News
After string Of collisions, Navy will broadcast ship coordinates in busy waters –
In the wake of deadly collisions between U.S. warships and commercial vessels, the Navy is issuing new orders that instruct its commanders operating in congested waterways to switch on an identifying beacon to help avoid crashes.
Business
How one company uses commercial tech to make larger, less expensive aircraft structures –
When it comes to manufacturing major structural pieces of an aircraft, sometimes bigger is better.
Interview: DOD’s Tracy Frost offers a status check on Manufacturing USA –
As the the Manufacturing USA initiative matures, it is beginning to show tangible feedback for relatively low cost. Tracy Frost, the Pentagon’s director of DOD Manufacturing Institutes and the acting head of the DoD Manufacturing Technologies (ManTech) program, sat down in August with Defense News to explain how it all works and why the defense industry should get involved.
Montana company to supply fighter jet parts to Saudi Arabia –
A Montana company owned by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes was awarded a contract with the U.S. Air Force to supply fighter jet parts to Saudi Arabia.
Defense
Two troops injured when Marine Osprey crashes in Syria –
Two service members were injured when a Marine MV-22B made a hard landing Sept. 29 in Syria, military officials said.
Industrial war-games: Pentagon wants companies to find supply-chain weaknesses –
The Pentagon is hoping industry will volunteer information on weak spots in their industrial supply chains, as part of a broader review and war-gaming effort to discover potential failure points for America’s defense industrial base.
Trump nominated Mark Esper to be Army secretary two months ago. What’s taking so long? –
President Trump’s latest pick to be Army secretary, Mark Esper, has been making the rounds and meeting with key senators on Capitol Hill in recent days. But more than two months after the White House announced its intention to nominate him for the job, Esper’s confirmation hearing has yet to be scheduled.
Cockpit episodes continue after Navy T-45s resume training flights –
After a series of mitigating measures implemented in August, Navy T-45 Goshawks are back on duty as fighter trainers officials said Friday. But a handful of physiological episodes in the cockpit since then — the very problem that forced the Navy to place stringent limits on T-45s in April — have leaders taking a closer look at the role subjective human factors play in the in-flight incidents.
Pilot shortage may force U.S. Air Force to outsource training –
Faced with a critical shortfall, particularly in the fighter community, the U.S. Air Force may be forced to take drastic steps to produce new pilots.
Veterans
Majority-vet school closes amid VA investigation –
A for-profit trade school in Texas that trained student veterans in heating and air conditioning careers has suspended classes and sent its students packing after losing its eligibility to receive GI Bill funds.
Amid Cabinet controversies, VA promises to post secretary’s travel details online –
In response to the growing scandal of Cabinet officials using pricey private aircraft for business trips, Veterans Affairs officials announced Friday they will post details of all official travel by department Secretary David Shulkin online to provide transparency about his travels.
WWII hero Donald Malarkey, portrayed in ‘Band of Brothers,’ has died –
Donald Malarkey, a World War II paratrooper who was awarded the Bronze Star after parachuting behind enemy lines at Normandy to destroy German artillery on D-Day, has died. He was 96.
Space & Tech
Elon Musk reveals ‘big #*%@ing’ rocket –
The BFR will take off from floating launch pads moored outside major cities, and fly most routes – New York to Tokyo, for example – in about 30 minutes.