News
Navy aircrew recovered, receiving treatment after two Super Hornets crash –
Two pilots and two flight officers whose jets crashed off the coast of North Carolina May 26 were recovered and are receiving medical attention, according to a Thursday release from Naval Air Force Atlantic.
Business
Boeing’s KC-46A tanker braces for another delay –
Boeing’s KC-46A aerial refueling tanker program is facing another delay – of at least six months – due to technical and supply chain problems.
U.S. Army to brief industry on future of network modernization –
The U.S. Army is holding an industry forum next month to brief industry on its future network modernization plans and priorities, according to a service statement.
Naval lab selects eight companies for $245 million IT contract –
Eight companies have been awarded a $245 million contract to provide IT services for the Naval Research Laboratory’s Information Technology Division.
Raytheon adds bands for multispectral targeting –
Adding spectral bands to increase intelligence collection is not restricted to surveillance sensors on specialized platforms.
Navy orders digital radios from General Dynamics –
The Navy has ordered more than 30 additional digital radios for Navy vessels.
Lockheed Martin turns to India for F-16 production to reduce dependence on Pentagon –
In a recent announcement from Lockheed Martin, the defense contractor has announced it is looking to partner with an Indian company to develop its flagship F-16 fighter jets. The announcement follows India’s intention to become one of the biggest defense manufacturers, rather than an importer.
$62 million in contracts prevent layoffs at BAE –
BAE Systems received two large contracts this month that will hold off some of its announced layoffs. In January, the company announced it would lay off up to 300 of the approximately 700 employees at its two Jacksonville, Fla., facilities because of lack of work.
Defense
Senate Appropriations Committee OKs DOD spending bill –
A proposed 2017 Pentagon budget easily vaulted another congressional hurdle May 26 as the Senate Appropriations Committee voted 30-0 to send its defense spending bill to the full Senate.
Driven by B-21, annual bomber spending spikes to $11 billion –
The Pentagon’s annual spending on its long-range bomber fleet will rise to $11 billion over the next decade, a spike driven primarily by the updated cost estimate for Northrop Grumman to design and build the next-generation B-21.
Welsh: F-22 restart for U.S. Air Force not ‘a wild idea’ –
Although U.S. Air Force and industry officials have repeatedly dubbed reviving Lockheed Martin’s F-22 production line as a nonstarter, the service’s outgoing chief of staff said Thursday it might not be such a crazy idea after all.
Air Force Special Ops Command: AC-130s with laser weapons in 2020 –
Air Force Special Operations Command will be outfitting AC-130 gunships with laser weapons by the end of the decade.
German Air Force bids farewell to New Mexico community –
For more than 20 years, a U.S. Air Force Base in New Mexico has been home to Germany’s largest military installation on foreign soil.
This is how U.S. Army will fight if American satellites smashed –
The Army is evaluating a new vehicle-mounted radio technology that enables Strykers, tactical trucks, HMMWVs and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles to share real-time, combat-relevant information across the force.
Army announces Afghanistan deployment for 500 soldiers –
About 500 soldiers from the 3rd Cavalry Regiment will deploy to Afghanistan later this summer, officials announced.
Army to test driverless vehicle technology in Michigan –
A convoy of Army vehicles will be cruising Michigan’s Interstate 69 in St. Clair and Lapeer counties in late June.
Navy lays bare F/A-18 readiness gaps –
Three out of four F/A-18s are not ready to go to war and it could take up to a year for the Navy to pull together enough reserve fighters to field a surge force air wing, service officials told members of the House Armed Services Committee May 26.
U.S. Navy faces $848 million ops, maintenance shortfall –
U.S. Navy leaders have made no secret the fleet’s maintenance accounts are underfunded. The situation — exacerbated by several years of sequestration-mandated budget cuts, a government shutdown, Congress’ chronic ability to pass a budget before the end of each fiscal year, a high operating tempo and the cumulative effects of all those problems — is affecting the readiness of ships, aircraft and sailors.
Veterans
Report: VA mistakenly classified 4,200 veterans as dead –
More than 4,200 veterans were mistakenly declared dead and had benefits cut off by Veterans Affairs officials over a five-year span, according to new department data that shows the problem was much bigger than previously believed.
Memphis Belle gunner dies in England –
An American veteran was visiting the sights where he served in England during World War II May 6 when he suddenly collapsed and died.
Scars of the Somme –
The landscape may have healed but the scars of the Battle of the Somme are still visible in the French countryside 100 years after one of the most famously futile clashes in military history.
Postal Service will issue stamps of military Service Cross medals –
The United States Postal Service will issue four new stamps to honor those who have received one of the four Service Cross medals.
Combat dreams haunting veterans could be a new disorder –
An Army sleep scientist is pushing for Trauma-Associated Sleep Disorder to be officially recognized.
VA vows to retest veterans for brain injuries –
Nearly 25,000 veterans across the country will have the chance to be retested for traumatic brain injuries.
International
China to send nuclear-armed submarines into Pacific amid tensions with U.S. –
The Chinese military is poised to send submarines armed with nuclear missiles into the Pacific Ocean for the first time, arguing that new U.S. weapons systems have so undermined Beijing’s existing deterrent force that it has been left with no alternative.
NATO members face hard budget choices, official says –
A top NATO official has conceded that the alliance would have to settle for “less of the pie” in the future due to conflicting spending priorities for its members.
Danish committee scrutinizes F-35 plan costs –
The Danish parliament’s Committee of Defense has raised fresh concerns over the minority conservative-liberal government’s selection of the F-35A Lightning II as the Air Force’s next-generation fighter.
India may downsize Army to pay for weapons –
Indian Army chief Gen. Dalbir Singh has ordered a study to increase the ratio of combat troops to noncombat troops with the aim to find more funds to buy weapons.
South Korea to import $3 billion worth of arms –
South Korea plans to import $3.5 billion worth of arms this year to enhance its defense capabilities, the Yonhap news agency reported May 25.