News
Frustrated lawmakers press Pentagon for plan to fund border wall –
Lawmakers on Feb. 27 grilled Pentagon officials about the president’s plans to repurpose military construction dollars for his controversial southern border wall by use of his national emergency declaration.
India and Pakistan: Kashmir fighting sees Indian aircraft downed –
Pakistan says it has shot down two Indian military jets and captured a pilot in a major escalation between the nuclear powers over Kashmir.
American airstrikes kill dozens of Shabaab fighters –
The U.S. military’s air campaign against Shabaab, al Qaeda’s branch in East Africa, continues to intensify. Africa Command launched five more airstrikes against Shabaab over the weekend.
Business
Northrop to deliver Triton drone to Australia in 2023, says Air Force official –
The Royal Australian Air Force is on track to take delivery of the first of six Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance drones in 2023, a senior official said Tuesday at the Avalon Airshow.
Australia changes how it will buy drones for shipborne operations. How is industry reacting? –
Australia’s search for a new unmanned aircraft system to operate from its naval vessels has taken a new twist, as the service announced tweaks to its procurement program to streamline the process and put it in a position to take advantage of future technological advances.
Boeing unveils ‘loyal wingman’ drone –
Boeing introduced its Airpower Teaming System at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon on Feb. 27.
Japan pitches C-2 for New Zealand transport fleet –
Kawasaki Heavy Industries will offer its C-2 transport aircraft to New Zealand for the country’s Future Air Mobility Capability program, a company representative confirmed on Feb. 26.
Australia bolsters capabilities, training opportunities for its P-8A aircraft –
Australia is continuing to ramp up its capabilities of and training on the Boeing P-8A Poseidon multi-mission aircraft, even as it takes deliveries of more aircraft and looks at future growth for the system.
Lawmakers stand ready to protect F-35 from F-15X budget threats –
Lockheed Martin and U.S. Air Force officials may be downplaying the prospect of an upcoming budget battle surrounding the F-15X and the F-35 fighter jets, but influential F-35 supporters in Congress and around the Capital Beltway are mounting an offensive against Boeing’s new F-15 variant.
U.S. B-52 bombers are getting new ‘eyes’ that will make them deadlier than ever and keep them lethal for decades –
Top defense contractors are competing to give America’s longest-serving bomber a big-time upgrade to its onboard sensors to improve the aircraft’s lethality in combat.
Pentagon requests voluntary refund of millions of dollars from contractor TransDigm –
The Army and Defense Logistics Agency will both seek reimbursement on millions of dollars from contractor TransDigm, following an Inspector General report into the company’s contracts with the Pentagon.
France, Australia deepen naval-research ties in wake of submarine deal –
An international research laboratory to push naval and maritime innovation in Australia is to be founded in Adelaide by France’s Naval Group and the key French national science research organization CNRS together with 14 Australian companies, universities, R&D institutes and various government bodies.
What space industry can learn from the ‘democratization’ of wireless –
A decade ago Rick Dunn watched as the nascent wireless industry coalesced from a fragmented sector with unknown potential into the powerhouse it is today.
Defense
Northern border along Arctic, not southern, is what worries NORAD leaders –
The opening of the Arctic and the stirring of Russian and Chinese interest along the U.S. and Canadian northern borders is a major worry for the top officer at U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command.
Care for transgender service members has cost the military about $8 million since 2016 –
In the nearly three years since the U.S. military welcomed transgender people into the armed forces, they have largely served without incident.
U.S. Army estimates Russian capability will peak in 2028, China’s in 2030 –
The top civilian at the U.S. Army, Secretary Mark Esper, said the Army will reduce, eliminate or delay nearly 200 weapons programs and refocus the funds on investing in capabilities to beat emergent Russian and Chinese militaries.
Pentagon to retire USS Truman early, shrinking carrier fleet to 10 –
Amidst rising anxiety over whether the U.S. Navy’s thousand-foot-long flagships could evade Chinese missiles in a future war, the Pentagon has decided to cut the aircraft carrier fleet from 11 today to 10.
First female TACP could graduate this spring –
The Air Force could see its first female airman graduate from tactical air control party training this spring, the service’s personnel chief told Congress Feb. 27.
STRATCOM will get a piece of Space Force mission, general says –
No matter where President Donald Trump’s latest combatant command ends up headquartered, a part of its mission will remain with STRATCOM, said the head of U.S. Strategic Command.
Air Force revs up production of precision bomb dubbed ‘world’s largest sniper’ –
The Air Force is revving up production of the air-dropped, precision-guided BLU-129 bomb increasingly in demand by warzone commanders – so accurate, lethal and precise, it is called “the world’s largest sniper accuracy.”
Marines Corps wants to boost the LAV’s firepower with precision missiles or swarming kamikaze drones –
The Corps has been making steady upgrades to one of its oldest tactical vehicles — the light armored vehicle, or LAV — over the past several years.
Marine Corps fields first JLTV this week; IOC planned for July –
The Marine Corps will field its first Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) tomorrow, placing the first vehicle at the School of Infantry West at Camp Pendleton, Calif.
The first Marine F-35B combat deployment hints at new roles for amphibious ready group –
After eight months at sea with a squadron of F-35B Lighting II Joint Strike Fighters, the Marines and the Navy are seeing how the next-generation aircraft will expand the effectiveness of U.S. amphibious forces.
Veterans
Large-scale closures of VA facilities could be coming sooner than expected. Here’s why –
Veterans Affairs’ version of a base closing round could start years ahead of schedule, department officials told Congress on Feb. 27.
VA asks for comment on proposed access rules; DAV gives a thumbs down –
A top official from the Disabled American Veterans service organization warns that the Department of Veterans Affairs risks repeating the mistakes of the failed Choice program with its proposed new rules for access to private health care.
VA secretary prioritizing job vacancies, offering financial incentives –
With roughly 49,000 vacancies in its workforce, the Department of Veterans Affairs is using financial incentives to prioritize hiring professionals in mental health, women’s health and primary care, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said Feb. 27 on Capitol Hill.