News
U.S. planning to leave 1,000 troops in Syria: report –
Citing U.S. officials, The Wall Street Journal reported March 17 that the Trump administration plans to continue supporting Kurdish fighters in Syria.
There are mounting signs of military planning for Venezuela –
President Donald Trump has been talking about ordering a military operation targeting Venezuela since 2017.
With lawsuits on horizon, DOD looks for ways to cut contaminated water cleanup costs –
The Pentagon is facing a global bill of at least $2 billion to clean up groundwater and drinking wells contaminated by years of seepage from the military’s firefighting foams.
Business
Spain cleared to buy American assault amphibious vehicles –
The U.S. State Department has cleared Spain to purchase 11 assault amphibious vehicles, built by BAE systems, in a deal that could be worth $107 million.
Is Germany’s Puma combat vehicle still tickling the US Army’s interest? –
German and U.S. military officials had planned, then canceled, a demonstration this week of the Bundeswehr’s Puma infantry fighting vehicle, as the U.S. Army surveys candidates for its Next-Generation Combat Vehicle program.
DOD inspector general slams F-35 program office for allowing Lockheed to manage government property –
The F-35 Joint Program Office has not adequately tracked government property leant or leased to Lockheed Martin and its subcontractors, an oversight that a new investigation by the Defense Department’s inspector general said could impact readiness.
Lockheed Martin is waging war on Boeing’s F-15EX –
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has reportedly been racking up kills against older warplanes during U.S. military drills in Nevada — even the F-15, whose record in real combat is a flawless 104 to zero. Now the two jets are heading into a fierce dogfight, one that doesn’t involve missiles or guns.
Roper warns Boeing on tankers after walking KC-46 line –
While deliveries of Boeing-built KC-46 tankers have resumed, the Air Force’s acquisition chief has sent a very clear message to Congress that the service will act if the company doesn’t do more to improve controls on its production line.
USSOCOM, AFSOC test Block 1 GBU-69/B SGM datalink variant –
The U.S. Special Operations Command and the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command, in collaboration with Dynetics, have conducted a series of tests of the Block 1 variant of the Dynetics GBU-69/B Small Glide Munition – an enhanced variant of the baseline SGM equipped with a Raytheon-developed X-Net two-way datalink.
Boeing contracted to integrate LRSO cruise missile with the B-52H bomber –
The U.S. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center has awarded Boeing a $250 million contract to integrate the Long Range Stand-Off cruise missile weapon system with the B-52H large-payload multirole strategic bomber aircraft.
Defense
U.S. sends B-52 bombers over South China Sea for second time in a week –
The Air Force flew a pair of strategic bombers over the South China Sea on March 13, marking the second time it has sent the nuclear-capable aircraft to the region in just over a week.
Shanahan fails to turn over list of milcon projects affected by border wall –
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan failed to keep a public pledge to turn over a $3.6 billion list of military construction projects that would be put on hold to fund the border wall.
Pentagon’s empty throne –
Patrick Shanahan, America’s longest-serving acting defense secretary, faces an increasingly hostile Senate.
Senator renews push to distance commanders from military prosecutions –
Alarming data from the Pentagon on the prevalence and prosecution of sexual assaults continue to drive advocates’ efforts to push for an overhaul of the military justice system and to remove commanders from the process of deciding whether to prosecute.
Trump administration’s new Arctic defense strategy expected to zero in on concerns about China –
The Trump administration is drafting a new Arctic defense strategy focusing heavily on competition with China, whose expansion around the world has drawn increasing scrutiny from senior U.S. officials.
U.S. Army is rebuilding its ammunition stores for the next fight –
The head of Army Materiel Command said recently that he is putting a high priority on munitions readiness to make sure Army units are prepared for the next war.
Why USS Truman is back at sea, again –
The aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman put back to sea on March 16, exactly three months after the warship returned home from one the most unique deployments in years.
F-15C takes over anti-ISIS ops after F-22 comes home –
The F-22 Raptor stealth fighter has been part of the air campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria since operations against the group began in 2014.
Veterans
75 years after he was shot down, WWII soldier is heading home –
Seventy-five years after enemy forces shot down his glider over Germany during World War II, Pfc. Clifford M. Mills is coming home to Perry County.
Nurses picket VA HQ to protest private care and vacancies –
About 100 Veterans Affairs Department nurses from across the country rallied outside the department’s Washington, D.C., headquarters on Friday to protest the leadership of Secretary Robert Wilkie, the department’s 49,000 vacancies and the Trump administration’s crackdown on their union, National Nurses United.