Offutt Air Force Base planes damaged by June 16 tornado
Officials at Offutt Air Force Base south of Omaha, Nev., say a tornado that tore through the base recently damaged 10 military planes –including two of the Pentagon’s four “doomsday” planes.
The Omaha World-Herald reports that the tornado June 16 knocked out two of the E-4B Nightwatch aircraft that serve as aerial command centers for top military officials in case of a catastrophic national emergency.
The twister also damaged eight of the 55th Wing’s fleet of RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, which fly surveillance missions. Drew Nystrom, a 55th Wing spokesman, says seven of those planes sustained only minor damage, and six have been repaired.
Nystrom says the cost of the aircraft repairs hasn’t been determined.
A preliminary estimate says the storm caused up to $10 million in damage to other Offutt facilities. AP
Russia warns Norway that hosting U.S. Marines will hurt ties
Russia has told Norway that the extension of a U.S. military deployment in the country will hit diplomatic ties.
The Russian Embassy in Norway warned on its Facebook page June 24 that the move could “escalate tensions and lead to destabilization of the situation in the northern region.” It said “this step contradicts Norwegian policy of not deploying foreign military.”
Norway announced last week that 330 U.S. Marines will remain in the country until the end of 2018, a year longer than was originally planned. The U.S. force arrived in January and is based near the western city of Trondheim, 900 miles (1,450 kilometers) from the Russian border.
Russia and members of NATO have accused each other of ramping up tensions in recent years with increased military activity by both sides. AP
EU moves to boost military cooperation
Weeks after being berated by U.S. President Donald Trump for failing to spend enough on defense, European nations vowed June 22 to boost military cooperation in their part of the world.
At a summit in Brussels, the 28 European Union leaders — 22 of them from nations that also are members of the U.S.-led NATO alliance — agreed to jointly develop or purchase military equipment such as drones.
“The objective is to deliver capabilities, ensure a competitive, innovative and balanced basis for Europe’s defense industry across the EU,” they said in a statement.
EU countries plan to draw up criteria and binding commitments over the next three months for setting their defense cooperation goals in stone instead of relying on the vaguer promises of the past.
The leaders also agreed to use EU funds to finance Europe’s battlegroups — small, expeditionary forces that can be deployed quickly to crisis hotspots.
The battlegroups were established in 2007. They never have been used, mostly because countries participating in them would have to foot the bill if they were deployed.
The leaders also welcomed plans to set up a common European defense fund that is expected to generate around 5 billion euros ($5.6 billion) a year from 2020 to invest in developing military equipment.
While the moves are modest in comparison to NATO, they mark a sea change in the way the EU thinks about defense, faced with an increasingly belligerent Russia and an unpredictable partner in Washington.
“I am not going to say this is a historic moment, because you would laugh in my face, but it is an important step,” Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said. AP
Virginia sues Northrop for $300 million over IT contract
Virginia’s state information technology agency is suing Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. for $300 million in a case related to the state’s attempt to end its long-running IT contract with the aerospace and defense giant.
The Virginia Information Technologies Agency filed a counterclaim June 21 against Northrop in Richmond Circuit Court, alleging the company has performed poorly as an IT provider and is holding the state “hostage” by not cooperating in the state’s plan to use other companies.
Northrop sued the state in May for more than $10 million, alleging that the state has breached its contract on a number of issues.
Virginia and Northrop have been trading accusations of improper actions for more than a year as they debate how to end their partnership. AP
Boeing cutting fewer than 200 jobs in South Carolina
Boeing says it’s eliminating some jobs at its 787 Dreamliner plant in South Carolina.
Local media outlets reported the layoffs of “fewer than 200 workers” are the first in South Carolina since the company moved to North Charleston in 2009.
Boeing’s vice president and general manager in South Carolina, Joan Robinson-Perry, said in a memo to employees June 22 that the company needs to become more competitive in “a relentlessly challenging industry.”
The company would not say exactly how many jobs are being eliminated in South Carolina.
The company announced cuts in December in Washington State in what it called a company-wide effort to reduce jobs in its commercial airplane division to better compete with French-based rival Airbus.
The layoffs include managers and salaried workers. AP
Boeing beats Airbus in order race at Paris show
Boeing flew past Airbus in the race for plane orders at this year’s Paris Air Show, thanks to a surge in interest in the newest version of the 737.
High interest from Asian and Iranian airlines notably boosted sales for both plane makers, dispelling some concerns of slumping demand.
Most of the sales were of single-aisle jets that are the workhorses of global aviation, particularly Boeing’s 737 Max series and Airbus A320neo range.
Boeing reported June 22 it registered firm orders or promised orders for 571 planes this week, worth $74.8 billion at list prices. Customers routinely negotiate discounts.
Airbus announced 326 orders or commitments worth $40 billion.
Airbus won a late boost from two big orders from Iran, which is expanding its aviation industry after years of sanctions. AP