News
Senator McCain says could subpoena U.S. sailors held by Iran –
U.S. Republican Senator John McCain said Feb. 14 he would subpoena 10 U.S. sailors to testify about their brief detention by Iran if the Obama administration does not provide the findings of an investigation into the incident by March 1.
Business
DSCA approves F-16 Block-52 sales to Pakistan –
The U.S. State Department has approved the sales of eight F-16 Block-52 aircraft and other equipment to Pakistan worth $699 million, the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced Feb. 12.
India disappointed by U.S. sale of F-16 fighters to Pakistan –
India said that it is disappointed with the United States’ decision to sell eight nuclear-capable F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan and that it does not believe such an arms transfer will help combat terrorism.
Source: BAE taps oil exec as next COO –
Next week, BAE Systems is expected to announce Charles Woodburn, chief executive of U.K. oil services firm Expro Group, as its new chief operating officer to eventually succeed Ian King as the British giant’s CEO, a source said Feb. 13.
F-35 production to drop by 20, but Air Force officials downplay price impact –
The Pentagon has unveiled a new funding profile for the F-35 joint strike fighter, reflecting a drop in fighter jet acquisition over the next six years across the U.S. services, international partners and foreign customers.
Boeing’s KC-46 successfully refuels F/A-18 –
Boeing’s KC-46 tanker successfully refueled a Navy F/A-18 aircraft in the skies above Washington State Feb. 10, according to the company.
Oshkosh to continue JLTV production during lawsuit –
Oshkosh Defense is allowed to continue building Joint Light Tactical Vehicles now that the U.S. Court of Federal Claims has denied Lockheed Martin’s request to stop the work while a lawsuit is pending over the Army’s decision to award Oshkosh a contract to build its Humvee replacement, according to an Oshkosh statement.
Ball Aerospace wins NGA cloud transition contract –
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency awarded a one-year, sole-source contract to Ball Aerospace for “accelerated cloud transition,” or ACT, services, according to a FedBizOpps notice posted Feb. 9.
Synthetic environment supports Australian C-130J training remediation program –
Over the last year and a half, the Royal Australian Air Force has implemented wide-ranging changes to its Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules aircrew and technical training regimes, aimed at maximizing operational output in resource-constrained environments.
Cloudy future for domestic Indian aircraft production –
India’s quest to build fighter jets through its “Make in India” industry initiative may not be realistic in the near future due to a financial crunch and the lack of in-house building capability, forcing continued reliance on imports, said officials and defense analysts.
New Royal Navy general purpose frigate to be known as Type 31 –
The British Government sprung a surprise Nov. 23 when it launched its 2015 strategic defense and security review announcing it was to build a new class of general purpose frigates for the Royal Navy.
Defense
McCain upset over perceived budget briefing snub –
It usually doesn’t take much to get the famously hot-tempered Sen. John McCain fired up — especially when you mention the Obama administration and defense.
Pentagon budget seeks to leverage R&D investments –
With few surprises in the budget request unveiled by the Pentagon last week, reaction was largely muted as the $582.7 billion spending level complied with limits set by last year’s budget deal.
Navy strike groups must adapt to rising threats: Experts –
Smaller aircraft carriers and more cruisers. Multiple unmanned airframes for tanking, strike missions and dog-fighting. Sixteen carrier strike groups.
Navy considers electric gun for a Zumwalt-class destroyer –
Development of a futuristic weapon depicted in video games and science fiction is going well enough that a Navy admiral wants to skip an at-sea prototype in favor of installing an operational unit aboard a destroyer planned to go into service in 2018.
Sixth-gen fighter likely won’t be common across U.S. services, Air Force general says –
In a departure from the dual-service F-35 effort, the Pentagon’s sixth-generation fighter likely won’t be common between the Air Force and the Navy, a top Air Force general said Feb. 12.
Veterans
All candidates say they would help veterans. Who actually has a plan? –
White House hopefuls have stressed the issue in debates and town halls. But a closer look at their public platforms shows a vast discrepancy in the level of detail in their plans, ranging from footnoted documents of seven-step plans to bullet points to a single flashcard.
VA home loan limit would end under proposed law –
Lawmakers have taken a step toward removing the cap on the amount the Veterans Affairs Department can guarantee under its VA home loan program, in legislation passed by the House this week.
Space
The new space race –
From Virgin Galactic’s winged SpaceShipTwo, to Jeff Bezos’ reusable rockets and even helium balloons that could carry us to orbit, the space tourism industry is heating up.
