News
Crashed F-35A fighter jet located, U.S. says –
The F-35A stealth fighter that crashed off the coast of Japan has been found, and recovery efforts are underway, a U.S. Air Force commander said April 29.
Air Force is spinning toward a $4 billion financial disaster –
Hurricane relief efforts at Tyndall Air Force Base will begin lapsing Apriil 30 due to a lack of funds, preventing the start of all new work and deferring more than 120 projects planned to begin after May 1.
Business
Beyond Chinook: Army secretary challenges industry to revolutionize heavy lift –
“I’m asking industry is to think about heavy future vertical lift,” Army Secretary Mark Esper told reporters today. “Where I need their heads to be is thinking about future heavy vertical lift, not about how do we maintain what we have now and make upgrades here or there.”
German, Norwegian officials huddle over joint submarine program –
Senior German and Norwegian defense officials met in Munich on April 29 to plot a path for the two countries’ multibillion-dollar joint submarine program.
Polish defense minister: F-35 acquisition ‘not far away’ –
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said April 29 that the Polish government aimed to sign a deal to station U.S. troops in Poland this year, and a contract to purchase F-35 fighter jets was “not far away” from being signed.
Dutch army acquires new mortars –
A long-term framework agreement is to be signed covering the entire operational life of the weapon system for about 20 years.
Indian Navy orders 16 ASW craft from two local shipyards –
India’s Ministry of Defence has signed separate contracts with two state-owned shipbuilders for the construction and delivery of 16 anti-submarine warfare shallow-water craft to the Indian Navy for an estimated INR126.22 billion (USD1.81 billion).
Boeing awarded $5.7B for KC-46 Pegasus combat capability work –
Boeing has been awarded a $5.7 billion post-production contract for combat capability for the U.S. Air Force’s troubled K-46 Pegasus refueling tanker aircraft.
Boeing’s MQ-25 refueling drone moved to air base for flight testing –
Boeing’s prototype MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueling drone is so huge it needed help from government agencies in Missouri and Illinois to move 40 miles.
Defense
F-35s deployed with wrong spare parts amid supply chain failures, GAO finds –
Because of modifications to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter fleet, spare parts that the U.S. Marine Corps took on its recent deployment overseas were not compatible with its fifth-generation fighters, according to a new watchdog report.
Trump administration reverses course on decision to decommission carrier Truman –
The White House has canceled plans to decommission an aircraft carrier 25 years early as a cost savings measure, a plan that was largely opposed on Capitol Hill.
U.S. Navy’s new assault ship to bolster aviation component in Japan –
The U.S. Navy plans to bolster its forward-deployed amphibious forces in Japan with two ships, on of which is a new amphibious assault vessel designed to operate a larger aviation component.
Army may redesign its fighting formations in look to the future –
The U.S. Army’s top officials said Tuesday that the service is considering redesigning its formations to build new fighting units for the complex battlefields of the future.
U.S. Air Force ties to Greece may grow as relations with Turkey sour –
Greek officials are seeking closer ties to the U.S. military, a move that occurs as Turkey refuses to back down on acquiring a Russian air defense system that could compromise NATO aircraft.
Marine Corps wants vertical take-off capability for its RQ-21 Blackjack drone –
The Corps’ tiny InstantEye quadcopters fielded to the rifle squads take off with ease from a Marine’s hand and require no additional equipment for launch.
Veterans
Frustrations mount over lack of progress on preventing veterans’ suicide –
Just hours before a Capitol Hill hearing April 29 on how to address the problem of veterans dying by suicide, a veteran took his own life outside the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center.
Brewing Capitol Hill fight: Is VA broken or under attack? –
Freshman Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez again this week defended the Veterans Affairs health system as a vital national resource and criticized Republican opponents of twisting her words on VA operations as part of an effort to undermine the system.