News
New Trump order would ban most transgender troops from serving –
President Donald Trump late on March 23 issued a new order banning transgender individuals from serving in the military except under “limited circumstances,” again insisting they pose a threat to military readiness.
Business
Emerging German-Dutch naval tie-up has industry abuzz –
Dutch and German defense acquisition leaders have agreed to boost their cooperation on naval matters, a move that could put a fresh spin on major shipbuilding programs currently in play, Defense News has learned.
Airbus Helicopters tapped for additional UH-72A helicopters –
Airbus Helicopters was awarded a contract from the U.S. Army for additional UH-72A Lakota Utility helicopters. The deal, announced Thursday by the Department of Defense, is valued at more than $116.9 million under the terms of a modified contract.
France looks to Future Tactical Air-Surface Missile options –
The French Direction générale de l’armement (DGA – Directorate General of Armaments) has awarded MBDA in France a EUR1.657 million (USD204.3 million) contract to submit detail on three air-to-surface missile options to inform a French Army decision on its Future Tactical Air-Surface Missile (Missile Air-Surface Tactique Futur – MAST-F) requirement.
Polaris unveils new DAGOR A1 light tactical vehicle –
Polaris Government and Defense on 21 March revealed its DAGOR A1, a new version of the light tactical vehicle used by several special operations forces.
Singapore launches sixth Littoral Mission Vessel –
Singapore has launched its sixth Independence-class Littoral Mission Vessel. The country is on track to operate the class of eight ships by 2020.
Russian foreign minister comments on Russia-Vietnam military cooperation –
Military and military-technical cooperation between Moscow and Hanoi meets criteria of the international law, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said March 23 after talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Binh Minh.
Defense
Bases in four states being studied as locations for F-35 unit –
Military bases in Arizona, Florida and Missouri are being studied by the Air Force along with one in Texas already identified as the preferred location for basing an Air Force Reserve squadron of 24 F-35 fighters.
Here is the Mattis guidance, Pentagon study behind the Trump transgender decision –
Late March 23, the White House announced President Donald Trump’s final decision on transgender forces ? that most should not be allowed to serve. The president formed his views based on a February 2018 memo from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, and Mattis’ recommendations were based on a Pentagon study the defense secretary requested last summer.
DOD IG: $3.1 billion in funding to Afghanistan improperly managed –
U.S. officials did not effectively manage $3.1 billion of U.S. funds provided to the Afghan government, according to the Department of Defense Inspector General.
Two Army brigade combat teams will get to test an autonomous robot vehicle this year –
In the coming months, the Army will select one of four autonomous robotic systems that can carry up to 1,000 pounds of gear for the infantry squad and give them to two brigade combat teams for testing.
Fiscal 208 budget deal yields life-sustaining new wings for the A-10 Warthog –
The U.S. Air Force can continue installing new wings on the venerable A-10 Warthog thanks to $103 million in the omnibus spending bill that will restart the production line.
Veterans
Sources: Trump plans to oust Shulkin as VA secretary –
President Donald Trump is planning to oust embattled Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin amid an extraordinary rebellion at the agency and damaging government investigations into his alleged spending abuses, three administration officials told The Associated Press on Sunday.
Navy determines definitive number of USS Indianapolis survivors –
More than seven decades after being sunk by a Japanese submarine, the U.S. Navy has a final crew accounting of heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35).
What was Army basic training like during World War II? –
What was basic training like during World War II? Well, it kind of depended on who you were, and what you were training for.
Back from the dead: Family believed WWII POW had been killed –
Frank Hernandez had survived a shell hit in France that sent shrapnel into his hip and knee, bombs raining down around him as he hid in a Belgian cellar, and a bullet that struck his canteen while he lay trapped under machine gun fire in a German beet field.
More veterans seek pardons for combat-zone convictions –
First Lt. Michael Behenna returned from Iraq in 2008 with a murder charge. He was found guilty of unpremeditated murder in a combat zone and locked up at the federal penitentiary at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Space
SpaceX’ Falcon 9 rocket carved a giant hole in Earth’s atmosphere –
A recent SpaceX rocket flight punched an enormous hole in Earth’s atmosphere, according to new research.