The Opening of a New Era (Updated)

10/21/2012
2012-10-19 By Robbin Laird I am attending the christening event for the new America class ship which will be held October 20, 2012.  And have had the opportunity to discuss the ship with several key players in developing and defining the new ship. Discussions have been held with the prospective…