E23 – Lowdown 1.9.24

Northrop and Boeing ramping up radar production, Pentagon's Replicator Initiative moving slowly

Northrop is expanding the production of E7 wedge-tail radar by tripling the current capacity. On the Replicator Initiative, the Pentagon has selected some capabilities for the initial tranche, but decisions on actual systems and vendors are yet to be made. The Navy's plan to purchase 20 super hornets may be shelved due to rising costs, with the possibility of buying only 10. The Navy believes the money can be better used for acquiring more F-35Cs. The Air Force's fighter fleet is much older than the Navy's, leading to a suggestion to convert the super hornet funding into the Air Force's F-15 EX program.