Headlines — February 26 - Aerotech News & Review

News

VA fires 1,400 more staffers in second round of workforce reductions
Veterans Affairs leaders dismissed more than 1,400 additional probationary employees on Monday evening, the second round of mass layoffs at the department this month.

VFW condemns federal layoffs as ‘indiscriminately harming’ veterans
The national leader of the Veterans of Foreign Wars criticized the ongoing mass layoffs of government employees, arguing that veterans — who account for nearly one-third of the federal workforce — are disproportionately affected.

Vet’s Capitol riot pardon covers separate weapons case: Prosecutors
The Justice Department has concluded that a military veteran’s presidential pardon for charges that he stormed the U.S. Capitol also extends to his separate conviction for illegally possessing stolen grenades and classified information, according to a court filing Tuesday.

This is what the classified AIM-260 missile actually looks like, Air Force confirms
The U.S. Air Force has confirmed that a recently released rendering of the AIM-260A does indeed reflect the actual design of what is also known as the Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM).

Musk seeks to use Starlink terminals in US airspace system
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is seeking to deploy Starlink satellite internet terminals to help accelerate an upgrade of the information technology networks that support the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s national airspace system, according to people familiar with the matter.

Air Force

Airman dead after shooting at Kirtland Air Force Base
A shooting at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday left one airman dead and another injured, according to a statement from the base.

Air Force budget cuts may open old wounds with Congress
The Air Force wants to accelerate its plans to retire old and outdated aircraft to meet Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s order for services to cut and reallocate a portion of their spending.

New report: A $45B ‘recovery plan’ for the Department of the Air Force
The “first priority” for President Donald Trump defense team to deliver “peace through strength” should be a major cash infusion to revitalize the Air Force and ensure the Space Force can deliver for all the other military branches, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.

US Air Force to explore Xona Space’s commercial alternative to GPS
California-based startup Xona Space Systems has been awarded a $4.6 million contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to demonstrate how its satellite-based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) service could support military operations, the company announced Feb. 25.

Air Force’s 2025 recruiting goals ‘all trending in the right direction’
The Air Force and Space Force are currently on track to meet their fiscal 2025 recruiting goals, the Department of the Air Force’s top recruiting official said, keeping up a hot streak after several challenging years.

Space Force

Wargaming the unknown: The Space Force’s challenge in preparing for a war no one has fought
Military planners have centuries of battlefield history to draw from when wargaming conflicts on land, at sea, and in the air. But in space — where no war has ever been waged — there is no historical precedent to guide strategy, no past battles to analyze, and no proven playbook for how a conflict might unfold.

Defense

Give carmakers a shot at making weapons, deputy defense secretary nominee says
U.S. manufacturers beyond the traditional defense prime contractors—like carmakers—should get Defense Department money to take a crack at building weapons, even at the expense of near-term competition, President Trump’s nominee to be the Pentagon’s No. 2 civilian leader said Tuesday.