News
Senate advances $6.5 billion Taiwan military aid bill
The Senate on Sept. 14 advanced a sprawling bill that would give Taiwan the same benefits as major non-NATO allies, provide $6.5 billion in military aid, expedite arms sales and prioritize the transfer of excess U.S. defense articles there.
Ukrainian flag raised in retaken city after Russian retreat
Hand on heart, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy watched his country’s flag rise Sept. 14 above the recaptured city of Izium, making a rare foray outside the capital that highlights Moscow’s embarrassing retreat from a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Scholz tells Putin to withdraw as Germany faces calls to send Ukraine tanks
German chancellor tells Russian president he must respect ‘the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.’
US to redirect Afghanistan’s frozen assets after Taliban rejects deal
The Treasury Department said an oversight body will deploy $3.5 billion of Afghanistan’s central bank reserves to help stabilize the country’s ravaged economy.
Business
NSA seeks proposals for contract at heart of Booz Allen antitrust case
The National Security Agency issued a request for proposals for a contract at the center of antitrust litigation involving Booz Allen Hamilton, court records show, adding urgency to a case that the U.S. says has national security implications.
Pentagon to pour $1.2 billion into ‘critical’ biomanufacturing industry
A month after a think tank said U.S. was losing race to China, DOD hopes the tech will help fix a number of problems, including avoiding supply chain woes.
Where do you buy a quarter-million artillery rounds?
The Pentagon’s top acquisitions chief outlines a couple of fast and flexible ways the military is able to use its buying and selling powers to beat competitors.
L3Harris, Raytheon chosen for next phase of Army aerial intel upgrades
The U.S. Army awarded L3Harris and Raytheon Applied Signal Technology phase-two contracts to develop sensors in support of a next-generation airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance program known as HADES.
Skunk Works to test expendable “Speed Racer” collaborative vehicle with sub-$2M price
Lockheed Martin will soon begin a campaign of flight tests of its “Speed Racer” uncrewed air vehicle, aiming for an expendable, modular, multipurpose vehicle that will cooperate with the F-35 and cost well below $2 million a copy, the director of the company’s Skunk Works division John Clark said Sept. 14.
Industry exercise finds India ‘underestimated’ future engine demand
The Indian government has “underestimated” the future demand for fighter, drone and cruise missile engines, with the small engine gas turbine market expected to reach about 610 billion rupees (U.S. $8 billion) over the next 20 years, according to the findings from an industrial simulation.
Australia to decide on further Triton maritime drone orders after defense review
Australia will decide on whether to order up to four more Northrop Grumman Corp MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance drones after a defense review next year, a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) official said.
Defense
Texas quietly reduces Operation Lone Star troop levels at border
The Texas Military Department has reduced the number of troops dedicated to Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security mission, as questions remain about its future financing.
Here’s how the Air Force could change its job assignment process
Air Force leaders are sifting through a list of proposed changes to how airmen are assigned new jobs, and may announce some updates by the end of September.
DOD attempts to get its head around how the end of Roe affects troops
In the months since the Supreme Court overturned a federal right to abortion access, the Defense Department has been doing some soul searching on how to respond. A Pentagon-funded report released Wednesday shows there’s little policy recourse under existing laws, concluding that better education about birth control might stem female service members’ demand for abortions.
LCS Coronado decommissioned after less than 9 years of active service
The littoral combat ship Coronado was decommissioned in San Diego Sept. 14, less than nine years after the pricey ship entered active service.
Veterans
Legendary Army Ranger, who fought in three wars, dies at 97
The soldier for whom the Army’s Best Ranger Competition is named passed away Sept. 11 at age 97.
Bill would make it easier for vets to get jobs in Merchant Marine
A new measure designed to ease requirements for veterans to join the U.S. Merchant Marine will be introduced in the Senate Wednesday with an eye towards attaching the proposal to must-pass defense legislation later this year.
