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DefenseNews.com • Valerie Insinna

US Air Force adds more deficiencies to KC-46 tanker problem set as Boeing faces additional delays

The US Air Force added new deficiencies to the KC-46 aerial-refuelling tanker program, compounding ongoing technical shortfalls. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told lawmakers she is frustrated with Boeing’s delays and said the company has been “overly optimistic” about fixing issues.

2026-04-23T07:06:31.591099-07:00

Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Q1 2026 results: flat sales, profit pressure, aeronautics hit by F-16/C-130 issues as missile-defense growth off

2026-04-23T03:35:01.360735-07:00

AeroTime

Saab ramps Gripen production targets as Q1 2026 sales rise 23.6% organically

2026-04-23T04:35:52.890077-07:00

AeroTime

NATO shifts AWACS replacement away from Boeing, selecting Saab GlobalEye and Bombardier for E-3A Sentry follow-on

2026-04-23T02:50:46.727091-07:00

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DefenseNews.com

US Air Force adds more deficiencies to KC-46 tanker problem set as Boeing faces additional delays The US Air Force added new deficiencies to the KC-46 aerial-refuelling tanker program, compounding ongoing technical shortfalls. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told lawmakers she is frustrated with Boeing’s delays and said the company has been “overly optimistic” about fixing issues.

2026-04-23T07:06:31.591099-07:00

US Air Force adds more deficiencies to KC-46 tanker problem set as Boeing faces additional delays

AeroTime

Saab ramps Gripen production targets as Q1 2026 sales rise 23.6% organically Saab says it is making progress on a Ukraine Gripen deal and expects to scale JAS 39 Gripen output toward 20-30 aircraft per year (from about 15 today). In Q1 2026, organic sales grew 23.6% and revenue reached 19.164 billion Swedish kronor (~€1.68bn), signalling a stronger start to the year.

2026-04-23T04:35:52.890077-07:00

Saab ramps Gripen production targets as Q1 2026 sales rise 23.6% organically

Lockheed Martin

Lockheed Martin Q1 2026 results: flat sales, profit pressure, aeronautics hit by F-16/C-130 issues as missile-defense growth off Lockheed Martin reported flat Q1 2026 sales and lower earnings, missing estimates on revenue, margins, and cash flow (cash from operations $220M; free cash flow -$291M) while reaffirming its 2026 outlook. The company cited F-16 and C-130 program issues weighing on aeronautics, even as missile-defense growth and a $25M Fortem deal supported backlog.

2026-04-23T03:35:01.360735-07:00

Lockheed Martin Q1 2026 results: flat sales, profit pressure, aeronautics hit by F-16/C-130 issues as missile-defense growth off

AeroTime

NATO shifts AWACS replacement away from Boeing, selecting Saab GlobalEye and Bombardier for E-3A Sentry follow-on NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency has awarded the contract to replace the alliance’s aging Boeing E-3A Sentry AWACS fleet to Saab (GlobalEye) and Bombardier, according to La Lettre. The decision marks a change from expectations that Boeing would build the next-generation aircraft for the alliance.

2026-04-23T02:50:46.727091-07:00

NATO shifts AWACS replacement away from Boeing, selecting Saab GlobalEye and Bombardier for E-3A Sentry follow-on

The Economist

Anduril, Palantir and SpaceX emerge as “neo-primes” reshaping how the US wages war as Iran war refines requirements An opinion piece argues the Trump administration is aligning with a “neo-prime” circle—Anduril, Palantir and SpaceX—to change US force employment. It frames the Iran war as a pressure test that is reshaping defense-tech priorities, operational concepts and the balance between autonomy/AI and space-enabled capabilities.

2026-04-23T00:06:11.258886-07:00

Anduril, Palantir and SpaceX emerge as “neo-primes” reshaping how the US wages war as Iran war refines requirements

FlightGlobal

RTX/Pratt & Whitney to invest $100M in Poland’s Rzeszów to expand commercial and military engine manufacturing RTX’s Pratt & Whitney says it will invest $100 million in its Rzeszów, Poland facility to grow production capacity for both commercial and military aircraft engines. The expansion is positioned as a response to rising demand and persistent supply bottlenecks affecting engine-part availability.

2026-04-22T23:24:20.978764-07:00

RTX/Pratt & Whitney to invest $100M in Poland’s Rzeszów to expand commercial and military engine manufacturing

FlightGlobal

U.S. State Department clears $214M AIM-9X Block II and $200M AGM-114R2 Hellfire missile sales to Lithuania and the Netherlands The U.S. approved a combined $414 million Foreign Military Sale package: 530 Lockheed Martin AGM-114R2 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles for the Netherlands ($200M) and 152 RTX AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles for Lithuania ($214M), each with associated equipment and U.S. technical assistance. The deals are framed to bolster European air and ground defense.

2026-04-22T22:50:41.243490-07:00

U.S. State Department clears $214M AIM-9X Block II and $200M AGM-114R2 Hellfire missile sales to Lithuania and the Netherlands

FlightGlobal

KAI completes assembly of locally designed main gearbox for KUH-1 Surion Korea Aerospace Industries says it has completed assembly of a new locally designed main gearbox (MGB) for the KUH-1 Surion helicopter, part of its push to develop an indigenous transmission. The step moves Surion toward greater domestic supply-chain content and reduces reliance on imported gearbox elements.

2026-04-22T21:06:26.646720-07:00

KAI completes assembly of locally designed main gearbox for KUH-1 Surion

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Defense Industry & Major Contractors News

US Air Force adds more deficiencies to KC-46 tanker problem set as Boeing faces additional delays

Lockheed Martin Q1 2026 results: flat sales, profit pressure, aeronautics hit by F-16/C-130 issues as missile-defense growth off

Saab ramps Gripen production targets as Q1 2026 sales rise 23.6% organically

NATO shifts AWACS replacement away from Boeing, selecting Saab GlobalEye and Bombardier for E-3A Sentry follow-on

News Timeline