News
Turkey’s Erdogan says to discuss with Trump buying U.S. Patriot missiles-
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he will discuss buying U.S. Patriot missiles with President Donald Trump this month, saying his personal bond with the U.S. leader could overcome a crisis caused by Ankara buying Russian air defense systems.
U.S. Navy warship challenges Chinese claims in South China Sea-
The US Navy sailed a warship near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea Sept. 13 as part of an operation aimed at challenging Chinese claims to the area, a move that drew an immediate protest from Beijing which accused the US of practicing “navigational hegemony.”
Afghan Taliban send team to Russia after U.S. talks collapse-
The Taliban have sent a delegation to Russia to discuss prospects for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan following the collapse of talks with the United States this month, officials from the insurgent group said.
Business
Northrop announces suppliers for new ICBM. Boeing not on list-
Northrop Grumman has chosen the major subcontractors who will help bid for the U.S. Air Force’s next nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles. One notable absence: Boeing.
Northrop denies Boeing’s request to join ICBM replacement team-
Northrop Grumman has rebuffed a request by Boeing to team up to develop America’s next intercontinental ballistic missile, according to the latter company.
Aselsan, Patria team up to export weaponized armored vehicles-
Turkey electronics company Aselsan will team with Patria of Finland to pitch weaponized armored vehicles to customers in South America, the Middle East and Asia.
A tale of two future fighters-
There’s a tale of two fighters underway in Europe. And countries — and their companies — are choosing sides.
Electric Boat gets new leadership-
Electric Boat president Jeffrey Geiger will retire at the end of the month, with Kevin Graney taking over as the head of the General Dynamics subsidiary, the company announced Sept. 13.
General Dynamics taps new leader for electric boat-
General Dynamics announced a change in leadership at its Electric Boat subsidiary, just as the company ramps-ups its production to build Virginia-class and Columbia-class nuclear submarines.
Italy joins Britain, Sweden to develop Tempest fighter plane-
BAE Systems and Italian defense contractor Leonardo agreed to work cooperatively on the next-generation Tempest fighter plane.
U.S. Navy tests unmanned underwater vehicles in Arctic exercise-
An ordnance disposal unit successfully tested its mine countermeasures capabilities in the Arctic Ocean, according to the U.S. Navy.
Boeing floats two-step solution for KC-46 cargo issue-
Boeing is proposing a two-step solution to address a major new deficiency with its KC-46 tanker, which limits the aircraft’s ability to carry personnel or cargo.
Taiwan signals to U.S. that it will act fast on F-16 jets-
Taiwan has signaled to U.S. officials that it will move swiftly to complete the purchase of 66 F-16 fighters once congressional foreign relations committes complete their review this month, according to a State Department official.
Defense
Pentagon plans to triple audits amid surge in defense spending-
A surge of defense spending is prompting the Pentagon’s audit agency to triple the number of evaluations it will undertake in order to uncover or prevent unjustified profits based on incomplete, flawed or inaccurate cost data.
Students invited to design Army’s next generation of unmanned aerial vehicles in new competition-
College and graduate students from all around the U.S. can start submitting ideas and designs for the Army’s next generation of unmanned aerial vehicles — and could be awarded up to $35,000 in prize money for the project.
Armed with a new missile, the LCS comes of age-
On Sept. 3, the stealthy littoral combat ship Gabrielle Giffords slipped out of San Diego, carrying a new vessel-killing missile that could transform it into the high tech mauler its inventors always hoped it would become.
Goldfein’s final year plan: ‘Violent execution’ to cement his changes-
In his first three years as Air Force chief of staff, Gen. Dave Goldfein set out to improve three key ways the service operates: reforming its squadron structure, improving joint leader development and multi-domain command and control.
Decades late, the B-52 is getting a new nuclear weapon-
The B-52 bomber first flew in 1952, but remains a vital part of America’s nuclear deterrent. Now, to keep the bomber relevant for its nuclear mission, the U.S. Air Force is preparing to spend billions of dollars to develop a new air-launched cruise missile.
With B-1 aging, B-21 still years out, Air Force may soon have no go-to bomber-
On April 14, 2018, two B-1B Lancer bombers fired off payloads of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles against weapons storage plants in western Syria, part of a shock-and-awe response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons against his citizens that also included strikes from Navy destroyers and submarines.
Veterans
Why fewer people are using GI Bill-
After years of growth, the number of people using the Post-9/11 GI Bill has now fallen substantially for each of the past two fiscal years, federal data indicates.