The U.S. Marine Corps thus far has received six F-35B fighters without radars, as the service waits on Northrop Grumman‘s delivery of the AN/APG-85 radar, which is to replace the current APG-81, also by Northrop Grumman. “The Marine Corps has been accepting airplanes with no radar in it, is that correct?” Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s (SASC) airland panel, asked Marine Lt. Gen. Gregory Masiello, the F-35 program executive officer, at a June 23 hearing. “We have accepted six aircraft for the Marine Corps that do not have a radar installed,” Masiello replied. “That is correct.” Kelly then stated that his assumption was that the Marines “want to wait for the APG-85.” “They do,” Masiello said. Radar mountings in the F-35’s nose are different for the APG-81 and the APG-85 radar–a difference which has helped complicate fielding of the new radar which was to deliver with F-35 Lot 17. The Air Force has been considering an APG-81/APG-85 dual-mount bulkhead, though the latter may take two years to field. The service’s fiscal 2027 future years defense plan (FYDP) contains $133 million in fiscal 2031 for retrofitting 14 F-35As with APG-85s–a unit cost of $9.5 million per radar, and outside the FYDP the service said it plans to spend about $1.6 billion to retrofit another 167 jets with the APG-85. The Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps have 832 F-35s out of a global inventory of more than 1,300 on 42 bases and 13 ships–10 U.S. ones and three allied ones, according to the F-35 program. The APG-85 is critical to the 55 upgrades in the Block 4 program–22 of which have fielded so far, including seven last year, and six on target for this year, Masiello testified on June 23. For full functionality, the APG-85 and Block 4 require 62 kilowatts to 80 kilowatts (kW) of cooling, however, versus the 32 kW on the plane now. The current mission capable rate of the F-35 is 56 percent, and the full mission capable rate is 25 percent. In October, 2018, then Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told the Air Force and Navy to boost the mission capable rates of their key fighters to 80 percent within a year. “My job is clear: deliver a reliable and affordable system capable of sustaining high operational tempo, with a path to achieving 80 percent mission capable rates no later than 2030,” Masiello said in his prepared testimony on June 23. Sustainment is another significant challenge for the F-35 program, as it seeks to boost the inventory of spare parts and support more fighters. “Our current sustainment system was built to support a fleet of 700-800 aircraft,” Masiello said in his prepared remarks on June 23. “To date, the government has accepted over 1,300 F-35 aircraft worldwide. To address this scaling challenge, we reset our sustainment strategy, increased government oversight, and optimized all aspects of sustainment planning and execution. We are right-sizing spare parts based on validated performance modeling, updating our maintenance processes to enable effective maintenance at all levels, and modernizing our logistics digital systems to enable audit, enhance government control, and connect F-35 with the broader Joint Force.” The Pentagon FYDP includes more than $13 billion for the F-35’s Global Support Solution (GSS) Reset.
US, Iran said to agree to release $3B of frozen assets
The United States and Iran reached a preliminary agreement to release $3 billion of Iranian frozen assets, Saudi news outlet Al-Hadath reported on Wednesday, citing sources familiar with the technical talks that started today in Doha, Qatar. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei previously said that the two countries will be discussing the implementation of the memorandum of understanding during the indirect talks in Doha, including the frozen funds, after Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian confirmed that it was agreed that Qatar will release $6 billion out of the $12 billion in Iranian assets frozen in Qatar.
NN: To the victor belongs the spoils. At least for now!
Trump said to be against return to Iran war for now
United States President Donald Trump has considered resuming full-scale military action against Iran but has chosen to continue diplomatic talks for now, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing US officials familiar with the matter. Officials said Trump held several rounds of talks with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine focused on whether Washington should restart attacks. Trump reportedly indicated that another round of strikes could undermine negotiations, though he has not ruled out future military action.
NN: Wait till after the elections. Their will be hell to pay!
Trump: Gasoline retailers must cut prices
United States President Donald Trump urged gasoline retailers to cut prices “IMMEDIATELY,” saying oil has dropped to $68 a barrel and is still falling. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said fuel costs remain too high and warned of “big problems” if companies fail to act. He called for prices to move toward $2.50 a gallon and criticized California’s taxes, saying they risk exceeding the cost of the product itself. “The Retailers must quickly react to this statement, and do what they know is right — DROP YOUR PRICE FOR OUR GREAT AMERICAN PEOPLE,” he wrote.
NN: See the game? The game has changed. Its moot about nukes. Its not about leadership change in Iran. Its very very simple its ALL ABOUT THE MIDTERM elections. And Trump believes if he can show the war is over and no inflation he has a winning ticket. And the proof is gasoline prices under $3.00 which he will get by hook or by crook. My bet is crook. And after the elections Trump does not care about oil prices. AND the deal has been made with the oil companies. As a foot note: then he will reverse his humiliation and go after the Iranian savages with a vengeance.
