News
U.S. sends F-22s to South Korea as tension mounts with North Korea –
Four U.S. F-22 stealth fighters flew over South Korea Feb. 17 in a clear show of power against North Korea, a day after South Korea’s president warned of the North’s collapse amid a festering standoff over its nuclear and missile ambitions.
Defense
GAO denies Boeing’s protest of bomber contract; Northrop gets back to work –
The Government Accountability Office has denied Boeing’s protest of the U.S. Air Force’s decision to award Northrop Grumman a contract to build the Long Range Strike Bomber, allowing Northrop to move forward with engineering and development work after a three-month delay.
United Technologies may be overpaid on C-130 parts, Speier says –
A United Technologies Corp. unit that provides parts and services for propellers on aging C-130 Hercules transport planes may be overpaid by as much as $4.4 million because of poor contracting by the Pentagon’s purchasing agency, according to a lawmaker.
Source: Raytheon joining Alenia T-X trainer bid –
Raytheon will announce Feb. 22 it is joining Alenia Aermacchi and CAE to offer the T-100 for the U.S. Air Force T-X trainer competition, Defense News has learned.
Northrop Grumman complete CDR of UH-60V –
Northrop Grumman has successfully conducted the critical design review of the UH-60V Black Hawk digital cockpit upgrade, the company announced Feb. 15.
EDA, Airbus launch project to integrate remotely piloted aircraft –
The European Defence Agency and an industrial consortium led by Airbus Defence and Space have launched a project to contribute to the integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems into common airspace in Europe.
U.S. finalizes proposal for M777 howitzer sale to India –
The United States submitted its letter of acceptance to India’s Ministry of Defense approving the purchase of 145 BAE Systems M777 155 mm/39-calibre lightweight howitzers for the Indian Army via the Foreign Military Sales route Feb. 15.
Denmark looks for new protected 4×4 –
Denmark has qualified five approved bidders to provide new protected patrol vehicles for the Royal Danish Army, according to the Danish defense procurement agency.
Defense
Ted Cruz promises military no ‘gluten-free’ MREs –
Sen. Ted Cruz, looking to take a hard line in South Carolina to win the support of military voters, lashed out Tuesday at what he called a culture of political correctness in the Pentagon.
DOD needs better intel on fake parts –
The Defense Department needs to bolster its oversight of defense agencies to ensure they are adequately reporting suspected counterfeit parts to keep them out of the supply chain via the Government-Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP), a new report from the Government Accountability Office concluded.
Pentagon wants ‘arsenal planes’ to beat China’s air defenses –
U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has a plan to convert old warplanes into heavily armed “flying launch pads.”
Pentagon supports restarting tests involving runaway blimp –
Defense Secretary Ash Carter has approved resuming a military exercise suspended last October when a radar-carrying blimp broke away from its mooring and floated for hours over rural Pennsylvania, triggering blackouts as it dragged its tether across power lines.
U.S. Navy offers unmanned aircraft for international sales –
Several of the U.S. Navy’s key unmanned aircraft systems are now available for international sale, including the diminutive Fire Scout helicopter able to operate from small surface ships.
U.S. Navy begins operational testing of JSOW C-1 –
The U.S. Navy and Raytheon have conducted the first in a series of free flight operational tests of the network-enabled AGM-154C-1 Block III Joint Stand Off Weapon Block III (JSOW C-1) air-to-surface glide weapon.