News
Schriver emerges as potential Pentagon policy nominee –
Randall Schriver, a George W. Bush-era State Department official with experience in the Pentagon, is a leading candidate to be undersecretary of defense for policy, multiple sources tell Defense News.
Business
Boeing pushing new Block III Super Hornet –
The U.S. Navy is back in the business of buying F/A-18 Super Hornets and Boeing is working to update the aircraft to meet warfighting needs.
Electric drones? Aurora team behind VTOL X-Plane focuses on hybrid propulsion –
Aurora Flight Sciences, in partnership with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is one step closer to developing an unmanned aircraft with the speed of an airplane and the agility of a helicopter.
Boeing wins $2.2 billion, multination deal for maritime patrol planes –
Boeing has won a $2.2 billion contract for 17 submarine-tracking planes for the U.S. Navy, Australia and the United Kingdom.
Aero restarts L-159 ALCA production, touts Argentina as potential customer –
The first L-159 Advanced Light Combat Aircraft to be built for 13 years made its public debut on March 31. Production of the jet, at Prague-based Aero Vodochody, ceased in 2004 after the last of 72 L-159s was delivered to the Czech Air Force.
Indian MoD clears import of 100 Barak-1 SR-SAMs –
India’s Ministry of Defence approved procurements worth $132.3 million on April 3 that include 100 Israel Aerospace Industries/Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Barak-1 short-range surface-to-air missiles (SR-SAMs) for INR5 billion for the Indian Navy, MoD officials told Jane’s.
South American countries may buy Russian fighter jets –
Some South American countries are exploring the possibility of buying fighter jets from Russia, Deputy CEO of Russia’s state arms seller Rosoboronexport Sergei Ladygin told TASS on April 4.
Brazil interested in purchasing air defense missile systems from Russia –
Brazil is still interested in the purchase of Russia’s air defense missile and artillery systems Pantsir-S1, the deputy chief of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, Anatoly Punchuk, has told TASS.
Turkey wants local suppliers for its new border-protection balloons, with a caveat –
Turkey’s procurement office, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries, is preparing to open bidding for the acquisition of cable-guided balloons – also called mini-zeppelins – for reconnaissance, surveillance, target tracking, communications relay and intelligence functions.
Lockheed Martin lands $1.6 billion Army mobile radar contract –
The Pentagon has awarded a $1.6 billion contract to Lockheed Martin for more mobile radar systems that will be assembled at one of the company’s New York plants.
Thailand to buy more Chinese tanks, reportedly for $58M –
Thailand has taken another step in a burgeoning arms trade with China, with the Thai government approving the purchase of more Chinese-built tanks.
Turkey indicates Ukrainian preference for Altay tank engine tech –
Turkey may ditch attempts to obtain Japanese and Austrian technology to develop a “national engine” for its first indigenous new-generation tank in the making, instead turning to Ukraine.
General Atomics building Japanese drone –
General Atomics is collaborating with a Japanese consortium to speed up operational approval for medium-altitude, long-endurance UAVs to operate in Japanese civil airspace.
Defense
Ohio-class subs could be unfit underwater in a decade, STRATCOM warns –
Navy officials may have as little as a decade before their Ohio-class submarine fleet won’t dive beneath the waves anymore, the head of U.S. Strategic Command warned lawmakers April 4.
President Trump moves to fill out top ranks at Pentagon –
President Trump is expected to begin filling out the top ranks of the Pentagon this week by naming new secretaries for both the Army and Navy.
SecDef to trap former Army FAO for DASD South Asia –
One of the more important national security jobs in this town, deputy assistant defense secretary for south and Southeast Asia, will be filled by a former Army officer with extensive foreign affairs and counterinsurgency experience, a well-placed source tells us.
68 years of NATO: 10 things you might not know about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization –
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was formed 68 years ago today when the North Atlantic Treaty — also known as the Washington Treaty — was signed in Washington by 12 founding members, according to NATO.
Defense experts press Congress for more reforms –
A trio of former defense officials on April 4 pushed lawmakers to keep passing reforms to make the Pentagon more agile and efficient, even as it digests Congress’ last batch.
Analytics tool boosts aviation readiness for Navy –
An enhanced data analytics tool is helping Navy keep its aircraft in the air with greater consistency, giving analysts insight into key readiness data.
Latest drone pilot challenge: Training with manned aircraft for combat missions –
The biggest challenge in preparing pilots to fly remote-piloted aircraft is not one of technological skills and expertise. It’s one of mental and environmental preparedness, as pilots go from a training environment to immediately flying combat missions solo, often with limited live flying with manned aircraft.
This Air Force general wants cloaking device for his aerial tankers –
The U.S. Air Force’s military transport chief is tapping Silicon Valley, the defense industry and the Pentagon’s new innovation office in search of electronic cloaking technologies out of “Star Trek” to shrink the profiles of aerial tankers on enemy radar.
The U.S. Air Force is reorganizing to fight in space –
After a scathing report, service leaders are creating a three-star czar to oversee orbital warfare.
Columbia-class on track, but Navy keeps wary eye on budget maneuvers –
The Columbia-class nuclear submarine program is on track to meet its expected deadline, but the Navy is keeping a nervous eye on budget negotiations on the Hill.
Veterans
Concerns linger over Veterans Crisis Line operations despite improvements –
Veterans Affairs leaders say staffers at the Veterans Crisis Line have answered every single incoming call for 43 of the last 79 days. Oversight officials say there is still a lot of room for improvement.
Space and Technology
Orbiting ‘Mars base camp’ planned for 2028 will carry six crew members –
First announced last year, fresh details of the ambitious project were revealed at the 48th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas, last month.
Could military planes be getting ‘invisibility cloaks?’ –
The slow moving air tankers and cargo planes of the U.S. Air Mobility Command, based in Illinois, could benefit from Star Trek inspired devices which would hide them from enemy radar.