Sierra Nevada Corp. has won a $13 billion contract to develop a successor to the “Doomsday Plane,” the E-4B command and control aircraft on which the president would fly in in event of national emergency such as a nuclear attack, US says bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg

Just in on Ukraine: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is likely to announce Friday the commitment of as much as $6 billion to bankroll long-term contracts to provide Ukraine with armaments including air defense systems and Patriot missiles bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg Politics

We break-- a new twist on DoD recusals that shows ``out of an abundance of caution'' in action: The Pentagon’s top weapons tester recused himself from from decisions or program evaluations involving Lockheed Martin bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg Politics

Just in: AF picks General Atomics/ANDURIL for next phase of CCA, besting Lockheed/Boeing/Northrop

New Marine One still has lawn landing woes : bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

We break w Jennifer Jacobs: The new presidential helicopter has been demoted to backup duty because Lockheed Martin Corp. still can’t figure out how to keep it from scorching the White House’s South Lawn. Problem first showed up in 2018.

A delay of as much as 16 months in delivering the first of the US’s first Columbia-class nuclear-missile submarines — the Navy’s top weapons priority — stems from contractor delays on the vessel’s bow section and power generators. bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg Politics

Big news on House GOP defense support for Ukraine sup that will boost passage chances: mailchi.mp/ce417194ca27/r…

Just in: F35 JPO in statement to HASC subcommittee says first delivery of TR3-equipped a/c more likely Aug/September than earlier..JPO proposing a two-tier delivery of TR 3 jets for training as full software improvements mature; initial planes won't have full TR3 capability

Just in on F 35: The world’s costliest weapons program, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jet, is getting even more expensive bloomberg.com/news/articles/… via Bloomberg

Just in from a US defense official: Prez Biden called the F-15E units of the 494th/335th FS that flew last night and destroyed about 70 one-way Iranian drones; maybe w AMRAAMs used; F-15E weapons officer capable of targeting the plane's up to 8 AMRAAMs;

On Israel-Iran: Just in: US Navy contributed to Israel's defense, with USS Carney shooting down one missile and USS Arleigh Burke three missiles, said a US official. Carney was recently in Red Sea area performing air defense against Houthi drones and anti-ship missiles

Just in: US MDA this month “anticipates it will select the contractor to continue development, testing, production and fielding” the Next Generation Interceptor, agency director Lieutenant General Heath A. Collins tells HASC subcommittee in statement this morning.