The Pentagon now projects the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program will cost about $536.3 billion to develop and procure, up from $485.2 billion in the previous estimate. Its total lifecycle cost, however, has fallen to roughly $1.93 trillion from $2.06 trillion.
Defense
Fighter jet pilots represent one of the most elite and highly trained groups in global aviation.
Boeing has secured a major US defence contract with a ceiling value of $131.23 billion to support the F-15 Eagle Crest programme, strengthening its role in producing, upgrading and sustaining the long-serving fighter fleet.
A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III (U.S. Air Force, no IATA code) flew from Riga International Airport (RIX) to Moscow Vnukovo International Airport (VKO), an unusually direct military movement into Russia.
Switzerland’s first F-35A Lightning II is taking shape at Leonardo’s Cameri facility in Italy, where the first forward fuselage section and wing have entered assembly.
Romania destroyed an explosive-laden maritime drone near the Neptun Deep gas project after another drone crashed inside its territory during a major Russian attack on Ukraine.
The challenge is ensuring that cooperation delivers more than assembly or limited industrial work.
Boeing repairs Air Force One 747-8 cracks as FAA mandated work and $3.13B losses delay VC-25B delivery until mid-2028.
Ukraine says its military intelligence agency identified an NVIDIA Jetson Orin computer module inside Russia’s S-71M Monochrome air-launched cruise missile.
The Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) has called on Congress to fully support the U.S. Space Force’s proposed $71.1 billion fiscal 2027 budget while urging lawmakers to increase procurement of F-35A fighter aircraft.