Defense NewsWed 21st Apr

US troops, dollars exiting Afghanistan could fight terror, top commander tells Congress

WASHINGTON ― The top U.S. commander in the Mideast told lawmakers Tuesday some troops exiting Afghanistan will stay in the region for counter-terror operations and suggested some could be a “lever” against Russia and China.

Breaking DefenseTue 20th Apr

No 5-Year POM Likely In DoD’s 2022 Budget

The annual Future Years Defense Plan is a key piece of forward-looking planning that helps Congress and the defense industry gain a degree of transparency into the Pentagon’s acquisition plans and priorities. The POM also helps the military get a clearer idea of how it will make its strategy real. While the absence of the POM may create some friction on Capitol Hill, it is hardly out of the ordinary.

The War ZoneTue 20th Apr

Put Bombers Back On Nuclear Alert If ICBM Force Gets Slashed: Strategic Command Boss

The boss of U.S. Strategic Command, Admiral Charles A. Richard, has told Senators that if the U.S. scraps its intercontinental ballistic missiles, he would recommend that Air Force bombers go back on nuclear alert duty. The disclosure came during a testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee today in which Richard also specifically warned about the risk that adversaries might see nuclear weapons as their “least bad option” in future conflicts.

Breaking DefenseTue 20th Apr

STRATCOM Head Tells Hill He’s ‘Confident’ In NC3 Cybersecurity

“Fundamentally, I am confident in our NC3 cyber-resiliency,” Adm. Charles Richard told the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) today during a joint hearing with Space Command head Gen. James Dickinson. “It exists in relative isolation. It has tremendous redundancy. It gets the best intelligence.”

Breaking DefenseTue 20th Apr

White House Winds Down SolarWinds, Exchange Cyber Teams

“We are standing down the current [Unified Coordination Groups] surge efforts and will be handling further responses through standard incident management procedures,” Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, said in a prepared statement.

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

First T-7A Aft Section Delivered To Boeing Assembly Line

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

Widened Policy Dims Boeing’s Hopes For Canadian Contracts

Defense NewsTue 20th Apr

French A400M completes helicopter-refueling drills

PARIS – France has recently completed a series of test flights to move forward with certification of the A400M’s capability to refuel helicopters during flight, day and night.

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

New Russian ISS Module Targeted For July 15 Launch

Defense NewsTue 20th Apr

U.S. military nudges European allies on countering small drones

COLOGNE, Germany – The U.S. military is trying to push its European allies to boost their capabilities against small unmanned aerial vehicles, as Western forces absorb lessons from the conflict last year in Nagorno-Karabakh, dubbed the first true “drone war.”

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

French MOD Confident Of Imminent FCAS Agreement

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

Space Command Identifies New Chinese Space-Based Weapon

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

ESA Bets On Automation, Coordination To Avoid Space Debris

Overt DefenseTue 20th Apr

Chad’s President Idriss Déby Killed After Clash With Rebels

Chad’s military announced today that the country’s president of over 30 years, Idriss Déby, has died after being injured during a visit to troops fighting rebels in the north of the African country.

Breaking DefenseTue 20th Apr

OMFV: Why Small Biz MettleOps Has A Shot

The Michigan-based, veteran-owned small business has never built a vehicle, acknowledges Mettle Ops program manager P.J. McMullen. But the company, and McMullen personally, have extensive experience in vehicle engineering, he told me, especially with a pair of recent Army contracts studying survivability against a wide range of warheads and other threats. And it’s already brought together a world-class team of experts and partner firms for OMFV: “We feel very good about our team,” he said, though he’s not yet naming any names.

Defense NewsTue 20th Apr

US bombers could go back on alert if ICBMs are curtailed, top general says

WASHINGTON — If the Defense Department is forced to get rid of its intercontinental ballistic missiles, it will have to move its bombers to alert status to pick up the slack, the head of U.S. Strategic Command said Tuesday.

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

SpaceX Crew-2 Cleared For April 22 Launch

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

F-15s, F-16s, C-130s Deploy for Exercise in Poland

USAF F-15s, F-16s, and C-130s are training in Poland in an agile combat employment exercise that comes as Russia executes a massive buildup on the border with neighboring Ukraine, though U.S. officials say the exercise was long-planned.

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

Offutt Recon Jet Stars in Russian Facebook

An Offutt-based RC-135V reconnaissance plane has been flying daily missions off of Russia’s Pacific coast for the past week — and the Russian military is letting the world know.

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

Nikon Takes Over 3D-Printing Startup Morf3D

Defense NewsTue 20th Apr

US Army bracing for budget hit next year

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is bracing for a possibly large budget cut in fiscal 2022, a defense official told Defense News.

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

UK Study Envisions Distributed Aviation Concept

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

Human Return To Moon In 2024 ‘Highly Unlikely,’ NASA IG Audit Says

Defense NewsTue 20th Apr

A cyber tool that started at DARPA moves to Cyber Command

WASHINGTON — A critical cyber tool, one that could help military commanders make better decisions during cyber operations and has been in development for many years, has officially transitioned to U.S. Cyber Command.

Defense NewsTue 20th Apr

US Navy uses cloud more to get software tools to ships faster

The U.S. Navy’s shipboard network team wants to deliver software to sailors faster. To get there it’s looking to the cloud.

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

Russia Prepares To Flight-Test Superconducting Electric Propulsion

Defense NewsTue 20th Apr

Parsons gets first new CEO in 13 years

WASHINGTON — The Parsons Corporation board of directors has selected Carey Smith, the company’s Chief Operations Officer, to become its next top executive.

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

Singapore Declares MRTT Fleet Fully Operational 

Overt DefenseTue 20th Apr

US Army Seeking Mines That Strike Vehicles from Above

After decades of tanks being blown up by driving over mines scattered on the ground, being a tank driver has apparently gotten rather boring. Thus, in a bid to make war more exciting, the US army is now seeking to acquire mines that attack enemy vehicles from above. Upon detecting enemy vehicles, this new “top attack” anti-tank mine would fire submunitions up into the air which would then promptly rain death and destruction down on the enemy. The new anti-tank weapons should be able to engage targets as far as fifty meters away.

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

Team Launches Effort To Certify Electric Beaver Retrofit

Breaking DefenseTue 20th Apr

No Cloud Is An Island

However, moving from an on-prem data center to the cloud is not a fire-and-forget proposition. Detecting and preventing the misconfigurations and threats that lead to data breaches and compliance violations is growing ever more difficult as cloud architectures become increasingly complex. As organizations scale their cloud footprints to include hybrid and multi-cloud architectures, they need to ensure that both their cloud infrastructure and cloud native applications are secure.

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

F-16s Flew South China Sea Mission Fully Loaded

The four U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets that recently flew a mission over the highly contested South China Sea were photographed landing at their home base, Yokota Air Base in Japan, at the end of their return flight. The images confirm that these jets were armed for counter-air operations with a heavy load of live air-to-air missiles. The jets’ appearance in the South China Sea last week coincided with the biggest presence of People’s Liberation Army aircraft in Taiwan’s southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in recent times: 25 aircraft in all.

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

Task Force of B-52s Deploy to Andersen

Four B-52s deployed to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on April 17 in the latest Pacific bomber task force mission.

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

SOCOM Keeps Pushing for New 'Armed Overwatch' Aircraft

Despite hurdles, Air Force Special Operations Command is still gung-ho about purchasing a replacement for its U-28A Draco manned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform that will also be able to offer air support to commandos on the ground in austere regions.

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

America's Mission in Afghanistan Isn't Accomplished

On Wednesday, President Biden announced the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, declaring that “it’s time for American troops to come home.” In his remarks, Biden rightly said the purpose of sending U.S. forces has been “to ensure Afghanistan would not be used as a base from which to attack our homeland again.” But he is dangerously wrong in suggesting U.S. forces are no longer needed in Afghanistan to accomplish that objective.

Overt DefenseTue 20th Apr

Afghanistan Pullback Sparks Concern Over Future of Afghan Interpreters

As the 11 September, 2021 deadline has finally been set for the US exit from Afghanistan and American allies are preparing to pull out as well, the future of Afghan interpreters has become one of the most pressing moral issues surrounding the withdrawal. Thousands of Afghans have served Western forces in a variety of roles such as construction workers, drivers and security staff. Now, they and their families are at risk of Taliban retaliation.

