Latest news with #Boeing-made
Axios
5 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Northrop eyes Norway as it works on Tritons for Australia
Northrop Grumman is bullish on the international appeal of its MQ-4C Triton, with Norway among the potential buyers of the massive maritime drone. Why it matters: Militaries want more smart machinery, and governments want more dirt on their neighbors. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) strapped with specialty sensors can satisfy both cravings. Driving the news: Reporters on June 13 got an intimate look at Tritons housed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, home to the Naval Air Systems Command. State of play: Northrop's delivered 20 Tritons to the U.S. Navy. It's sent another three to Australia, and is building a fourth right now in Mississippi. "In the last six months, we've been able to execute 45 flights per month across all three operational orbits," said Capt. Josh Guerre, the persistent maritime unmanned aircraft systems program manager. "You really are supporting concurrent operations, 24/7." Zoom in: Triton can fly around the clock at altitudes greater than 50,000 feet, hoovering up geospatial and signals intelligence. It can also pair with Boeing-made P-8 aircraft, which hunt submarines. Brad Champion, the Triton enterprise director at Northrop, described it as picking "up all the metal on the water." The latest: Both Northrop and General Atomics responded to Norway's ask for long-range drones. "They have a very vast ocean region that they're responsible for," Champion said. "Their economic exclusion zone is very large within the High North, and they are procuring P-8s, so they are set up very well to continue to follow the U.S. Navy doctrine of that manned-unmanned teaming." Champion expects a decision this year. He referred an ask for specifics to Oslo. The other side: C. Mark Brinkley, a spokesperson for General Atomics, told Axios the company has its MQ-9B SeaGuardian in the running.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Allvin: Air Force owns more tech on F-47, dodging F-35 mistake
The Air Force's acquisition strategy shift on the F-47 sixth-generation fighter will give the service greater ownership of the jet's technology and allow quicker and easier future upgrades, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said Tuesday. In a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Allvin confirmed to Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., that the service is taking a markedly different acquisition approach to the Boeing-made F-47, previously referred to as Next Generation Air Dominance, than it did on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. 'The primary difference is that we now have more control over the [F-47] project as it moves forward,' Allvin said. 'We have in-sourced more. We have more ownership of the tech base. We guided a government reference architecture, so we own the mission systems. And so others can come in and play, but we own the development, the upgrade.' A government reference architecture, or GRA, is a road map provided by the government that guides a program's design, development, production and sustainment processes. Top Air Force officials, particularly former Secretary Frank Kendall, have publicly expressed regret for how the military's F-35 deal with Lockheed Martin was structured. In a May 2023 roundtable with reporters, Kendall lamented the Pentagon did not obtain rights to the F-35's sustainment data from Lockheed Martin when the original deal was signed. This stemmed from the acquisition philosophy of the time, called Total System Performance, which meant the contractor on a program would own it for the system's entire life cycle. The Government Accountability Office also highlighted in a September 2023 report the consequences of failing to obtain rights to F-35 technical data, which have hindered the military's ability to sustain the jet on its own and slowed down repairs. Kendall felt so strongly that this was a major misstep that in the May 2023 discussion, he referred to it as 'acquisition malpractice,' and said such an approach creates 'a perpetual monopoly' for the contractor. He pledged the Air Force would not make that 'serious mistake' on the NGAD program and said the service would have access to the intellectual property it needs. Kendall also said the NGAD aircraft would use a modular open system design that would allow the Air Force to bring in new suppliers as it upgrades parts of the system. Allvin's comments Tuesday seem to confirm that approach was used in finalizing Boeing's deal with the Air Force to create the F-47. And he said this will allow rapid software-based upgrades that aren't reliant on the original contractor. 'The upgrades can come at the speed of software, not hardware. [Upgrades] can come at the speed of our engineers understanding how fast to advance, versus dealing with the contractor and paying the extra cost,' Allvin said. Future technology upgrades will also be more easily added to the service's nascent collaborative combat aircraft, the YFQ-42 and YFQ-44, which are being designed by General Atomics and Anduril Industries, Allvin said. 'They're all going to be under the same mission systems architecture,' Allvin said. 'So we won't just be upgrading one platform, we'll be upgrading a system, and so the American taxpayer will get more combat capability out of their money.' Allvin also said the service was learning from the F-35 program's mistakes on the F-47. 'We're going to have some conversations about F-35 and how we don't want to repeat that,' he said.
