News
Russia buzzed NATO aircraft four times in a single day –
NATO aircraft had four close encounters with Russian planes in separate incidents on Feb. 10, the Air Force’s top general in charge of its forces in Europe said March 2.
National security adviser to make rare appearance before Senate Armed Services Committee –
President Trump’s national security adviser, Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, will do something people in his job rarely do: appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Business
Boeing, Leonardo debut the MH-139, their bid for the Huey replacement –
U.S. aerospace giant Boeing and Italy’s Leonardo are jumping into the U.S. Air Force’s UH-1N Huey replacement competition and will offer a militarized version of the Italian firm’s commercial AW139 helicopter.
Canada awards joint support ship contract to Seaspan –
Canada has chosen Seaspan Corporation to produce Queenston-class joint support ships at the company’s Vancouver shipyard.
At IDEX, Gulf countries make push for indigenous manufacturing –
Middle East countries are getting serious about building robust, highly technological defense-manufacturing businesses, primarily driven by the desire to break free of economic dependence on oil.
Financial problems hit KC-46 supplier –
The British defense company providing in-flight refueling technology for the U.S. Air Force’s KC-46 tanker program has reported massive pretax losses for 2016 and launched a major rights issue to help repair its balance sheet.
Australian tankers to get automatic midair refueling capability –
The Royal Australian Air Force signed a research agreement with Airbus Defence and Space to develop an automatic air-to-air
Raytheon unveils geolocation radar warning receiver –
Raytheon has demonstrated the first single-aircraft geolocation capability for a radar warning receiver.
Air Force makes cryptographic deal with 7 companies –
The Air Force has awarded a cryptographic contract to seven companies.
Lockheed Martin introduces Paragon direct attack bomb –
Paragon leverages the reliability of the company’s laser-guided bomb, or LGB, and integrates an inertial navigation system and GPS all-weather moving-target capability.
Jacobs to provide support for U.S. Marines weapons system –
Jacobs Engineering Group will provide logistics services for facilities of the U.S. Marine Corps Special Operations Command, the company announced March 1.
Defense
Trump vows to build ’12-carrier Navy’ during visit to USS Gerald R. Ford –
President Donald Trump told sailors and shipboard workers aboard the yet-to-be commissioned aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford that he would rebuild the U.S. Navy and give the service the all the resources it needs to fight and win — to include more aircraft carriers.
Pentagon delivers interim AT&L memo to Congress –
The Department of Defense is looking at a greater realignment of the roles held by the undersecretary of defense for acquisitions, technology and logistics, or AT&L, than is required by Congress, and the agency hopes to craft a chief management officer position to handle department-wide business processes, according to a memo obtained by Defense News.
White House pushing back against Mattis appointment –
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis wants to tap the former U.S. ambassador to Egypt, Anne Patterson, as his undersecretary of defense for policy, but the Pentagon chief is running into resistance from White House officials, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.
Trump may give the Pentagon more authority to conduct raids –
The White House is considering giving the Pentagon more independent authority to conduct counterterrorism raids as part of an effort to accelerate the fight against the Islamic State and other militant organizations, administration officials said March 2.
Navy’s Third Fleet splashes through the South China Sea –
When the U.S. Navy’s supercarrier Carl Vinson slipped out of San Diego nearly two months ago and steamed toward Hawaii, it marked the first time since World War II that the Third Fleet prowled the Pacific Ocean under its own command.
Air Force downplays requirements changes to Air Force One replacement –
The White House and U.S. Air Force are closing in on the final requirements needed to build the next fleet of Air Force One aircraft, the service’s top acquisition official said March 2.
Veterans
At VA hospital, anguished veterans wait hours to see doctors –
The heart-wrenching sight inside the waiting room of the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center in North Carolina was captured on a cellphone camera and posted on Facebook Saturday by the wife of a Marine also there to see a doctor, according to the Huffington Post.