News
U.S. in ‘early stages’ of withdrawal, as ISIS squeezed into a few square miles –
The noose is tightening on the final group of Islamic State fighters along Syria’s Middle Euphrates River Valley, as U.S. troops prepare for their own departure once the terror group’s physical holdings are finally eliminated, Pentagon officials said.
Pentagon quiet on Venezuela options –
A day after National Security Adviser John Bolton flashed a notebook suggesting 5,000 U.S. forces could be dispatched to respond to the internal crisis in Venezuela, the Pentagon was mum on whether or not that was a real option under consideration.
Business
Lockheed CEO: Boeing’s F-15X won’t disrupt F-35 program –
Lockheed Martin has been given assurances by top Pentagon leaders that the F-35 program will not be negatively impacted by a potential U.S. Air Force buy of Boeing’s F-15X, Lockheed CEO Marillyn Hewson said Jan. 29.
With shutdown over, Japan cleared to spend $2.15 billion on Aegis Ashore –
The Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced Jan. 29 that Japan has been cleared to buy a pair of land-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense systems, the first foreign military sales announcement since the end of a government shutdown that stalled the FMS process.
Israeli air force starts training German Heron-TP drone pilots –
The initial class of German air force drone pilots began their training on the Heron-TP drone at the Israeli Tel Nof air base near Tel Aviv on Jan. 28.
More missile defense ships, new ground deployments –
A top Pentagon official on Tuesday said major upgrades being made to dozens of Navy destroyers to give them new missile defense capabilities will continue, even as Navy leadership bristles at having so many ships tied up hunting for missile launches.
Lockheed: F-35A cost to drop below $80 million per fighter in 2023 –
Lockheed Martin is committed to producing the F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter for $80 million each by next year and further reducing the overall program costs as part of the next production contract negotiations with the Department of Defense, the company said Jan. 29.
General Dynamics beats profit estimates on strong IT demand –
U.S. aerospace and defense company General Dynamics Corp beat analysts’ estimates for quarterly profit on Wednesday, boosted by strong demand for the IT services it provides to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Defense
Shanahan has identified top pick to lead Space Command –
Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan has identified who he wants to lead U.S. Space Command, and work is underway on the confirmation process.
Launch-and-landing failures add to $13 billion ship’s troubles –
The Navy’s costliest warship, the $13 billion Gerald R. Ford, had 20 failures of its aircraft launch-and-landing systems during operations at sea, according to the Pentagon’s testing office.
A look inside the work, and the future of Jim Mattis’ task force focused on infantry, close combat –
Nearly a year after former defense secretary Jim Mattis inked a memo to create the first task force focused solely on making close combat formations more lethal, the group has coordinated efforts to add more than $3 billion toward that goal and now has another year to find a way to institutionalize its mission.
‘Thousands’ more troops headed to border, DOD says –
Thousands of troops will be headed to the U.S.-Mexico border to meet President Donald Trump’s request to enhance security there, the Pentagon confirmed Jan. 29.
Pentagon watchdog to investigate Yemen refueling –
The Pentagon’s internal watchdog will investigate military refueling missions in the Middle East and Africa after the U.S. undercharged allies by $331 million for its support in the Yemen civil war.
U.S. Navy looks to ease into using unmanned robot ships –
Large and medium-sized unmanned surface combatants under development by the U.S. Navy will likely have crews aboard, at least at first.
U.S. Marine Corps wants three types of amphib vehicles – including one with a 30mm cannon –
The Marine Corps is looking to plus up the firepower aboard its new amphibious combat vehicle with a 30mm cannon.
Iwakuni Marines use 3D printers to revolutionize maintenance for fighter jets –
Using 3D printers, Marines based in southern Japan created two products that reduce the time it takes to repair F/A-18 Hornets and may save the Defense Department money.
Marine Corps distributing 1,300 new night vision devices at bases –
The U.S. Marine Corps has begun distributing about 1,300 helmet-mounted binocular night vision goggles to its infantry units — a $33 million contract for long-term repair, spares and engineering support of the C-130J aircraft of the Royal Norwegian Air Force.
Veterans
Court rules VA must pay disability benefits to ‘blue water’ Vietnam veterans –
A federal court ruled Jan. 29 that the Department of Veterans Affairs cannot deny disability benefits to thousands of Vietnam veterans who claim exposure to cancer-causing chemical defoliants simply because those vets served in the waters off the country’s coastline, and not inland.
An Air Force vet died with no known family. Thousands of strangers came to his funeral in Texas to say goodbye –
The call went out over social media this weekend: Joseph Walker, an airman who served from 1964 to 1968, had passed away. But the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Killeen, Texas, could find no family members to attend his burial there Jan. 28.
Space & Technology
New supersonic airplanes would be terrible for environment, study warns –
At least three companies are hoping to bring supersonic airplanes back into the skies, but environmental groups worry their return could mean a big increase in greenhouse gasses from aviation.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/01/30/global-warming-supersonic-air-travel-could-mean-more-greenhouse-gases/2710086002/