News
Britain pledges anti-ship missiles, cargo drones for Ukraine’s defense
Britain added anti-ship missiles, logistics drones and other key equipment to its list of military equipment heading to Ukraine, according to a May 3 speech by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Evacuees from Mariupol steel plant describe brutality of long siege
After a three-day-long evacuation from the steelworks under Russian siege, during which Ukrainian soldiers have been staging a dramatic last stand for weeks with hundreds of civilians also sheltering there, the first 100 civilians arrived 140 miles northwest in the relative safety of the town of Zaporizhzhia, and began to tell their stories.
Why is Ukraine’s Donbas region a target for Russian forces?
Russia is preparing to formally claim vast new swaths of Ukrainian territory, including the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, the United States said.
Chinese hackers cast wide net for trade secrets in US, Europe and Asia, researchers say
The hackers targeted blueprints for producing materials with broad applications to the pharmaceutical and aerospace sectors, according to Boston-based security firm Cybereason. The firm discovered the activity last year but said the hacking campaign dates to at least 2019, and it suggested that reams of data could have been stolen in the interim.
CIA instructs Russians on how to share secrets with the spy agency
The CIA published instructions for how Russians disaffected by the Ukraine war can covertly volunteer information using an encrypted conduit to the agency’s website.
Business
Pentagon finds hundreds of cyber vulnerabilities among contractors
A Department of Defense pilot program designed to root out digital vulnerabilities among contractors identified hundreds of flaws over the course of one year, organizers said.
Biden visits Lockheed plant as weapons stockpile strained
President Joe Biden on May 3 credited the assembly line workers at a Javelin missile plant for doing life-saving work in building the antitank weapons that are being sent to Ukraine to stifle Russia’s invasion as he made a pitch for Congress to approve $33 billion so the U.S. can continue to hustle aid to the front lines.
Defense
What overturning Roe v. Wade could mean for the US military
News that the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to overturn its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing federal protections for abortion rights means that many female service members and military families could soon live in parts of the country where the procedure will be illegal.
Army officer convicted in first known COVID court-martial
An officer who formerly served as the Army Public Health Center’s headquarters company commander was convicted by a special court-martial Friday of two specifications of violating lawful orders to comply with COVID-19 mitigation measures at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.
More enlisted airmen, guardians are eligible for bonus pay as staffing needs grow
Enlisted airmen and guardians in more than 60 career fields can earn some extra cash this year by extending their time in the service — a much broader retention push than in 2021.
Army could get its next-gen Precision Strike Missiles in FY27
Soldiers will receive the first increment of PrSM weapons in fiscal year 2023, but will get a more advanced version by fiscal year 2027.
Marine aviation plan invests heavily in digital glue to connect far-flung forces
The U.S. Marine Corps is expanding its vision of connectivity among aircraft and with ground units below, creating local networks to share situational awareness and targeting data even in communications-denied environments.
Air Force backtracks, now says it’s paying for KC-46 panoramic camera fix
The Air Force could not provide a cost estimate detailing what the service will pay in order to replace the KC-46’s panoramic sensors.
Veterans
Space Force’ is now official to the VA, but not everyone is on the same page
The Department of Veterans Affairs has officially recognized the Space Force as a branch of the military, nearly 2Ω years after the service was established.
Vets at schools with unusual calendars may be losing out on GI Bill money
Students attending classes at colleges with non-traditional semesters could lose out on thousands of dollars in GI Bill payments without fixes to how Veterans Affairs processes their education benefits, the department’s inspector general cautioned on May 3.