Trump: Oil, gas prices coming down
United States President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to hail the fact that oil and gas prices have been in decline since the country signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran. In one post, Trump insisted that gas prices are “going down, fast,” while also urging the public to “report any abuses at retail level.”In another, Trump noted that the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is at $69 per barrel, and “heading down.” “This is less than it was prior to the start of the Denuclearization of Iran!” he claimed.
NN: Trump is right oil prices are at the same level when the straights were supplying 20 million barrels per day. With the oil market in deficit of 900 million barrels how is this possible? Well let me explain this mystery. Its called price manipulation to get gasoline prices under $3.00 a gallon for the elections. They can do this by moving delivers forward too temporarily plug the gap. The problem is the world will be short oil for the coming winter heating season. And it is my prediction prices will pop up again.
Waltz: US will destroy Iran’s Hormuz network if needed
United States Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said on Sunday that Washington will destroy Iran’s infrastructure for controlling the Strait of Hormuz, “if needed.” “If the Iranian regime thinks for a second that [US] President [Donald] is going to sit by, stand by, while Iran continues to attack international shipping without a response, or our bases without a response, they’re sadly mistaken, and they saw that loud and clear over the last few nights,” Waltz told Fox News in an interview. “We’ll continue to, militarily if needed, take down their infrastructure that they’re trying to use to, illegally, control an international waterway,” he added. The US envoy to the UN also underlined that it is not only Washington that has a problem with Iran’s control over the waterway, but “the entire international community.”ecasr tsec
NN: What part of beyond necessary it is time to destroy Iran. Where do they find these idiots? Why are we still pussyfooting around with these blood thirsty savages. It is well past time to take them out!
Iran vows ‘crushing response’ to US ‘aggression’
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) vowed to deliver a “crushing response” to any “possible enemy aggression, under any pretext” after the latest United States attacks on the country’s military infrastructure. The IRGC added that Washington’s ceasefire violations contravene the memorandum of understanding (MoU) the two sides recently signed and warned that they will “result in a complete halt to the processes.” The Iranian military also confirmed it launched strikes on American military facilities in Kuwait and Bahrain in response to Washington’s strikes.
NN: Sure glad we got that Meno of Murder going. Tell me can you feel the love?
Bahrain Targeted, Ship Struck as Iran War Ceasefire Tested
- Bahrain said it had been targeted by Iran and a ship in the Strait of Hormuz was struck on Saturday afternoon as Tehran and Washington traded accusations.
- Iran claimed it had targeted US sites in the Persian Gulf following US strikes on Iranian missile storage and radar installations on Friday.
- The Joint Maritime Information Center raised the security threat in the Strait of Hormuz to “substantial” following the attacks on merchant vessels.
Bahrain said it had been targeted by Iran and a ship in the Strait of Hormuz was struck on Saturday afternoon as Tehran and Washington traded accusations that the other had violated the ceasefire. That came after Iran claimed on Saturday that it had targeted US sites in the Persian Gulf following US strikes on Iranian missile storage and radar installations on Friday. Those were in response to an Iranian drone attack on a container ship in Hormuz on Thursday. The back-and-forth threatens to unravel the fragile detente that had largely ended fighting in the Middle East, though an unnamed US official told CNN after the US strikes that they didn’t constitute a return to major combat operations for now. Bahrain’s foreign ministry said a number of Iranian drones targeted the country early on Saturday morning, state-run BNA reported. It’s home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and Tehran has repeatedly targeted it and other Gulf states that host American military bases and thousands of troops since the US and Israel launched the war in late February. A UK naval group on Saturday said a tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile in Hormuz, though vessel-tracking data show that multiple ships continued to transit the waterway using routes near the coasts of Iran and Oman on Saturday morning.
The Joint Maritime Information Center on Saturday raised the security threat in the Strait of Hormuz to “substantial” following the attacks on merchant vessels.
Iran’s foreign ministry in a statement on Saturday called the US attack “an explicit violation of the first paragraph of the Memorandum of Understanding” the two countries signed earlier this month. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that it had struck US sites in response, though it didn’t say which. US Central Command didn’t respond to a request for comment on the Iranian claims. Since signing a 60-day truce last week, US President Donald Trump has said that he would resume military action against Iran if it violates the agreement’s terms, which provide for the flow of vessels through the vital strait and talks over its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Now, the question is how much the resumption of strikes will slow progress toward restoring shipping traffic in the energy thoroughfare to pre-war levels. Washington and Tehran were able to agree to an interim peace deal last week despite trading strikes in the lead-up to that document being finalized. Yet the two sides continue to clash over key provisions of the deal, including whether Iran will impose tolls or other monetary costs on ships seeking to sail through Hormuz. Oman told European officials that vessels may ultimately have to be charged some fees, Bloomberg reported earlier. Trump’s decision to attack demonstrates that he’s willing to use military force to maintain freedom of navigation in the strait. But Iran’s attack also shows that it’s seeking to maintain control of the waterway, which it largely shut after the war began on Feb. 28, becoming its greatest point of leverage with the US as it roiled the global economy. The drone attack rattled the fragile confidence of shipowners and crews. Tehran has repeatedly said that ships can’t pass Hormuz without its permission, and a handful of tankers turned around early on Thursday after reportedly getting warnings from the Iranian Navy. Central Command said in its statement Friday that it would “continue to provide safe passage coordination and support to commercial vessels transiting the strait.”
