News
Why a few American Marines in Taiwan pose so many problems for China-U.S. ties –
U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy Marines at a U.S. representative’s office in Taiwan is yet another challenge to Beijing’s most cherished one-China principle. It follows a string of recent controversial actions from Trump, including his phone call with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and his open remarks questioning the U.S. commitment to honor the longstanding policy.
Business
IDEX 2017: UAE selects Rabdan 8×8 IFV –
The United Arab Emirates’ military announced during the IDEX show in Abu Dhabi that it had ordered 400 8×8 vehicles from the local company Al-Jasoor, a joint venture between the Emirati company Heavy Vehicles industries and the Turkish armored vehicle manufacturer Otokar Land systems.
IDEX 2017: Abu Dhabi Ship Building hands over vessels –
Abu Dhabi Ship Building formally handed over the 42 m Sabhan (L 4201), one of eight landing ships that it is building for the Kuwait Naval Force, during the NAVDEX show in Abu Dhabi.
Aerospace Force chief says Russian army to get new combat jets and helicopters –
Russian military within the current year will receive about 160 aircraft and helicopters; about 140 of them will be for the Aerospace Force, Commander-in-Chief Viktor Bondarev told reporters Feb. 26.
DCNS experiences loss in 2016 orders from previous year –
French naval shipbuilder DCNS reported Friday a 25 percent monetary drop in 2016 orders to €2.65 billion (U.S. $2.80 billion) from the previous year. The company said it expected to boost orders this year with a design contract for Australia’s 12 attack submarines.
Leonardo gives financial sneak peek as CEO replacement decision nears –
Mauro Moretti, the CEO of Italian government-controlled Leonardo, has taken the unusual decision of releasing the firm’s healthy annual results early, just as the Italian government mulls extending his contract or choosing a replacement.
Bulgaria’s former defense minister on trial for procurement irregularity –
A court in Sofia, Bulgaria, has initiated the trial of former Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev, who has been accused of abuse of office over two military procurements. They include the contract to overhaul the country’s Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets, which was initially awarded to Polish state-run defense companies amid protests by Russia’s RSK MiG, and a military uniform procurement.
ManTech awarded Army software contract –
ManTech has been awarded a contract to provide the Army with software support.
Defense
Philip Bilden withdraws from Navy secretary consideration –
President Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Navy withdrew from consideration because of extensive financial ties that would not meet the Defense Department’s rigorous ethics standards, according to a report Feb. 26.
Pentagon seeks to expand fight against extremists in Somalia –
The Pentagon wants to expand the military’s ability to battle al Qaeda-linked militants in Somalia, potentially putting U.S. forces closer to the fight against a stubborn extremist group that has plotted attacks against America, senior U.S. officials said.
What happens when the Pentagon delivers its ISIS report to the White House –
The Pentagon will deliver its draft plan to accelerate the defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria to President Trump Feb. 27, but don’t expect to hear any of the details anytime soon.
There’s a flaw in the homeland missile defense system. The Pentagon sees no need to fix it –
The Pentagon is pushing ahead with an expansion of the nation’s homeland missile defense system, despite a newly recognized deficiency that affects nearly all the system’s rocket interceptors, a Los Angeles Times investigation has found.
A 308-ship Navy to cost $566 billion, CBO estimates –
A U.S. Navy plan to build a 308 ship fleet will cost a whopping $566 billion according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Air Force anticipates F-35 deployment to Middle East in ‘not too distant future’ –
The U.S. Air Force will deploy the F-35A to fight the Islamic State group in the Middle East in the “not too distant future,” potentially a few years down the road, the outgoing head of Air Combat Command said Feb. 24.
Major changes coming for Marine Corps snipers –
Marine officials have confirmed that Commandant Gen. Robert Neller is considering a plan that would make being a Scout Sniper a primary military occupational specialty in the Marine Corps, a move infantry leaders say would help units better meet the increasing demand for these highly-skilled specialists.
Veterans
Study: Vets do better in college than comparable civilians –
Student veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill are mostly pursuing bachelor’s or graduate degrees, attending public or private schools rather than for-profit institutions, and studying disciplines such as business, healthcare and STEM, a new study from Student Veterans of America found.