A Super Hornet lands aboard the carrier U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Photo: Navy
If The Military’s Future Stealth Jet Fails, The Navy’s Got A Backup Plan -- The Danger Room
The U.S. Navy is carefully backing away from the troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program — and putting in place a backup plan in case the trillion-dollar, jack-of-all-trades stealth jet can’t recover from mounting technical and budgetary woes. So much for the F-35 being too big to fail.
The Navy’s Plan B is still taking shape. But its outlines are coming into view, thanks in large part to recent comments from its top officer. It involves fewer F-35s (the Navy’ll still buy some) and more copies of the older Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet carrier-based fighter, which the Lockheed Martin-built F-35 was originally meant to replace. In the unlikely event the F-35C — the naval version of the radar-evading plane — gets canceled, the Super Hornet could be upgraded past its current shelf life. The twin-engine F/A-18E/F is already getting new weapons. Extra fuel tanks and some stealth treatments could be added as well.
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MILITARY AND INTELLIGENCE NEWS BRIEFS
Chinese Leader Vows Stronger Military Ties With Russia -- RIA Novosti
China Flexes Muscles With New Missile Tests [VIDEO] -- International Business Times
China to buy 4 submarines, 24 fighter jets from Russia -- The Gulf Today
North Korea Won't Have Operational Mobile ICBM Without Testing: Engineer -- Global Security Newswire
Pakistan’s ‘Strategic Pivot’ May Include Asterisk for Nuclear Arsenal -- Global Security Newswire
Iran confirms secret nuclear 'Quds' site -- WND
Visas slow for Iraqis who helped US war efforts -- Stars and Stripes/AP
Hagel seeks to reassure Poland on missile defense -- Defence Talk/AFP
U.S.-Israeli cyberattack on Iran was ‘act of force,’ NATO study says -- Washington Times
U.S., Israel To Negotiate Military Aid Extension -- Defense News
U.S., U.K. Chiefs To Hold Historic Strategy Meeting -- Defense News
US and South Korea sign military plan against North Korea aggression -- The Telegraph
Air Force's aging fleet gets no relief from budget cuts -- Stars and Stripes/Dayton Daily News
USS Freedom Experiences Two More Power Outages -- Aviation Week
Stop-gap spending measure funds MEADS missile defense -- Reuters
10th Mountain trains to deploy with smartphone-compatible radios -- Defense Tech
White House move to let Pentagon take over CIA armed drones sparks concern -- The Hill
Intelligence: Sex Succeeds In Securing Secrets -- Strategy Page
Luring Young Web Warriors Is a U.S. Priority. It’s Also a Game. -- New York Times
Moving toward a 'gender-neutral' Army -- Defense News/Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)
China Flexes Muscles With New Missile Tests [VIDEO] -- International Business Times
China to buy 4 submarines, 24 fighter jets from Russia -- The Gulf Today
North Korea Won't Have Operational Mobile ICBM Without Testing: Engineer -- Global Security Newswire
Pakistan’s ‘Strategic Pivot’ May Include Asterisk for Nuclear Arsenal -- Global Security Newswire
Iran confirms secret nuclear 'Quds' site -- WND
Visas slow for Iraqis who helped US war efforts -- Stars and Stripes/AP
Hagel seeks to reassure Poland on missile defense -- Defence Talk/AFP
U.S.-Israeli cyberattack on Iran was ‘act of force,’ NATO study says -- Washington Times
U.S., Israel To Negotiate Military Aid Extension -- Defense News
U.S., U.K. Chiefs To Hold Historic Strategy Meeting -- Defense News
US and South Korea sign military plan against North Korea aggression -- The Telegraph
Air Force's aging fleet gets no relief from budget cuts -- Stars and Stripes/Dayton Daily News
USS Freedom Experiences Two More Power Outages -- Aviation Week
Stop-gap spending measure funds MEADS missile defense -- Reuters
10th Mountain trains to deploy with smartphone-compatible radios -- Defense Tech
White House move to let Pentagon take over CIA armed drones sparks concern -- The Hill
Intelligence: Sex Succeeds In Securing Secrets -- Strategy Page
Luring Young Web Warriors Is a U.S. Priority. It’s Also a Game. -- New York Times
Moving toward a 'gender-neutral' Army -- Defense News/Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)
U.S., Israel To Negotiate Military Aid Extension -- Defense News
U.S., U.K. Chiefs To Hold Historic Strategy Meeting -- Defense News
US and South Korea sign military plan against North Korea aggression -- The Telegraph
Air Force's aging fleet gets no relief from budget cuts -- Stars and Stripes/Dayton Daily News
USS Freedom Experiences Two More Power Outages -- Aviation Week
Stop-gap spending measure funds MEADS missile defense -- Reuters
10th Mountain trains to deploy with smartphone-compatible radios -- Defense Tech
White House move to let Pentagon take over CIA armed drones sparks concern -- The Hill
Intelligence: Sex Succeeds In Securing Secrets -- Strategy Page
Luring Young Web Warriors Is a U.S. Priority. It’s Also a Game. -- New York Times
Moving toward a 'gender-neutral' Army -- Defense News/Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)
Sexual assault: A growing problem in the military and at home -- Washington Times
Shinseki says VA on target for ending backlog -- Stars and Stripes/AP
Are U.S. Navy’s Super Carriers a Relic of Wars Past? -- Defense News/AFP
U.S. military still weighing Iraq lessons -- CBS
Sea-questration: The dismantling of the Navy. -- Seth Cropsey, Weekly Standard
U.S., U.K. Chiefs To Hold Historic Strategy Meeting -- Defense News
US and South Korea sign military plan against North Korea aggression -- The Telegraph
Air Force's aging fleet gets no relief from budget cuts -- Stars and Stripes/Dayton Daily News
USS Freedom Experiences Two More Power Outages -- Aviation Week
Stop-gap spending measure funds MEADS missile defense -- Reuters
10th Mountain trains to deploy with smartphone-compatible radios -- Defense Tech
White House move to let Pentagon take over CIA armed drones sparks concern -- The Hill
Intelligence: Sex Succeeds In Securing Secrets -- Strategy Page
Luring Young Web Warriors Is a U.S. Priority. It’s Also a Game. -- New York Times
Moving toward a 'gender-neutral' Army -- Defense News/Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)
Sexual assault: A growing problem in the military and at home -- Washington Times
Shinseki says VA on target for ending backlog -- Stars and Stripes/AP
Are U.S. Navy’s Super Carriers a Relic of Wars Past? -- Defense News/AFP
U.S. military still weighing Iraq lessons -- CBS
Sea-questration: The dismantling of the Navy. -- Seth Cropsey, Weekly Standard