News
Pentagon’s European defense effort comes under increased oversight –
The IG review will span ERI efforts in six “Operation Atlantic Resolve” countries: Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It will examine U.S. military participation in training exercises and whether projects deliver promised outcomes such as improved combat readiness of European forces and greater interoperability. Investigators also will propose metrics to gauge progress.
Business
CAE moves foward with fixed-wing training facility despite lawsuit –
CAE USA is moving full steam ahead to build a new fixed-wing training facility for aviators under a contract it won from the Army in March, as a lawsuit objecting to the service’s decision filed by the losing, incumbent company continues to play out in court, according to CAE USA’s president.
French leader says all new subs will be built in Australia –
A new fleet of French-designed Australian submarines will be built in Australia on time and within budget, the French prime minister said on May 2.
Australian military orders Harris radios –
Harris Corp. has been selected to provide the Australian military with an integrated battlefield communications system.
Longbow mints deal with India for fire control radars –
India has awarded a contract to Longbow LLC, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, for fire control radar systems with advanced air and ground targeting capabilities for the country’s AH-64E Apache attack helicopters.
Textron eyes next-gen Shadow drone with greater payload –
While the latest Army-procured version of the Shadow unmanned aircraft system still has the new car smell, Textron is developing an even more souped-up version with extra-long endurance, more capable payloads and more power.
Navy awards biometric ID contract to CrossResolve LLC –
CrossResolve LLC has been awarded a $17.2 million contract to biometric ID research.
Army awards Shadow UAV contract to Textron –
Textron has been awarded a $116.5 million Army contract for Shadow UAV upgrades.
Karem readies optimum-speed tiltrotor for FVL –
Sometime in 2018 or 2019, Karem Aircraft will power up what it believes should be the American military’s next vertical lift system, the company’s patented optimum-speed tiltrotor.
Defense
Perkins: Army aviation aligns exactly with future Army operating concept –
Army aviation aligns exactly with how the Army expects to operate in the future as outlined in its operating concept, the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command commander said, highlighting the important role Army aviation will continue to play down the road.
Army aviation has a weight problem –
Army aviation has a weight problem and it’s growing, Maj. Gen. William Gayler, the service’s new Army Aviation Center of Excellence commander at Fort Rucker, Ala., said April 29 at the Aviation Association of America’s Mission Solutions Summit.
Apache could help prove future vertical lift technology –
The Army’s AH-64 Apache project manager said today that as the Army looks to upgrade or enhance the attack helicopter, those efforts could help develop emerging technology for the service’s Future Vertical Lift aircraft expected to come online in the 2030s.
The futuristic aircraft that may replace the Black Hawk will fly next year –
Next year will bring the first flights of the prototype rotorcraft vying to replace the Army’s venerable Black Hawk and other helicopters. But don’t expect the futuristic aircraft to hit battlefields for another decade and a half — unless their manufacturers find other customers first.
First future vertical lift helicopters will be medium-lift –
The first Future Vertical Lift aircraft to be fielded by the Army will come in the medium-lift category, where attack and cargo lift helicopters reside, Maj. Gen. William Gayler, the new Army Aviation Center of Excellence commander at Fort Rucker, Ala., said at the Aviation Association of America’s Mission Solutions Summit April 29.
Veterans
VA reform bill would make it easier to fire employees –
The long-awaited omnibus VA reform bill made its debut on April 28, proposing stark changes in how the agency disciplines senior executives charged with wrongdoing.
Where are the veterans in office? Path from combat to Congress fading –
Today, the veteran-turned-politician is a far rarer breed, at least at the national level. Stats show a steady decline in the number of veterans elected to Congress, raising concerns an important perspective increasingly is missing from the halls of Capitol Hill.
Veterans cemetery: Two sites available, one needs to be chosen –
Since the 1999 closure of El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, Cook and fellow veterans have gone from silently hoping for a veterans cemetery at the abandoned base, to suggesting one, to fighting for one. It’s been a 15-year battle of shame on all of our parts.
International
How the ‘Green Zone’ helped destroy Iraq –
While the United States has been fixated on the Islamic State and the liberation of Mosul, the attention of ordinary Iraqis has been on the political unraveling of their own country. This culminated April 30 when hundreds of protesters breached the U.S.-installed “Green Zone” at the heart of Baghdad for the first time and stormed the Iraqi parliament while Iraqi security forces stood back and watched.