News
Pentagon: China ups military capabilities, plans base in Pakistan –
China is continuing the rapid development of its military and power-projection capabilities, with Pakistan being touted as the likely location of its second overseas base, according to the Pentagon.
North Korea fires suspected land-to-ship missiles as South Korea delays THAAD –
North Korea fired what appeared to be several land-to-ship missiles off its east coast June 8, South Korea’s military said, a day after the South postponed full deployment of a controversial U.S. anti-missile system designed to deter a North Korean attack.
Business
PEO LCS to seek industry interest on Navy frigate program by end of June –
The Navy will begin exploring interest in its revamped frigate program soon, with the Program Executive Office for Littoral Combat Ships (PEO LCS) set to release a request for information (RFI) to industry by the end of the month.
India’s Hindustan Aeronautics scouts overseas partner for multi-role helo engines –
India’s state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, or HAL, has floated a global request for information for the purchase of engines to power its homemade multi-role helicopter.
Bombardier protests Compass Call crossdeck, joining Boeing in challenging the program –
The Air Force’s Compass Call cross deck program has yet another protest to contend with, this time from Bombardier.
Paris Air Show: French aerospace industry sees event as chance to lobby new president –
The Paris Air Show comes at a timely juncture as French aerospace leaders seek to lobby a newly elected head of state and government for support of the high-tech industry in a tough world market.
BAE Systems adds movement tracking capability to GXP software –
BAE Systems has added a new software capability into its Geospatial eXploitation Products (GXP) product line. This update is aimed at reducing the burden of analysts in tracking human and vehicle movement.
Boeing’s Insitu, Textron’s AAI each win $475 million U.S. defense contract: Pentagon –
Boeing’s Insitu Inc and Textron Inc’s AAI Corp are each being awarded $475 million U.S. defense contracts for Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft Systems intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance services, the Pentagon said June 7.
Stinger missiles intercept drones in a first with new fuzes –
Raytheon Stinger anti-air missiles equipped with new proximity fuzes successfully intercepted two unmanned airborne systems for the first time, according to the company.
DARPA UAS effort looks to do more with less –
BAE Systems has received two contract awards from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop the capability for Group 3 unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) to conduct multiple mission tasks with single payloads that can adjust to changing mission needs.
Air Force contract will support emergency comms –
General Dynamics has been awarded a $53 million Air Force contract for emergency communications.
$30 million research contract will support manned, unmanned aircraft –
American Systems Corp. has been awarded a $30.3 million contract for aircraft research.
Defense
Army chief supports increased force presence in Afghanistan, Iraq –
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said he supports additional troops in Afghanistan and keeping a residual force in Iraq should Mosul be retaken from the Islamic State group.
Pentagon upgrades assessment of ability to defend against ICBMs –
After a successful May test, the Pentagon has upgraded its assessment of its ability to defend the United States against incoming intercontinental ballistic missiles, like the ones North Korea is attempting to develop, according to a memo seen by Reuters June 7.
Navy, Marines still struggling with T-45C trainer oxygen system failures –
The Navy and Marine Corps are still struggling with oxygen system problems that have plagued the Navy’s carrier training aircraft and have clogged both services’ pipeline of new pilots, the commander of Naval Air Systems Command said during a June 7 congressional hearing.
Veterans
Search for remains continues 65 years after Air Force plane crash in Alaska –
More than six decades after an Air Force plane crashed on Colony Glacier near Anchorage, Alaska, military officials have resumed the search for debris and human remains from the crash site, according to a U.S. Pacific Command release.
New National WWII Museum exhibit looks at fight on homefront –
A rusted fragment of the battleship USS Arizona sunk at Pearl Harbor, a woman’s munitions plant uniform and ration books all tell the complex story of life on the homefront in a new exhibit at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.
House seeks to pass VA accountability bill next week –
The House will vote next week on Senate-passed legislation to make firing employees easier for the troubled Department of Veterans Affairs, moving quickly on a long-sought accountability effort urged by President Donald Trump.
Veterans, lawmakers team up to treat PTSD with dogs –
Marine Corps veteran Cole Lyle wants to help give his fellow service members a sense of purpose again — one dog at a time.
Space & Technology
X-37B space plane to get lift from SpaceX –
The X-37B is heading back to space later this year, and this time the space plane will launch for the first time ever by a SpaceX Falcon 9.
Meet the seven military men and women training to be NASA’s next astronauts –
Seven of the 12 men and women who made it into NASA’s 2017 astronaut candidate class are members of the military.