Aviation ListTue 20th Apr

USAF Deploys Major Fighter Component to Poland

Twenty F-15s and four F-16s belonging to the U.S. Air Force deployed to Poland on Apr. 19, 2021. The two dozen USAF fighters arrived at Łask (EPLK) and Krzesiny (EPKS) airbases from where they will operate within the framework of an Agile Combat Employment exercise during Aviation Detachment Rotation (AvRot) 21-2. The F-15s, both E and C models, come from RAF Lakenheath, UK, and belong to the 48th Fighter Wing, whilst the F-16s are assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron, 52nd Fighter Wing, Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

Breaking DefenseTue 20th Apr

New Army Lab Tests Joint Tech: Project Convergence

Gen. James McConville

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

D.C. Requests More National Guard Support

WASHINGTON — The Army is reviewing a request made by the city government more than a week ago to provide additional support from the D.C. National Guard in the event that large-scale protests erupt after the verdict from the Derek Chauvin trial is announced, officials said Monday at a news briefing with Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

The Air Force's Bad Bets on Pilot Retention

Despite the pandemic, the Air Force is still short of pilots, thanks to low retention and strong airline hiring. Before COVID-19 reached the United States, the Air Force had a deficit of more than 2,000 pilots, requiring $15 billion to train replacements. The pandemic temporarily paused airline hiring to the Air Force’s relief, reducing pilot losses, but Covid-19 also hampered pilot training, leaving the overall shortage almost unchanged. Instead of using the reprieve as an opportunity to try bolder retention initiatives, the Air Force recently placed a large wager against airline recovery and renewed airline pilot hiring. Its bet against prevailing macroeconomic trends shows that the Air Force has a brewing personnel issue so severe that outside intervention is now required. 

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

U.S. Naval Intrusion Exposes India's Political Weakness

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

Clausewitz and the Phantoms of War Without Victory

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

Assessing the New Cold War With China

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

Biden's Defense Budget Squeeze

President Biden’s budget proposal includes record spending for nearly every corner of government, but there’s one big exception: national defense. Even as global threats rise, notably from China, Mr. Biden is squeezing the Pentagon.

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

Recommendations for the Nuclear Policy Bookshelf

As the Biden Administration sets its national security priorities, important decisions about nuclear weapons loom. The President faces questions about the scope and extent of arms control agreements, revisions to the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review policy document, and even the continuation of the Triad (in other words, whether the U.S. should field nuclear forces on land, sea, and air).

Real Clear DefenseTue 20th Apr

Reducing U.S. Reliance on Nuclear Weapons While Others Do Not

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

MightyFly Targets Autonomous Air Logistics Market

Defence BlogTue 20th Apr

Rheinmetall, Northrop Grumman to cooperate on enhanced range artillery ammunition field

German defense group Rheinmetall announced on Tuesday that it formalized an agreement with U.S. Defense giant Northrop Grumman Corp. to cooperate in the field of precision-guided enhanced range artillery ammunition.

Defence BlogTue 20th Apr

Belarus increases military activity across the country

Belarus is stepping up military activity over the country across the country amid continuing to deteriorate relations with neighboring countries and NATO.

Defence BlogTue 20th Apr

Pentagon raise concerns over Russian military build-up on the border with Ukraine

Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby has released a statement expressing concern that Kremlin’s military build-up on the border with Ukraine is even bigger than in 2014 when Russia invaded Crimea.

Defence BlogTue 20th Apr

Colombian fighters intercepts Il-96 aircraft of Russia’s main security agency

The Colombian Air Force scrambled jet fighters to intercept Ilyushin Il-96-400VPU aircraft with tail number RA-96104 assigned to Russia’s main security agency, or FSB.

Defence BlogTue 20th Apr

Boeing receives $79.4M for support for Japanese KC-46A tankers

American plane-maker Boeing has won a sole-source, $79,4 million deal for KC-46A long-lead spares, initial spares and support equipment from the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, according to an Apr. 19 Pentagon announcement.

Defence BlogTue 20th Apr

U.S. Navy awards contract to Huntington Ingalls for amphibious assault ship LHA 9

The U.S. Department of Defense and Huntington Ingalls Industries announced on Monday an agreement worth about $107,1 million for long lead-time material (LLTM) for amphibious assault ship LHA 9. 

Aviation WeekTue 20th Apr

Mars Ingenuity To Be Pushed To Limits After Flawless First Flight

The War ZoneTue 20th Apr

We Talk F-15EX’s New Radar With The Woman Who Runs The Program Behind It

The Air Force's induction of the F-15EX into its ranks has made a lot of buzz as of late. It's amazing just how fast the aircraft and the acquisition initiative that supported it became a reality. Just over two and a half years after The War Zone broke the story on the concept's existence, the first jet wearing USAF markings landed at Eglin AFB in Florida and got named the Eagle II.

The War ZoneMon 19th Apr

Japan-Based USAF F-16s Flew South China Sea Mission Fully Loaded With Live Air-To-Air Missiles

The four U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets that recently flew a mission over the highly contested South China Sea were photographed landing at their home base, Yokota Air Base in Japan, at the end of their return flight. The images confirm that these jets were armed for counter-air operations with a heavy load of live air-to-air missiles. The jets’ appearance in the South China Sea last week coincided with the biggest presence of People’s Liberation Army aircraft in Taiwan’s southwest air defense identification zone (ADIZ) in recent times: 24 aircraft in all.

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

Next ISS Crew’s Agenda Includes Solar Power Upgrade

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

U.S. Army OKs Tactical Space Layer Rapid Development

Breaking DefenseMon 19th Apr

Why Putin Threatens Ukraine

Vladimir Putin

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

New Bill Proposes Lengthy Review For UAE F-35 Deal

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

PE Investors Trade Ownership Of Supplier Arch Precision Components

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

The Weekly Debrief: Air-launched, SM-6-like Missile Exposed In New Test Photo

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

Europe Moves To Better Understand Supersonic Aircraft Impacts

Breaking DefenseMon 19th Apr

Norway, US Bolster Russian Sub Watching With New Bases

The Supplementary Defense Cooperation Agreement will allow the US to build infrastructure at three air bases and a navy facility along the Norwegian coast to bolster American and NATO allied operations in the Arctic and North Atlantic.

Breaking DefenseMon 19th Apr

OMFV: Korea’s Hanwha Is Officially In

That means the competition to build a future Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) now spans five countries on three continents. Confirmed competitors include

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

Volocopter To Trial Cargo eVTOL In Germany

Defense NewsMon 19th Apr

Biden selects first woman four-star admiral for the Coast Guard

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden plans to nominate Coast Guard Vice Adm. Linda Fagan to the role of vice commandant, making her the first woman to achieve a fourth-star in the service, Defense News has learned.

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

Diehl Aviation Changes CEO; Eyes Sustainability, UAM Products

Rainer von Borstel, the CEO of aircraft systems and cabin interiors provider Diehl Aviation since 2010, will retire this month and Josef Köcher, who recently joined as COO, will succeed him, the company announced April 19.

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

QinetiQ Adds Helicopters To Test Pilot School Fleet

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

German Eurofighters Receive Meteor Missile Upgrade

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

Skydweller Tests Systems For Unmanned Solar Impulse 2

Defense NewsMon 19th Apr

US Army picks 5 innovators to help increase its howitzer firing rate

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has picked five small business innovators to build prototypes intended to help increase the rate of fire of self-propelled howitzers as well as in future systems, Brig. Gen. John Rafferty, who is in charge of the service’s Long-Range Precision Fires modernization efforts, told Defense News on April 15.

Overt DefenseMon 19th Apr

Czech Republic Accuses GRU Of 2014 Ammunition Depot Explosion

The Czech Republic has ordered 18 Russian diplomats identified as GRU and SVR intelligence operatives to leave the country, after Prime Minister Andrej Babis said late on 17 April, that there was “unequivocal evidence” of GRU involvement in an October 2014 explosion at an ammunition depot in Vrbětice, in the east of the country.

Breaking DefenseMon 19th Apr

DARPA Nuke Sat To Target Cislunar Monitoring Mission

While cislunar surveillance doesn’t require nuclear-propulsion, such a spacecraft could move more rapidly into position to monitor targets of interest. It might also mean the spacecraft would be able to remain active for a longer period thanks to the fuel.

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

Amazon Buys Nine Launches From ULA For Kuiper Project

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

Nonprofit Partnership Forges Carbon Mapping Initiative

Defense NewsMon 19th Apr

Japan’s first Global Hawk begins flying at Northrop’s California drone hub

MELBOURNE, Australia – The first Northrop-Grumman RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned aircraft destined for Japan took its maiden flight in the United States last week, as the Asian country ramps up its intelligence gathering capability to monitor North Korean and Chinese military activities.

