News
Britain to train Ukraine combat fighter pilots
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has committed to training Ukrainian combat jet pilots, according to a statement made ahead of a Feb. 8 visit to London by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
NATO chief says US aid is ‘making a difference every day’ on battlefields in Ukraine
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Feb. 8 during a visit to the Pentagon that U.S. aid is doing a great deal to help defend Ukraine, but he stressed Western allies must provide all the weapons Ukrainians need to beat back Russian forces in a war that’s closing in on its one-year anniversary.
China has conducted spy balloon program for years, Pentagon says
A U.S. military fighter jet shot down a Chinese balloon off the South Carolina coast on Feb. 4.
Business
Lawmakers worry about weapons makers’ ability to meet demand
Lawmakers voiced worries on Feb. 8 about the health of the defense-industrial base in a House hearing where trade leaders said spending volatility and red tape make it tough for industry to surge capacity.
Maxar wins contract to provide satellite imagery to US allies
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency awarded Maxar Technologies a five-year contract to provide commercial satellite imagery to U.S. allies.
Defense companies need clear demand signal from Congress to improve production capacity, industry reps say
Years of continuing resolutions and defense budgets that are passed months after their due date hamper the industry’s capacity to build up the military’s arsenals quickly, according to representatives from aerospace, ship and defense companies.
Defense
New Futures Command chief shifts main effort to designing Army of 2040
The new head of Army Futures Command has shifted the organization’s focus from delivering a modernized force by 2030 to designing the Army of 2040, he said Feb. 8 at an Association of the U.S. Army breakfast.
Air Force ships 170,000 pounds of supplies along with rescue dogs and search teams to Turkey
The Air Force is shipping thousands of pounds of equipment and search-and-rescue teams from the U.S. to Incirlik Air Base to help assist people in Turkey following this week’s devastating earthquakes that have left more than 11,000 dead.
Space Force tracks debris after secretive Russian satellite breaks up in orbit
A Russian satellite known as Cosmos 2499 (sometimes referred to as Kosmos-2499) has broken up in orbit, creating dozens of new pieces of debris that will need to be tracked and avoided by spacecraft and other satellites.
Veterans
GOP relaunches bid to end VA abortion policy
Congressional Republicans have renewed an effort to overturn the Department of Veterans Affairs’ recently implemented abortion policy.
Two US Army veterans deported to Mexico win US citizenship
Both Army veterans, the two men were sworn in as U.S. citizens at a special naturalization ceremony in downtown San Diego.
