Lockheed Martin intends to offer the Indian Navy the F-35 strike fighter. The Press Trust of India reported Monday that Lockheed will respond to the Indian Navy’s request for information on a carrier-based combat aircraft by proposing the F-35. It cited Lockheed vice president Orville Prins as saying in New Delhi that the company had already given presentations to the Indians on both the F-35B short-takeoff variant and the F-35C, which is optimized for large-deck carrier operations. The Indian Navy is expected to acquire a new aircraft carrier around 2015, and may procure another one after that, according to the news service. The F-35C made its first flight on June 6.
U.S. Air Forces Central has awarded an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract worth up to $270 million to a California-based company to provide an ultra-long range, solar-powered drone capable of 75 hours of flight.