The War ZoneMon 19th Apr

One Small Leap For A Drone Helicopter On Mars, One Giant Step For Mankind

NASA has successfully flown its Ingenuity helicopter drone on Mars after it arrived on the Red Planet slung under the belly of the Perseverance Rover vehicle, which touched down in February. Aloft for less than a minute, this is nonetheless the first time that an aircraft has achieved a powered, lift-borne, controlled flight on a planet other than our own. 

Defence BlogMon 19th Apr

Hanwha, Oshkosh team for U.S. Army’s future ground combat vehicle competition

South Korea’s Hanwha Defense has forged a team with U.S. military vehicle maker Oshkosh Corp. to compete in the U.S. Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) competition, according to an April 19 company statement.

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

Airbus Closes In On A400M Helicopter Refueling Certification

Overt DefenseMon 19th Apr

Elbit Systems Awarded $1.65 Billion Contract To Operate Greek International Flight Training Center

Elbit Systems announced 18 March, that it had been awarded a contract for the establishment and operation of the International Flight Training Center of the Hellenic Air Force, as part of the biggest defense agreement to date between the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the Hellenic Ministry of National Defense. The contract, valued at approximately $1.65 billion, will be performed over a time period of approximately 20 years, and will include price indexation.

Breaking DefenseMon 19th Apr

Naval Academy Champs Talk NSA’s NCX

BD: Was this the first time you participated in NCX?

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

Israel, Greece Ink Fast Jet Training School Contract 

Breaking DefenseMon 19th Apr

OMFV: GD Emphasizes AI & Adaptability For Bradley Replacement

At this early stage in its Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program, the Army is not asking for a detailed design, or even a rough concept for a specific vehicle. Instead, General Dynamics OMFV director Ray Kiernan told me in an interview, the Army wants companies to come up with a flexible approach that explores a wide range of possibilities – the state of the art and the art of the possible in armored vehicle design.

Overt DefenseMon 19th Apr

US to Build Additional Military Infrastructure in Norway

On 16 April, Norway announced that it has revised an agreement with the United States on how American military activities in Norway are regulated. Under the revised agreement, the US will be allowed to build its own facilities in Norway but not independent military bases.  Plans currently include the construction of additional infrastructure on three Norwegian airports at Rygge, Sola and Evenes and at Ramsund naval station. Two of these locations are in southern Norway; two are in the north. Norwegian defense minister Frank Bakke-Jensen listed a hangar for a US-operated P-8 Poseidon aircraft as a possible example of the facilities that will be built.

Overt DefenseMon 19th Apr

L3Harris To Supply Modular Open Systems Approach For OMFV Lynx

L3Harris Technologies has signed a teaming agreement with American Rheinmetall Vehicles to jointly develop Rheinmetall’s Lynx infantry fighting vehicle for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program, which intends to select a replacement for the US Army’s current Bradley Fighting Vehicles. L3Harris joins Raytheon and Allison Transmissions in their partnership in developing an advanced, yet “low-risk and easily upgradable” variant of the Lynx for the program.

Defense NewsMon 19th Apr

How will the DoD’s next multibillion-dollar IT contract fare after messy JEDI deal?

Consider these two quotes about two contracts the Department of Defense says are key to modernizing networks and advancing its computing power:

Aviation WeekMon 19th Apr

NASA Demonstrates Powered Flight On Mars

Aviation ListMon 19th Apr

Force Multiplier: We Refuel F-35s, Tornado, Typhoons and Another KC-767 During Mission With Italian Air Force Tanker

The Italian Air Force (Aeronautica Militare) operates a fleet of four Boeing KC-767A Tanker/Transport aircraft. The KC-767s are assigned to the 14° Stormo (Wing) based at Pratica di Mare airbase, near Rome, and flown by the 8° Gruppo (Squadron). The 767s are among the most in-demand assets of the Italian Air Force: while their primary role is AAR (Air-to-Air Refueling), the KC-767A, in both Cargo, Combi and Full Pax configurations, can be used for strategic transport missions as well as MEDEVAC (Medical Evacuation) or Bio-Containment missions. The latter have become particularly important last year, with the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, when the wide-bodies carried out both repatriation flights of Italian citizens stranded abroad by the first wave of lockdowns, and biosafety containment missions of Covid-19 patients.

Defence BlogSun 18th Apr

U.S. Air Force awards mysterious contract to Lockheed Martin for high altitude platforms

Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier Lockheed Martin Corp was awarded a mysterious contract from the U.S. Air Force for various high altitude platforms, according to the U.S. Department of Defense contract announcements.

Aviation WeekSun 18th Apr

New Bill Proposes Lengthy Review For UAE F-35 Deal

Defence BlogSun 18th Apr

Russian fighter jet again intercept U.S. Air Force RC-135 spy plane

Russian MiG-31 Foxhound fighter jet intercepted U.S. Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft over the Pacific Ocean along the southeastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Defence BlogSun 18th Apr

Russia deploys A-50 airborne early warning aircraft on western border

Data acquired by plane-tracking site FlightRadar confirms redeployment of at least two Russian A-50 Aerial Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the country’s western border.

Defence BlogSun 18th Apr

Russia denies aggressive intentions that Ukraine fears

Senior Russian politicians have denied his country has any aggressive intentions in relation to Ukraine, saying that all its large-scale military exercises are aimed only at strengthening the country’s defense.

Defence BlogSun 18th Apr

First rendering of BAE Systems’ OMFV emerges in social media

Global defense company BAE Systems has revealed the rendering of its proposal for the Army’s new infantry vehicle – the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle.

Aviation ListSun 18th Apr

Check Out This Dramatic Video of a TBM Avenger Ditching Yesterday at Cocoa Beach Airshow.

Spectators captured dramatic video of the Valiant Air Command’s new Grumman TBM Avenger ditching (making an emergency water landing) on Saturday Apr. 17, 2021, at the Cocoa Beach Air Show in Florida. There were no injuries reported in the impressive display of airmanship by the TBM Avenger pilot.

Aviation WeekSat 17th Apr

Mars Helicopter Flight Test Reset For Early Monday

Aviation ListSat 17th Apr

First Flight of Japan’s RQ-4B Global Hawk

On Apr. 15, 2021, the first RQ-4B Global Hawk UAV (Unmanned Air Vehicle) destined to the JASDF (Japan Air Self-Defense Force) successfully completed its first flight from Northrop Grumman plant at Palmdale, California.

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

Biden Delegation Pledges U.S. Support for Taiwan Self-Defense

An unofficial delegation led by former Senator Chris Dodd completed a three-day visit to Taiwan in a show of support from the Biden administration.

Defence BlogSat 17th Apr

Hundreds of military helicopters scare Russians

Social media has been flooded with videos and photos of a huge number of low-flying military helicopters in almost the whole of Russia.

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

U.S. Marine Corps To Release Updated Force Design 2030 Report

At the end of March, 2021, Naval News asked the U.S. Marine Corps several questions related to Force Design 2030 and if the divestments in U.S. Marine Legacy armor and artillery will be replaced with

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

A Resurrected First Fleet Is the Weapon the Navy Needs

When former Navy Secretary Kenneth Braithwaite first pitched the idea to resurrect a numbered fleet in the Pacific that hasn't been active in nearly 50 years, not everyone was on board.

Aviation WeekSat 17th Apr

U.S., Russian ISS Trio Returns to Earth in Kazakhstan

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

Biden Can Redeem His Mistake

In 1975, he failed to see what America owed the Vietnamese who had bet their lives on American promises.

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

Navy to Commission USS Oakland

The Navy over the weekend will commission a new Littoral Combat Ship, the Pentagon announced.

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

Army Gets BAE, GD Designs for Bradley Replacement

BAE’s press release features a shadowy silhouette of a previously unseen vehicle. Could this be BAE’s proposal for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle?

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

Jolly Green II Finishes Developmental Test

The Air Force’s next combat rescue helicopter, the HH-60W Jolly Green II, concluded 23 months of developmental testing on April 13.

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

Marines Just Gave Us a Preview of How They Would Fight China

The Marine Corps recently released the official manual for their new Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations strategy, the tentative first edition of which can be read here.

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

Norway To Allow U.S. Military To Build on Its Soil in New Accord

Norway, which shares a short border with giant neighbour Russia, said on Friday it has signed a revised agreement with the United States on how to regulate U.S. military activity on its soil.

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

Why Is Tension Rising in Ukraine?

It is a reminder that Vladimir Putin calls the shots

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

House Panel Considers U.S. Policy Options in Syria

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

South Korea on North Korea: Keep On Keeping On

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

A New Frontier in Global Competition

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

Ensure our Armed Forces Can Communicate Securely

Real Clear DefenseSat 17th Apr

Advisor to Russian Defense Minister Warns of 'Mental War'

Defence BlogSat 17th Apr

XTEND delivers counter-drone interceptors to U.S. military

Xtend, an Israeli startup, announced that it is providing counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) technologies for U.S. military and defense entities.

