News
Acting Pentagon chief cites ‘credible threat’ from Iran over decision to deploy military assets to region –
The Trump administration has repeatedly ratcheted up pressure on Iranian leadership, implementing sanctions that had been lifted as part of the Obama-era nuclear deal and declaring Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a “foreign terrorist organization.”
Two U.S. warships sail in disputed South China Sea –
The U.S. military said two of its warships sailed near islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on May 6, a move that angered Beijing at a time of tense ties between the world’s two biggest economies.
U.S.-Taliban talks stumble over troop withdrawal –
The Taliban and U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad have met repeatedly in the Qatari capital Doha in recent months in a bid to finally end Afghanistan’s gruelling war.
Business
NAVAIR: New presidential helicopter production to start soon –
Naval Air Systems Command has a handshake deal in place to start production of the Sikorsky VH-92A, the next generation presidential helicopter, officials said on May 6.
Russia pitches Turkey the Su-57 fighter jet if F-35 deal with US collapses –
Russia is “ready to cooperate” with Turkey to sell its new-generation Su-57 fighter jet in case the Ankara government and Turkish companies are expelled from the U.S.-led F-35 program, according to a senior Russian defense official.
Turkish, Indonesian firms team up on medium-weight tank –
Turkish armored-vehicles manufacturer FNSS and its Indonesian partner PT Pindad have signed a contract to co-produce scores of medium-weight, new-generation battle tanks for the Indonesian army. The deal was signed during this year’s IDEF defense and aerospace show in Istanbul April 30-May 3.
Pentagon review pits Boeing vs. Lockheed for Marine helicopters –
A Pentagon decision to direct the Navy to buy maritime versions of the CH-47 would be a blow to Bethesda, Md.,-based Lockheed.
Defense
Trump eyes waiver for service academy athletes who want to play in the pros –
President Donald Trump announced May 6 he may reverse a Defense Department rule which requires athletes from the service academies to fulfill their active-duty requirement before pursuing a professional sports career.
NORTHCOM: Arctic now America’s ‘first line of defense’ –
In order to operate in the Arctic, the U.S. military must spend more money on joint training and cold weather technology and more time on Alaska’s ranges and working with Native American tribes, according to defense officials.
U.S. Navy’s unmanned dream: A common control system –
The U.S. Navy’s growing and increasingly diverse portfolio of unmanned systems is creating a jumble of control systems, creating problems for a force that hopes robot ships, aircraft and submarines will help it regain a significant advantage over rivals China and Russia.
How Space Force might impact Navy and Marine Corps personnel –
As the Pentagon considers which military personnel could become part of the new U.S. Space Force, leaders with the Navy and Marine Corps have expressed confidence troops will continue to execute the space mission no matter the service to which they’re assigned.
Navy’s top officer wants you to stop counting his ships –
The Navy’s top officer wants people to stop thinking about the size of the fleet in terms of how many ships it has, and instead start thinking about what those ships can do.
U.S. surface fleet is shaking up how it readies ships for deployment –
The U.S. Navy’s top surface warfare officer is changing how his crews prepare for deployment with an eye toward more quickly certifying ships and freeing up schedules so ships’ commanders can spend more time participating in customized training.
With billions planned in funding, U.S. Navy charts its unmanned future –
With the U.S. Navy poised to dive headlong into a future of robotic ships, the surface fleet is preparing to map out how best it can employ new unmanned sidekicks against potential adversaries Russia and China.
What’s killing U.S. Navy’s air wing? –
The U.S. Navy is on the brink of an explosion in research and development funding for its next-generation fighter program — an effort that could make or break the mainstay of the fleet’s powerful strike arm.
Don’t expect the U.S. military’s next fighter to be joint –
After two decades of working side-by-side on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the U.S. Navy and Air Force won’t be teaming to build a successor jet, a top Navy official said.
Navy’s unmanned boat now features 50-caliber machine gun –
The Navy and Textron showed off for the first time Monday a weaponized prototype of a small unmanned surface vessel (USV) designed to revolutionize sea warfare.
Top Marine aviator defends ‘King Stallion’ heavy-lift helo despite setbacks –
The Marine Corps’ next-generation heavy-lift helicopter program has long been delayed by technical problems and other flaws, but Lockheed Martin Corps’ CH-53K remains the only aircraft that can meet the service’s’ battlefield needs, a three-star general said.
First MQ-25A Stingray flight planned for later this year –
Later this year, Boeing’s prototype for the Navy’s MQ-25A Stingray unmanned aerial tanker will make its first flight from an Illinois airport. When the Stingray will start operating from U.S. carriers is less clear.
Twilight of the flattop? –
For much of the 20th century, the American aircraft carrier was a swaggering symbol of naval power, a floating city that ferried fighter jets across the globe to wage war or threaten it.
Here’s Air Force’s plan to revolutionize the way it trains pilots –
The overhaul comes as the service readies for the possibility of a complex fight with a sophisticated enemy.
Veterans
Remains of WWII airman identified, sent home to Massachusetts for burial –
His remains had been interred at the American Military Cemetery in Kunming, China, before being sent to Hawaii for analysis.