News
Trump says NATO ‘no longer obsolete’ in series of foreign policy reversals –
U.S. President Donald Trump has said NATO is “no longer obsolete,” a huge reversal from an oft-stated stance that alarmed U.S. allies, and one in a series of recent foreign policy U-turns.
Amid calls for more boots on the ground, Trump will send top adviser to Afghanistan –
The White House will dispatch National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster to Afghanistan where he will assess whether more military personnel are needed to break the stalemate there.
Business
Airbus CEO considers new term, says not retiring soon –
Airbus CEO Tom Enders is in the early stages of considering whether to seek another term as head of Europe’s largest aerospace company when his mandate expires in 2019, and says he is not currently thinking about retirement.
Airbus CFO sees further pressure on book-to-bill ratio –
Airbus airplane sales may remain under pressure for some time as the company works through a record backlog of unfilled orders, but the long-term outlook is strong, the European plane maker’s finance director said April 12.
India to guarantee long-term ammo contracts to private sector –
India is seeking long-term deals with domestic private sector companies for a variety of ammunition at a cost of at least $3 billion over the next decade. The initiative aims to encourage capital investments by private sector companies in ammunition manufacturing facilities.
Army poised to transform ground robotics industry –
The U.S. Army is poised to transform the ground robotics industry over the next year as it launches several competitions to define its future unmanned ground systems fleet.
General Atomics awarded Reaper technology contract –
General Atomics has been awarded an Air Force contract for MQ-9 Reaper technology maturation.
MS-177 sensor completes test on Global Hawk –
MS-177, a sensor developed by UTC Aerospace Systems, has completed a round of testing with the Northrop Grumman-made RA-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft.
Lockheed, Aerojet bet on 3-D printing for manufacturing –
Both companies said they are expanding the number of components they manufacture via 3-D printing, more formally known as additive manufacturing.
Orbital ATK contracted to support Sidewinder missile sale –
Orbital ATK has won a contract from the U.S. Air Force to supply rocket motors for AIM-9P Sidewinder missiles.
Get up close, personal with Boeing’s svelte new spacesuit –
For its upcoming crewed spaceflight missions, Boeing worked with David Clark Company, a Massachusetts-based company that makes flight and aviation suits, as well as headsets for pilots to come up with brand new spacesuits.
Swiss prisons getting drone-detection capability –
Rheinmetall is to supply its Radshield drone detection system to Swiss prisons, the company announced April 12.
Thales supplying Denmark with communications system –
Denmark has signed a framework agreement with Thales for the SOTAS vehicle communications system.
Saab extends support for Britain’s simulated training systems –
Britain is continuing Saab’s support for its direct fire weapon effects simulating systems.
This could be the Army’s next-gen helicopter –
New video, complete with Apocalypse Now imagery, shows off Sikorsky Boeing’s design.
BAE Systems to develop U.S. space, missile defense tech –
BAE Systems received a contract to research and develop new space and missile defense technologies for the U.S. Army, the company announced April 12.
Defense
Trump’s deputy defense secretary pick hasn’t worked in the Pentagon. Is that a problem? –
If Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan is confirmed as deputy secretary of defense, he will be forced to hit the ground running, inheriting a number of internal projects from an experienced manager of the U.S. defense bureaucracy.
U.S. Army Europe’s only sustainment brigade on the move in reassurance mission –
The 16th Sustainment Brigade is based in Germany, but soldiers with the only large logistics unit in Europe aren’t home very often.
Navy considering more hulls for frigate competition, expanding anti-air capability –
The Navy is considering increasing its future frigate’s anti-air firepower and may open up the frigate design competition to hulls beyond the current two small surface combatant, the service told USNI News April 12.
Air Force may need even bigger pilot retention bonuses –
Congress has already given the Air Force permission to increase the annual retention bonus it pays some pilots from $25,000 to $35,000, but a leading three-star general said that may not be enough.
Air Force: Stop-loss is not on the table in effort to retain pilots –
The Air Force on April 11 shot down a four-star general’s suggestion that the service could use a controversial program called stop-loss to force crucial pilots to stay in the service and not depart for lucrative commercial airline jobs.
U.S. Air Force chief ambivalent on F-15 Eagle retirement –
The Air Force’s top general isn’t sold on the potential retirement of the F-15C/D Eagle, he said April 12.
Air Force extends F-16 fighter’s service life –
The Air Force will extend the service life of its F-16 fighter jet to 12,000 equivalent flight hours, much more than the aircraft’s original service life of 8,000 hours.
Air Force looks at how it can support services in multi-domain battle –
As U.S. services and joint force are better posturing themselves to fight in more complex, contested and congested operating environments, the Air Force — the best positioned for this so-called multi-domain battle given its space, air, cyber and ground operations — is looking at how it can support its sister services in multi-domain battle.
Veterans
14,000 long-lost Army dog tags may soon be on their way home –
After relic hunter Dan Mackay discovered 14,000 dog tags mysteriously buried in a field outside London, he set out on a quest to reunite the artifacts with the families of the British soldiers who were meant to wear them.
VA unveils new website to spur competition among department hospitals –
The Department of Veterans Affairs wants its medical centers to compete over patients, and they’re launching a new online tool to make comparison shopping for health care easier.