News
Germany moves to boost presence in Afghanistan, training in Iraq –
The Cabinet of German Chancellor Angela Merkel on March 7 approved an extension of global military missions, including an uptick of forces for Afghanistan. The move would bring an end to the training of Kurdish peshmerga battling the Islamic State group in favor of what officials said would be a broader stabilization effort.
Most Russian plane intercepts over Baltics due to error: NATO General –
Nearly all Russian-NATO aircraft intercepts over or near the Baltic nations remain non-hostile, and most can be attributed to human error, a top NATO general said March 7.
Business
Lockheed CEO Hewson defends the company’s role with DOD: ‘We are leading a national asset’ –
As commentary bubbles up in the media and on the Hill about the influence of Lockheed Martin and its chief executive on the Pentagon, and the amount of taxpayer dollars that land in its coffers, CEO Marillyn Hewson’s description of Lockheed’s influence in the Pentagon is almost comically simple: “We are a global security company that’s in aerospace and defense.”
F-35 in peril as Italy’s Five Star political party nears power –
Italy’s commitment to the F-35 fighter jet may be in doubt, as an Italian political party which has promised to scrap the program edges closer to power.
Airbus cutting 3,700 jobs across Europe, slashing A400M aircraft production –
Airbus is cutting up to 3,700 jobs across four European nations as annual production of the A400M military airlifter and A380 superjumbo airliner will be slashed, the aircraft company said March 7.
Another KC-46 delivery slip puts pressure on Boeing to meet contract obligations –
Boeing won’t be able to deliver the first KC-46 refueling tanker to the U.S. Air Force until the end of 2018, the service found during its latest schedule review.
Exclusive: Japan’s new advanced fighter may be based on existing foreign design – sources –
Japan is seeking proposals for a new advanced jet fighter based on an existing Western aircraft and wants American and British cooperation to help kick-start development of the project, which is estimated to cost around $40 billion, three sources said.
What kind of vehicle design can the Marines get for $50,000? –
Spend long enough in a conversation on war, and eventually someone will unearth an old quote from Gen. Robert H. Barrow, the former commandant of the Marine Corps: “Amateurs talk about tactics, but professionals study logistics.” Supply and resupply is the infrastructure that makes all the rest of war possible. So, in a curious twist, to figure out the logistics of future wars, Local Motors launched a software platform called, appropriately enough, “Launch Forth.” Launch Forth is for amateurs to try their hands at a major logistical puzzle.
F-35Bs get first operational deployment with Marine Expeditionary Unit –
The U.S. military sent F-35B Lightning II aircraft this week to the East China Sea for the fighter’s first operational deployment with a Marine Expeditionary Unit. A detachment of the aircraft deployed with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit landed Monday on the USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship, according to the U.S. Marines. The expeditionary unit will patrol the Indo-Pacific region this spring.
Lockheed PAC-3 missile-defense system successful in demo –
Two of Lockheed Martin’s Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Cost Reduction Initiative anti-ballistic missile systems intercepted ballistic missiles in a recent test, the Maryland-based defense company said. The test, conducted at New Mexico’s White Sands Missile Range and observed by U.S. Army officials, demonstrated the PAC-3 interceptors’ ability to seek out and destroy enemy missiles, Lockheed Martin announced March 6.
Russian Navy to receive 73 UET-1 torpedoes by 2023 –
JSC Zavod Dagdizel, Russia’s oldest producer of underwater weapons, has been contracted to supply the Russian Navy with 73 UET-1 multipurpose electric torpedoes.
African Union Mission to Somalia now operating Aerostar UAVs –
The United States formally handed over an unmanned aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance system to the African Union Mission in Somalia Feb. 26. The event took place at the Baledogle (Bahle Dogli) airfield in Lower Shabelle region.
CH-53K marks heavy-lift milestone –
The Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion has passed a further developmental milestone, with the announcement March 7 of the first external lift of a 36,000-pound load.
Defense
Some ‘hiccups’ with engine design, but B-21 on track, Wittman says –
Despite a series of early production “hiccups” with the engines and wings, including an issue with air flow, the B-21 Raider bomber aircraft is largely on track, according to the chairman of the House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee.
Google is helping Pentagon learn how to analyze drone footage –
Google is using its expertise in artificial intelligence to help the Pentagon analyze drone footage. First reported by Gizmodo, the tech giant has launched a pilot program with the Department of Defense’s Project Maven to develop AI that can quickly identify object classes from the incredibly large amount of footage collected by drones and other ISR assets.
Pentagon goes winner-take-all for cloud award worth billions –
The Pentagon opened a winner-take-all competition March 7 for a multibillion-dollar cloud services contract, dismaying Microsoft Corp., International Business Machines Corp. and industry groups representing rivals such as Oracle Corp., which worry the move will favor Amazon.com Inc.
Army to position more armored vehicles in Europe, speed upgrades to equipment at home –
Four years after the Army rolled its last tanks out of Europe, the service has sent back a brigade’s worth of equipment to have on stand-by and plans to add a second set this year.
U.S. allies conduct biggest artillery event in Europe since Cold War –
It has sounded like a nonstop thunderstorm at this base for the past two weeks, during which the Army has conducted the largest artillery exercise in Europe since the Cold War.
Navy secretary defends decision to buy just one littoral combat ship –
Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer March 7 defended the service’s decision to again break with industry and request just one littoral combat ship in its 2019 budget.
Air Force report: Propulsion malfunction led to A-29 Super Tucano crash –
A mysterious malfunction led to a dramatic loss of thrust that caused an A-29B Super Tucano to crash near Homerville, Georgia, last March, according to an accident investigation board report released March 7.
U.S. Air Force Building $250 Million Hangar for New Air Force One –
The U.S. Air Force is building a new hangar at Joint Base Andrews, Md., to house Boeing’s new Air Force One fleet, at a price of $250 million. The Andrews facility that today houses the Air Force One fleet is not large enough to accommodate the new aircraft, which will be a modified Boeing 747-8, Lt. Gen. Arnie Bunch, the Air Force’s top uniformed acquisition official, told Aviation Week in a March 7 interview.
Marines arrive in Israel –
Nearly 2,500 Marines landed in Israel March 6 as part of a biennial military exercise known as Juniper Cobra.
Marines: Competing for new infantry rifle would have cost millions –
By choosing the already-fielded Heckler & Koch M27 as the new service rifle for Marine Corps infantry squads, the service saved up to $24 million and avoided years of delay, top leaders told a congressional committee this week.
Marine leaders don’t want new tech to weigh Grunts down –
Keep it small, keep it simple, make it work. It’s what Marine Corps leaders want industry leaders and research and development agencies to keep in mind when making the latest and greatest tech for grunts on the battlefield, a top general said March 6.
Veterans
VA secretary promises more leadership changes after investigators’ rebuke –
Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin on March 7promised another department leadership shakeup in the wake of yet another scathing inspector general report that accused VA officials of additional improper behavior, which overshadowed the goal of improving patient care.
Commentary
What’s there to talk about with North Korea? –
Kim Jong Un wants to talk to Trump and pause nuclear and missile tests—but the line between diplomacy and brinkmanship isn’t that simple.
Russia will challenge U.S. military superiority in Europe by 2025 –
Russia is advancing in key military technology areas and shows no deceleration in efforts to destabilize the West, said the commander for U.S. forces in Europe.