News

USS Nimitz heading to Middle East, defense official says
The U.S. Navy is moving the aircraft carrier Nimitz from the Indo-Pacific to the Middle East as regional tensions continue to boil between Israel and Iran, a defense official confirmed to Navy Times.

Supreme Court ruling gives extra payouts to some combat-wounded vets
Thousands of disabled veterans could be eligible for additional retroactive combat-related special compensation after the Supreme Court unanimously ruled last week that federal officials had unfairly capped those payments.

Tech execs enlist in Army Reserve for new innovation detachment
Four Silicon Valley technology executives from major companies are joining the U.S Army Reserve as officers to inject the speed and expertise of commercial technology development into military innovation through the newly established Detachment 201, an Executive Innovation Corps, the service announced Friday.

Ex-Syrian official claims Austin Tice was killed in 2013
The U.S. government is investigating claims by a former senior Syrian official that Marine veteran and freelance journalist Austin Tice was killed in Syria in 2013 at the order of then-President Bashar al-Assad.

The Army was the only life she knew. Trump’s trans ban cast her out.
Maj. Erica Vandal’s superiors called her “a superb officer.” The president said transgender soldiers like her lack the “honesty,” “humility” and “integrity” to serve.

Air Force

Boeing Air Force One work continues amid furor over Qatar plane
A top Boeing executive said the company is proceeding with work on a contract to build two new Air Force One jets amid a pending deal by President Donald Trump to accept a donated jet for the mission from Qatar.

American airmen in Japan test AI tool to streamline flight scheduling
American airmen in northeastern Japan are developing an artificial intelligence program aimed at streamlining the Air Force’s flight scheduling process, according to the 35th Fighter Wing.

Air Force’s bunker-buster bomb could take out Iran nuclear facility, but Israel hints at other options
The entire Israeli campaign to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons will be considered a failure if the spinning centrifuges deep underground at the Fordow enrichment facility south of Tehran are left untouched, the former head of U.S. Central Command said Monday.

Defense

Europeans rush drone-based radar jammers in effort to supplant US tech
European NATO countries are eyeing drones for airborne electromagnetic-warfare operations including radar jamming, a skill many of the continent’s air forces are currently lacking.

Paris Air Show organizers wall off booths of Israeli arms companies
The Paris Air Show began with a tense political note on Monday, as Israeli arms companies found their booths walled off with a black barrier in the morning.

Lockheed says new upgrade package for F-35 is ready
The TR-3 upgrade is more than two years late and has been plagued by software-development problems.