News
Navy filing homicide charges for McCain, Fitzgerald commanders –
The commanders of two warships that collided with commercial vessels in the west Pacific last summer, killing 17 sailors, will face negligent homicide and other criminal charges, Navy officials said Jan. 16.
Business
French order of C-130J aircraft signals plan for larger Air Force fleet –
A four-strong batch of C-130J Super Hercules airlifters ordered by France is the start of a planned larger fleet of the aircraft for the French Air Force, according to a source close to the project.
Turkey, U.K. officials meet over status of Turkish jet program –
Top officials from Turkey have met with a high-profile British delegation to discuss ways to go forward with plans to design, develop and build the TF-X, the Turkish indigenous fighter jet in the making.
GE reignites break-up talk after $11 billion insurance, tax hit –
Chief Executive John Flannery has previously raised the idea of selling pieces of the largest U.S. industrial company, but went slightly further on Tuesday, saying GE is “looking aggressively” at a spin-off or other ways to maximize the value of GE’s power, aviation and healthcare units.
Raytheon awarded $641 million for ballistic missile defense system testing –
The Missile Defense Agency has awarded Raytheon with a contract to test multiple radar platforms to support the Ballistic Missile Defense System.
America’s fastest spy plane may be back — and hypersonic –
A successor to the iconic SR-71 Blackbird could cruise at speeds near Mach 6—but is it a real plane or a pipe dream?
Defense
How start-and-stop funding affects the Pentagon –
The Defense Department has had its spending disrupted by temporary spending bills for several years, and the continuing resolution lawmakers passed in late December leaves it stuck with the same problem.
Pentagon suggests countering devastating cyberattacks with nuclear arms –
President Trump has not yet approved a draft strategy that would expand “extreme circumstances” for nuclear retaliation to include a crippling cyberattack.
U.S. Navy surface boss expected to step down under pressure in latest collision fallout –
The U.S. Navy’s top surface warfare officer is expected to step down this week under pressure ahead of a forthcoming recommendation that he be relieved, the latest fallout from a string of accidents in the Pacific in 2017 that claimed the lives of 17 sailors at sea.
DOD, FDA partner to speed up approval of freeze-dried plasma for use on the battlefield –
The Defense Department has partnered with the Food and Drug Administration to speed up the process of approving medical products that can help save lives on the battlefield.
National Military Strategy update in the works — most of which will again be classified –
Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is prepping his team to update the National Military Strategy – a classified document that will provide the framework for how the Pentagon can execute the goals of Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis.
Dunford: Another CR could force bad decisions –
With the potential for yet another continuing resolution on the horizon, America’s top uniformed official is worried that the Pentagon will be forced into inefficient spending under a condensed fiscal year.
Army brings back the Stinger missile in the face of Russian aggression –
The Army has intensified the training soldiers receive on the FIM-92 Stinger — a man-portable, air defense missile — after nearly 15 years of moving away from the weapon system.
Changes to LCS mission equipment coming in fiscal 2019 budget –
During the fiscal 2019 budget release, the U.S. Navy will unveil changes to the number of “mission modules” it will procure for Freedom- and Independence-class littoral combat ships, a program official said Jan. 11.
Virtual skies: Air Force hopes ‘fun’ tech transforms pilot learning –
The future of pilot training could be found in a pair of virtual reality goggles.
In a rarity, the Air Force temporarily deploys three kinds of bombers to the Pacific –
B-52s, B-1Bs and B-2s are all currently based in Guam.
First F-35B shipboard deployment to begin as U.S. warship arrives in Japan –
The U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship Wasp has arrived at its new home port in Japan, setting the stage for the first time the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II fighter jet will go to sea on an operational cruise later this year.
Veterans
Army vet sues VA over scalpel left in body after surgery –
An Army veteran who says someone left a scalpel inside him after surgery is suing a Veterans Affairs hospital.