News
Afghanistan highway blast kills at least 35 on bus, wounds 27-
The blast comes ahead of the resumption of peace talks between U.S. officials and Taliban representatives, who are hoping to strike a deal on a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign forces in exchange for security guarantees by the Taliban.
North Korea tests more missiles despite efforts at diplomatic solutions-
North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles early July 31, the South Korean military said, only days after it launched two similar missiles intended to pressure South Korea and the United States to stop upcoming military drills.
Korean Fat Leonard? Feds probe new U.S. Navy corruption case in Asia-
The Justice Department has filed corruption charges against the head of a Busan, Korea,-based husbanding services provider in a case with unmistakable echoes of the Fat Leonard scandal that has rocked the Navy since the investigation was revealed in 2013.
Business
Canada wants new terminals to work more closely with NATO-
The U.S. State Department today cleared a weapons sales for Canada, which could net American firms about $44 million in revenues.
UK defense exports set new record in 2018-
Sales of Typhoon jets to Qatar and F-35 related components to the U.S. were largely behind a record breaking year which saw British defense exports in 2018 reach £14 billion, according to new figures released July 30 by the Department for International Trade.
Indian police open probe into Rolls-Royce’s dealings with three state firms-
Indian federal police have opened an investigation into Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc, alleging the UK-based engine maker and its Indian arm improperly used a third-party to conduct business with three Indian state-owned companies.
State clears $1.5 billion in arms sales for Egypt, South Korea and Canada-
The U.S. State Department today cleared a trio of weapon sales for Egypt, South Korea and Canada, which could net American firms more than $1.5 billion in revenues.
SAIC will not compete to replace the U.S. Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle-
SAIC will not bid to replace the U.S. Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle, but will continue to do upgrades on others’ armored vehicles, the company’s incoming CEO said July 30.
Defense
Why wearable technology might end the Navy’s fitness test-
A former Navy top official is proposing the service scrap the semi-annual physical fitness test and instead monitor sailors’ health through wearable tracking devices.
More U.S. military power needed in Antarctic to deter malign activity, general says-
If the U.S. is going to do more work in cold weather climates to deter malign activity from Russia and China, one Air Force general says it will need more equipment to operate full-time in the South Pole.
Navy needs Army to greenlight project-
The Navy is hoping for a permit to dredge some of the Kennebec River to allow the passage of guided-missile destroyers built at Bath Iron Works.
F-22 pilots first to get Air Force’s new, state-of-the-art flight suit-
U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor pilots in Hawaii are some of the first to try out the service’s new integrated aircrew ensemble (IAE) flight suit and gear.
Senator: About 10 percent of B-1s are fully combat-ready-
Only six of the Air Force’s 61 B-1 bombers are fully mission-capable, a South Dakota senator said July 30.
Veterans
VA failed to reliably track spending on electronic health record system-
The Department of Veteran Affairs says it spent $2.3 billion on its electronic health record system from fiscal 2015 through 2017, but the Government Accountability Office said it found only $1 billion of the spending to be “sufficiently reliable.”