News
As Korea tensions deepen, Carl Vinson Strike Group deployment extended –
The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group’s deployment has been extended by 30 days to patrol the waters off the Korean Peninsula as tensions deepen on with the rogue North Korean regime.
Iraqi unit with U.S., Australian advisers hit by ISIS chemical weapon –
Twenty-five Iraqi soldiers required medical treatment after their unit was hit with a mustard agent fired from an ISIS rocket April 16, according to CBS News. Their unit included American and Australian advisers, none of whom were reported injured in the attack.
Business
What does ‘Buy American’ mean for industrial partnerships? –
Ever since U.S. President Donald Trump’s election win in November, international governments and industry have tried to sort out what his “America First” policies would mean for the global partnerships that define the defense industry in 2017.
Defiant delayed: Joint multi-role demonstrator won’t fly in 2017 –
The delay seems to be a relatively new development. In December, the Boeing-Sikorsky team told Defense News in an interview that it was anticipating flying on time.
BAE Systems to build sixth Astute-class submarine for Britain –
BAE Systems in Britain has received a $1.77 billion Ministry of Defense contract to build a sixth Astute-class nuclear-powered submarine for the Royal Navy.
Sikorsky-Boeing sees no problems with scaling-up X2 technology into Defiant –
Sikorsky-Boeing foresees no special challenges in scaling-up the technology developed for the X2 compound helicopter into the larger SB>1 Defiant that is being built for the U.S. Army’s Joint MultiRole – Technology Demonstrator effort.
Defense
DOD is considering a plan to allow civilian employees to shop in exchanges –
Defense officials are considering a proposal to allow Defense Department civilians to shop at military exchanges.
New Tricare dental contract brings more benefits, but families say some dentists are dropping out –
Tricare dental patients will see some improvements in their benefits when a new contract takes effect May 1, but some families have expressed concerns over their dentists dropping out of the network, reportedly because of lower reimbursement rates.
U.S. weighs giving Saudis more military aid for Yemen efforts –
The United States is considering ways to boost military support for the Saudi-led fight against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen, believing military pressure is needed to prod the militants into a negotiated end to the conflict, U.S. officials said April 19.
Troops earn their wings at the Army’s first Air Assault Course in Kuwait –
Soldiers stationed in Kuwait now have the chance to earn their Air Assault wings thanks to a newly opened Air Assault Course.
Army intelligence ‘bottom-up review’ underway –
The chief of the U.S. Army’s intelligence branch said it is deep in the midst of a “bottom-up review” of its force to determine what is needed at every echelon and across all of the combatant commands.
Army fielded 15 years’ worth of comms equipment — now what? –
Army leaders are coming to grips with the service’s enduring problems associated with logistics, maintenance and sustainment of its existing, aging systems. These challenges stem from over a decade of war during which issues like life cycle management of systems was not taken into consideration, one reason being the operational tempo of conflicts forces were engaged in.
F-35A is in England. What’s next? –
The deployment comes at a delicate time for the U.S.-Russian relationship, which was rocked by the U.S. military’s recent Tomahawk strike on Syria that was prompted by a deadly chemical weapons attack on civilians.
Air Force expands opportunities for Guard, Reserve officers who want to go on active duty –
More pilots, maintainers, nurses, combat systems officers, battlefield airmen and other officers from the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve are now able to temporarily move to active duty, the Air Force said April 18.
Pilot error to blame for crash of U-2 trainer in September –
Pilot error led to the fatal crash of a TU-2S aircraft, the two-seat training version of a U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane, about 20 miles west of Beale Air Force Base, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2016, according to an Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report released April 18.
Inert, upgraded B61 gravity bomb dropped by USAF F-16C –
A U.S. Air Force F-16C multirole fighter aircraft released an inert upgraded B61 nuclear bomb during a development flight test over the Nellis Test and Training Range Complex March 14.
Air Force: Bird scare led to aborted takeoff that wrecked B-52 –
An aborted takeoff that went wrong wrecked a B-52H Stratofortress in a May 19, 2016, accident at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, Global Strike Command said in a April 19 release.
Veterans
Four Vietnam veterans awarded the Silver Star for 1972 rescue mission –
On the 45th anniversary of the action that earned them the military’s third-highest award for valor, four Vietnam veterans gathered in Arkansas on Tuesday to receive the Silver Star, according to a release from an Arkansas congressman who helped get their medals approved.
Trump extends vets’ access to privatized health care –
President Donald Trump signed into law an extension of the controversial Veterans Affairs Choice Card program April 19, the precursor to a planned massive overhaul of the initiative later this year.
Doolittle Raid turns 75: Veterans mark anniversary of daring WWII attack –
Honor Flight veterans gathered at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., April 18 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the daring Doolittle Raid.