Pentagon Demotes Airborne Laser Program

Posted at: Thu Feb 16th, 2006

The multibillion-dollar Airborne Laser program, considered the Pentagon's best chance to develop a weapon to defeat ballistic missiles in their early, boost phase of flight, is being relegated to a technology demonstration status while a planned five-aircraft p...

Stealth jets bound for 'boneyard'

Posted at: Thu Feb 16th, 2006

The black jets that revolutionized air warfare with their radar-evading technology and ability to drop precision-guided bombs at night are to be discarded in 2008, 20 years after the Air Force acknowledged the stealth fighters' existence, officials said.

BAE Systems Detailing UCAV Research Efforts

Posted at: Thu Feb 16th, 2006

LONDON -- BAE Systems is beginning to detail previously classified unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) research efforts, including flying a representative low observable air vehicle. BAE first flew a UCAV demonstrator, dubbed Raven, in late 2003. The low observable design is part of t...

Pratt and Whitney, Rolls-Royce retain JSF collaboration

Posted at: Thu Feb 16th, 2006

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. - February 16, 2006 - Pratt and Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), and Rolls-Royce plc have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to define their future collaboration on the F135 propulsion system for the F-35 Joint Str...

McCain warns of 'scandal' in defense procurement

Posted at: Thu Feb 16th, 2006

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain on Wednesday warned of "an emerging scandal" in defense procurement and vowed to block the nomination of a high-ranking defense official until he gets answers in a contract dispute involving Lockheed Martin's C-130J transport.

India, Russia designing fifth-generation fighter

Posted at: Thu Feb 16th, 2006

New Delhi - India and Russia are designing a fifth-generation fighter jet, Russian ambassador Vyacheslav Trubnikov revealed in media reports Thursday. The Russian envoy said the two countries had reached an agreement for designing, producing and marketing of the interceptor-fighter j...

Directed energy lasers - fact or fiction?

Posted at: Thu Feb 16th, 2006

More than a century after HG Wells' fictitious Martians used their 'heat-rays' to barbecue half the UK armed forces and to cut a warship in half, it is still unclear exactly when effective, 'speed-of-light' high-energy laser technology will enter the battlefield.

Bush urged to back fighter jet

Posted at: Thu Feb 16th, 2006

Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox will urge US President George Bush not to scale back his commitment to the Anglo-American Joint Strike Fighter programme for a new generation of military jets.

J-UCAS Canceled, But Not for Naught

Posted at: Thu Feb 16th, 2006

US Navy Capt. Ralph Alderson, program director of the Joint-Unmanned Combat Aerial System (J-UCAS) program, said right at the start that he would address the elephant in the room. The FY07 defense budget provides zero funding for the J-UCAS, and ...