News
Blinken arrives in Ukraine, says Russia could attack at short notice
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Kyiv on Jan. 18 in a whistle-stop diplomatic push to defuse tensions with Moscow over Ukraine, warning that Russia could launch a new attack at “very short notice.”
Russia moves more troops westward amid Ukraine tensions
Russia is sending troops from the country’s far east to Belarus for major war games, officials said Jan. 18.
Pentagon charts show China’s military advantage over Taiwan
China continued its rapid military modernization in 2021, increasing the size and quality of its armed forces.
Business
South Korea inks largest arms export deal with UAE for missile interceptor
Valued about $3.5 billion, the contract for the Cheongung II KM-SAM weapons was singed Jan. 16 during a meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Emirati Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in Dubai as they discussed economic cooperation.
Navy, Lockheed haven’t reached cost deal on LCS combining gear
The Navy and Lockheed Martin are still negotiating the cost breakdown for a fix to the Freedom variant Littoral Combat Ship that has restricted the operations of most ships in the class, a service official said last week.
Defense
Inside the secretive training that US Green Berets give to troops who may have to take on Russia or China
One of the least known but most promising mission sets in the U.S. Special Operations Command’s arsenal is foreign internal defense.
Pentagon quietly looking into how nonbinary troops could serve openly
The Defense Department has quietly begun looking into how it can allow troops whose gender identity is nonbinary to serve openly in the military, three advocates familiar with the situation told Military.com.
USS Kitty Hawk headed for the scrapyard
Kitty Hawk conducted six tours in Vietnam and was the first carrier to be awarded a Presidential Unit Citation, according to the Navy.
Amphib ship requirements study could spell bad news for Marines, industry
A study on amphibious warship requirements that will help inform upcoming budgets is looking less likely to yield the results the U.S. Marine Corps wants.
Veterans
Three dozen military veterans in Congress voted against expanding GI Bill benefits
The new bill would expand GI Bill benefits to National Guard and Reserve members.
No firings yet for VA workers who refuse COVID vaccines, despite continued warnings
Officials had said firings could start this month for staffers who missed vaccination deadlines last fall.
VA approved thousands of ineligible doctors — now lawmakers want changes
More than 600 deceased providers were included on VA’s Community Care list.
VA tests new automated system that could speed up claims decisions
Department of Veterans Affairs officials are hoping a new automated system that helps render decisions on disability claims will accelerate the process and decrease the backlog of claims applications.