Clara Nguyen, Author at defense-aerospace

Sierra Space Opens M Power Station Tech Center in Colorado to Scale Defense Solar Production

Sierra Space Opens $45M Power Station Tech Center in Colorado to Scale Defense Solar Production

Sierra Space has placed its new “Power Station” technology center into full production. The site, located in Broomfield, Colorado, brings automated solar-array manufacturing under one roof. According to industry sources, the company finished factory acceptance tests early yesterday and shifted directly into contract work for defense satellites. The company invested $45 million to fit the 70,000-square-foot building with clean rooms, thermal-vacuum chambers, and vibration rigs.

Sierra Space Opens $45M Power Station Tech Center in Colorado to Scale Defense Solar Production Read More »

Bungled Navy Warship Referred to Anti-Corruption Watchdog

Australia’s $45 billion Hunter-class frigate program faces fresh scrutiny after Senator David Shoebridge asked the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) to examine how the Royal Australian Navy chose the British Type 26 design despite warnings it carried “extreme risk.” The referral follows a May Auditor-General report that found officials kept no minutes for two critical meetings, skipped a value-for-money study, and failed to update risk registers while costs climbed.

Bungled Navy Warship Referred to Anti-Corruption Watchdog Read More »

Accelerating 5th Generation Airpower: Bringing Capability and Capacity to the Merge

The Mitchell Institute today rolled out a 72-page policy paper that warns of a shrinking, aging U.S. fighter force and calls for an urgent production surge of F-35As equipped with Technology Refresh 3 and Block 4 upgrades.

Accelerating 5th Generation Airpower: Bringing Capability and Capacity to the Merge Read More »

Plane Insanity: Is the US Air Force too old and small to win?

Plane Insanity: Is the US Air Force too old and

Plane Insanity: Is the US Air Force too old and small to win? Read More »

The Netherlands Buy Additional F-35 Fighter Aircraft

The Dutch government has ordered nine more Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighters, lifting the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) plan from 37 to 46 aircraft. State Secretary Barbara Visser told Parliament the purchase slots into the Joint Program Office (JPO) production queue and keeps deliveries on track for 2022-2024.

The Netherlands Buy Additional F-35 Fighter Aircraft Read More »

Aviation Week Reader Comments Above Story

Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program has drawn thousands of reader remarks on Aviation Week since the aircraft reached initial service. The most pointed thread this week grew out of a comment by retired Marine officer Don Bacon. He noted that “150 to 160 modifications” sit between many early-build jets and the Block 3F standard that the U.S. services need for combat. His remark sparked fresh debate about concurrency, spiraling costs, and schedule risk.

Aviation Week Reader Comments Above Story Read More »

The F-35: Even the Engine Is Compromised (excerpt)

The F-35 promised reach without rival, yet its heart – Pratt & Whitney’s F135 – burns fuel like an older design. Thrust-specific fuel consumption (TSFC) shows why. The F100-PW-229 that powers late-model F-15s and F-16s clocks 0.726 lb/hr/lb. The F135 sits at 0.889 lb/hr/lb, a 22 percent penalty that drags range and keeps tankers busy.

The F-35: Even the Engine Is Compromised (excerpt) Read More »