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Most Clicked AIA dailyLead Stories


1. Northrop Grumman drops out of aerial tanker competition

AIA dailyLead | Mar 09, 2010

Northrop Grumman Corp. says it will not compete in the bid for a $35 billion Pentagon contract to build 179 aerial refueling tankers. The company said the odds were stacked against its contender, a tanker based on the A330 commercial passenger jet built by Airbus, and the decision leaves Boeing Co. as the sole bidder. Los Angeles Times (03/09) MarketWatch (03/08)


2. Honeywell struggling but poised for return to glory

AIA dailyLead | Mar 08, 2010

Like many other companies working with the aviation industry, Honeywell International Inc. is struggling. However, the industry giant's aerospace business, headquartered in Arizona, is playing a key role in three major projects that can quickly reverse its fortunes and move it back to its lofty spot as one of the world's largest suppliers of aircraft products -- Boeing's 787 Dreamliner airplane, Airbus' A350 airplane and Lockheed Martin's F-35 joint-strike fighter. Arizona Republic (Phoenix), The (03/07)


3. Boeing delays Phantom Ray testing, first flight still on track

AIA dailyLead | Mar 03, 2010

Boeing says taxi tests on its unmanned Phantom Ray will begin in July, slightly later than originally planned, but the first flight is still on track for December 2010. Once the flightworthiness is determined, a second phase for the Phantom Ray will be to expand its flight envelope and possibly perform automated aerial refueling trials, electronic warfare or other tests. AviationWeek.com (03/02)


4. Official: Pentagon may buy fewer F-35s if prices rise

AIA dailyLead | Mar 04, 2010

With no additional funding expected beyond President Barack Obama's $708 billion 2011 defense spending proposal, the Pentagon will buy fewer F-35s than planned if costs continue to rise, according to a Pentagon official. The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps are set to buy more than 2,400 of the Lockheed Martin F-35s. Defense News (03/03)


5. Lockheed Martin, Pentagon, say F-35 program back on track

AIA dailyLead | Mar 05, 2010

Lockheed Martin Corp. joined the Pentagon on Thursday in announcing that problems and delays with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program have been resolved and the program is moving ahead on schedule. The Air force is set to receive its first F-35 fighters in 2015, two years behind schedule. MarketWatch (03/04)


6. Boeing could face price problems without tanker competition

AIA dailyLead | Mar 08, 2010

Even if Boeing winds up as the sole bidder for the contract to replace 179 of the Air Force's KC-135 tankers, it still could face some problems -- specifically with price. Without the threat of being undercut by competition, the company could add padding to the price that could draw fire from Congress. Herald (Everett, Wash.), The (03/07)


7. Boeing refueling tanker to be based on 767

AIA dailyLead | Mar 05, 2010

The refueling tanker Boeing has designed for the Air Force KC-X competition will be based on a 767 and will feature a new flight deck that will have information displays that are 75% larger than the Airbus A330, on which a possible competitor's design could be based. Boeing's NewGen Tanker will also feature a "a new generation fly-by-wire boom with an expanded refueling envelope and increased fuel offload rate," the company said. AviationWeek.com (03/04)


8. Governors get involved in tanker competition

AIA dailyLead | Mar 04, 2010

Lobbying efforts regarding the decision on who will win the bid for the Pentagon's $35 billion aerial-refueling tanker competition have moved to the states, with nine governors backing a Boeing tanker. Northrop Grumman has meanwhile reached out to Maryland and other states seeking support for a plan to build tankers from both companies in order to support jobs in their states. Politico (Washington), The (03/04)


9. Tanker decision is first big call for new Northrop CEO

AIA dailyLead | Mar 04, 2010

Wall Street Journal, The (03/03)


10. Pentagon considers Super Hornet "viable offer"

AIA dailyLead | Mar 03, 2010

The Pentagon says it needs more time to consider whether to buy 124 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in light of a "viable offer" for a multiyear contract from Boeing. When Congress authorized the Navy to negotiate a multiyear purchase of the jets, it gave the service until March 2010 to make the decision. In February, Navy officials said an offer from Boeing did not provide enough savings to justify the purchase, but the new offer would save the service 10% over yearly purchase of jets. Defense News (03/02)




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