News
Congress passes defense policy bill with budget boost, military justice reforms
After months of debate and weeks of angst, the Senate on Dec. 15 voted 89-10 to finalized plans for a $740 billion authorization bill for the Department of Defense, sending the sweeping military policy measure to the White House for the 61st consecutive year.
5 more states challenge Pentagon’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for Guardsmen
Following Oklahoma’s lead, five additional states are pushing back against the Defense Departmentís COVID-19 vaccine policy, putting their objections in a letter addressed to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Dec. 14.
Military COVID-19 deaths on upswing as vaccination deadlines pass
Eighty troops have died of COVID-19 complications, according to the Defense Department’s most recent data, including five deaths in November and three so far in December.
U.S. military shoots down drone near U.S. base in Syria
A second drone that came near the at base flew away. U.S. officials said they believe the incident and an earlier attack on the base are linked to Iran or Iranian-backed groups.
Business
Peraton chief: Contractors must think bigger to address today’s threats
The last two years have brought an onslaught of challenges that vexed the United States, including the COVID-19 pandemic; cyberattacks and supply chain compromises; environmental disasters; international leadership changes through embattled elections and coups; economic instability; and the onslaught of global refugee flows, among a host of other consuming issues.
Rolls-Royce exec: Decarbonization is a warfighting opportunity for industry and its customers
The superior capability of our customers and the security of the nations they serve have always been job No. 1 for all of us in the defense-industrial base.
LIFT Aircraft boss: Progress at the Pentagon from the view of a startup
Four years ago, when I founded LIFT Aircraft to develop drones capable of human flight, the military market wasn’t on my radar.
Raytheon wins $67 million U.S. Space Force contract to build weather satellite prototype
Raytheon is one of three contenders selected by the Space Systems Command in June 2020 to develop space sensor prototypes for the Electro-Optical Infrared Weather System.
Public-private team in Turkey unveils drone with laser gun
A public-private partnership in Turkey claims it has created the world’s first drone armed with a laser weapon.
BAE gets $493 million contract to upgrade F-35’s Electronic Warfare suite
BAE Systems will upgrade the F-35’s electronic warfare system for the jet’s Block 4 upgrade under a $493 million contract awarded by Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems said Dec. 15.
Defense
FY22 defense bill gives feds parental bereavement leave, makes changes at the Pentagon
Beginning in 2023, new civilian employees at the DOD will receive a one-year probationary period, rather than a two-year time frame, putting them on par with the probationary standard for the rest of the federal government.
Kansas senator’s effort to require honorable discharges for troops who refuse vaccine passes Congress
Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall succeeded on Wednesday in his effort to restrict how members of the military who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 are punished.
RAF Lakenheath becomes the first European base with a U.S. F-35
The U.K.’s RAF Lakenheath became the first European base to receive a U.S. F-35A Lightning II on Dec. 15, six years after plans for the delivery were announced as part of an eventual basing of two squadrons of the fifth-generation aircraft.
U.S. Navy fires laser weapon in Mideast amid drone boat threat
The Navy announced on Dec. 15 it tested a laser weapon and destroyed a floating target in the Mideast, a system that could be used to counter bomb-laden drone boats deployed by Yemenís Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
Damaged attack submarine USS Connecticut leaves San Diego
The damaged nuclear attack submarine USS Connecticut departed San Diego, Calif., on Wednesday, a Navy spokesperson confirmed to USNI News.
Veterans
Student vets taking remote classes next semester will still get full GI Bill benefits thanks to new plan
Pandemic protections for GI Bill students were set to expire on Dec. 21.
Supreme Court to hear case of reservist pushed out of police job over burn pit-related illness
The U.S. Supreme Court will consider the case of a former Army Reserve officer and Texas state trooper who says he was forced to resign after returning from Iraq disabled by exposure to burn pits.