NN: I guess someone did not get the memo about the peace deal!
UK: Another vessel hit in Strait of Hormuz….. US strikes on Iran said to be ‘ongoing’……. Iran reports strike on US army sites in region….. Vance: Violence will be met with violence
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Center said in a notice on Saturday that another vessel was hit by “an unidentified projectile” in the Strait of Hormuz. The UK maritime authority stressed that the tanker sustained damage to its bridge, adding that all crew are safe. “No environmental damage reported at present,” the UKMTO added. In a separate notice, the maritime agency stressed that the maritime security threat level in the Strait of Hormuz “has increased to SUBSTANTIAL following attacks on merchant vessels.” Earlier in the week, another vessel was struck in the critical waterway. The attack was attributed to Iran, which triggered a short resumption of strikes between the US and Iran.
NN: I am sure glad we got the memorandum of murder. And Brent oil down from $114 a barrel to $72. The price it was at before the straights were blocked . Only a few little problems like the straights are not opened. And the US and Iran are still bombing the crap out of each either. But hey why let inconvenient facts get in the way of a desperate market manipulation. Just in time for the elections
US strikes on Iran said to be ‘ongoing’
United States strikes on Iranian targets are “ongoing,” Jennifer Griffin, Chief National Security Correspondent for Fox News, reported, citing a senior US defense official. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) had confirmed earlier that it launched attacks in retaliation for an alleged Iranian drone strike on a commercial vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran reports strike on US army sites in region
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its naval forces struck military sites hosting United States troops in the region. The statement, carried by Iran’s official IRNA and semi-official Tasnim news agencies, accused Washington of breaking the ceasefire by launching strikes on Iranian territory. The IRGC also described its move as a “necessary” countermeasure to US attempts to “violate its obligation” under their memorandum of understanding, which regulates passage through the Strait of Hormuz. “In the event of a repeat of the aggression, our response will be more extensive,” the IRGC concluded.
Vance: Violence will be met with violence
United States Vice President JD Vance defended Washington’s recent strikes on Iran, saying Tehran must respect the ceasefire agreement and warning that” violence will be met with violence.” “Iran signed a ceasefire agreement. We have honored it. If they have disagreements about how the MOU [Memorandum of Understanding] is being applied, they can pick up the phone,” Vance wrote in a post on X. His comments come after the US carried out military action in response to a drone attack on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, which officials blamed on Iran.
NN: Iran picking up the phone,,,, Vance must have found some of the left over cocane kicking around the Whit Hose. The only thing Iran will pickup is the drone flight controller. Where do they find these people. Everyday Iran screams death to America.
Iran reasserts its right to control shipping in Strait of Hormuz after ship hit near Oman
DUBAI/LONDON, June 26 (Reuters) – Tehran reasserted its right on Friday to control shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and warned Gulf states against siding with the U.S., a day after an attack on a ship near Oman highlighted the fragility of a preliminary deal to end the Iran war.
Iran was responding to what it called an “interventionist, irresponsible and provocative” joint statement by the United States and six Gulf states that rejected Iran’s insistence that it could charge tolls on vessels transiting the strait. “Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed under ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes or decision-making that does not take Iran’s role as a coastal state into account,” Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X. Underlining the risks facing shipping, Iranian state TV said three foreign tankers attempting what it called an “unauthorised passage” of the strait were turned back after a warning from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It gave no further details. Asked about the matter, a U.S. official said: “We are aware of these reports and looking into them. President (Donald) Trump has been clear that Iran cannot subvert the free flow of traffic in the Strait.”Oil prices dropped by more than 3% on Friday, on course for steep weekly losses despite the conflicting interpretations of last week’s interim deal between Iran and the U.S. and a slowdown in traffic through the strait, where a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies typically passes. Ali Akbar Velayati, top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, issued a warning to Washington’s Gulf allies.
“The stability of the Persian Gulf Arab states is indebted to Iran’s century-long management of the Strait of Hormuz… their strategic survival is at the mercy of Tehran’s tolerance,” Velayati said on X. Two U.S. officials told Reuters Iran had fired on the ship. Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority — established by Tehran to manage requests for ships to travel through the strait — said passage through unauthorized routes would be “the responsibility of the owner, operator, and vessel commander”. Disagreements also persist over other elements of the framework ceasefire deal, including over financial incentives for Iran, nuclear inspections and Israel’s parallel war in Lebanon. The deal set up 60 days of talks to tackle thornier issues, including Iran’s nuclear program.