News
Russia and China sent large naval patrol near Alaska
Four U.S. destroyers were dispatched to monitor Russian and Chinese ships.
Russia mounts a massive missile and drone attack against Ukraine
The Russian barrage came after a Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian tanker in the Black Sea near Crimea late Aug. 4.
DOD chief warns of disruptions as Army, Marines lack confirmed leaders
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that troop readiness and retention is at risk as the Army’s chief stepped down Friday, leaving the military’s two ground combat forces without Senate-confirmed leaders for the first time in history.
Defense Secretary releases plan to keep top jobs filled amid Senate blockade of promotions
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has laid out options to ensure key military jobs still get done as a standoff in the Senate over confirming senior military nominees shows no signs of ending any time soon.
Business
US Army greenlights armored vehicle for full-rate production
The U.S. Army last week approved the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle for full-rate production, a spokesperson for the service’s Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems told Defense News.
Pentagon’s embrace of startups could fuel hypersonic tech
When Joe Laurienti founded space propulsion company Ursa Major in 2015, he didn’t expect its first contract would come from a Pentagon hypersonics program.
Northrop opens hypersonic propulsion manufacturing facility
Northrop Grumman opened the doors to a new hypersonics manufacturing facility, designed to meet U.S. Department of Defense needs for high-speed propulsion systems.
Lockheed could adapt F-22 stealth fuel tanks for the F-35
The low-drag, stealthy fuel tanks and pylons Lockheed Martin is developing for the F-22 are potentially applicable to the F-35 as well, the head of Lockheedís Integrated Fighter Group told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Lockheed Could Adapt F-22 Stealth Fuel Tanks for Other Aircraft Like F-35
KC-46A tanker still has 6 category 1 deficiencies, but fixes are in the works: USAF official
Each KC-46A will take about two months to retrofit with a new vision system, according to the Air Force’s program lead, a fix that will address two of six remaining critical defects in Boeing’s Pegasus air refueling tanker.
US approves $395 million upgrade of Finland’s M270 rocket launchers
The U.S. government has approved the upgrade of Finland’s M270 multiple-launch rocket systems, a contract that would be worth up to $395 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in an Aug. 1 statement.
Italy signs nearly $1 billion deal to upgrade Ariete tanks
Italy has signed a contract worth Ä848.8 million (U.S. $928.3 million) with a local consortium to upgrade its aging tanks as the country watches the war playing out in nearby Ukraine.
Defense
Navy says destroyer deal helps two yards boost capacity at best pace
The U.S. Navy believes a pair of contracts it awarded this week for Arleigh Burke-class destroyers — covering as few as nine and as many as 15 ships over the next five years — is the best way to help two shipyards recover from challenges and increase their output.
New ‘air mobility teams’ can help USAF move faster — if the kinks get worked out
This summer’s massive, Pacific-focused Mobility Guardian 23 exercise helped showcase a new way to make air mobility more nimble — and also how the new idea can be improved, the head of the Air Expeditionary Center told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
New ‘Air Mobility Teams’ Can Help USAF Move Faster—If the Kinks Get Worked Out
Veterans
Veterans see historic expansion of benefits for toxic exposure
The first anniversary of the PACT Act, sweeping toxic exposure legislation expanding health and disability benefits for veterans, is Aug. 10.
Wounded Warrior Project membership continues to grow even as wars fade
Wounded Warrior Project adds about 70 new members each day, even though the last major U.S. combat operations ended years ago.
Veteran unemployment rate stays under 3% in still robust jobs market
The unemployment rate for veterans ticked up in July but remained at a historic low just under 3 percent as the economy added another 187,000 jobs in a sign of labor market resilience.