The Advertiser
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
US accepts jet from Qatar for use as Air Force One
The United States has accepted a 747 jetliner as a gift from Qatar and the air force has been asked to find a way to rapidly upgrade it for use as a new Air Force One, the Pentagon says. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth accepted the $US400 million ($A621 million) Boeing-made jet for use as US President Donald Trump's official plane, the Pentagon said. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Defense Department "will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered". He added that the plane was accepted "in accordance with all federal rules and regulations". Legal experts have questioned the scope of laws relating to gifts from foreign governments that aim to thwart corruption and improper influence. Democrats have also sought to block the handover. Qatar has dismissed concerns about the aircraft deal. Trump has also shrugged off ethical concerns, saying it would be "stupid" not to accept the jet. He has defended it as a way to save tax dollars. "Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars when they can get it for FREE," Trump posted on his social media site. Retrofitting the luxury plane offered by Qatar's royal family will require significant security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent spies from listening in and the ability to fend off incoming missiles, experts say. That could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The precise costs were not known but could be significant given the cost for Boeing's current effort to build two new Air Force One planes is more than $US5 billion. The Air Force One program has faced chronic delays over the last decade, with the delivery of two new 747-8s slated for 2027, three years behind the previous schedule. Boeing in 2018 received a $US3.9 billion contract to build the two planes for use as Air Force One although costs have since risen. Boeing has also posted $US2.4 billion in charges from the project. with AP The United States has accepted a 747 jetliner as a gift from Qatar and the air force has been asked to find a way to rapidly upgrade it for use as a new Air Force One, the Pentagon says. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth accepted the $US400 million ($A621 million) Boeing-made jet for use as US President Donald Trump's official plane, the Pentagon said. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Defense Department "will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered". He added that the plane was accepted "in accordance with all federal rules and regulations". Legal experts have questioned the scope of laws relating to gifts from foreign governments that aim to thwart corruption and improper influence. Democrats have also sought to block the handover. Qatar has dismissed concerns about the aircraft deal. Trump has also shrugged off ethical concerns, saying it would be "stupid" not to accept the jet. He has defended it as a way to save tax dollars. "Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars when they can get it for FREE," Trump posted on his social media site. Retrofitting the luxury plane offered by Qatar's royal family will require significant security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent spies from listening in and the ability to fend off incoming missiles, experts say. That could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The precise costs were not known but could be significant given the cost for Boeing's current effort to build two new Air Force One planes is more than $US5 billion. The Air Force One program has faced chronic delays over the last decade, with the delivery of two new 747-8s slated for 2027, three years behind the previous schedule. Boeing in 2018 received a $US3.9 billion contract to build the two planes for use as Air Force One although costs have since risen. Boeing has also posted $US2.4 billion in charges from the project. with AP The United States has accepted a 747 jetliner as a gift from Qatar and the air force has been asked to find a way to rapidly upgrade it for use as a new Air Force One, the Pentagon says. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth accepted the $US400 million ($A621 million) Boeing-made jet for use as US President Donald Trump's official plane, the Pentagon said. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Defense Department "will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered". He added that the plane was accepted "in accordance with all federal rules and regulations". Legal experts have questioned the scope of laws relating to gifts from foreign governments that aim to thwart corruption and improper influence. Democrats have also sought to block the handover. Qatar has dismissed concerns about the aircraft deal. Trump has also shrugged off ethical concerns, saying it would be "stupid" not to accept the jet. He has defended it as a way to save tax dollars. "Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars when they can get it for FREE," Trump posted on his social media site. Retrofitting the luxury plane offered by Qatar's royal family will require significant security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent spies from listening in and the ability to fend off incoming missiles, experts say. That could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The precise costs were not known but could be significant given the cost for Boeing's current effort to build two new Air Force One planes is more than $US5 billion. The Air Force One program has faced chronic delays over the last decade, with the delivery of two new 747-8s slated for 2027, three years behind the previous schedule. Boeing in 2018 received a $US3.9 billion contract to build the two planes for use as Air Force One although costs have since risen. Boeing has also posted $US2.4 billion in charges from the project. with AP The United States has accepted a 747 jetliner as a gift from Qatar and the air force has been asked to find a way to rapidly upgrade it for use as a new Air Force One, the Pentagon says. