Aircraft

Defense lawmakers rejected several Navy reprogramming requests that would have funded a consulting group for surface warfare reforms, supported developing a high-energy laser and financed an effort related to investigating physiological episodes occurring within the F/A-18 and E/A-18 fleets.

The Air Force expects the F-22 Raptors left behind at Tyndall Air Force Base, FL, during Hurricane Michael to all be repairable, but officials are still waiting to conduct thorough assessments of the jets.

Air Force officials are considering ways to increase sustainment for the service's fleet of C-135 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft to prepare them for peer conflict, as the platforms face a slew of engine and structural problems.

Deputy Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan said a new aircraft readiness directive ordering the Air Force and the Navy to achieve 80 percent readiness rates for four key tactical fighter jets by the end of this fiscal year will help the Pentagon prove to Congress it is effectively spending a recent funding boost and make the case that further relief from statutory budget caps is warranted.

A new report commissioned by the White House highlights concerns that next-generation aircraft development programs could face workforce shortages, noting that insufficient, inconsistent research and development investment has made it harder for the major aircraft developers to maintain an innovative edge.

With the support of the Defense Department's senior leadership, the Navy is in "phase zero" of implementing a new aircraft sustainment system that will eventually be rolled out across its fleet readiness centers and maintenance depots, according to the service's top aviation officer.

The F-35 program executive officer will meet with the Pentagon acquisition chief Tuesday to review the effort's operational test readiness and sign off on a plan to begin the key testing slate in mid-November.

The Air Force announced a contract with Boeing this week that includes options to buy up to 475 new trainers -- 124 more than the current requirement -- in a deal the service says will provide flexibility to buy jets at a faster pace and potentially higher quantities.

The Air Force awarded a Boeing-Saab team a $9.2 billion contract today to build the next-generation T-X training jet -- the company's third major defense contract in the last two months.