News
President Trump: Border force could grow to 15,000 troops –
President Donald Trump said Oct. 31 that the number of troops he is sending to the U.S.-Mexico border could grow to as many as 15,000 active duty and National Guard personnel, putting the deployment on par with the military’s wartime operations in Afghanistan.
Deployed border troops are preparing for militias stealing their gear, protester violence, documents show –
The 5,200 troops mobilizing to the U.S. southern border are headed there to deter a caravan of migrants, but some of the direct threats they are preparing for are homegrown, according to documents obtained by Military Times.
U.S. commander says it’s time for a political solution in Afghanistan –
‘Gen. Miller says U.S. troops have been “more in an offensive mindset” since he took over two months ago, a change prompted by heavy casualties. But he says the U.S. acknowledges it can’t win with force: “My assessment is the Taliban also realizes they cannot win militarily. So if you realize you can’t win militarily at some point, fighting is just, people start asking why.”
Business
L3 agrees to settle lawsuit alleging bias against Guard and reserve pilots –
A major defense contractor has agreed to pay $2 million to National Guard and reserve pilots who were passed over for jobs at the company going back to 2011, under a proposed settlement filed Oct. 30 in federal court in Washington State.
Army’s missile defense radar ‘sense-off’ attempts to hit reset button –
The U.S. Army formally announced its plan to conduct a missile defense radar “sense-off” to replace the aging Patriot that will be included in its Integrated Air and Missile Defense system under development.
German Air Force to test covert radar in large-scale demo over Bavaria –
The German Air Force and electronics specialist Hensoldt are gearing up to deploy a new sensing technology in southern Germany that promises to target enemy aircraft without pilots knowing they are being tracked.
Hundreds of security firms vie for contracts at Qatar convention –
More than 200 defense and intelligence companies from 24 countries displayed advanced technological solutions to security threats aiming to sign contracts with this Gulf state ahead of World Cup 2022.
Mattis wants to boost fighter readiness. Here’s how industry could help –
Last month, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis issued a mandate to the U.S. military: get the mission capable rates of the F-35, F-22, F-16 and F/A-18 up to 80 percent. For the defense firms that make those planes, that could mean a chance to rake in more cash.
General Electric beats Rolls-Royce to power Turkey’s indigenous fighter jet –
Turkey’s aerospace authorities have chosen General Electric’s F110 family of engines to power the prototype and an initial batch of what will become Turkey’s first indigenous fighter jet, the TF-X.
Chinese solar-powered drone conducts first successful test flight –
China has successfully test-flown the Morning Star, a solar-powered drone designed to remain in the air for months.
Defense
Pentagon’s NATO policy chief steps down –
The U.S. Defense Department’s top NATO policy official stepped down last week, marking the second departure among the department’s senior civilian leaders in recent weeks as Defense Secretary James Mattis tries to quash rumors that he is also leaving his post after the midterm elections.
Active-duty troops deploying to the Texas border are from these bases –
About 1,000 of the more than 5,200 active duty troops being deployed to the southern border have already arrived in Texas and additional troops on top of the 5,200 are preparing to go, Air Force General Terrence O’Shaughnessy, commander of U..S. Northern Command, said Oct. 30.
Pentagon announces top-line budget for classified intelligence programs –
The U.S. Defense Department announced the top-line budget for its secretive intelligence programs on Oct. 30.
Pentagon official urges Taiwan to boost defense spending in face of possible attack by mainland –
A Pentagon official is urging Taiwan to ramp up its defense budget to protect against potential attacks from mainland China.
Pentagon girds for audit backlash that may echo $435 hammer era –
The results of the Pentagon’s first-ever audit could generate public backlash against boosting defense spending, according to Comptroller David Norquist.
This DARPA program will give Army, Marine aviators a robot co-pilot –
Army aviators recently ran helicopters through missions with a kind of robot co-pilot for the first time, using technology a company says will be demonstrated in coming months on Black Hawk helicopters.
From shooting down RPGs to new truck fuel and automated convoys, Army vehicles are getting a makeover –
As the Army moves forward on its Next-Generation Combat Vehicle program, a variety of problems that need solving are being hammered out at the service’s center for vehicle research — from batteries to targeting threats to advancing autonomous vehicle fleets.
Navy crafting master plan for new era of mine warfare –
The Navy’s mine warfare community is putting together a comprehensive plan to lay out the investments required for a successful transition from legacy mine countermeasures systems to more advanced capabilities.
Here are key areas the Corps is focusing on to improve Marine performance on the battlefield –
The Marine Corps on Oct. 31 outlined four key areas it wants industry leaders to focus on heading into 2020.
Marines want a ruggedized robot mule to patrol with and resupply a squad –
The Marines want an unmanned vehicle capable of keeping up with its rifle squad and conducting squad resupply to unburden the grunt.
Marine Corps is buying new body armor as it works to upgrade the fit, feel and protection of vital gear –
The Marine Corps recently selected a Michigan-based company to provide as many as 65,000 soft armor inserts for its upgraded body armor suite.
Veterans
New lawsuit seeks VA compensation for veterans’ unpaid emergency room costs –
Hundreds of thousands of veterans could be eligible for sizeable reimbursements of unpaid medical bills if a new class-action lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs is successful.