WASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) – Air Force Lieutenant General
Christopher Bogdan assumed control of the Pentagon’s F-35 jet
fighter program on Thursday, saying he believes the program is
well-positioned for the future after hard work by his
predecessor to put it on a “firmer, more realistic” footing.

Bogdan replaces U.S. Navy Vice Admiral David Venlet, who is
retiring after 36 years in the Navy and more than two years
running the $396 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the
Pentagon’s biggest weapons program, which is built by Lockheed
Martin Corp.

WASHINGTON, Dec 5 (Reuters) – Air Force Lieutenant General
Christopher Bogdan jolted many when after just five weeks on the
$396 billion F-35 fighter jet program, he said ties between
Lockheed Martin Corp and the U.S. government were the
“worst” he had ever seen.

Three months later, Bogdan’s trademark straight talk and
insistence on accountability seem to be paying off.

WASHINGTON, Dec 3 (Reuters) – U.S. weapons industry
executives on Monday urged the White House and Congress to end
what one CEO called “political theater” and act to avoid looming
automatic budget reductions that will cut projected military
spending by another 10 percent this year.

Executives from four companies told a news conference that
piling an additional $500 billion in spending reductions on top
of the $487 billion in cuts already being implemented by the
Pentagon would harm their industry and national security. Both
sets of cuts would be phased in over a decade.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. weapons industry executives on Monday urged the White House and Congress to end what one CEO called “political theater” and act to avoid looming automatic budget reductions that will cut projected military spending by another 10 percent this year.

Executives from four companies told a news conference that piling an additional $500 billion in spending reductions on top of the $487 billion in cuts already being implemented by the Pentagon would harm their industry and national security.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Army officials this week backed a plan to buy new armed scout helicopters instead of extending the life of the Army’s aging fleet of OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopters, sources familiar with the Army’s plans told Reuters on Friday.

Army acquisition chief Heidi Shyu and other officials agreed to start the new acquisition program for the smaller military helicopter at a meeting on Thursday, but senior Army and Pentagon officials must still sign off on the new acquisition program, said the sources, who were not authorized to speak publicly.

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) – Lockheed Martin Corp
and the U.S. Defense Department have reached an agreement in
principle on a fifth batch of 32 additional F-35 fighter planes,
the Pentagon said on Friday, bringing nearly a year of
negotiations to a close.

The deal is valued at around $3.8 billion, although the two
sides are still finalizing details, according to a source
familiar with the agreement.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The U.S. Air Force affirmed on Thursday its plans to buy 1,763 F-35 fighter jets built by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) in coming years, as Lockheed and the government neared agreement on a multi-billion dollar contract for a fifth batch of planes.

Air Force Secretary Michael Donley told an investor conference that the service remained committed to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which alone accounts for 15 percent of the service’s annual investment spending, and had no plans to revise its projected purchase of 1,763 of the new radar-evading jets.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A top Pentagon official said on Thursday he is “cautiously optimistic” that Congress will avert automatic budget cuts that are due to kick in on January 2, citing some increased willingness among Republicans to consider additional revenue now that the presidential election is over.

Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale said the tone of discussions between Republicans and Democrats had improved and neither side wanted to see the additional cuts to military spending, which would total $52 billion in fiscal 2013 alone, take effect.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) President Marillyn Hewson said on Thursday that talks with the Pentagon about a fifth batch of F-35 fighter jets were going well and an agreement was likely before the end of the year.

“Those negotiations are progressing well,” Hewson told an investor conference hosted by Credit Suisse, her first major presentation to Wall Street investors since being named Lockheed president and chief operating officer earlier this month.

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) – A top Pentagon official said
on Thursday he is “cautiously optimistic” that Congress will
avert automatic budget cuts that are due to kick in on Jan. 2,
citing some increased willingness among Republicans to consider
additional revenue now that the presidential election is over.

Pentagon Comptroller Robert Hale said the tone of discussions
between Republicans and Democrats had improved and neither side
wanted to see the additional cuts to military spending, which
would total $52 billion in fiscal 2013 alone, take effect.