News
Pentagon identifies Army Green Beret killed in Afghanistan –
The Pentagon on Jan. 23 released the name of an Army Green Beret who was killed Jan. 22 during combat operations in central Afghanistan.
Chinese military flies Su-30 fighter jet, Y-8 surveillance plane close to Taiwan in latest show of strength –
A Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jet and a Shaanxi Y-8 transport plane, which can also be used for surveillance, from the People’s Liberation Army were among the “various military aircraft” seen flying over the Bashi Channel, a disputed waterway to the north of the Philippines, Taiwan’s defence ministry said.
Business
Change of plans: Seoul decides to start from scratch with helo competition –
It looked like Italy’s aerospace group Leonardo was going to be an easy winner for South Korea’s second batch of anti-submarine helicopters. The procurement program would seek 12 more AW-159 “Wildcat” helicopters, with no other competitors for the $840 million program.
SAIC-Engility merger doubles intel, space revenue, downplays vehicles –
When SAIC completed its $2.5 billion acquisition of Engility last week, it roughly doubled its business with intelligence agencies and in the space sector, SAIC CEO Tony Moraco told me. What Moraco didn’t say aloud is that by buying Engility, SAIC has doubled down on its traditional strengths as a high-tech services company — even as its attempts to enter the armored vehicle market have been repeatedly rebuffed.
Italian Navy, industry jointly fund warship tour in military training, marketing scheme –
An Italian FREMM frigate has set off to tour in and around the Middle East, marking the latest in a series of Italian Navy promotional tours funded by the firms that build its warships.
U.S. Navy awards Bell contract for AH-1Z helicopters –
The U.S. Navy awarded Bell a $440 million contract modification to produce and deliver 25 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters on Jan. 18, according to a Pentagon statement.
U.S. Air Force tests microwave, laser weapon systems –
Future experiments in the Directed Energy Experimentation Campaign are planned at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, the Air Force said Jan. 22 in a statement.
Defense
Blue Angels pilot makes emergency landing –
A member of the Blue Angels made an emergency landing Jan. 22 when the landing gear on the pilot’s F/A-18 Hornet failed to extend as the jet approached the runway.
Women in the military draft, or dump the system altogether? New report looks at radical options –
The Selective Service System could start including women in its lists for possible future military drafts in the next few years.
Pentagon will hold off on transgender troops ban despite Supreme Court ruling –
The Pentagon will not immediately implement President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender men and women serving in the military, the Defense Department said Jan. 23, one day after the Supreme Court removed some legal roadblocks that have stalled the controversial policy.
Army’s new modernization command risks cost overruns, delays –
When the Army first announced its intention to stand up a new four-star Futures Command, senior leadership said the days of years-long, expensive modernization programs and murky requirements were over.
End of an era: Navy’s legacy Hornets to fly off into the sunset –
The Navy will say farewell to its last operational F/A-18C Hornet fighter jets in a special ceremony at Naval Air Station Oceana. Va., on Feb. 1.
Navy builds hypersonic test ground in California –
The Navy is refitting its decades-old China Lake weapons testing and research site in the Mojave Desert to begin hosting hypersonic weapons testing from a variety of platforms, including undersea launchers.
Marines’ next high-end fight could call for larger formations, tougher amphibs –
The Marine Corps is preparing for a high-end distributed fight inside island chains in the Pacific, and the service is pushing the Navy to invest in additional weapons and systems for amphibious ships to support this kind of battle in a contested environment.
Marines’ classic Hornet jets to get upgraded radar –
The U.S. Marine Corps’ F/A-18C/D Hornet fighter fleet is getting a radar upgrade.
Veterans
Lt. Col. Charles Kettles, Vietnam-era Huey pilot and Medal of Honor recipient, has died –
Retired Lt. Col. Charles Kettles, a Medal of Honor recipient and Vietnam War veteran, died Jan. 21. He was 89 years old.
New session means more turnover for House Veterans’ Affairs Committee –
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will start its work this session with more than half of its members brand new to the panel, a significant turnover that veterans advocates have said leaves them with plenty of education work along with their lobbying goals.