The War ZoneSat 17th Apr

Bunker Talk: Let's Chat About All The Stories We Did And Didn't Cover This Week

Welcome to Bunker Talk. This is a weekend open discussion post for the best commenting crew on the net, in which we can chat about all the stuff that went on this week that we didn't cover. We can also talk about the stuff we did. In other words, it's literally an off-topic thread.

Defence BlogSat 17th Apr

Japan’s first RQ-4B drone completes maiden flight

Japanese first RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned air vehicle completed its maiden flight, marking a major milestone for the international program.

Defence BlogSat 17th Apr

Northrop Grumman secures $99M contract for Advanced Hawkeye aircraft for France

Defense giant Northrop Grumman Corp. won an additional $99 million for three E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft ordered by France, the Defense Department announced this week.

The War ZoneSat 17th Apr

Project FoX Brings Tablet-Based Apps To F-35 Stealth Fighter Cockpits

The U.S. Air Force has, for the first time, live-streamed data directly from the F-35A stealth fighter and onto a commercial computer tablet in the cockpit, during ground tests at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. The March 31 trial, part of the Fighter Optimization eXperiment, or FoX, demonstrated that data from the jet could be used to communicate with mobile apps running on the tablet and there are hopes that the same concept could be used in the future on other manned fighters, as well as drones.

Aviation WeekFri 16th Apr

NASA Awards Lunar Human Landing System To SpaceX

Aviation WeekFri 16th Apr

Northrop Grumman Flies Japan’s First RQ-4 UAS

Defense NewsFri 16th Apr

Naval Group delivers French frigate with bolstered capabilities

PARIS — Naval Group has delivered the FREMM Alsace, the first multimission frigate with enhanced air defense capabilities, to the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation, which received it April 16 in the Mediterranean port of Toulon on behalf of the French Navy.

Aviation WeekFri 16th Apr

SpaceX Crew-2 Arrives For Launch From KSC

Breaking DefenseFri 16th Apr

Navy, Marines Push Plans To Transform How They Fight

On Monday, the Navy’s 3rd Fleet kicks off its first Unmanned Integrated Battle Problem 21 off the coast of California; a Zumwalt destroyer will command and control a variety of unmanned ships and aircraft.

Defense NewsFri 16th Apr

Don’t sell arms to the Philippines

Given its location in the South China Sea and its utility as a place to station American forces, the Philippines has long been able to count on American military support as a deterrent to antagonism from China. Historically, this support has included a steady flow of arms transfers.

Defense NewsFri 16th Apr

Mara Karlin selected to lead Pentagon strategy office

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has selected Mara Karlin, a well-known figure in Washington defense circles, to serve as assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans and capabilities, the White House announced Friday.

The War ZoneFri 16th Apr

A B-1B Bomber Suffered Significant Engine Damage While Deployed To Norway

One of the U.S. Air Force's B-1B bombers that took part in a historic deployment to Norway earlier this year suffered significant engine damage while in that country in a mishap that has not been previously reported. That incident is directly linked to a decision by the leadership of the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base in Texas to relieve a maintenance squadron commander there "due to loss of confidence" in their ability to command.

Aviation WeekFri 16th Apr

EHang Developing Larger eVTOL Air Taxi And Piloted Version Of EH216

Breaking DefenseFri 16th Apr

Next DoD Counter-Drone Demo May Expand Kill Options

“We’re keeping all options on the table,” Army Col. Greg Soulé, director of acquisition & resources at the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aerial Systems Office (JCO), told reporters today.

Defense NewsFri 16th Apr

US senators propose roadblock for F-35 sale to UAE

WASHINGTON ― A duo of Democratic senators offered a bill Friday that could block Washington’s sale of F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates after the Biden administration acknowledged it was advancing the Trump-era deal.

Breaking DefenseFri 16th Apr

US Should Work With UN To Secure 5G Spectrum: DoD Deputy CIO

“Let’s talk about partnerships. We must continue to optimize our engagement with the UN International Telecommunications Union world radio conference to ensure spectrum policies are favorable to US economic, science, and national security interests,” Moorefield said.

Defence BlogFri 16th Apr

Kazakhstan’s Su-30 fighter crashes over Balkhash

The Kazakhstan Air Defense Forces (KADF) Sukhoi Su-30 Flanker multi-role combat aircraft has crashed in Balkhash, in southeastern Kazakhstan.

Breaking DefenseFri 16th Apr

Enabling Connectivity In Air Force Hangars, Bunkers And Flight Lines

In short, the Air Force needs to establish a Flight Line of the Future.

Defense NewsFri 16th Apr

German defense minister vows to keep fighting for armed drones

COLOGNE, Germany – German Defense Secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer says she would continue to push for armed drones in the Bundeswehr, after lawmakers this week insisted on keeping the Franco-German “Eurodrone” weaponless for now.

Defense NewsFri 16th Apr

Britain’s top general is unhappy about US Afghanistan withdrawal plans

LONDON – Britain’s top soldier has voiced his dismay at the announcement by U.S. President Joe Biden that American troops were being pulled out of Afghanistan.

The War ZoneFri 16th Apr

Fire Ravaged USS Bonhomme Richard Starts Its Death March To The Scrapper

What’s left of the U.S. Navy’s former amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard was seen being taken under tow yesterday, headed from Naval Base San Diego, California, to its eventual destination — the International Shipbreaking Limited facility in Brownsville, on the Texas coast. The ship, also known by its hull number LHD-6, suffered a fire that raged for days last year, causing a massive amount of damage, leading to the decision to decommission and scrap it, a process that is estimated will cost around $30 million. 

Aviation ListFri 16th Apr

Watch A Russian Navy Il-38N “Dolphin” Load A Superlarge Sea Bottom Mine For Anti-Submarine Warfare Exercise

Russian Navy Il-38 and Il-38N “Dolphin” (NATO reporting name “May”) Anti-Submarine Warfare and Maritime Patrol Aircraft have recently taken part in an ASW exercise held in the Avacha Bay, a Pacific Ocean bay on the southeastern coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, in Russia’s Far East.

Breaking DefenseFri 16th Apr

Who’s Who in Defense: Mike Rounds, Ranking Member, SASC Cybersecurity Subcommittee

Legislative Committees

Defense NewsFri 16th Apr

Three industry teams demonstrate capability to destroy small drones at Yuma

WASHINGTON — Three vendors demonstrated capabilities to destroy small drones using low-collateral effects interceptors at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, earlier this month as part of a bigger Pentagon effort to develop enduring systems capable of combating the growing and evolving threat, an Army official told Defense News in an April 15 interview.

Breaking DefenseFri 16th Apr

ERCA: Army Contracts To Help New Cannon ‘Fire Faster’

While the Armaments Center autoloader aims to automate the whole loading process, Fire Faster cherry-picks specific portions of that process to see if smaller and more focused upgrades might give more bang (literally) for the Army’s buck. Neither approach will be ready in time for the first battalion of 18 Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) prototypes to enter field testing in 2023, but the Army hopes to move beyond manual loading as early as 2025.

Overt DefenseFri 16th Apr

BAE Systems and Oshkosh Will Provide US Army with Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle Prototypes

The US Army’s search for an all-terrain vehicle capable of operating in arctic environments has advanced to a point where only two companies remain under consideration. BAE Systems and Oshkosh Defense (working in partnership with ST Engineering) have been chosen to provide prototypes for the army’s Cold Weather All-Terrain Vehicle (CATV) program.

Defense NewsFri 16th Apr

Democrats reintroduce ban on US using nuclear weapons first

WASHINGTON — Two key Democratic lawmakers re-introduced legislation Thursday that would make it U.S. policy not to use nuclear weapons first.

Breaking DefenseFri 16th Apr

ICEYE Targets IC With In-Q-Tel Partnership

“We are now on contract with multiple customers, both on the defense and Intel side and on the civil side. We’ve had humbling reception, I would say, amongst all those sectors,” Eric Jensen, president of ICEYE US told me. “There is very clearly an unmet demand for complimentary commercial SAR here in the States.”

Defense NewsFri 16th Apr

The Army wants an anti-tank missile that shoots twice as far as its current weapon

The Army is looking for a vehicle-mounted missile to bust up current and future tanks on the battlefield out to 10,000 meters — more than double the distance of the missile its replacing.

