News
Russia ready to discuss inspections with U.S. on arms treaty –
Russia is ready to discuss mutual inspections with the United States in order to save the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty, RIA news agency cited Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying on Dec. 14.
Bucking Trump, U.S. Senate OKs historic Yemen measures –
The U.S. Senate on Dec. 13 voted to end U.S. military aid to the Saudi-led war in Yemen, a historic but symbolic rebuke to the White House and Saudi Arabia following the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
U.S. to bill Saudi Arabia, UAE $331 million for Yemen refueling –
The Pentagon announced it will bill Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates $331 million after undercharging the two countries for U.S. aerial refueling of their aircraft in the Yemen civil war.
Business
Inhofe bought Raytheon stock after advocating budget hike –
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe bought Raytheon stock after reports he and others prevailed on President Donald Trump to boost the defense budget, but he has since unloaded the stock and said through a spokesperson he wasn’t aware of the purchase when it happened.
Airbus strategy review augurs clean break under new CEO –
Airbus has launched a strategic review to outline changes under incoming chief executive Guillaume Faury as it faces industrial challenges and prepares for overdue modernization, industry sources said.
Germany, U.S. haggle over access to secret missile-performance data –
The United States and Germany continue to negotiate behind the scenes over access to a highly classified computer model that Berlin needs so it can build its next-generation anti-missile system, according to sources and documents.
India court rejects challenge to Dassault jet deal; win for Modi –
India’s top court rejected petitions on Friday seeking a probe into a fighter jet deal worth about $8.7 billion with France’s Dassault Aviation, handing a political victory to the ruling party months before a general election.
First flight for Defiant delayed to 2019 –
The Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant design will not have its first flight in 2018, following a technical issue discovered during ground tests.
Aviation, handing a political victory to the ruling party months before a general election.
Industry applauds acquisition consolidation, warns of work to be done –
Members of the private sector and industry-representing groups applauded the General Services Administration’s decision to consolidate the 24 multiple award schedules into a single acquisition vehicle, but cautioned that the agency would have to do much more than just consolidation to affect real change.
U.S. Army seeking APS technology for Bradley vehicles –
Once again the U.S. army is looking for new active protection systems to equip on its family of M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles. Whether this is a positive or negative for IMI Systems’ Iron Fist remains unclear.
Pentagon seeks better insight into F-35 sub-tier suppliers –
The Pentagon is seeking a better understanding of the risks presented by key components and organizations in the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter sustainment supply chain that could have an impact on overall program cost, schedule, and performance.
Defense
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to temporarily allow transgender military ban –
The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to allow enforcement of a ban on transgender people serving in the military while it fights legal challenges to the new policy.
Will Space Force sit under the Department of the Air Force? Pentagon finally has an answer –
The question of whether the Space Force will be an entirely new military department or reside under the Department of the Air Force has been settled, the Pentagon’s No. 2 leader said Dec. 13.
U.S. Africa strategy hinges on local forces stepping up as Pentagon ramps down: Bolton –
As the Trump administration pulls back America’s military presence in Africa, it’s calling for more African regional security organizations to step up, U.S. national security adviser John Bolton said Dec. 13.
Pentagon to take over all security clearances in nine months, officials say –
The Defense Department and Office of Personnel Management expect to have merged two offices and moved 2,000 federal employees and a 600,000-case backlog of security clearance investigations nine months from now.
Show me the data: The Pentagon’s two-pronged AI plan –
“It’s not going to be just about , ’how do we get a lot of data?’” deputy undersecretary Lisa Porter told the House subcommittee. “It’s going to be about, how do we develop algorithms that don’t need as much data? How do we develop algorithms that we trust?”
Army Bradley brigade will get Israeli anti-missile system: Iron Fist –
Seeking to stop Russian-made anti-tank missiles, the U.S. Army will buy Israel’s Iron Fist Active Protection System for a brigade of its M2 Bradley armored vehicles, Breaking Defense has learned.
Navy F-35 squadron gets ‘safe for flight operations’ ticket –
A U.S. Navy joint strike fighter squadron netted a safe-for-flight operations certification on Dec. 13, hitting another milestone on the way to initial operational capability.
Navy to refurbish T64 aircraft engines for Sea Stallion helicopters –
General Electric Aviation has been awarded $157.7 million by the Navy for support of the T64 aircraft engine.
Navy looking to fly P-8s from Cold War-era base In Alaska –
The Navy may begin deploying submarine-hunting P-8 Poseidon aircraft to a small airstrip hundreds of miles off the Alaskan coast, signaling a new emphasis on keeping watch over Russian and Chinese moves in the Arctic.
Veterans
Rolling Thunder ending its annual D.C. ride due to cost concerns –
Rolling Thunder’s annual roaring parade through the streets of the nation’s capital is coming to an end.
Negotiations yet to begin on return of U.S. Korean War remains, Pentagon agency says –
Months after the White House raised hopes for bringing home thousands of U.S. battlefield remains from North Korea, the returns have stalled. Detailed negotiations on future recovery arrangements have not even begun.
VA hospitals often the best option for medical care, study finds –
Veterans Affairs officials are touting a new study praising VA hospitals for outperforming most private-sector medical options, but rejecting the authors’ conclusions that the findings undermine the administration’s support for shifting more veterans care into the private sector.
Some schools punish GI Bill users for VA’s delays. Congress may be about to stop that –
The House of Representatives this week overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill that would protect student veterans from being penalized for late GI Bill payments, a move that advocates say could have helped avoid some of the chaos of the past semester.
A new home away from home for wounded warriors and their families –
Wounded warriors healing from the physical and mental injuries of war now have a new refuge to call home during recovery.
North Dakota governor proposes tax exemption for military pay, pensions –
Gov. Doug Burgum wants to exempt military pay and pensions from North Dakota income taxes, arguing in part that retaining veterans could help the state fill thousands of open jobs.