Dealing with China: The F-35 will be the linchpin in deterring China, said defense consultant Edward Timperlake, speaking at AFA’s Air & Space Conference at National Harbor, Md., Monday afternoon. The F-35’s intel sharing capability will provide the “glue” that guarantees that no platform fights alone, as it shares data across aircraft, services, and allies. “Once you put that honeycomb web out in the Pacific, you have a way to respond to the Chinese,” who are still reliant on a “hub and spoke” distributive network of intelligence. That honeycomb “creates a strategic vision and technological edge to deter China, not to attack her, but deter her” from militaristic adventures. Timberlake advised that the US “stop rolling back” in response to China, saying that “we can react to her with this kind of technological thinking.”
Northrop Grumman test fired its newest solid rocket motor Dec. 4, part of an internally funded effort to rapidly design and build SRMs using advanced manufacturing techniques.
