News
All U.S. F-35s grounded worldwide –
The Pentagon announced Oct. 11 it is grounding its entire fleet of F-35s, just days after the first crash of an F-35B led investigators to suspect there is a widespread problem with the advanced fighter’s fuel tubes.
Tyndall AFB sustains ‘direct hit,’ ‘extensive damage’ from hurricane –
Hurricane Michael slammed into Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida as a Category 4 storm on Oct. 10, causing extensive damage and leaving the base closed until further notice.
Business
Trump doubles down: He’s not stopping Saudi arms sales –
U.S. President Donald Trump signaled for the second time in 24 hours he would oppose stopping arms sales to Saudi Arabia even if its government was found to have murdered a Saudi journalist.
Trump warns halting Saudi arms sales would hurt economy –
U.S. President Donald Trump on Oct. 10 expressed reservations about halting U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the disappearance of a Saudi journalist, warning such a move “would be hurting us.”
Lockheed, Leonardo DRS won’t protest T-X, handing program to Boeing –
In a surprise move, the two losing teams for the U.S. Air Force’s T-X trainer competition have decided not to protest the service’s decision to award the competition to the Boeing-Saab team.
Lockheed declines to submit T-X protest –
Lockheed Martin will not protest the Air Force’s Sept. 27 award of the T-X Advanced Trainer contract to Boeing/Saab, a spokesman said Oct. 11. The move clears away a major potential hurdle for Boeing and the Air Force to get the project underway.
In first, China confirms ‘new long-range strategic bomber’ designation –
China’s official state-run media has confirmed the designation of the country’s newest long-range strategic bomber, with analysts speculating that the prototype is expected to make its first flight soon.
Army building 1,000-mile supergun –
Why is the Army confident it can build a Strategic Long-Range Cannon to shoot with precision more than one thousand miles? Because the superweapon will be essentially supersizing proven technologies found in the existing 155 mm howitzer and rocket-boosted artillery shells from the 1980s.
Hunter Wolf: Killer robot golfcart –
It’s not the Terminator — it looks more like a very angry golf cart. In fact, the HDT Hunter Wolf is in fact a six-wheel drive offroad robot that the U.S. Army is now studying to haul foot troops’ gear, like a mechanical mule, as part of the Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET) program.
AUDS job: Electrons and bullets take down drones –
Small drones pose big dangers on the battlefield, where the Islamic State has jury-rigged them as mini-kamikazes while the Russians use them to spot targets for devastating artillery barrages. So the US military has been scrambling to develop countermeasures, but there is no magic bullet. So Northrop Grumman’s AUDS — Anti-UAV Defense System — combines bullets with electrons.
Defense
Army expelled 500 immigrant recruits in 1 year –
the course of 12 months, the U.S. Army discharged more than 500 immigrant enlistees who were recruited across the globe for their language or medical skills and promised a fast track to citizenship in exchange for their service, The Associated Press has found.
To up fighter readiness levels, Pentagon looks to retire older planes and fix supply chains –
With Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis issuing new guidance demanding readiness for tactical air assets increase in just one year, the Pentagon is openly acknowledging that older planes will have to be retired and cannibalized for parts to make it happen.
Has combat arms gender integration been successful? The Army will let you know in 2020 –
It’s been two years since the Army first started accepting women into its infantry, armor, fire support specialist and special operator communities, and, so far, hundreds have volunteered to be among the first.
New virtual marksmanship and squad immersive trainers are headed to dozens of Army locations next year –
A new virtual marksmanship trainer for squads is headed to 26 Army locations early next year and will soon be followed by an early version of the squad immersive trainer.
Here’s the U.S. Army’s new Russia-era shopping list –
After Putin’s Ukraine invasion, the Army’s future command wants longer guns, better cybersecurity, and a new way to buy weapons.
Air Force hits more modest recruiting goal in 2018 –
The Air Force recruited 29,831 new enlisted airmen in fiscal 2018, slightly exceeding its goal of 29,700, the Air Force Recruiting Service said Oct. 11.
Air Force F-22 Raptor makes emergency landing in Alaska –
The Air Force says a landing gear malfunction likely was the cause of an emergency landing of an F-22 Raptor fighter jet in Alaska, that resulted in the aircraft leaning on its left side.
Veterans
Veterans, military retirees will see a 2.8 percent COLA boost for 2019 –
Veterans receiving disability pay and military retirees will see a 2.8 percent cost-of-living boost starting in December, their largest increase in six years.