News
Navy fighter aircraft crashes near Key West –
A Navy F-5N Tiger II tactical fighter aircraft from Fighter Composite Squadron 111 crashed into the ocean about 20 nautical miles southeast of Naval Air Station Key West Aug. 9, according to a press release from Naval Air Force Reserve Public Affairs.
Business
Turkey goes ahead with armored amphibious vehicle program –
Turkey’s procurement authorities have decided to go ahead with a draft program for the local production of scores of armored amphibious assault vehicles.
India to finalize fifth-gen fighter deal –
India is going ahead with the acquisition of a fifth-generation fighter aircraft with Russia after an internal committee of the Ministry of Defence recommended that the purchase of the aircraft will duplicate India’s plan to develop a homegrown advanced medium combat aircraft, according to an MoD official.
Ukraine in talks to sell Pakistan 100 tanks –
Ukraine is negotiating the sale of 100 T-84 Oplot main battle tanks to Pakistan, and plans to use the funds to modernize the production capacities of its state-owned defense industry and invest in research and development, according to daily Gazeta Wyborcza.
Lockheed studies sea-launched Patriot PAC-3 and new 6-foot missile –
Lockheed Martin is studying several new air and missile defense systems, from an all-new six-foot rocket to a ship-launched version of the Patriot missile, a top executive told reporters.
Industry eyeing opportunity to sell light-attack planes, tech to SOCOM –
Over the skies of Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., three industry teams are either preparing for or already engaged in a flight demonstration of their light attack planes, hoping to entice the Air Force into buying hundreds of new aircraft.
Battelle helps DHS assess, train canine security teams –
Battelle has helped the Department of Homeland Security assess and further train state and local canine security teams.
Boeing, GDLS team up on mobile SHORAD system for September Shoot-Off –
Boeing and General Dynamics Land Systems have teamed up to build a short-range air defense system on a Stryker combat vehicle and plan to demonstrate the capability at a SHORAD shoot-off hosted by the Army next month.
State Department approves jammers for Australia –
Australia has requested ALE-70 Radio Frequency Countermeasures (RFCM) for its F-35s.
BMC lands Turkey contract to sell 529 vehicles –
BMC, a leading Turkish armored vehicles maker, signed Aug. 8 a contract with the Turkish government to produce and sell a total of 529 tactical wheeled armored vehicles, the government said.
Harris Corp. wins Army radio contract –
Harris will provide multi-channel Falcon III HMS (Handheld, Manpack & Small Form-Fit) manpack radios to support two major U.S. Army test events, according to a company news release.
Defense
Army seeking network simplicity –
One area the Army continues to explore is building greater simplicity into communications systems. This is especially true as it is looking at fighting in more complex, contested and congested environments against near-peer adversaries in a multi-domain battle scenario.
Army RCO expands scope of mission –
The Army’s Rapid Capabilities Office is looking to expand beyond the initial three areas of focus from when it was stood up less than a year ago.
Sensor overload is overloading the network –
Analysts are drowning in the amount of data provided by Army sensors and those of the military writ large. And often unsaid is the burden that this overload places on the network.
Pentagon’s Silicon Valley unit helps target terrorists –
U.S. pilots flying combat sorties against Islamic State and al Qaeda offshoots may soon be directed to hit “pop-up” targets — such as fleeing vehicles, ambushes and attempts to plant roadside bombs — through streamlined planning tools crafted in Silicon Valley.
Sig’s P320, Army’s new handgun, is in hot water after multiple reports of safety defects –
Sig’s problems worsened last week when online rumors broke suggesting that the P320 was prone to accidental discharges when dropped.
Short-range air defense builds up in Europe –
Short-range air defense is starting to build up again in Europe roughly a year after the U.S. Army Europe Command commander began beating the drum for the capability.
U.S. Navy wants to use drones and AI to quickly repair airfields –
The Navy is looking for a drone that can fly over a damaged airfield and come up with a plan to get planes back in the air quickly, the head of the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command said Aug. 8.
Navy extends Nimitz stay in Middle East –
The Navy informed families Saturday that the USS Nimitz, which was involved in a second incident with Iran Aug. 8, will extend its stay in the Persian Gulf.
Damaged destroyer USS Fitzgerald heading to U.S. for repairs as soon as September –
The destroyer damaged by a collision with a merchant vessel off the coast of Japan is heading back to the U.S. for repairs, according to a Navy solicitation issued last week for a transport large enough to take the warship back to the U.S.
Marine Corps lifts grounding of MV-22 Osprey and other aircraft in deployed unit following crash –
The U.S. Marine Corps announced Wednesday it was lifting an “operational pause” for the roughly 20 aircraft assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, which suffered the loss of an MV-22 Osprey over the weekend off the coast of Australia — resulting in the deaths of three Marines.
Air Force’s next step after its light attack demo: A combat trial –
This month, three industry teams will hand over four different light attack aircraft to Air Force pilots for a series of flight demonstrations to test just how well the aircraft can prosecute targets on the ground while operating in austere desert environments. Those that prove their mettle will move on until the next phase of the experiment: a combat demonstration in the Middle East.
Veterans
VA forced to rehire fired director of DC veterans hospital –
A former director of the veterans hospital in the nation’s capital who had been fired for poor leadership has been rehired.