News
As fatal aviation crashes reach 6-year high, Pentagon says ‘this is not a crisis’ –
Fatal military aviation accidents have reached a six-year high, in both the number of accidents and the number of pilots and crews killed, a Military Times investigation has found.
Trump’s military parade gets support from House Republicans –
Not only are House Republicans poised to approve President Donald Trump’s plans for a national military parade, they may help send more planes and tanks to take part in the event.
Business
Boeing pushes back on the KC-46 program’s bad reputation with the Air Force –
Boeing has now racked up more than $3 billion worth of pretax charges on the KC-46 due to cost overruns and schedule delays, but the head of its defense business told reporters Thursday that the program’s problems are, for the most part, in the rearview mirror.
Gun-maker Beretta says it’s found the ‘key to penetrating markets’ –
Italian gun-maker Beretta is eyeing a new technology transfer deal with Argentina after concluding a similar deal with Qatar, claiming handing over technology to allow international customers to build their own guns is the future.
Minotor-Service details Vitim amphibious armored vehicle family –
Belarus’ Minotor-Service automotive company has revealed details of its latest Vitim family of amphibious armored vehicles designed for patrol, escort, and fire support missions.
Boeing launches Super Hornet SLM modification –
The first U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to enter the Service-Life Modification process ahead of the Block 3 enhancement programme arrived at the company’s St Louis production facility in Missouri in late April.
Excalibur Army trials T815 Patriot MATMMV –
Excalibur Army, a subsidiary of the Czechoslovak Group, has developed the Tatra T815 Patriot – also known as the Medium Armoured Tactical Multi-Mission Vehicle – with the first example currently undergoing company trials.
Defense
Marine F-35B forced to land over fuel issue –
An F-35B out the Marine Corps air station at Cherry Point, N.C., was forced to make an emergency landing on April 23 when the aircraft fuel light came on.
U.S. Navy’s new command puts Russia in the crosshairs –
A sharp increase in Russian naval activity in the Arctic and north Atlantic in the years since its invasion of eastern Ukraine has prompted the U.S. Navy to resurrect a command it disestablished seven years ago.
Pentagon moves closer to ‘swarming drones’ capability with new systems test –
Flying aircraft carriers that launch and recover fleets of small, inexpensive drones could soon be part of the U.S. military arsenal, as the Pentagon works with private technology partners to engineer that vision into reality.
Navy establishes aerial drone squadron –
As the need and scope of the military’s unmanned systems continues to grow, the Navy plans to establish a command devoted to aviation drones this fall.
New Fleet Forces boss: Readiness is our business –
A crowd of nearly 500 military and civilian guests on the hanger bay of the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush May 4, watched as newly minted four-star Adm. Chris Grady relieved Adm. Phil Davidson as the leader of the Norfolk-based Fleet Forces Command.
Air Force Research Laboratory reaches first tech pact with Coast Guard –
The Air Force Research Laboratory has reached a first-ever agreement with the Coast Guard to work on a wide range of technologies, from future development of drones to artificial intelligence, officials said.
12-man rifle squads, including a squad systems operator, commandant says –
The Marine Corps rifle squad has lost a member but will gain a suite of capabilities in a service-wide initiative to bring powerful tools from information to precision fires to the lowest echelons of combat.
Veterans
Remains of two WWII Marines ID’d, thanks to tech advances –
The remains of two Marines killed nearly 75 years ago at the Battle of Tarawa were recently identified and returned to their hometowns in Wisconsin and New Hampshire.