News
John McCain — war hero, political giant — dies at 81 –
Arizona Sen. John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam who became one of the nation’s most prominent defense policy voices, passed away Aug. 25 at the age of 81.
NATO receives first lot of U.S. precision-guided munitions –
Precision-guided munitions, long in short supply among some NATO members, are being stockpiled in Europe in a move designed to reduce dependence on the U.S. in a crisis.
Business
French Air Force diverts A400M aircraft from military mission for rescue effort –
The French Air Force on Friday diverted an A400M airlifter from a military mission to fly 25 tons of humanitarian aid in support of rescue efforts on Lombok, an Indonesian island devastated by a series of powerful and deadly earthquakes.
Philippine president says buying U.S. F-16 jets ‘utterly useless’ –
The Philippine president is opposing an offer by the U.S. defense chief and other top American officials to buy F-16 fighter jets, saying such an acquisition would be “utterly useless” because his country needs lighter combat aircraft to fight insurgents.
With $294 million in contracts, the U.S. Navy keeps its promise to upgrade cruisers –
The Navy is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to modernizing its cruisers.
Iron Curtain is out as possible active protection system for Stryker –
The Army has decided not to continue to qualify the Iron Curtain active protection system for the Stryker combat vehicle, Col. Glenn Dean, the Army’s Stryker program manager, said in an Aug. 24 interview with several reporters.
Defense
DOD’s transgender policy gets knocked back by court, again –
For the third time in the four federal cases challenging the Pentagon’s transgender ban, the court has ruled the government has failed to show what deliberative process it undertook to decide some transgender personnel should not be allowed to serve.
U.S. Army expects to spend up to $50 billion a year on Futures Command –
It could cost between $30 and $50 billion annually for the Army’s Futures Command to work towards modernizing the service, Gen. Mark Milley, the Army’s chief of staff, said Aug. 24.
Two new littoral combat ships join the U.S. fleet –
The U.S. Navy added a pair of littoral combat ships to the fleet, accepting delivery of the Sioux City and the Wichita during a Aug. 22 ceremony at Fincantieri’s Marinette Marine shipyard.
Gearbox failures, ejection seat setting mistakes led to fatal T-38 crash –
The crash of a T-38C Talon training aircraft in Texas last November, which killed one of its two pilots, was caused by a dual failure of the trainer’s troubled airframe mounted gearboxes, according to a new Air Force report.
U.S. Air Force tests ‘base in a box’ in Poland to prep for future wars –
If the U.S. Air Force finds itself in a conflict with Russia, it won’t be able to simply rely on its major operating hubs in Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. So it’s getting more expeditionary thanks to a new “air base in a box” that will enable the service to rapidly move to a partner nation’s airfield, set up a squadron and begin flying combat missions.
In bid to counter Russia, U.S. Air Force to spend $40 million on Romanian air base –
The U.S. Air Force has plans in motion to spend almost $40 million on new construction and base improvements at Romania’s 71st Air Base in Campia Turzii to make it more hospitable for visiting U.S. combat squadrons.
Veterans
Veterans can now file class-action lawsuits against VA –
A federal court ruling last week opened the possibility for veterans to file suit against the Department of Veterans Affairs as a class rather than individuals, a move that advocates say could dramatically shift how legal cases against the bureaucracy are handled.
DPAA reaches milestone as 100th USS Oklahoma sailor is laid to rest –
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency recently celebrated a significant milestone as the 100th USS Oklahoma sailor was laid to rest after the agency identified and returned the remains to the family for burial.