A summary of the latest news and views in the defence industry, locally and overseas. Check out our webpage for daily news updates on the ADM home page and make sure you bookmark/RSS this for a regular visit.

Lockheed Martin has revealed that an F-35B fighter jet made its first vertical takeoff on May 10 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland.

The US Navy and its Littoral Combat Ship builders, Austal and Lockheed Martin, have agreed to delay delivery of the ship for the sake of holding down cost as the two builders transition from prototype construction to serial production under a block buy of 10 ships each, officials said last week.

BMT Group Ltd (BMT) has announced another strong financial performance for the year to September 30, 2012.

The UK MOD has signed a GBP15 million contract to replenish the Army's stock of supersonic Hellfire missiles used by Apache helicopters.

Cubic Corporation has been awarded a $21 million foreign military sales contract for its Engagement Skills Trainer 2000 (EST 2000) Plus, virtual small arms training system.

The full version of Defence Week Premium no.253 of 16 May 2013 can be downloaded here as a PDF. A separate PDF of the latest Defence tenders can also be downloaded here.

The Budget's capability activities in 2013-14 will include further consideration of Australia's Air Combat Capability, P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, land mobility, future armoured vehicles, afloat support vessels, communications and interoperability capabilities, intelligence and surveillance systems, electronic warfare, space and cyber.

Following the widely reported selection last year of L-3 for the supply of medium-size WGS capable satellite terminals under JP 2008 Phase 3H, it has been announced that Defence has finally signed two multi-million dollar contracts with L-3 Oceania.

In announcing Rod Drury's recent space systems appointment, Lockheed Martin Australia's CEO Raydon Gates noted that LMCO has an established portfolio of military satellite platforms and services including the AEHF and MUOS satellite-based communications systems.

While we suspect that the JLTV option under Land 121 Phase 4 for 1300 Protected Mobility Vehicles Light is wearing somewhat thin under pressure from the locally-developed Thales Hawkei PMV-L, it may be worth reporting that automatic spending cuts triggered by US DOD sequestration are poised to delay testing of the US Army-Marine Corps Joint Light Tactical Vehicle by three to four months.

By the end of 2013, BAE Systems Australia will reduce their workforce by 100 positions, primarily in South Australia.

Thales CEO Chris Jenkins was joined by Queensland state Treasurer and Minister for Trade Tim Nicholls in opening the new Thales workshop and overhaul facility at Eagle Farm in Brisbane.

Minister for Defence Materiel Dr Mike Kelly has concluded a two-day summit with senior Defence officials and CEOs of defence industry companies that have projects on the Projects of Concern list.

Northrop Grumman Corporation's largest F-35 Australian supplier - Quickstep Technologies - has demonstrated that its new production facility is equipped and qualified to manufacture and deliver quality composite parts for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter centre fuselage produced by Northrop Grumman.

Ian Croser of CEA Technologies has been presented with the prestigious ATSE Clunies Ross Awards.