News
Taliban: ‘Consequences’ if U.S. drones enter Afghan airspace
The Taliban has accused the U.S. of violating withdrawal agreement by continuing to fly drones over Afghanistan.
Why Bagram wouldn’t have made a difference, and more about the Afghanistan exit plan
Officials tried to answer unresolved questions for lawmakers.
Service members file lawsuit over Pentagon’s coronavirus vaccine mandate, demand exception for those who had virus
Two service members filed a class action lawsuit against Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to halt a mandate that all troops receive the coronavirus vaccine and create an exemption for those who were previously infected with the virus because they have “natural immunity.”
Business
Boeing gets nod to start building Germany’s P-8 anti-submarine aircraft
Boeing has inked a contract with the U.S. Navy to produce five P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance and anti-submarine aircraft destined for the German sea service, the company announced.
The great hypersonic missile arms race: China Vs. Russia Vs. America
This week DARPA and the Air Force announced a successful flight of a hypersonic cruise missile. This test brings the United States into a great power competition to decide which country can deliver hypersonics to their arsenal faster.
Hypersonic missile tests for the B-1 bomber are coming next year according to Boeing
It is argued that an upgraded, hypersonic-missile-toting B-1 would help narrow the capability gap with Russia and China until the B-21 Raider arrives.
Ukraine is set to buy 24 Turkish drones. So why hasn’t Russia pushed back?
Ukraine hopes to quickly turn around a contract to buy 24 drones from Turkey, but the former’s adversary and the latter’s ally could upend the potential sale.
Defense
Congress is out of step with the public on Pentagon spending
In an astonishing move given how much money U.S. taxpayers already throw at the Pentagon year in and year out, the House of Representatives recently voted to increase the Biden administration’s request for the department by $24 billion.
Defense business board relaunches after Pentagon review
The Biden administration has reassembled one of the Pentagon’s most influential advisory boards with a diverse group of business leaders, seven months after it was disbanded.
U.S. Army trains forces across military on tools to fight drones
Part of the U.S. Army’s lead role in standardizing anti-drone strategies across the armed forces is a joint training effort on a suite of tools and sensors to jam or take out small unmanned aerial systems.
New Army pilot program to test armored brigade mobile communications
The pilot is an important step toward designing the on the move networking capabilities Armored Brigades will need as the prepare for future, more mobile battlefields.
U.S. Navy launches task group to hunt Russian submarines
The U.S. Navy recently announced the formation of a task group comprising Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to counter the Russian submarine threat in the Atlantic Ocean.
Veterans
Afghanistan veterans are reframing their service after the war’s end
Afghanistan veterans grapple with what their service meant after the end of the 20-year war.
VHA still experiencing “severe” staffing shortages in critical fields: watchdog
“Severe” staffing shortages persist in areas such as psychiatry, nursing, and medical officers, despite the VA making progress in filling vacancies.
