News
Pentagon to test F-35 against A-10 in ‘common sense’ war scenario showdown –
A showdown might soon settle one of the U.S. military’s biggest air power controversies.
McCain to press for disclosure of bomber bid in defense measure –
Releasing the contract value would make it “decisively easier” for U.S. adversaries to determine the stealth aircraft’s range and weapons payload, director Randall Walden wrote McCain, who has been given the classified number in a closed briefing. The Air Force rationale is “unbelievable,” McCain, an Arizona Republican, said April 26 in an interview.
Business
France celebrates ‘historic’ submarine win in Australia –
France welcomed Australia’s “historic” pick of DCNS for exclusive negotiations for the Australian $50 billion ($38.7 billion), Future Submarine program, and President François Hollande made a visit to the office of the naval shipbuilder in the French capital.
Australia chooses French design for future submarine –
France’s DCNS has won the Australian Future Submarine contract, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced April 26.
U.S. approves possible sale of AMRAAM to Australia –
The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale to Australia of up to 450 AIM-120D advanced medium range air-to-air missiles as well as associated support equipment and training at an estimated cost of $1.22 billion, the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency disclosed on 25 April.
Russian manufacturer to provide Egypt with aerial defense –
Russian air defense equipment manufacturer Concern Radio-Electronic Technologies said it will deliver 28 units of the President-S onboard defense system to the Egyptian Air Force by July.
U.K. develops tactical role for C-17 airlifter –
The U.K. Royal Air Force has undertaken parachute trials with its Boeing C-17 Globemaster III as it looks to develop tactical capabilities for the strategic airlifter.
U.K.’s Protector UAV revealed to be the Certifiable Predator B –
The new Protector unmanned aerial vehicle to be fielded by the United Kingdom has been revealed as the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Certifiable Predator B, a Ministry of Defence contract notification has shown.
Canada tests unmanned helicopter –
Austrian manufacturer Schiebel has demonstrated its S-100 unmanned helicopter conditions for Canadian officials.
Italian Typhoons demonstrate air-to-ground IFF capability –
Italian air force Eurofighter Typhoons have been used to demonstrate to NATO the ability to detect friendly ground forces using a modified air-to-air identification friend-or-foe system.
Meteor Aerospace lifts lid on Rambow UGV program –
Israel’s Meteor Aerospace has revealed details of its developmental unmanned ground vehicle to IHS Jane’s.
Russia may deliver new fighter jets to Myanmar by end of 2016 –
Sources indicate that Naypyidaw will get three fighter jets by the end of the year.
Defense
U.S. sends F-22 warplanes to Romania –
Two of the world’s most advanced warplanes have touched down in Romania for the first time, near the shores of the Black Sea and just a short hop from Ukraine, the Crimean Peninsula and Russia.
Bigger pay raise for troops could face trouble in Senate –
A bigger pay raise for troops next year will be a tough sell in the Senate.
HASC Democrat seeks base closures law –
In the wake of a Pentagon report that says 22 percent of military bases will be unneeded by 2019, the House Armed Services Committee’s top Democrat is introducing legislation that would let the military close and consolidate its domestic installations.
Lawmakers move to restore Army aviation budget cuts –
House lawmakers have questioned the Army’s plans to drastically cut its planned aviation modernization funding from the fiscal 2017 budget request and moved last week to restore some of those reductions.
Thornberry funds Air Force wish list: Five F-35As, legacy upgrades –
In his markup of the defense policy bill, House Armed Services Committee chairman Rep. Mac Thornberry funded a number of items on the Air Force’s wish list, including cash to buy back the 5 F-35As the service was forced to cut in its latest budget request.
Pentagon budget 2017: HASC draft policy bill would stall A-10 retirement –
The U.S. House Armed Services Committee April 26 released a draft of its fiscal year 2017 defense policy legislation containing language that would restrict funds for the U.S. Air Force to continue retirement of the Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II ground attack aircraft.
Winning the missile wars: Army and Navy tech in HASC NDAA –
Tucked into the corners of the House’s huge draft defense bill are the seeds of a new way of warfare.
Pentagon funding cuts may silence Stars and Stripes –
Stars and Stripes may lose its federal funding — $12 million a year — under a proposal being considered by the Department of Defense, according to an April 21 column by Stars and Stripes Ombudsman Tobias Naegele. The paper is run by DOD’s Defense Media Activity, but maintains editorial sovereignty.
Lockheed F-35s balky sensor software needing fewer reboots –
Software that runs radar screens and sensor displays on Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter is shutting down less frequently, requiring fewer reboots, according to the Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer and top tester.
F-35 chief: Software bugs no longer a threat to IOC –
The software bugs that have plagued the F-35 program for months are largely resolved and no longer pose a threat to the Air Force’s goal of declaring its jets operational this year, according to the program chief.
F-35 program chief: Longer program assignments needed for JSF fix –
After more than 15 years of development, wasted spending, cost overruns and delivery delays of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Pentagon officials and Capitol Hill lawmakers alike are familiar with the pitfalls of buying an aircraft even before the technology it requires is ready.
F-35 chief considers fix for troubling Block 3i software faults –
After 15 years of development and billions of dollars of investment, software glitches continue to hamper Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II operations and in one case, just one of six US Air Force F-35As on a mock deployment to Mountain Home AFB in Idaho were able to takeoff during an alert launch exercise.
McCain lays down law on F-35 bulk buy; Kendall says it works –
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., does not want the Pentagon to put together a so-called bulk buy of F-35s, decrying the program’s repeated failures over the last 15 years.
Army conceptualizing framework For UAS ‘ecosystem’ –
The Army is conceptualizing an “ecosystem” framework tying all future unmanned aircraft systems together on the battlefield, according to the service’s Training and Doctrine Command capability manager for UAS.
Marines say helicopters safe to fly, despite ‘challenges’ –
The Marine Corps said it grounded its CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters from training in Hawaii for 19 days and pulled them from an Australia deployment after the Jan. 14 crash of two of the big choppers off the North Shore of Oahu killed all 12 aboard.
Marine Corps soon to complete probe of V-22 fleet readiness –
An “independent readiness review” of the V-22 Osprey got under way in October and should be complete by late summer or early fall, said Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Sarah Burns.
Veterans
49 military- and veteran-focused job fairs coming in May –
The following are upcoming job fairs and networking events for service members, veterans and military spouses.
Space and Technology
Beagle 2 spotted on Martian surface –
At an average distance of 139 million miles from Earth, the sheer logistics involved in getting information back and forth from Mars make it a mammoth task.
DARPA tries embedding radar in aircraft skin –
DARPA has announced a project that could embed radars into the skin of an aircraft.
International
U.K. releases unseen footage of F-35 flown by British pilots –
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence has released unseen footage of its latest fighter jets begin flown by British Royal Air Force pilots in the United States.
