News
For third time in a week, SpaceX scrubs mission SES-9 –
With only seconds to go to liftoff, SpaceX aborted yet another launch attempt Feb. 28 — the third time it’s called things off since Feb. 24.
Business
GaN-based Patriot prototype preps for public debut –
Raytheon’s bet on a new radar for its Patriot air and missile defense system is now fully functional and ready for its public debut at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Global Force Symposium in Huntsville, Ala., in March, company officials said.
Challenges await new Boeing defense head –
When Leanne Caret assumes the leadership of Boeing’s defense, space and security business on March 1, substantial challenges will be waiting to greet her.
Boeing, Lockheed decline lawsuit over B-21 bomber –
Boeing and Lockheed will not pursue a lawsuit against the U.S. Air Force over its decision to award its Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) contract to Northrop Grumman, the companies announced Feb. 26.
Hypersonic missiles possible by next leap year –
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has begun research external link into a miniature air-to-air missile that would be carried on the next generation of advanced fighter jets.
GD, Rockwell, Harris to build Manpack radios for Army –
General Dynamics, Rockwell Collins and Harris Corporation have received awards from the Army to build Manpack radios that can be mounted on a vehicle or carried in a rucksack.
Honeywell goes public with UTC overtures –
Dueling SEC filings by Honeywell and United Technologies Corp. on Feb. 26 could point to a possible hostile takeover attempt.
DCNS, Thales report 2015 results –
Defense systems company Thales sees buoyant business prospects, while naval shipbuilder DCNS met a pledge and reported a return to profit for 2015, following a loss in the previous year.
Canadian aggressor fleet deal could open doors overseas –
Firms are battling to win a billion dollar contract to provide Canada’s military with an aggressor aircraft training fleet, a deal that could pave the way for further expansion of such services on the international market.
TAI plans $212 million investment to modernize factory –
Tusas Turkish Aerospace Industries is planning a large investment to renew and modernize its plant near Ankara to catch up with its growth plans for the next decade, company sources said.
Finmeccanica CEO continues leadership overhaul –
The shedding of senior management at Italy’s Finmeccanica proceeds apace, with another round of high-level exits as CEO Mauro Moretti proves true to his promise to whittle down his management team to a select few.
Turkey grants BMC land to relocate, build $430 million plant –
One of Turkey’s leading armored vehicles producers, the privately-owned BMC, was given land to relocate its plant, a government minister said.
Defense
Navy, Marines to test seabasing concepts at Korean exercise –
The Navy and Marine Corps will operate new platforms at the Freedom Banner and Ssang Yong exercises that start in South Korea this week and experiment with new concepts they hope will streamline and improve future amphibious landing capabilities in the Pacific.
Enlisted chiefs tell Congress pay fears are hurting morale –
The military services’ top enlisted leaders pointed out retirement confusion, housing deterioration and slow growth in overall compensation among top quality-of-life concerns for troops and families at a congressional hearing Friday, where a California Democrat on the panel of lawmakers described his own expected $60,000 federal retirement as “not a lot” and said it’s “unfair for people to say” military compensation is “just not enough.”
Top House lawmaker accuses Pentagon of obstructing intel probe –
A powerful lawmaker is accusing U.S. Central Command and the Defense Department of “slow-rolling” his attempts to investigate the alleged manipulation of intelligence by command officials, who stand accused of tweaking analyst reports to put a positive spin on Washington’s wars in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
Air Force presses forward with new cyber weapons platform –
The Air Force announced in a Feb. 26 release that its Cyberspace Vulnerability Assessment/Hunter (CVA/H) cyber weapon platform now is at full operational capacity — the second cyber weapon system to go online in just over a month.
Decision to delay F-35 buy ‘incredibly difficult,’ Air Force general says –
Delaying the purchase of five F-35 joint strike fighters was “an incredibly difficult decision,” but one the Air Force had to make due to budget constraints, a top general said Feb. 25.
Old systems must retire as new ones emerge –
As the Air Force looks to bring on next-generation fighter and bomber platforms, commanders are grappling with what this future technology means for the service’s legacy fleets.
U.S. Army seeks ideas on medium-lift, scout/attack FVL –
In a surprise move, the U.S. Army is seeking information on a high-speed light scout/utility air vehicle as well as a medium-lift attack/transport rotorcraft under the Defense Department’s Future Vertical Lift “family of systems” initiative.
Veterans
Decades later, Agent Orange catches up with Vietnam veterans –
Now, decades later, Agent Orange is catching up with Vietnam veterans, leading to debilitating and deadly health problems that range from heart disease to various forms of cancer.
VA shifts management of crisis line –
The Veterans Affairs Department has shifted management of its suicide hotline to a director who successfully fixed the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans, VA officials said Feb. 26.
New research effort backs vet groups’ goals with data –
Organizers with Team Red, White and Blue have long said that veterans who participate in their events are happier, healthier and more civically minded than their peers.
Space
Getting to Mars? That’s the easy part! –
Mars maybe around 250 million miles away but getting there is the easy part, according to astronaut Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin.
China plans to launch 2nd space station, crewed mission –
Rising space power China is preparing to place a second experimental space station into orbit this year followed by a pair of astronauts who will dock with it and live on board for several days.
