President Donald Trump threatened to cut federal defense contracts awarded to Raytheon unless the company increases production and redirects capital toward manufacturing capacity. The comments come amid growing concerns about the health of the domestic defense industrial base, with Pentagon officials and lawmakers warning that US weapons production has failed to keep pace with rising global demand.
Pilatus has opened its new surface treatment centre in Stans, Switzerland, marking the completion of the ambitious 'production 2015' project. With a blue facade and modern facilities, the building offers space for various component surface treatments, including wings and fuselage for all aircraft types.
The Defense Department and Lockheed Martin have agreed to a framework for tripling PAC-3 production over seven years, with an initial capacity increase of 2,000 missiles per year. The contract award is still forthcoming, pending Congressional appropriations.
The US Pentagon is overhauling its acquisition, production and procurement processes to rebuild the industrial base. This comes after COVID revealed weaknesses in the supply chain and highlighted the need for greater capacity and resilience.
Lockheed Martin announced a record 191 F-35 deliveries in 2025, exceeding previous year's total by more than 70%. The company cited a backlog of jets held in storage as the primary cause.
Joby Aviation has acquired a 700,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Dayton, Ohio, marking another step in its plan to increase aircraft output. The newly acquired site will support Joby's near-term goal of doubling production to four aircraft per month by 2027.
Boeing has started a $1 billion expansion of its 787 Dreamliner facilities in North Charleston, South Carolina. The project will create around 1,000 new jobs over five years and employ 2,500 construction workers during the build phase.
The Army's acquisition czar expressed concerns over General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems' (GD-OTS) handling of the 155mm artillery projectiles production plants in Mesquite, Texas. The facility has yet to produce a single projectile for 155 or any other artillery, resulting in only 56,000 shells per month being manufactured.
Airbus is targeting pre-pandemic delivery levels in 2026, with around 870 aircraft expected to be delivered. This aims to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on production, which saw only 566 deliveries in 2020.
The US Air Force is set to declare its T-7 Red Hawk training jet ready for production within days, following years of delays. The program has faced challenges, including design woes at Boeing and issues with flight control software.