Overt DefenseFri 16th Apr

US SOUTHCOM Commander Visits Argentina and Uruguay

Last week, US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) commander Admiral Craig Faller travelled to Uruguay and Argentina to meet the countries’ defense officials. The Admiral’s delegation was focused on discussing matters of regional security and military cooperation but also “took part in donations of humanitarian equipment, mobile hospitals and medical equipment”. The Admiral was in Uruguay between 6-7 April and in Argentina between 7-9 April.

Defense NewsFri 16th Apr

Space Force wants to introduce commercial capabilities to all mission areas

WASHINGTON — There’s a role for commercial in every mission area of the U.S. Space Force, says the new service’s portfolio architect.

Overt DefenseFri 16th Apr

US Intelligence Community Releases Annual Threat Assessment

On 13 April, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence announced the release of the annual threat assessment of the US intelligence community. The new report is much more focused on great power competition than even recent reports.

Defense NewsFri 16th Apr

It’s time to transform the DoD enterprise cloud to a war-fighting cloud

The Department of Defense recently embarked on an ambitious Digital Modernization Strategy, aiming to maintain a competitive advantage in the modern battlespace. A core component of this vision is the DoD Cloud Strategy, which will help enable the new plans, support the National Defense Strategy (NDS) and other war-fighting imperatives.

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

Adversary Drones or UFOs?

We may not know the identities of all the mysterious craft that American military personnel and others have been seeing in the skies as of late, but I have seen more than enough to tell you that it is clear that a very terrestrial adversary is toying with us in our own backyard using relatively simple technologies—drones and balloons—and making off with what could be the biggest intelligence haul of a generation. While that may disappoint some who hope the origins of all these events are far more exotic in nature, the strategic implications of these bold operations, which have been happening for years, undeterred, are absolutely massive.

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

'Support Our Troops' No Longer Automatic, Trust in Military Falls

Political controversies and a sexual assault crisis are among the factors eroding confidence in the U.S. armed forces.   

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

Rota To Gain Two U.S. Destroyers

STUTTGART, Germany — Two more Navy destroyers are expected to be based out of Rota, Spain, within the next few years, a move that will help U.S. European Command keep closer tabs on Russian submarines, the top U.S. officer on the Continent said Thursday.

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

Sikorsky's S-97 Raider Performs First Flight Demos for Army

For the first time, Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin subsidiary, flew its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft prototype in two demonstrations this week for service leaders and soldiers at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama.

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

If the "Standdown" on Extremism Is To Have an Effect . . .

Aviation WeekFri 16th Apr

Airbus Helicopters Receives French Stimulus Package Helicopter Order

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

America Rediscovers Its Alliance With Japan

The pair are getting on better than ever, with Japan taking more of the initiative

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

Seizure of Satellites Presented as Option to Defend U.S. Spacecraft

To defend U.S. space systems, the military could utilize on-orbit vehicles to physically seize satellites that pose a threat, an analyst said April 15.

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

Seven Pillars Revisited: The Myths and Misreadings of T.E. Lawrence

The iconic figure of T.E. Lawrence remains draped in myth. He appears to modern observers as the pensive Englishman photographed in flowing white Arab robes, or the hero portrayed by Peter O’Toole in the Academy Award–winning 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia. His writings on guerrilla war and on advising indigenous forces, meanwhile, are perhaps best known today for their brief appearances to buttress American and British counterinsurgency theory and doctrine.

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

China's New Carrier Is In Same League As Navy's Ford Class

The Chinese Navy is radically modernizing its capabilities. Chief among these are a fleet of aircraft carriers. A new satellite image clearly shows the Type-003 aircraft carrier taking shape in Shangh

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

Face It: China's J-20 Is A Fifth-Generation Fighter

"The adversary gets a vote,” is a much-touted phrase in the halls of the Pentagon. Unfortunately, not everyone in the U.S. military is responding quickly enough to China’s vote: the development and fielding of its Chengdu J-20 fifth-generation fighter.

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

Ankara in Risky Geopolitical Gamble in Black Sea

Fiddling with the delicate balance of power in the Black Sea might leave Turkey in a worse squeeze between Russia and the United States.

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

Biden's Mideast Drawdown Poses Perils

The Biden administration is making a critical mistake by moving vital military assets away from the Middle East. Drawing down America’s posture in the Middle East sends the wrong message as the administration simultaneously pursues nuclear negotiations with Iran, the region’s most dangerous aggressor. To prevent Iran and its proxies from taking advantage of the resulting vulnerabilities, Washington must work closely with its partners to expand defensive and offensive capabilities throughout the region.

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

The Future of Anglo-French Defence Cooperation Post-Brexit

Paris – In the bad old days it was talk of perfidious Albion and Britain as a nation of shopkeepers, while in these times there are those in France who see the U.K. as strategic ally, a prize military partner despite London playing the Brexit card.

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

It Was Never All or Nothing in Afghanistan

President Joe Biden’s decision to pull all troops from Afghanistan by September 11 unfortunately reveals that the commander in chief and his administration have accepted the false choice of two extremes — either complete withdrawal or an overgrown and debilitating military presence. While rhetorically simple, this kind of all-or-nothing thinking curtails a range of options available to the United States. It also diminishes our ability to pressure the Taliban at the negotiating table and assist the Afghan government with the ongoing security situation across the country. In short, it’s bad policy.

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

Did China Simulate an Attack on a U.S. Aircraft Carrier?

Earlier this week, in response to an escalating dispute in the area between China and the Philippines, the U.S. sent an aircraft carrier to the South China Sea.

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

Could We Really Build a B-1B Gunship?

In 2018, Boeing filed patents for a number of potential cannon mounting solutions for the supersonic heavy payload bomber, the B-1B Lancer, with the intent of creating a B-1B gunship similar in capability to the famed Spooky AC-130 and its most recent successor, the AC-130J Ghostrider. While the patents indicate Boeing’s interest in prolonging the life of the venerable Lancer, there’s been little progress toward pursuing this unusual design.

Real Clear DefenseFri 16th Apr

U.S.-Japan Alliance in Full Bloom

Washington’s cherry blossoms are beyond their peak, but the U.S.-Japan alliance will be in full bloom this Friday when Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga becomes the first foreign leader to visit President Biden in the White House.

Aviation WeekFri 16th Apr

Inmarsat Wins Inflight Connectivity Case In European Court

Defense NewsFri 16th Apr

Senators push quantum computing at DoD

WASHINGTON ― America’s and the Pentagon’s race to harness a new generation of powerful quantum computers could get a boost from a bipartisan pair of senators, fueled in part by a fear of growing competition with China.

Defense NewsFri 16th Apr

New combat rescue helicopter for Air Force finishes key tests

The Air Force wrapped up the latest round of tests on its new combat rescue helicopter Tuesday, moving the Sikorsky-built HH-60W Jolly Green II a step closer to full-time operations.

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

U.S. Army Plans For Fourth Precision Strike Missile Test

Defense NewsThu 15th Apr

NATO to improve cyber defense in bid to boost alliance resilience

COLOGNE, Germany – Senior NATO officials vowed to boost the alliance’s cyber defense capabilities at a conference on Thursday, tucking the efforts under the top-priority thrust of hardening member nations against catastrophic disruptions.

Defense NewsThu 15th Apr

Pencils up: Bids are due for Army’s Bradley replacement and it’s only the beginning

WASHINGTON — The deadline to submit a bid to compete in a preliminary design phase for the Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) is April 16, but it marks not the time to put pencils down, but rather the time to pick them up.

The War ZoneThu 15th Apr

Adversary Drones Are Spying On The U.S. And The Pentagon Acts Like They're UFOs

We may not know the identities of all the mysterious craft that American military personnel and others have been seeing in the skies as of late, but I have seen more than enough to tell you that it is clear that a very terrestrial adversary is toying with us in our own backyard using relatively simple technologies—drones and balloons—and making off with what could be the biggest intelligence haul of a generation. While that may disappoint some who hope the origins of all these events are far more exotic in nature, the strategic implications of these bold operations, which have been happening for years, undeterred, are absolutely massive. 

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

Fourth AW609 Tiltrotor Transferred To Italy From U.S. For Final Test

Aviation ListThu 15th Apr

Sikorsky S-97 Raider Demonstrated At The U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal

Sikorsky demonstrated the S-97 Raider, the company’s development aircraft for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, to the U.S. Army personnel at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville (Alabama) on April 13 and 15, 2021. Sikorsky’s test pilots Christiaan Corry and Bill Fell flew the Raider in routines “that highlighted both low-level helicopter maneuverability and the high-speed capability”.

