News
US to send bridge-launching vehicles for tank deployments to Ukraine in new $400M aid package
The U.S. is sending Ukraine another $400 million in arms and equipment from its military stockpiles, including armored vehicles that can launch bridges for rapid tank deployments, defense officials announced March 3.
Two Ukrainian pilots are in the US for training assessment on attack aircraft, including F-16s
The Ukrainians’ skills are being evaluated on simulators at a U.S. military base in Tucson, Ariz., the officials said.
Business
Come test your gear against Russian forces, Ukrainians urge US defense firms
That’s just one request by special operators at a SOF conference in Florida.
SDA taps Raytheon for seven more missile-tracking satellites
Space Development Agency has added another batch of missile-tracking satellites to its expansive constellation, awarding Raytheon a $250 million contract March 2 to build seven spacecraft.
SPACECOM plans new, unified ‘Commercial Integration Office’ to work with private firms
The new office will coordinate the commercial cooperation activities of the Joint Task Force-Space Defense at Schriever SFB in Colorado and the Combined Force Space Component Command at Vandenberg SFB in California.
Sweden to investigate C-130H replacement options after ‘quotation from industry’ thrown out
Stockholm had previously planned on carrying out a mid-life upgrade to extend the life of the C-130H fleet out to 2030, before deciding on the Italian second hand aircraft plan.
Defense
Perennial pilot shortage puts Air Force in precarious position
The Air Force’s pilot corps is shrinking.
Army secretary wants to persuade schools to welcome recruiters
Army recruiters struggling to meet enlistment goals say one of their biggest hurdles is getting back into high schools.
Army to seek multiyear munitions buys in next budget
The U.S. Army’s 2024 budget will request authority to buy more munitions in bulk over multiple years as the U.S. and its allies work to refill their inventories and help Ukraine’s forces defend themselves.
Issues with the Army’s Europe-based equipment trigger readiness alarms
Army equipment issued from pre-positioned stock sites immediately after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine did not meet maintenance standards, the Pentagon’s Inspector General stated in a report released this week.
F-22s deploy to Tinian for first time as part of ACE exercise
For the first time, F-22s have deployed to the U.S. territory of Tinian, a small island around 100 miles north of the American military hub of Guam.
Veterans
Veterans, others who helped in Afghanistan evacuation honored at White House
Veterans and other volunteers who helped evacuate Afghans after Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021, as well as a group of Afghan refugees, were honored at a private White House event March 2.