News
Military judge frees Navy SEAL in advance of murder trial –
A decorated Navy SEAL facing a murder trial in the death of an Islamic State prisoner was freed May 30 from custody after a military judge cited interference by prosecutors.
Russia rejected Iran S-400 missiles request amid Gulf tension –
The request was rebuffed by President Vladimir Putin, the people said on condition of anonymity because they’re not authorized to discuss the matter. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Moscow May 7.
Saudi Arabia asks nations to respond to Iran with ‘firmness’ –
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister on May 30 urged Muslim nations to confront with “all means of force and firmness” recent attacks in the Persian Gulf that U.S. and some Arab officials have blamed on Iran.
Business
Boeing subsidiary wins software contract worth as much as $259M –
The Air Force has selected Boeing for a weapon planning software contract that is used in every detail of mission planning including route, threats and points of weapons launches.
Spanish defense contractors are itching to get a piece of FCAS –
Spanish defense companies are chomping at the bit to get into the business of building Europe’s next-generation combat aircraft, just as the government is about to formally enter the Franco-German project.
ATEC pushes to stay in Army helo engine program post protest –
The Advanced Turbine Engine Company — a team of Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney — is pushing to stay in the Army’s helicopter engine replacement program through the next phase after the Army chose competitor GE Aviation to build the future engine and the Government Accountability Office denied its protest of the service’s decision.
European defense industry could come to regret new U.S. weapons fund –
A new initiative by the Trump administration to subsidize U.S. weapons sales to some former Warsaw Pact countries could rankle European defense leaders, some of whom are fuming over Washington’s recent request for full access to European Union defense coffers.
Fair, open? Bulk of DOD dollars continue to filter to a few market giants –
In March of 2009, the White House released a memorandum condemning the use of sole-sourced government contracts because of their adverse effects on taxpayer funds, ordering a review of government contracts and a shift to more competition in the future.
Defense
Army Chinook helicopter destroyed by ‘hard landing’ in Afghanistan –
A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter was destroyed as the result of a recent hard landing in Afghanistan, according to a Defense Department official and media reports.
Second Fleet continues to grow –
Less than a year after Vice Adm. Andrew “Woody” Lewis resurrected the Navy’s 2nd Fleet, he announced it’s operating and will reach full capabilities by the end of 2019.
DOD bought phony military gear made in China, including counter-night vision clothing that didn’t actually work –
The U.S. military, government agencies and other purchasers bought more than $20 million worth of Chinese-made counterfeit goods designed to look like domestically produced gear from a company that defrauded the government and helped to orchestrate the counterfeiting process between January 2013 and October 2018, Justice Department officials said last week.
Reprogramming authority change would create ‘significant challenges’ for DOD, Norquist warns –
If members of Congress restrict the Pentagon’s ability to reprogram funds, it will create “significant challenges” for the Department of Defense, including potentially harming efforts to find savings inside the building, according to the department’s number two official.
Senators nearly triple Army request for Stryker cannons –
The Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the Pentagon’s 2020 spending plan earmarks $393.6 million for Army Strykers, nearly tripling the service’s request for 30mm cannons to arm the eight-wheeled vehicle.
Inhofe: Any Ford delay would present ‘a dangerous readiness gap’ –
The chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee said May 30 that the Navy’s struggles getting the weapons elevators working on its newest aircraft carrier “present a dangerous readiness gap” if they were to delay the ship’s deployment.
Veterans
Vets employment conference brings business leaders, advocates together to address challenges –
Representatives from nearly 100 Fortune 500 corporations, veterans advocacy groups and hiring firms took part in the first Employing U.S. Vets Conference in New York City on May 30, discussing ways to bring more veterans and military families into workplaces nationwide.
Major VA change info coming to your mailbox –
Have you checked your mailbox lately for news from the Department of Veterans Affairs? Veterans around the country have started receiving a letter and brochure from the VA updating them on major changes coming to health care access.
Study aims to show why some veterans go hungry –
A new study seeks to understand why some veterans experience food insecurity, having little access to healthy food, skipping meals or using money budgeted for groceries to pay other bills.