The War ZoneThu 15th Apr

Watch Two French Submarine Halves Get Grafted Together In A Remarkable Repair Job

There’s been a new twist in the project to graft a new front end to the fire-damaged French Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine Perle. Imagery from the dry dock shows that, rather than the expected “nose job,” two submarine halves are now being attached together to produce a “new” submarine, which will retain the Perle name. The procedure to fuse together the two hull halves of the Rubis class submarines will actually end up stretching the length of the submarine by 4 feet 6 inches. 

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

Aeristech Secures Funds As Fuel-Cell Propulsion Work Expands

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

Mars Sample Return Seen Building On Rich Legacy of Scientific Results

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

SkyNRG Plans U.S. SAF Production With Alaska Airlines Agreement

Breaking DefenseThu 15th Apr

How Long US Will Fund Afghan Military An ‘Open Question’

The roughly 3,500 American, and 7,000 NATO troops on the ground in Afghanistan will likely start leaving by the end of April, taking with them the surveillance and air support that are crucial to the overstretched Afghan forces as they struggle to blunt the Taliban’s momentum.

The War ZoneThu 15th Apr

The Sad Story Of How This Soviet Aircraft Carrier Ended Up Rotting In A Landlocked Chinese Lagoon

The former Soviet Kiev class aircraft carrier Minsk is rusting away, seemingly abandoned, in the middle of a man-made lagoon some 50 miles northwest of the Chinese city of Shanghai. It's a visual that feels better suited to a movie or video game set in a cyberpunk dystopia or an Earth where nature has reclaimed areas in the aftermath of some kind of apocalypse. It looks to be a sad and lonely fate for the ship, which was already spared the scrapper's torch once by Chinese businessmen in the 1990s.

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

NFT Offers Consumers An eVTOL Commuter Option

Breaking DefenseThu 15th Apr

OMFV: Army gets BAE, GD Designs For Bradley Replacement

Featured on today’s press release is a shadowy silhouette of a turreted, tracked armored vehicle. It bears some family resemblance to the Bradley and its modernized offshoot, the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV), but it is distinctly different from either.

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

Sasol Bids To Produce SAF In South Africa

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

ANA Tests Wingcopter Medical Delivery Drone

Defense NewsThu 15th Apr

US commander warns NATO is ready to respond to aggression

WASHINGTON ― Amid Russia’s massive troop buildup along its border with Ukraine, the top U.S. commander in Europe warned Thursday that NATO was prepared to respond to aggression.

Defense NewsThu 15th Apr

The Pentagon’s next move in expanding zero trust

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s top IT office is considering establishing a portfolio management office dedicated to accelerating the adoption of zero-trust cybersecurity architectures, a senior IT official told Congress April14.

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

EASA Design Verification Process Expanding Drone Use

Breaking DefenseThu 15th Apr

DoD Enjoins Congress For Flexibility To Buy JADC2 Tech Fast

“We’re working hard right now with the Hill, with CAPE, with others in the department to try to determine the best way to get after that we need to be able to incentivize JADC2 efforts,” Army Brig. Gen. Rob Parker, J6 deputy director and head of the JADC2 Joint Cross-Functional Team (CFT) said. He is shepherding development of the JADC2 strategy that now awaits signature by Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley.

Defense NewsThu 15th Apr

Pentagon AI office wants to match software projects with best cloud environment

The Pentagon’s top artificial intelligence office is developing a plan to weave together the department’s cloud-based software development platforms to connect AI projects with cloud environments that fit each venture’s data.

The War ZoneThu 15th Apr

Turkish F-16 Knocks Down Target Drone With New Indigenous Air-To-Air Missile

Turkey’s plan to introduce indigenous new-generation air-to-air missiles has reached an important milestone with the first successful air launch of the short-range Bozdoğan weapon. A Turkish Air Force F-16C Block 40 fighter jet recently fired one of these missiles, destroying a Turkish Aerospace Şimşek high-speed target drone. The heat-seeking Bozdoğan, developed under a two-part air-to-air missile program by TÜBİTAK Defense Industries Research and Development Institute, or TÜBİTAK SAGE, is intended to arm Turkish F-16s, and Turkish Aerospace’s forthcoming Hürjet advanced jet trainer and light attack aircraft, as well as the future TF-X advanced fighter jet.

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

Germany OKs Eurodrone Spending, Contract Signing Expected Soon

Defense NewsThu 15th Apr

Biden’s Mideast drawdown poses perils

The Biden administration is making a critical mistake by moving vital military assets away from the Middle East. Drawing down America’s posture in the Middle East sends the wrong message as the administration simultaneously pursues nuclear negotiations with Iran, the region’s most dangerous aggressor. To prevent Iran and its proxies from taking advantage of the resulting vulnerabilities, Washington must work closely with its partners to expand defensive and offensive capabilities throughout the region.

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

U.S., Turkish Forces in Iraq Targeted in Separate Attacks

A Turkish soldier was killed northeast of Mosul shortly after NATO and U.S. officials announced they will withdraw from Afghanistan this year.

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

L3Harris Joins Rheinmetall's Team Lynx for Army OMFV

L3Harris joins Textron and Raytheon on Rheinmetall’s team to refine the heavily armored, high-tech Lynx for the Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting vehicle competition.

Breaking DefenseThu 15th Apr

French, US Carrier Strike Groups’ Ballet For Persian Gulf Stability

Photo from YouTube video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6TVZnVLPx8)

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

Three Companies Show Off Low Collateral-Effect Interceptors

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

Xwing Flies Autonomous Caravan Gate-To-Gate

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

Eurodrone Secures German Spending Approval, Signing Expected Soon

Breaking DefenseThu 15th Apr

Who’s Who in Defense: Joe Manchin, Chairman, SASC Cybersecurity Subcommittee

Legislative Committees

Breaking DefenseThu 15th Apr

FVL: Sikorsky Shows Off S-97 Scout Chopper For Army

Sikorsky, part of Lockheed Martin, built and operates the S-97 on its own dime, rather than as part of any federally funded program, so getting permission to fly it at a government site is not a simple exercise.

Overt DefenseThu 15th Apr

Record-breaking Incursion into Taiwan’s ADIZ

On 12 April, Taiwan noted a record-size incursion into its air defense identification zone (ADIZ) by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). No less than 25 aircraft entered the zone including Chengdu J-10 Fighters, Shenyang J-16 Fighters, Xian H-6 bombers, Shaanxi Y-8 Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) planes and one Shaanxi KJ-500 AEW&C aircraft.  This marks the largest incursion recorded this year and comes as part of an intensification in Chinese sorties in recent weeks. 26 March saw the previous quantity-record-holding intrusion into Taiwan’s ADIZ by 20 planes and between then and 12 April large incursions by over a dozen craft were not uncommon.

Defense NewsThu 15th Apr

Biden’s Afghanistan pullout gets mixed reaction in Congress

WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden’s announcement that the 2,500 U.S. forces in Afghanistan would come home by Sept. 11 drew a mixed reaction from lawmakers on Capitol Hill, with mostly Republican critics warning the country would again become a launchpad for terror attacks.

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

Joby Details Agility Prime eVTOL Deliveries

Overt DefenseThu 15th Apr

Nexter Reveals Concept for Next-Generation Tank Armament

French defense firm Nexter has revealed its next generation tank gun concept: a 140mm gun firing telescoped ammunition. Nexter calls the system ASCALON, which nominally stands for “Autoloaded and SCALable Outperforming guN”, but it’s more likely that the gun derives it’s namesake from the mythical sword or lance Ascalon, which was used by St. George to slay the dragon.

Breaking DefenseThu 15th Apr

US Slaps Russia With Sanctions Plus For SolarWinds Hack

WASHINGTON: The U.S. government today formally attributed the SolarWinds cyberespionage campaign to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR). The Intelligence Community has “high confidence” in this assessment, the White House statement says, and President Biden signed an Executive Order imposing economic sanctions and other actions on Russia.

Defense NewsThu 15th Apr

New Army tech ‘sees’ through battlefield blind spots

Advances in ground robots, small drones, artificial intelligence, machine learning and data processing are being combined in an effort to help soldiers “see” the battlefield in ways hardly imagined until recently.

Defense NewsThu 15th Apr

Your squad’s newest weapons: armed drones, shoulder-fired missiles and air-bursting munitions

Most of the attention for Army weapons changes has been focused in recent years on the Next Generation Squad Weapon, with versions that will replace both the M4 and the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon.

