News
State Department urges U.S. citizens to leave Iraq immediately-
The State Department issued a security alert early Jan. 3 urging Americans in Iraq to leave the country immediately.
U.S. defense secretary urges North Korea to negotiate on denuclearization-
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Jan. 2 said the United States still sees a political agreement on denuclearization as the best path forward on North Korea, but that American forces remained prepared to fight if necessary.
Business
BAE to get green light for $10 billion howitzer project-
BAE Systems Plc will win U.S. Army approval this month for full-rate production of self-propelled howitzers and ammunition carriers based on improvements in the $10 billion program after several years of delays over welding defects.
Raytheon to build more AMRAAMs for 22 nations-
Raytheon will build a new batch of Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles for 22 foreign countries under a $768.3 million Air Force contract awarded Dec. 27, 2019.
Lockheed Martin nabs $2.35B in contracts for F-35-
Lockheed Martin closed out the calendar year with $2.35 billion in five new contracts for the F-35 program.
Defense
Emergency paratrooper deployment is first for new Army response force-
Early Wednesday on Jan. 1, Army paratroopers in Operational Camouflage Pattern uniforms and body armor loaded planes wearing weapons, such as M4A1 carbines, slung securely across their chests. Some carried overstuffed airborne rucksacks while old-timers shouldered customized versions of the Army’s Vietnam-era ALICE packs.
Fleet commander directs the U.S Navy’s surface force to develop concepts for unmanned ships-
The head of the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Forces Command has ordered the service’s surface force to develop a concept of operations for both the large and medium unmanned surface vessels in development, according to a Dec. 19 message obtained by Defense News.
Veterans
VA drops its star ratings system for hospitals-
The Department of Veterans Affairs will no longer issue star ratings for its 146 medical centers.