U.S. MIC status and news

nemrod wrote:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/19/us-sikorsky-m-a-lockheed-idUSKCN0PT0MM20150719?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&utm_source=twitter

Exclusive: Lockheed to buy United Tech's Sikorsky for over $8 billion - source



Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), the largest U.S. weapons maker, has agreed to buy United Technologies Corp's (UTX.N) Sikorsky Aircraft unit, the maker of Black Hawk helicopters, for over $8 billion, a source familiar with the negotiations said on Sunday.

The two companies plan to announce the deal on Monday, said the source, who was not authorized to speak publicly.

It will be Lockheed's largest acquisition since it bought Martin Marietta Corp for about $10 billion two decades ago, and the first major strategic move for both United Tech Chief Executive Officer Greg Hayes, who was elevated to CEO from finance chief in November, and Lockheed CEO Marillyn Hewson, who took over her job in January 2013.

Officials at United Technologies declined comment. No comment was immediately available from Lockheed.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

PS: in order to avoid redundancies, please move this subject in the appropriate topic. I searched about Lockheed Martin in this forum, using search button, it did not work correctly. I don't know if the problem comes from my O/S -Linux Kubuntu- and my firefox.  

Τhis thread i think is the most suitable

Interesting video at night looking - a new promising high-speed helicopter Sikorsky - Boeing

US aviation industry on the rise

According to Marcus Weisgerber, in an article entitled “America’s Fighter Jet Makers Are Thriving, Thanks to Trump and Putin,” published on Defense One, American-made fighter aircraft that were recently on the verge of extinction became popular again, largely due to Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. Add to this the countries of the Middle East, preparing for a potential war with Iran, and then, probably, we will see sales of the F-15, F-16 and F / A-18 for more than 80 billion dollars.


The Pentagon’s budget at the Trump allowed the US Navy to continue purchasing the new F/A-18 Super Hornet. The Navy's budget plan for fiscal year 2020 provides for the purchase of an even larger number of these aircraft, as well as a new version of the F-15 for the air force, which have not bought "eagles" since 2001. Meanwhile, Eastern European countries, frightened by the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, are eyeing a more affordable F-16.

Three years ago it was believed that in 2020 only one fighter would be produced: the Lockheed Martin F-35, a plane for the United States and a growing number of their allies.

“We thought that production [F-16] was over,” said Ken Possenride, financial director of Lockheed, at JP Morgan Investors Conference in New York on March 7.

But then new orders began to arrive for this middle-aged aircraft (it first flew in 1974). Last year, Bahrain ordered 16 aircraft. According to Possenride, Lockheed is negotiating 14 planes with Slovakia. Bulgaria is negotiating the purchase of eight aircraft, and Romania is considering the possibility of buying 36 "second-hand" F-16s.

“There are other interested countries,” said Possenride. "Indonesia. Morocco. Taiwan."

While some Western European governments are buying new F-35 fighter jets, Eastern European countries are eyeing new F-16 fighters. Single-engine jets are regarded as an affordable way to strengthen the armed forces against Russian aggression and replace outdated Soviet aircraft.

“The F-16 potential on the world market is underestimated, although equally, if [the Ministry of Defense] orders the Boeing F-15X, we see this as a problem for the F-35,” says Byron Callan, an analyst at Capital Alpha Partners, in a report for investors on February 10th.

With decreasing F-16 orders and increasing F-35 orders, Lockheed moved its F-16 factory from Fort Worth, Texas to Greenville, South Carolina. According to Possenride, in 2021 Bahrain will receive its first F-16 from this production line.

“Then ... in the foreseeable future, you will see deliveries in the amount of about eight aircraft per year,” he said. "I think for a while everything will be fine."

According to Lockheed John Loesinger, the F-16 production line in Greenville is capable of producing about four aircraft per month.

A similar story in St. Louis, where Boeing produces the F-15 and F/A-18. In 2015, the F/A-18 production line slowed to two aircraft per month while the Pentagon decided whether to place new orders. The answer was yes, and since then the line has remained open.

In the 2018 and 2019 fiscal years, the Navy received a total of $ 3.7 billion to purchase 24 Super Hornet. The 2020 budget request sent to Congress last week requires $ 1.8 billion for another 24 aircraft. The budget plan for future years predicts even more purchases, albeit more slowly: 60 F/A-18 between 2021 and 2024, according to the Pentagon’s expenditure documents.

These orders, in conjunction with Navy contracts to extend the life of the “super-hornets,” will keep the Boeing production line until 2034, company spokesman Justin Gibson said.

There is also an international market. Last year, Kuwait ordered 28 Super Hornet, the first of which should arrive by December. Finland is considering new F/A-18 (as well as F-35 and other European aircraft) to replace its old F/A-18 Hornet as part of a deal that could reach $13 billion. Germany is considering the Super Hornet to replace its fleet of 90 Tornado aircraft.

There is also an F-15. The Pentagon’s budget request last week includes $ 1.1 billion to purchase eight new F-15EXs. If lawmakers approve, this will be the first order of the US Air Force F-15 in almost two decades. A budget plan provides for the purchase of another 72 F-15EX in the period from 2021 to 2024 for 6.8 billion dollars.

The Eagle is also interesting for other countries. In addition to the Saudi order, in 2017, Qatar agreed to order 36 F-15 aircraft, the first of which is expected to arrive in 2021. Israel is also reportedly considering buying a new F-15.

Then there is India’s long-awaited plan to buy 114 new aircraft worth about $ 15 billion. Among the contenders - Super Hornet from Boeing and the updated F-16 from Lockheed, called F-21.

“Obviously, the big score is India,” said Possenride.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3578559.html

Obviously the big score WOULD be India... but why would they buy an aircraft they can only use against China and still get spares and support for?

Funny how this article is framed as a success for the US aviation industry instead of the failure it is for the Pentagon... they were supposed to be streamlining things and optimising things by going from all sorts of different planes to the F-35 family, which by now should be in full production and spreading in service to all Americas allies...

So lets talk about the success of the old aircraft having new life in markets that could never support F-35 level costs of operations, rather that the abject failure of the F-35 for those who have stumped up the large amounts of money to buy it...

The fact that they are trying to credit Trump and Putin just shows they are butthurt Clintonians... still with the salty tears at not winning the election...