Less than two months after declaring that Dan Crowley wouldn’t be budged from his job as head of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program despite the turbulence that it has experienced of late, company leaders Monday announced that Crowley will be promoted to chief operating officer of Lockheed’s aeronautics sector. There, he’ll oversee not only the F-35, but the F-22, F-16, C-130, and C-5M programs. Ralph Heath, Lockheed’s aeronautics czar, explained the change, saying the company is at “an inflection point” on the F-35 as it transitions to production, and it’s necessary to ensure that the aeronautics business unit “is organized and aligned to successfully meet all” of its commitments. Defense Secretary Robert Gates sacked the Pentagon’s F-35 program manager in February, but Lockheed CEO Bob Stevens stuck with Crowley despite frustration voiced over his performance. Larry Lawson, who’s been F-22 program head, will now lead the F-35.
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.