News
Trump’s new nuclear weapon has been deployed-
A new nuclear warhead requested, designed and produced under the Trump administration, has been deployed aboard a nuclear submarine, the Pentagon confirmed Feb. 4.
Trump praises U.S. military build-up but vows overseas troop cuts in State of the Union address-
President Donald Trump hailed the U.S. military as “unmatched anywhere in the world” and vowed to use it to pursue terrorists worldwide in his annual State of the Union speech Feb. 4, but also vowed to end America’s wars in the Middle East because of the strain they have put on military families.
Esper issues talking points before Pentagon budget roll-out-
All roads lead to the National Defense Strategy from here on out, Defense Secretary Mark Esper wrote Jan. 27 in a memo to top military leadership.
Business
Help wanted: Sub builder hopes to hire 18K workers-
Defense contractor General Dynamics Electric Boat will need to hire thousands more employees over the next decade as it ramps up submarine production, the company’s president said Feb. 3.
Navy awards a $178M contract to update GPS systems-
The Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific has awarded Booz Allen Hamilton a $178 million contract for to modernize GPS systems in partnership with the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center, the company reported Jan. 24.
L3Harris looks to shed as much as 10 percent of company-
L3Harris Technologies could divest up to 10 percent of the company, according to CEO Bill Brown, as its recent decision to sell its airport security business for $1 billion is seen as the first of more transactions expected to refine the firm’s portfolio.
Brexit turns up the heat on access rules to EU defense coffers-
European leaders should modify rules to include Britain and the United States in their defense-cooperation efforts, ending a simmering dispute that could turn toxic over time, according to the director general of the European Union Military Staff.
Britain receives first ‘Poseidon’ aircraft in bid to restore submarine-hunting muscle-
The British on Feb. 4 began to restore their once-formidable capabilities for maritime patrol with the arrival to the Royal Air Force base at Kinloss, Scotland, of the first of a fleet of Boeing P-8A Poseidon jets.
New weapons purchases suffer under India’s latest defense budget-
India’s defense budget for 2020-2021 will be $73.65 billion, the country government announced Saturday, but officials and analysts are warning the amount is unlikely to meet new demands for weapons purchases and military modernization, as India is set to spend about 90 percent if its defense funds on existing obligations.
Defense
Nearly 60 service members could be eligible for the the Purple Heart following Iran ballistic missile attack-
A 2011 Defense Department policy change regarding mild traumatic brain injury may mean nearly 60 U.S. service members are eligible for the Purple Heart following the Jan. 8 Iran ballistic missile attack that struck two Iraqi bases housing coalition troops.
Army adding new arms stockpile in Europe-
Across Europe, supply officers are already breaking open Army Prepositioned Stocks — everything from M1 tanks to medical supplies — for Defender 2020, the largest NATO wargame in two decades. Back in the US, meanwhile, the four-star chief of Army Materiel Command is building an additional APS set for Europe and preparing to build more for Asia to aid in future great power combat.
One step closer to a batsuit for soldiers-
Researchers announce new military funding in search for body armor skin that could be 300 times stronger than anything we’ve seen before.
Army spec ops training changes for future fights-
Green Beret candidates respond to a bomb blast, dashing into the treeline from the remote camp where they were chatting with their partner force chief mere moments earlier.
Air defense offers new warrants $60K bonuses as the branch expands-
The Army’s air defense artillery branch is working to attract new warrant officers by dishing out a $60,000 incentive to soldiers — and even airmen and sailors — who complete training.
U.S. Army wants to expand pre-positioned stock in Pacific-
The U.S. Army wants to expand its pre-positioned equipment in the Indo-Pacific region, Gen. Gus Perna, the head of Army Materiel Command, told reporters during a Feb. 4 Defense Writers Group event in Washington.
U.S. Army developing process for using 3D printing at depots and in the field-
The U.S. Army has an overarching concept for how it wants to use 3D printing and subtractive manufacturing, but now it must develop a process for using the capabilities across the service from arsenals, depots and plants, and then down to the tactical level, said Gen. Gus Perna, the head of Army Materiel Command.
Pentagon watchdog raises concerns over Navy warship readiness-
Navy leaders up and down the chain of command identified “training deficiencies” during the maintenance and deployment cycles for multiple guided-missile destroyers “but did not address the identified deficiencies,” according to a Pentagon watchdog report on fleet readiness released Feb. 4.
U.S. Navy, Boeing use manned jet to control drone Growlers-
The U.S. Navy and Boeing demonstrated the ability to control unmanned aircraft with a manned jet, a capability that is critical for concepts intended to keep naval aviation relevant into the 21st century.
Eying China, Navy refits P-8 plane for deeper strike-
The Navy plans to launch long-range, ship killing missiles from its premiere submarine-hunting aircraft, a clear signal the Pentagon is looking for new ways to meet the tyranny of distance in the Pacific theater.
Legacy U.S. Air Force fighters, bombers are on the chopping block-
The U.S. Department of Defense plans to propose retiring hundreds of the Air Force’s aging fighter jets and bomber aircraft over the next five years to shift resources toward building new capabilities to counter China and Russia, sources tell Foreign Policy.
After departure, JSTARS surveillance aircraft spotted back in Middle East-
Just as mission planners thought it was out, the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System was recently pulled back into the Middle East.
Veterans
VA, DOD recommended PTSD therapies don’t help many military patients, review finds-
The psychotherapy approaches considered by the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense to be front-line treatments for military-related PTSD don’t work for up to two-thirds of patients, a new report published in JAMA Insights finds.
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