Aerospace Group:

Air Force

No Power and Thermal Management System Chosen Yet for F135 ECU, GAO Says

Frank Wolfe

Tuesday, May 30th, 2023

SHARE:

No Power and Thermal Management System Chosen Yet for F135 ECU, GAO Says

A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II assigned to the 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base, taxis during the Arctic Gold 23-2 exercise at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska on April 18th (U.S. Air Force Photo)

The U.S. Air Force's fiscal 2024 budget asks for $245 million for Raytheon Technologies' [RTX] F135 Engine Core Upgrade (ECU) for the Lockheed Martin [LMT] F-35 and cancels a new adaptive cycle engine for the fighter, but DoD has yet to determine what power and thermal management system (PTMS) it will use for ECU, according to a new GAO report, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: More Actions Needed to Explain Cost Growth and Support Engine Modernization Decision (GAO-23-106047). The F135 will…

Unmanned Systems

Counter-Drone Needs Will Be Addressed In Next NDAA Based On Iran War Lessons, Banks Says

A Republican senator on Armed Services Committee on Thursday said that defending against Iranian drones has been challenge for U.S. warfighters and will be an area of focus in the […]

Pentagon

Pentagon ‘Working Options’ On Iran Supplemental, May Seek Funds For New Capabilities

The Pentagon is “working options” for a potential supplemental spending request to fund the operation against Iran and replenish munitions used in the strike campaign, with a senior official noting […]

Congress

Wicker Backs “Crash Program” To Supply Ukraine With Low-Cost Weapons

Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) on Thursday proposed a rapid effort to supply Ukraine with low-cost weapons to aid that country in turning back Russia. “We […]

Congress

Dem Lawmakers Want To Codify Trump’s Push For More Defense Contractor Accountability

A group of four Congressional Democrats want to codify President Donald Trump’s push to hold defense firms accountable for prioritizing production investments over paying out stock buybacks, and are seeking […]