News
Afghan withdrawal will make terrorism fight harder, says top U.S. general in the Mideast-
In a blunt assessment April 29, the top U.S. general for the Middle East told Congress it will be extremely difficult but not impossible for the U.S. to find, track and take out counterterrorism threats in Afghanistan once all American troops are withdrawn.
Business
U.K. reaches $2 billion deal to buy Boeing’s Chinook helicopters-
The United Kingdom and the Pentagon reached agreement on a $2 billion sale of 14 Chinook helicopters built by Boeing Co., as well as engines, machine guns, radar and missile-jamming equipment for the choppers, according to officials and documents.
French A400M completes helicopter-refueling drills-
France has recently completed a series of test flights to move forward with certification of the A400M’s capability to refuel helicopters during flight, day and night.
Parsons gets first new CEO in 13 years-
The Parsons Corporation board of directors has selected Carey Smith, the company’s chief operations officer, to become its next top executive.
Submarine industrial base under strain as Virginia-class parts wearing out early; implications for Columbia-class-
Some parts on Virginia-class attack boats are wearing out faster than the Navy anticipated 20 years ago, and buying replacement parts is further straining a nuclear submarine industrial base that’s already juggling an expansion of construction of new hulls and maintaining the current fleet.
Sustainment becoming most profitable part of F-35 for Lockheed Martin-
As F-35 managers and auditors prepare to testify on the stealth fighter’s sustainment costs, Lockheed Martin’s Chief Financial Officer said sustainment is soon to be the most profitable part of the program.
Elbit awarded $41M order as part of the night vision goggles IDIQ contract for U.S. Marine Corps-
Elbit Systems Ltd.’s U.S. subsidiary, Elbit Systems of America LLC, has been awarded a delivery order valued at approximately $41 million for the supply of night vision systems and various spare components to the U.S. Marine Corps, the company said in an April 20 release.
Defense
U.S. bombers could go back on alert if ICBMs are curtailed, top general says-
If the Defense Department is forced to get rid of its intercontinental ballistic missiles, it will have to move its bombers to alert status to pick up the slack, the head of U.S. Strategic Command said April 20.
Future ops in Afghanistan could rely on new bases in nearby nations-
U.S. Central Command and American diplomats are working with nations surrounding Afghanistan on agreements to base troops and aircraft for counter terrorism inside the country following the military’s withdrawal.
Government to shell out $15 billion for hypersonics-
Between fiscal years 2015 and 2024, federal agencies will have spent about $15 billion on hypersonic weapons and related technologies, according to projections by a watchdog group.
News
Afghan withdrawal will make terrorism fight harder, says top U.S. general in the Mideast-
In a blunt assessment April 29, the top U.S. general for the Middle East told Congress it will be extremely difficult but not impossible for the U.S. to find, track and take out counterterrorism threats in Afghanistan once all American troops are withdrawn.
Top military official warns China, Russia are modernizing nuclear weapons faster than U.S.-
The top US military official who runs the American nuclear arsenal warned that China and Russia are modernizing their nuclear weapons and capabilities faster than the US, saying during a congressional hearing on April 20 that if it does not start investing more in nuclear defense and infrastructure, the US will be “at risk of losing credibility in the eyes of our adversaries.”
Business
U.K. reaches $2 billion deal to buy Boeing’s Chinook helicopters-
The United Kingdom and the Pentagon reached agreement on a $2 billion sale of 14 Chinook helicopters built by Boeing Co., as well as engines, machine guns, radar and missile-jamming equipment for the choppers, according to officials and documents.
French A400M completes helicopter-refueling drills-
France has recently completed a series of test flights to move forward with certification of the A400M’s capability to refuel helicopters during flight, day and night.
Parsons gets first new CEO in 13 years-
The Parsons Corporation board of directors has selected Carey Smith, the company’s chief operations officer, to become its next top executive.
Submarine industrial base under strain as Virginia-class parts wearing out early; implications for Columbia-class-
Some parts on Virginia-class attack boats are wearing out faster than the Navy anticipated 20 years ago, and buying replacement parts is further straining a nuclear submarine industrial base that’s already juggling an expansion of construction of new hulls and maintaining the current fleet.
Sustainment becoming most profitable part of F-35 for Lockheed Martin-
As F-35 managers and auditors prepare to testify on the stealth fighter’s sustainment costs, Lockheed Martin’s Chief Financial Officer said sustainment is soon to be the most profitable part of the program.
Elbit awarded $41M order as part of the night vision goggles IDIQ contract for U.S. Marine Corps-
Elbit Systems Ltd.’s U.S. subsidiary, Elbit Systems of America LLC, has been awarded a delivery order valued at approximately $41 million for the supply of night vision systems and various spare components to the U.S. Marine Corps, the company said in an April 20 release.
Defense
U.S. bombers could go back on alert if ICBMs are curtailed, top general says-
If the Defense Department is forced to get rid of its intercontinental ballistic missiles, it will have to move its bombers to alert status to pick up the slack, the head of U.S. Strategic Command said April 20.
Future ops in Afghanistan could rely on new bases in nearby nations-
U.S. Central Command and American diplomats are working with nations surrounding Afghanistan on agreements to base troops and aircraft for counter terrorism inside the country following the military’s withdrawal.
Government to shell out $15 billion for hypersonics-
Between fiscal years 2015 and 2024, federal agencies will have spent about $15 billion on hypersonic weapons and related technologies, according to projections by a watchdog group.
Veterans
Multiple VA medical centers may be rebuilt under Biden’s infrastructure plan-
White House officials say the president’s new infrastructure plan includes enough funding to replace “10 to 15” aging Veterans Affairs hospitals across the country with new medical centers, but department officials haven’t determined yet which communities might benefit from the money.
Emptiness, anger, relief: Afghanistan veterans wrestle with coming end of ‘forever war’-
When the news broke that the United States planned to pull its remaining troops from Afghanistan, Marine veteran Peter Lucier’s thoughts drifted to his old platoon mate, Lance Cpl. Ramon Kaipat.
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