Quick “Change of Leadership” for JSF: Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Feb. 1 he planned to replace Marine Corps Maj. Gen. David Heinz, the head of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, with a three-star general officer. (Our Feb. 1 brief, Gates Fires F-35 Manager) Prompted by reporters, Gates added that the new JSF director will probably be named “in a day or so” and Heinz would get a new assignment. Gates said, during the defense budget rollout Feb. 1 that various Pentagon cost estimating teams have uncovered problems that led him to want to elevate the F-35 director to three-star level, commensurate with the program’s importance. Gates also stated that DOD “cannot absorb the additional costs in this program, and the delays, without people being held accountable.” Continue
Competitors Not Picked for CCA Look Forward to Increment 2
April 25, 2024
While none of the major aircraft contractors were selected to develop the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, all three say they are seeking further autonomous aircraft work for the Navy, foreign partners, or in the classified arena, and maybe future versions of the CCA itself.