Defense NewsThu 15th Apr

With new CH-47 variant back in flight tests, Boeing hopes for production contract

WASHINGTON — The Army has yet to schedule a limited user test for the latest variant of the CH-47 Chinook helicopter and instead has ordered it return to flight testing to gather more data, but despite some issues that cropped up in previous testing, Boeing is confident it will win a first production contract in fiscal 2021, two company executives told Defense News.

Overt DefenseThu 15th Apr

Explosion Damages Iranian Cargo Ship, Tehran Blames Israel

As the talks on the new Nuclear Deal between the US and Iran continue, an Iranian cargo ship was damaged by an explosion in the Red Sea. Iran blames Israel for the attack as the tensions between the states continue to grow once more. Israel officially denies any responsibility for the attack, yet The New York Times claims that an anonymous source in Washington confirmed that Tel-Aviv admitted to the White House that in fact, it was them who conducted the attack. The operation was supposedly revenge for the attack on the Israeli-owned cargo ship MV Helios Ray.

Overt DefenseThu 15th Apr

Somali General Threatens To Seize Mogadishu Airport As President Extends Term

Somalia’s lower house of parliament voted to extend President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo’s term by two years on Monday, amidst a continued stalemate on how to proceed with long-delayed national elections. The vote allows the president and his government to operate as normal for the next two years, despite the expiry of their four-year term in February, to facilitate a “one-person-one-vote” direct election by the end of the extended term. Opposition leaders have already stated that they consider the move to be illegal.

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

Putin's Ukraine Buildup Leaves U.S. and Allies in Search of a Strategy

STUTTGART, Germany — Russia’s rapid military buildup in recent weeks has sparked fears that a large-scale invasion of Ukraine looms, but confusion over Moscow’s aim has the U.S. and its European allies grasping for a coherent strategy to avert a potential crisis.

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

Nuclear Submarines Could Lead to Nuclear Power for Australia

In Adelaide’s The Advertiser newspaper on 7 March, former defence minister Christopher Pyne said, ‘Then there is the nonsensical argument that the Attack Class submarines are no good because they aren’t nuclear. Almost all of these arguments are driven by people who either know nothing at all about submarines and defence or have outdated information that is no longer relevant.’ Pyne must therefore believe that Australia’s current and recent submarine commanding officers know nothing about submarines.

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

Putin's Sabre-Rattling Wins West's Attention and Biden Summit

Talks over Ukraine are prize for Russian leader who craves seat at world’s highest negotiating table

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

The Next NSS and National Resilience Through Education

The confluence of inadequate civics education, poor media literacy, and deepening polarization in American civic society poses intolerable risks to the vital national interests of the United States. America is unlikely to compete effectively in a 100-Year Marathon or any other long-term competition if it is wracked from within by a sickness that metastasizes throughout the body politic, inhibiting effective action.[1] A critical theoretical and empirical question that should inform the next U.S. National Security Strategy is: what are the policies the United States must enact to educate its citizens thoroughly on their civic responsibilities and to reduce their susceptibility to disinformation created, spread, and/or amplified by adversaries? The U.S. must place greater emphasis on civics education— to include media literacy and critical thinking skills—along with engendering greater civic engagement as fundamental components of any strategy about great power competition.[2] While previous national security strategies highlighted the need for education to meet national objectives—specifically in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)—to maintain a technological and innovation edge over adversaries, a refocus on civic education is just as essential to competition. Adversaries have already and will continue to employ asymmetric methods to undermine U.S. strengths and will gladly exploit vulnerabilities of a highly partisan, civically isolated, poorly informed, and media illiterate society living in an environment rife with disinformation.[3]

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

NATO Allies To Leave Afghanistan Along With U.S

BRUSSELS/BERLIN (Reuters) -Foreign troops under NATO command will withdraw from Afghanistan in coordination with a U.S. pull-out by Sept. 11, NATO allies agreed on Wednesday, pledging to mirror American plans to start removing troops on May 1 after two decades of war.

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

F-15C Records Longest Air-to-Air Shot in Test

An F-15C Eagle set a record for the longest air-to-air kill, but we won’t know what the record is.

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

Lawmakers Quiz SOUTHCOM on Littoral Combat Ship Program

Two lawmakers raised questions on the future of the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship during a Wednesday hearing, as the service continues to wrestle with a crucial design flaw, how it will use the ships operationally and retirements of early hulls in the class.

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

How Will a Withdrawal From Afghanistan Impact the Military?

Children chased plastic bags floating in the pockmarked road but never approached the dusty compound we had been watching for the past two days. Men in black shawls entered and exited the gate, idling their motorbikes in the courtyard before approaching one of the two mud-roofed huts. One male always traveled flanked by bodyguards; the other men kissed his hands when he approached and hugged him as he departed. Sources indicated the compound we watched through our grainy drone feed was a Taliban operational center used to store improvised explosive devices. A plume of smoke and dust erupted from the compound as two Hellfires rocked the target. As the dust began to clear and bodies emerged in the rubble, it was time to move on. The drone camera slewed to the next target to prepare another strike. I switched screens on my computer and began scouring intelligence reports for the night’s raid. Tempo. Being faster. Doctrinal publications taught in stuffy classrooms harped on these tenets in training, but now I understood their implications in a combat zone. While the flat screen TVs, remote controlled drones, and treadmills on our base in Helmand, Afghanistan, might have been sharp departures from the woods of northern Virginia, competing with a thinking, breathing enemy was my first and only opportunity to experience the ethereal “nature of war” I had heard so much about in training.

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

Sierra Space To Absorb Sierra Nevada’s Space Business

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

Why Air Power Advocates Are Wrong About Armys LRPF

Proponents of the Air Force’s heavy bombers have launched a campaign to discredit Army plans for its own long-range strike systems.

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

Uran-9: Russia's New Robot Tanks Are Ready For Duty

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that a unit of the Russian Army equipped with “strike robot” is set to be established.

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

Coast Guard Beating Drum for More Resources

The Coast Guard and its supporters are trying to make their case to a new administration and Congress that the sea service is under-resourced to carry out its missions and support the U.S. military.

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

SDA Could Select 3 Manufacturers for Its Next Batch of Satellites

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s Space Development Agency is considering buying its next 150 satellites from three different vendors, but that could change after the agency evaluates companies’ bids, SDA director Derek Tournear said April 14.

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

The Air Force Just Dropped New Concept Art of NGAD Fighter

An awfully lame sounding official report out of the U.S. Air Force has come accompanied by brand new concept art of the Air Force’s next air superiority fighter, which is being developed under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.

Real Clear DefenseThu 15th Apr

The Thirty-Year Success Story Of The V-22 Osprey

Aviation WeekThu 15th Apr

Space Foundation Highlights 2020 As Banner Year For Space Growth

Defence BlogThu 15th Apr

U.S. Army tests counter-drone interceptors at Yuma Proving Ground

The U.S. Army hosted week-long counter-sUnmanned Aircraft Systems (C-sUAS) demonstration at Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) focused on the most cutting edge drone-busting technology in a low collateral effects interceptor assessment.

Defence BlogThu 15th Apr

U.S. Marine’s MQ-9A completed 10,000 flight hours in support of Central Command operations

U.S. Marine Corps Forces Central Command reported that its first MQ-9A Unmanned Aerial System achieved 10,000 total flight hours in the Central Command area of responsibility, a major milestone for the modernization of the force.

The War ZoneWed 14th Apr

Navy SM-6 Missile Will Attempt To Swat Down A Mock Hypersonic Weapon

The Missile Defense Agency, together with the U.S. Navy, plan to test an SM-6 missile against an "advanced maneuvering threat," a term that has been used in relation to unpowered hypersonic boost-glide vehicles, later this year. The Pentagon says that unspecified versions of the SM-6 have already demonstrated some degree of capability against these types of weapons, examples of which Russia and China have already begun putting to service. A new variant of the SM-6, the Block IB, is already under development and will itself be able to reach hypersonic speeds.

Aviation WeekWed 14th Apr

Lockheed Pitches LM 400 As Tactical ISR Satellite

Aviation WeekWed 14th Apr

Space Agency Questions Satellite Manufacturers On Interoperability

Aviation WeekWed 14th Apr

Turkish Indigenous Air-to-Air Missile Downs Simsek Drone In Trials

Breaking DefenseWed 14th Apr

Global Threats: FBI Launches ‘New Investigation Into China Every 10 Hours’

“We’re opening a new investigation into China every 10 hours, and I can assure you it’s not because our folks don’t have anything else to do with their time,” Wray told the Senate Intelligence Committee at its annual global threats hearing.

