News
Pentagon sails destroyer near disputed island in South China Sea, officials say –
For the second time since President Trump took office, the Pentagon dispatched a U.S. Navy warship to sail near a disputed island claimed by China in the South China Sea, two U.S. defense officials told Fox News.
Business
ULA wins U.S. Air Force contract to launch STP-3 in 2019 –
The U.S. Air Force announced June 29 they awarded United Launch Agency the contract to launch the Space Test Program-3 mission at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., in 2019.
Recovered SpaceX booster arrives aboard drone ship –
The recovered first stage of a SpaceX rocket that launched satellites from California last weekend has been brought to the Port of Los Angeles.
Northrop Grumman tests new radar –
Northrop Grumman has successfully flight-tested its new modular panel-based radar.
Raytheon to provide Army with automatic speech recognition capability –
Raytheon BBN Technologies has been awarded a $4 million Army contract for automated language translation.
Defense
Congress’ defense budget plans point to an uncertain military build up –
House and Senate lawmakers advanced a flurry of defense funding legislation this week, but are still far away from an actual military budget.
New rules would limit DOD officials’ ability to revoke valor awards –
A House proposal would severely limit defense officials’ ability to revoke battlefield valor awards, which supporters say rightly preserves the record of their wartime heroism.
Mattis delays new transgender policy for U.S. military –
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is giving the military chiefs another six months to conduct a review to determine if allowing transgender individuals to enlist in the armed services will affect the “readiness or lethality” of the force.
Mattis, Tillerson trying to sooth crisis in the Persian Gulf, but Trump keeps picking on a U.S. ally –
In early June, several Arab countries, led by Saudi Arabia, cut diplomatic ties with neighboring Qatar over its alleged funding of terrorist groups and intention of “destabilizing the region.”
Senate zeros out funding for Army’s battlefield network –
The Senate Armed Services Committee, in its fiscal 2018 policy bill, has zeroed out funding for the U.S. Army’s battlefield network.
Navy struggles with approach to fix crippled destroyer Fitzgerald, as investigation continues –
The collision off Japan that claimed the lives of seven sailors on the U.S. Navy destroyer Fitzgerald punched a hole large enough to drive a tractor trailer through, leaving the service with the considerable task of putting the crippled destroyer back together again.
House lawmakers propose a pause on Compass Call program –
Language in the House version of the defense authorization bill could spell more trouble for the U.S. Air Force’s Compass Call crossdeck program.
Veterans
Veteran whose valor has long been buried will finally get his due –
A veteran of three military conflicts, including the Spanish-American War, Smith was awarded the military’s highest honor, the Medal of Honor, in 1900 . That was in the middle of his career in the U.S. Navy, which spanned the years 1884 to 1914.
Oklahoma army veteran leaves $2.25 million estate to Habitat for Humanity, 24 homes to be built –
An Army veteran who served his country in Vietnam and Saudi Arabia also contributed in a spectacular way to his adopted home state of Oklahoma.