Farnborough, UK Navy acquisition chief Sean Stackley wants everyone to know the Navy is “fully committed” to the F-35 program. At a Farnborough Air Show press conference Monday, Stackley took umbrage at a reporter’s assertion that the sea service has been a reluctant F-35 partner and has a preference for the F/A-18E/F. The Navy’s plan is to start fielding the F-35 in 2018, he said, and its initial operating capability in that year “has always been tied to the 3F” version of software that will be available at that point. In the meantime, though, Stackley said the Navy has been wrestling with fighter shortages, hence the F/A-18 adds to the budget. But the F-35 will replace older F/A-18 units “one for one” as the new jets become available.
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.