News
Turkey says could act in Syria unless U.S. withdraws support for Kurdish force –
Turkey said Jan. 17 it would not hesitate to take action in Syria’s Afrin district and other areas unless the United States withdrew support for a Kurdish-led force there, but Washington denied such plans and said “some people misspoke.”
B-52 bombers join B-2s, B-1s in Guam for second time in history –
About a week after the Air Force deployed three B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to Guam, six B-52H Stratofortress bombers joined them on the island Jan. 16.
U.S. signals open-ended presence in Syria, seeks patience on Assad’s removal –
The United States on Jan. 17 signaled an open-ended military presence in Syria as part of a broader strategy to prevent Islamic State’s resurgence, pave the way diplomatically for the eventual departure of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and curtail Iran’s influence.
Business
Greece to launch talks with France over FREMM frigates, corvettes –
The Greek Ministry of Defence may acquire two FREMM multimission frigates for its Navy, and as such, Athens plans to launch negotiations with the French government in February.
Bundeswehr sees new French C-130J as first step towards Franco-German air transport squadron –
Senior German generals have described the Armée de l’Air’s (French Air Force’s) new C-130J as the first step towards the establishment of a joint air transport squadron by Germany and France.
India’s MoD approves import of assault rifles and carbines –
India’s Ministry of Defence has approved the long-delayed procurement of 72,400 assault rifles and 93,895 close-quarter-battle carbines for the Indian Army in a deal worth INR35.47 billion ($553.33 million).
British submarine HMS Audacious completes first dive –
The Royal Navy’s fourth Astute-class attack submarine was completely submerged for the first time at the company’s Barrow, England, facility, and many of the 318-feet long vessel’s onboard systems were successfully tested.
General Dynamics awarded $33 million contract for USS Nimitz upgrade –
The U.S. Navy has announced a $33 million modification contract with General Dynamics’s shipbuilding division for improvements to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz.
Alabama’s PeopleTec awarded $33 million for missile defense –
Engineering and cybersecurity firm PeopleTec Inc. has been awarded a $33 million contract by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency for engineering and support of the agency’s international programs.
Defense
Can Mattis makes the National Defense Strategy great again? –
When the Pentagon rolls out the National Defense Strategy on Jan. 19, expect a lot of statements about how it will serve as a definitive document, one that will guide the Pentagon for years to come.
Army chief: Future of U.S. troops in Iraq TBD as ISIS crumbles –
The U.S. Army chief of staff, who recently returned from a trip to Iraq, said U.S. troops there will continue to help Iraqi security forces root out Islamic State militants, but what comes after that for the Army in the war-torn country remains to be seen.
U.S. Army working on big changes to your annual rifle qualification –
The Army’s rifle qualification course could become more realistic and challenging for soldiers across the force if a series of proposed changes is approved by senior Army leaders, Army Times has learned.
More than 100 soldiers will deploy to Europe this spring –
The 1st Infantry Division will deploy in March as U.S. Army Europe’s division-level headquarters, the Army announced Jan. 17.
Navy ship collisions prompt rare criminal charges –
The Navy’s decision to charge five officers with negligent homicide for their involvement in two fatal ship crashes marks a rare legal move that, if proven, could send them to jail for up to three years.
F/A-18C Hornet crash result of ‘below average’ pilot’s error, runway lighting –
A 2016 F/A-18C Hornet crash was the result of errors made by a below-average, inexperienced pilot, and runway lighting issues, a Marine Corps investigation has concluded.