News
Ukraine victory unlikely this year, Milley says
Ukraine is unlikely to expel all Russian forces from its territory this year, the top U.S. officer said March 31, giving a grim reality check to the expressed goal and hopeful ambitions of policymakers, diplomats, and defense leaders from Washington to Kyiv.
Chaplains made part of Ukraine’s military as war drags on
To the haunting chants of a church choir in Kyiv’s 11th century Saint Sophia Cathedral, the first group of chaplains to join the Ukrainian military’s command structure graduated in a ceremony April 1.
Alabama Senator at center of military promotion delays plans vote to undo VA abortion policy
A senator who is delaying military promotions over the Pentagon’s abortion policy also expects to force a vote on the Department of Veterans Affairs’ own policy in the coming weeks, he told Military.com.
Business
Ingalls nabs $1.3B deal to build next San Antonio-class amphib ship
The U.S. Navy on March 31 awarded Ingalls Shipbuilding a $1.3 billion contract for the detailed design and construction of the next San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, just weeks after Navy and Marine Corps leaders got into a debate about the ship’s cost.
Execs at Austal, which builds LCSs for US Navy, indicted for fraud
Three current and former former executives of a shipbuilder that constructs vessels for the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard have been indicted on accounting fraud charges accusing them of falsely inflating the company’s reported earnings, federal prosecutors said.
Navy awards $619M to Raytheon for SPY-6 radar backfits for destroyers
The contract is part of a larger deal, cumulatively worth $3.2 billion, the Navy and Raytheon inked in 2022.
EU scrutinizes Emirati takeover of Estonian robotics firm
The European Commission is investigating the February takeover of Estonia’s Milrem, a company deeply rooted in the European Union’s defense robotics efforts, by an Emirati state-owned conglomerate.
Defense
Pandemic pounds push 10,000 Army soldiers into obesity
Increases were seen in the Navy and the Marines, too.
Air Force sent F-35s to defend NATO. Here’s what it learned
As Russia launched its offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, NATO’s eastern flank became an ideal proving ground for the F-35 Lightning II, officials with the 388th Fighter Wing here told Air Force Times during a recent visit.
Congress calls for more funding of Pentagon UFO office
Lawmakers have called to increase funding for the Pentagon’s unidentified aerial phenomena research office following the release of the Biden administration’s budget request.
Navy is eyeing missile-hauling drone boats as escorts for transport ships
The Navy is asking lawmakers to fund an experiment that would see the service slap surface-to-air missiles onto unmanned surface vessels (USVs) as a potential future defense for military transport ships underway, according to the service’s latest budget request.
Top Marine acknowledges mechanical issues with new amphibious vehicles
The Marine Corps’ top officer said March 28 the service is working through “a few notable challenges” in fielding its amphibious combat vehicle, including several mechanical issues and a training deficiency that he said led to last year’s string of mishaps.
Space Force seeking more narrowband communication satellites
The U.S. Space Force is moving forward with plans to buy two more Mobile User Objective System satellites, which provide secure narrowband communication for military users.
Veterans
VA rushes fix for payment problem before the rent is due
Veterans Affairs officials on March 31 announced they had resolved issues with delayed payments to hundreds of thousands of students, a move that potentially limits the financial fallout for those with rent and mortgage payments coming due.