News
Bulging deficits may threaten prized Pentagon arms projects-
The government’s $3 trillion effort to rescue the economy from the coronavirus crisis is stirring worry at the Pentagon. Bulging federal deficits may force a reversal of years of big defense spending gains and threaten prized projects like the rebuilding of the nation’s arsenal of nuclear weapons.
Business
Some F-35 suppliers are having trouble delivering parts on schedule, Turkey’s departure could make that worse-
Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is on the verge of full-rate production, with a decision slated for early 2021. But a congressional watchdog group is concerned that as the company ramps up F-35 production, its suppliers are falling behind.
Support growing for review of Ligado interference information-
As the Department of Defense and its allies attempt to stop Ligado from moving forward with plans the Pentagon says will harm the Global Positioning System, consensus is growing around the idea of an independent review of the testing the Department had completed for interference.
DIU awards $45M contract for weapon systems cybersecurity-
The Defense Innovation Unit awarded a $45 million to a Silicon Valley-based tech startup to perform cybersecurity testing on Defense Department weapon systems’ applications, the company announced May 11.
SOCOM moving forward with hyper-enabled operator concept-
Special Operations Command is making progress on its hyper-enabled operator concept, officials said May 12.
SOCOM aims to piggyback on space capabilities-
Special Operations Command is planning to leverage space-based capabilities from across the services to meet new and emerging operational demands, the program executive officer for the command’s special reconnaissance office said May 12.
Special Operations Command launches ‘Engage SOF’ tool-
Special Operations Command has launched a new platform to collaborate with industry known as Engage SOF, or eSOF, the command’s director of science and technology said May 12.
Defense
Republican lawmaker pushes back on DOD policy barring some coronavirus survivors from enlisting-
An Arizona Republican lawmaker is calling for the Defense Department to reconsider its coronavirus accessions policy, days after the Pentagon issued new guidance narrowing its ban on bringing COVID-19 survivors into the military to those who had been hospitalized for the disease.
Army pilot’s invention enables hyper-realistic low-visibility flight training-
An Army National Guard aviator has invented a pilot training device that partners with a smartphone app to simulate flying in limited-visibility conditions.
Navy scraps big carrier study, clears deck for OSD effort-
The study into what kind of carriers the Navy might need in a decade’s time was problematic from the start, and conflicted with the Pentagon senior leadership’s redo of the Navy’s force structure plan.
Navy MQ-4 Triton flying operational missions from Guam-
Almost three months after arriving in Guam, a pair of MQ-4C Triton autonomous, unmanned aircraft have integrated into fleet operations and training flights and stretched the Navy’s maritime domain awareness across the Indo-Pacific, according to the Navy.
Air Force suspends formation landings for trainer jet after fatal crash-
The U.S. Air Force has suspended T-38 Talon formation training landings following a fatal crash that killed two pilots last fall.
Space Force
SpaceX is teaching U.S. Space Force how to execute successful launches-
The U.S. Space Force has been granted access to work alongside California-based SpaceX to get a detailed look into how the company makes its commercial and civil launches successful.
Space Force, services struggle to define mssion boundaries-
“We can’t break the U.S. Air Force, we can’t break the Army, we can’t break the Navy,” said Lt. Gen. David Thompson, Space Force vice commander.
Space Force plans for transfers as ‘thousands’ volunteer-
More than 1,000 Airmen have signed up for the new Space Force in the first two weeks of the month-long voluntary transfer window, Space Force Vice Commander Lt. Gen. David Thompson said May 12.
Veterans
Nazi swastikas at veterans cemeteries prompt outrage, but VA calls them protected history-
Veterans Affairs officials are rejecting calls to remove gravestones bearing Nazi swastikas at a pair of federal veterans cemeteries, saying they have a duty to preserve the historic markers.
‘Iconic’ WWII battleship discovered nearly 3 miles beneath the surface-
On May 11, a collaborative team of researchers from SEARCH, Inc. and Ocean Infinity announced the discovery of the resilient battleship USS Nevada (BB-36) nearly 70 nautical miles southwest of Pearl Harbor at a depth of over 15,400 feet — or, nearly three miles.
Veterans Affairs leaders receive 500,000 protective masks from South Korea to counter coronavirus shortages-
Veterans Affairs received a shipment of 500,000 protective masks from the South Korean government on May 12, a gift that will be used to bolster the department’s imperiled coronavirus prevention supply reserves.
VA coronavirus deaths up 6 percent, active cases down 6 percent overnight-
Deaths among coronavirus patients within the Veterans Affairs health system rose almost 6 percent overnight — pushing the total for the last two months to nearly 1,000 fatalities — while the number of active cases being treated dropped nearly 6 percent in the last day.
Strict rules in place for national cemetery visits on Memorial Day-
The national cemeteries run by the Department of Veterans Affairs will be open to the public for Memorial Day, but there will be no large ceremonies to honor the fallen due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to the VA’s National Cemetery Administration, or NCA.
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