News
Senate to vote on banning $23 billion UAE arms sales next week-
The Senate will vote next week on legislation to halt the Trump administration’s $23 billion sale of F-35 fighter jets, Reaper drones and munitions to the United Arab Emirates, a lawmaker said Dec. 3.
Sanctioning Turkey over the S-400 would be mandatory in new defense bill-
The final version of the must-pass annual defense policy bill unveiled Dec. 3 mandates the U.S. president sanction Turkey for its acquisition of the S-400 air missile defense system.
Business
This company wants to launch satellites into space via drone-
Could drones hold the answer to putting satellites on orbit faster?
Fourth GPS III satellite receives operational acceptance in record time-
The fourth GPS III satellite has achieved operational acceptance from the U.S. Space Force at record speeds using an expedited process that was 10 days faster than previous efforts.
U.S. arms sales remain robust despite pandemic-
Business is still booming on the foreign military sales front even though the world is reeling from the economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis.
Defense Budget
Compromise defense bill confronts a rising China-
Eyeing China’s rise as a global military and economic power, lawmakers unveiled a compromise defense policy bill Dec. 3 that targets China on multiple fronts, with $6.9 billion prescribed for a new Pacific Deterrence Initiative over two years.
Fate of sweeping military personnel policies, family support plans rests on Trump’s veto threat-
Congressional leaders on Dec. 3 released their final draft of the sweeping defense authorization bill for fiscal 2021 with provisions for a 3 percent pay raise for troops next year, language to force the renaming of Army bases honoring Confederate leaders, and new provisions to improve medical care and safety related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Defense bill seeks to halt Afghanistan drawdown-
The compromise defense policy bill released Thursday includes language aimed at preventing a withdrawal from Afghanistan amid President Trump’s order to cut U.S. forces there to 2,500 by mid-January.
Defense
Joint Chiefs chairman says permanent basing overseas needs reconsideration-
The military’s top officer, and the president’s senior military adviser, is joining a growing chorus of senior defense officials who have questioned the need for permanently stationing troops around the world.
Congress directs DOD to build interim homeland missile defense interceptor-
Congress directed the Pentagon to build an interim homeland intercontinental ballistic missile defense interceptor, a weapon that is not in the Missile Defense Agency’s current plans to counter threats from North Korea and Iran.
New U.S. special operations site activated in heart of the Baltics-
A new special operations site that will allow elite U.S. troops to expand operations in the Baltic region is up and running in the Latvian capital of Riga, military officials said Dec. 3.
Air Force expands experimental pilot training across aircraft, helo fleets-
The Air Force is pursuing a number of initiatives to modernize and speed pilot training, including making changes to integrate the new T-7A Red Hawk aircraft system into the service’s training regime.
Veterans
VA may distribute coronavirus vaccines within a couple of weeks, Wilkie tells veterans groups-
The Department of Veterans Affairs expects to distribute coronavirus vaccines within a week or two, with a focus on inoculating high-risk veterans and staff members, VA officials told veteran group leaders on a call Dec.3.
NDAA would add three conditions to VA list of illnesses caused by Agent Orange-
A measure was included in the final version of the defense bill to grant Department of Veterans Affairs benefits to tens of thousands of Vietnam War veterans believed to be suffering the effects of Agent Orange.
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