News
U.S. service member killed in Afghanistan’s Helmand province –
A U.S. service member was killed in Afghanistan’s restive Helmand province Aug. 23 after his patrol triggered a roadside bomb. The blast also wounded another American and six Afghan soldiers.
Turkey open to Russian planes at U.S. Incirlik hub –
Could U.S. warplanes soon be sharing the runway at Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base with Russian bombers?
Business
Air Force wants a cyber disconnect –
BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration has been awarded an $8.7 million Air Force contract for software that will disconnect and reconnect users to a network.
Air Force selects M1 support services for Sheppard’s new aircraft maintenance contractor –
Current aircraft maintenance contractors for DynCorp International at Sheppard Air Force Base’s 80th Flying Training Wing will have the right of first refusal for their job, a spokesperson for new contractor M1 Support Services told the Times Record News Aug. 22.
Boeing wants to patent a fire-fighting howitzer round –
Suppressant-filled shell would help firefighters gun down wildfires.
ManTech wins NGA contract –
ManTech has been awarded a National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency contract, valued at up to $322 million, for IT services.
China’s growing arms sales to Latin America –
What does Beijing stand to gain from its new defense deals in the Western hemisphere?
Saab wins New Zealand Army training systems contract –
Swedish defense and security group Saab has won a contract from the New Zealand Army to deliver a laser-based simulation system to support training activities.
Lockheed Martin awarded $10 billion for future C-130J production –
Lockheed Martin has been awarded $10 billion to support all remaining C-130J Hercules production through to Aug. 18, 2026.
Defense
GAO: Pentagon can’t tell difference between wartime, base dollars –
The Pentagon shifted $146.9 billion over six years from its wartime accounts to pay for routine operations, and its accounting systems don’t know the difference between the two, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.
DARPA seeks lighter cameras, equipment –
DARPA is looking for cameras and other imaging equipment that are better and lighter than today’s devices.
Lockheed’s F-35 still falls short, Pentagon’s chief tester says –
A week after the Air Force declared its version of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jet ready for limited combat operations, the Pentagon’s top tester warned that the U.S. military’s costliest weapons program is still riddled with deficiencies.
U.S. increases role in Aussie Pitch Black air combat exercise –
The U.S. has increased its role in an air combat exercise, featuring its largest contribution of airpower in more than a decade from the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps in a practical demonstration of Washington’s, “rebalance to the Pacific.”
DOD awards ITEP advanced helicopter engine contracts –
Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training has been awarded a $67.9 million contract by the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command for the development of the combat management system to equip the U.S. Navy’s new Littoral Combat Ship derivative frigate class.
Another baby step for Army aviation’s ‘top priority’ –
Army aviation’s “top modernization priority program” — at least that’s what they call it — took another baby step forward this week. The service awarded preliminary design review contracts to the two competitors vying to build a better engine to power the service’s vast fleet of Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopters.
Army awards $154 million helicopter contract –
The U.S. Army has announced a $154 million contract for a joint venture between Pratt & Whitney and Honeywell International Inc. for preliminary design of a Black Hawk helicopter engine.
U.S. Army to assess C-UAS capability for AN/TPQ-53 –
The U.S. Army has issued a Sources Sought notice to assess the potential to add a counter unmanned aircraft system capability to the service’s AN/TPQ-53 radar.
Naval aviators describe how F-35s brains will change air warfare –
They gave the F-35 rave reviews during a show-and-tell at sea, but questions remain about its troubled software.
Abrams tank upgrades will give Marines ‘killer edge’ –
The Marine Corps is modernizing one of its most reliable battle platforms: the M1A1 Abrams tank.
Veterans
Spinal cord research at VA helps patients –
Breaking a bone is a common problem for patients with spinal cord injuries and research at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center is hoping to help clinicians identify those at most risk and help prevent it. Research at the Augusta Veterans Affairs hospital and others across the country is an often overlooked aspect of the VA’s mission, an official said.
VA to ban large-scale display of Confederate flag in cemeteries –
The Department of Veterans Affairs has decided to ban the large-scale display of the Confederate flag in cemeteries overseen by the agency, following a House vote to do so earlier this year.