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth accepted the $US400 million ($A621 million) Boeing-made jet for use as US President Donald Trump's official plane, the Pentagon said. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the Defense Department "will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered". He added that the plane was accepted "in accordance with all federal rules and regulations". Legal experts have questioned the scope of laws relating to gifts from foreign governments that aim to thwart corruption and improper influence. Democrats have also sought to block the handover. Qatar has dismissed concerns about the aircraft deal. Trump has also shrugged off ethical concerns, saying it would be "stupid" not to accept the jet. He has defended it as a way to save tax dollars. "Why should our military, and therefore our taxpayers, be forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars when they can get it for FREE," Trump posted on his social media site. Retrofitting the luxury plane offered by Qatar's royal family will require significant security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent spies from listening in and the ability to fend off incoming missiles, experts say. That could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The precise costs were not known but could be significant given the cost for Boeing's current effort to build two new Air Force One planes is more than $US5 billion. The Air Force One program has faced chronic delays over the last decade, with the delivery of two new 747-8s slated for 2027, three years behind the previous schedule. Boeing in 2018 received a $US3.9 billion contract to build the two planes for use as Air Force One although costs have since risen. Boeing has also posted $US2.4 billion in charges from the project. with AP
Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
US accepts luxury jet from Qatar for use as Air Force One for Trump
Retrofitting the luxury plane offered by Qatar's royal family will require significant security upgrades that could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. PHOTO: AFP US accepts luxury jet from Qatar for use as Air Force One for Trump WASHINGTON - The United States has accepted a 747 jetliner as a gift from Qatar and the Air Force has been asked to find a way to rapidly upgrade it for use as a new Air Force One, the Pentagon said on May 21. Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth accepted the US$400 million (S$500 million) Boeing-made jet for use as US President Donald Trump's official plane, the Pentagon said. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the Defence Department 'will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered.' Legal experts have questioned the scope of laws relating to gifts from foreign governments that aim to thwart corruption and improper influence. Democrats have also sought to block the handover. Qatar has dismissed concerns about the aircraft deal. Mr Trump has also shrugged off ethical concerns, saying it would be 'stupid' not to accept the jet. Retrofitting the luxury plane offered by Qatar's royal family will require significant security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent spies from listening in and the ability to fend off incoming missiles, experts say. That could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The precise costs were not known, but could be significant given the cost for Boeing's current effort to build two new Air Force One planes is over US$5 billion. The Air Force One programme has faced chronic delays over the last decade, with the delivery of two new 747-8s slated for 2027, three years behind the previous schedule. Boeing in 2018 received a US$3.9 billion contract to build the two planes for use as Air Force One, thought costs have since risen. Boeing has also posted US$2.4 billion in charges from the project. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US accepts luxury jet from Qatar for use as Air Force One for Trump
By Phil Stewart and David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States has accepted a 747 jetliner as a gift from Qatar and the Air Force has been asked to find a way to rapidly upgrade it for use as a new Air Force One, the Pentagon said on Wednesday. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth accepted the $400 million Boeing-made jet for use as U.S. President Donald Trump's official plane, the Pentagon said. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said the Defense Department "will work to ensure proper security measures and functional-mission requirements are considered." Legal experts have questioned the scope of laws relating to gifts from foreign governments that aim to thwart corruption and improper influence. Democrats have also sought to block the handover. Qatar has dismissed concerns about the aircraft deal. Trump has also shrugged off ethical concerns, saying it would be "stupid" not to accept the jet. Retrofitting the luxury plane offered by Qatar's royal family will require significant security upgrades, communications improvements to prevent spies from listening in and the ability to fend off incoming missiles, experts say. That could cost hundreds of millions of dollars. The precise costs were not known, but could be significant given the cost for Boeing's current effort to build two new Air Force One planes is over $5 billion. The Air Force One program has faced chronic delays over the last decade, with the delivery of two new 747-8s slated for 2027, three years behind the previous schedule. Boeing in 2018 received a $3.9 billion contract to build the two planes for use as Air Force One, thought costs have since risen. Boeing has also posted $2.4 billion in charges from the project.
