News
North Korea’s Kim agree to inspections in bid to salvage nuclear talks –
North Korea said on Sept. 19 it would permanently abolish its key missile facilities in the presence of foreign experts, the latest gesture by leader Kim Jong Un to revive faltering talks with Washington over his country’s nuclear program.
Business
HII receives $104 million contract for nuclear submarine engineering –
Huntington Ingalls in Newport News, Va., has received a $104.2 million contract modification for engineering, technical, design, logistics, research and development, modernization and industrial services for nuclear submarines.
DIA announces winners in massive intelligence technology contract –
The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) awarded spots on a contract worth up to $500 million to eight defense companies and one research organization as part of the agency’s effort to buy research, development, technical, and engineering services for intelligence missions, according to an announcement from the Department of Defense Sept. 14.
These six companies have been selected to compete in the Army’s submachine gun program –
After some fits and starts, the Army submachine gun program has reached its next phase as officials have selected the six companies they want to provide guns for consideration.
F-35 stress tests raise possibility of longer service life –
After completing static, drop and durability testing on the F-35A, Lockheed Martin believes that early results indicate potential for an increased service life certification of the stealth fighter.
MBDA unveils Future Land Indirect Fires concepts –
MBDA has unveiled a number of land precision effects concept for integration with the ARTEC 8×8 Boxer infantry fighting vehicle to address the British Army’s future land surface-to-surface fire requirements.
Defense
‘Fort Trump’: U.S. considers permanent base in Poland –
President Donald Trump said the U.S. is considering a permanent military presence in Poland, something the Eastern European country has sought for more than a decade.
As deadline nears, Senate approves $674 billion defense budget bill –
With the fiscal year winding down, Senate lawmakers on Sept. 18 advanced a multi-agency appropriations deal that would prevent a government shutdown and give the Defense Department its full-year budget on schedule for the first time in a decade.
Air Force plan to get to 386 squadrons still a fuzzy proposition –
The Air Force wants to grow to 386 operational squadrons, but leaders acknowledge it still lacks a concrete plan to take that from dream to reality.
U.S. Air Force has big plans for expansion, but can’t yet say how it’ll get there –
The Air Force is making its case for the biggest expansion since the end of the Cold War — swelling its number of operational squadrons by 24 percent, from 312 to 386 by the end of 2030.
Does Air Force really need 74 more squadrons? It depends on who you ask –
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson’s call for growing the service from its current size of 312 operational squadrons to 386 by 2030 in preparation for a possible conflict with Russia and China faced some scrutiny at a forum for Air Force leadership Sept. 18.
Three-star: Expect future mobilizations and transits to be contested –
Fighting near-peer adversaries isn’t all about the front line. In fact, the logistical nightmare of fighting across continents could get a lot worse as opponents learn to disrupt baggage trains without ever making a physical footprint on their target’s shores.
New Space Force price tag fuels Capitol Hill skeptics –
Colorado Republican Rep. Mike Coffman had already decided to lead opposition in the U.S. House to President Donald Trump’s “Space Force” proposal.
How Air Force plans to use space to project power in the 21st century –
As the National Defense Strategy and National Security Strategy have made clear, space is set to become a crucial war fighting domain, as nearly every operation the military conducts relies on space assets.
Goldfein: Air Force must return to expeditionary roots to fight next war –
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein on Sept. 18 called on the service to return to its roots as a service that can quickly deploy and set up new bases — even under fire — as it prepares for future conflicts.
How Air Force tankers, transports can survive in high-tech war –
Air Mobility Command’s tankers and transports would be big, slow targets in a major war, but without them, most of the U.S. military can’t move. The imperative to fly fuel, supplies, and troops in the face of high-tech threats – from anti-aircraft missiles to cyber attack – is forcing AMC to change its approach to aircraft upgrades, communications networks, and what they ask airmen to think about every day, its new commander told reporters here this morning.
Air Force wants to use artificial intelligence to train pilots –
The head of Air Force training said Sept. 18 that the service wants artificial intelligence to become the go-to coach that helps airmen learn faster and better than ever before.
Top issues the Army’s combat arms leaders are working on to make sure soldiers are ready to fight –
A recent annual conference at the epicenter of the Army’s maneuver force training saw combat arms leaders focusing on transforming the force with an eye toward future conflict.
Congress to buy three more LCS than Navy needs, but gut funding for sensors that make them valuable –
Congress loves buying littoral combat ships, but when it comes to the packages of sensors and systems that make the ships useful, lawmakers have been less enthusiastic.
U.S. Air Force to join large-scale aviation exercise in Ukraine –
The U.S. Air Force and eight other nations will participate next month in independent Ukraine’s largest aviation exercise, which aims to promote regional security and improve that country’s cooperation with NATO members, the military said Sept. 18.
Veterans
Veterans facing judges to get more courtroom advocates as legal assistance program expands –
President Donald Trump signed into law Sept. 17 a significant expansion of the Veterans Justice Outreach program, a move that will put dozens more specialists into courtrooms nationwide to help work with veterans facing legal troubles.
Corn in the bones: The science behind North Korea war remains –
When war remains arrive at the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to be reunited with waiting families, there’s always a question: How do they know for sure who it is?