Northrop Grumman is progressing on workforce absenteeism issues that plagued its F-35 program over the winter, and otherwise does not see particular problems elsewhere in its portfolio due to ongoing inflation, labor, pandemic or war-related issues, the large prime’s chief executive said April 28.

President Joe Biden on April 28 requested $33 billion from Congress for aid to Ukraine, a dramatic increase from ongoing spending to support Kyiv in its fight against Russia, and specifically highlights a need for anti-aircraft and advanced air defense systems.

The U.S. Air Force has ended more than 40 years of operating the F-15C/D Eagle in Europe with the departure of the type from RAF Lakenheath, England.

The Japan Air Self Defense Force has confirmed that it is currently conducting air-to-air refueling compatibility tests with the Royal Australian Air Force. 

The U.S. Marine Corps and the White House are starting the integration of the new Sikorsky VH-92A presidential helicopter after declaring it reached initial operational capability (IOC), though the Navy says full operational capability could be delayed without fixes to a troubled electronics system.

The U.S. Air Force expects its future Next Generation Air Dominance sixth-generation aircraft to cost multiple hundreds of millions per copy, and the service is already expecting cost offsets to come with open systems architecture and other components that are government and not contractor owned.

Military demand for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul will grow significantly over the next decade, but several factors—including galloping inflation, a scarcity of workers and shortages of key materials—are putting pressure on the supply chain, said speakers here at Aviation Week’s Military Aviation Logistics and Maintenance Symposium on April 27. 

The U.S. Air Force will buy Boeing E-7A Wedgetails to replace part of its E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System fleet after months of speculation, with a prototype expected to be delivered in 2027.