The War ZoneWed 14th Apr

F-15 Eagle Scores “Longest Known” Air-To-Air Missile Shot During U.S. Air Force Test

An F-15C Eagle fighter jet destroyed a target drone last month in what the U.S. Air Force describes as “the longest known air-to-air missile shot to date.” Exactly how far away the fighter was from its target when it fired the radar-guided AIM-120 AMRAAM missile has not been disclosed, but the test is a clear signal that the Air Force is making very long-range aerial engagements a priority.

Aviation WeekWed 14th Apr

Poland Buying Surplus C-130s, Confirms F-35 Basing Plan

Defense NewsWed 14th Apr

How the DoD’s future war-fighting needs are shaping cloud vendors’ products

The U.S. Defense Department’s expectation that future wars will be fought across dispersed, disconnected environments is driving changes to its cloud needs. Industry is preparing for that reality.

Breaking DefenseWed 14th Apr

DoD Space Threat Intel Not Good Enough

Reiterating the long list of counter-space capabilities being pursued by Russia and China, Kirkpatrick told the AFCEA Intelligence Partnering for Space Power in 2021 virtual conference yesterday that he is “worried about anything I can’t see, hear, touch or attribute,” he stressed.

Defense NewsWed 14th Apr

Biden nominates longtime expert as nuclear warhead chief

WASHINGTON — Jill Hruby, an engineer with decades of nuclear experience, has been selected by president Joe Biden to lead the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Aviation ListWed 14th Apr

US Air Force F-15C Eagle Records Longest Known Air-To-Air Missile Shot

While its most advanced variant, the F-15EX (recently officially named the “Eagle II”) was being delivered to the U.S. Air Force getting a lot of media attention, the “legacy” Eagle achieved yet another record: according to an official USAF statement, in March 2021, an F-15C fired an AIM-120 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile) at a BQM-167 subscale drone, resulting in the longest known air-to-air missile shot ever.

Aviation WeekWed 14th Apr

Blue Origin Rehearses Passenger Procedures with New Shepard

Aviation WeekWed 14th Apr

Daily Memo: French Aerospace Industry Facing Three-Pronged Challenge

Aviation WeekWed 14th Apr

Geosat Broadband Startup Astranis Lands $250 Million, Awaits Launch

The War ZoneWed 14th Apr

Targeting Pods Are Being Tested On Air National Guard C-130 Hercules Transports

The U.S. Air Force’s workhorse transport aircraft, the C-130 Hercules, has undertaken operational testing with the Litening multi-sensor pod, traditionally used for precision targeting by fighters and attack jets. If it makes it to the front line, the new capability would initially help the C-130H model in its core airlift mission by ensuring it can put airdropped loads exactly where they’re needed, as well as checking to make sure landing zones are clear and giving the lumbering aircraft an added tool to avoid hostile air defenses. Beyond that, the pod could be added to other aircraft, too.

Breaking DefenseWed 14th Apr

Revealed: Secret FBI Cyber Op To Clean Exchange Servers

“The FBI is attempting to provide notice of the court-authorized operation to all owners or operators of the computers from which it removed the hacking group’s web shells,” the DoJ said. Web shells are malicious scripts uploaded to servers that give attackers remote administrative control.

Aviation WeekWed 14th Apr

IAI, Thales Offer Gabriel Anti-Ship Missile For Royal Navy Requirement

Defense NewsWed 14th Apr

China aims to weaponize space, says intel community report

WASHINGTON ― China is working to weaponize space with an array of capabilities intended to target U.S. and allied satellites as part of its ambitious plans to displace the U.S. in space, the U.S. intelligence community warned in its new Global Risk Assessment report.

Aviation WeekWed 14th Apr

Jet Linx And Wheels Up Enter Vertical-Lift Partnerships

Defense NewsWed 14th Apr

US military to blend electronic warfare with cyber capabilities

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy plans to blur the lines between traditional electronic warfare and cyber operations as it prepares to receive its new airborne electronic jammer, according to a top service official.

Overt DefenseWed 14th Apr

US Deploying Additional Troops to Germany

On 13 April, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that the US will be deploying an additional 500 troops to Germany. An official statement by US Army Europe and Africa provided more details by explaining that these soldiers will be joined by 750 family members and that their deployment will open up 35 positions for local nationals.

Breaking DefenseWed 14th Apr

L3Harris Joins Rheinmetall’s Team Lynx For Army OMFV

According to the Defense News 100, Rheinmetall is the 33rd largest defense contractor in the world, with almost $4 billion in 2019 revenue. Its partners are actually bigger firms. Raytheon is fifth largest in the world, with over $27 billion in 2019 revenue. L3Harris, created by a 2019 merger, is ninth largest, at almost $14 billion. A fifth partner, transmission manufacturer Allison, isn’t on the top 100 list.

Aviation WeekWed 14th Apr

Airbus VSR700 Rotary-Wing Drone Moves Toward 2022 Sea Trials

Defense NewsWed 14th Apr

The KC-46 has a messy problem with its palletized toilet

WASHINGTON — The Boeing KC-46 tanker can’t currently carry the palletized toilet normally used by mobility aircraft without the risk of waste water leaking into the cabin, leaving the tanker unable to conduct long-distance flights of large numbers of passengers until the lavatory is modified.

Overt DefenseWed 14th Apr

Taiwan Launches ROCS Yu Shan Landing Platform Dock

Taiwan’s first indigenous landing platform dock was christened and launched yesterday at CSBC Corporation, Taiwan’s Kaohsiung shipyard. The ceremony was attended by senior government officials including President Tsai Ing-wen, Secretary-General of the National Security Council Ku Li-hsiung , Minister of Defense Chiu Kuo-cheng and Commander of the Navy Admiral Liu Chih-pin.

Defense NewsWed 14th Apr

Biden admin moving ahead with UAE F-35, drone sales for now

WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department is continuing to move forward with the sale of F-35 joint strike fighters and MQ-9 unmanned aerial systems to the United Arab Emirates, a decision which will now face a legal challenge from a nonprofit seeking to halt the weapons agreement.

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

Biden's Emissaries Go to Taiwan, China Conducts 'Combat Drills'

BEIJING (Reuters) -China described its military exercises near Taiwan as “combat drills” on Wednesday, upping the ante as senior former U.S. officials arrived in Taipei on a trip to signal President Joe Biden’s commitment to Taiwan and its democracy.

Defence BlogWed 14th Apr

Poland inks deal with U.S. for 5 C-130H Hercules aircraft

Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Wednesday that Poland has signed a contract for five ex-US Air Force C-130H Hercules airlifters.

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

Misinformation in the Military Community and the Next NSS

The 2017 National Security Strategy of the United States of America espoused an “America First” agenda that equated a favorable balance of power with national security. Focusing on great power competition and international terrorism, the 2017 National Security Strategy did not directly address internal threats to the United States in the form of domestic-influenced extremism.[1] The proliferation of misinformation via social media continues to radicalize, alienate, or isolate American citizens across demographics, including specific targeting of military veterans. Misinformation-fed emotional and psychological effects can drive these individuals toward forming virtual and in-person communities of shared worldviews. The insurrection against the U.S. Congressional certification of the Electoral College results on January 6, 2021 demonstrated the power of misinformation to drive mass violence. Many of the insurrectionists were connected to the U.S. military, including retirees and veterans. The next National Security Strategy writers should attempt to answer: How does the United States counter misinformation within its military community?

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

Tempest: Europe's 6th Generation Fighter Armed With Laser Guns?

Italy’s military chief of staff stated that the Italo-British Tempest fighter jet program would likely sport laser weapons, Defense News reported.

Overt DefenseWed 14th Apr

Independent Review Of AFRICOM Manda Bay Attack Investigation To Be Conducted

The Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), General Paul Funk, has been appointed to conduct an independent review of US Africa Command’s investigation into the 5 January, 2020 attack by al-Shabaab on Cooperative Security Location Manda Bay, Kenya that killed a US Army soldier and two American contractors.

Defence BlogWed 14th Apr

Secretary of Russian Security Council fears Ukrainian invasion

Kremlin has sharply changed its rhetoric and is already talking about the probable invasion of Ukraine in occupied Crimea.

Overt DefenseWed 14th Apr

Taliban Announce Boycott Of Peace Talks As NATO Forces To Withdraw By September 11

The Taliban have announced that they will not be participating in any peace talks as long as foreign forces remain in Afghanistan, despite statements today by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that NATO forces will fully depart the country by September 11, alongside US troops. This means that the Taliban will not be attending negotiations in Istanbul that start on the 24th, the latest bid for progress for a political solution that now seems as stillborn as its predecessors.

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

China's Dystopian "New IP" Plan

China released its 14th Five-Year plan for economic development last month, including its intended next steps in technology. The blueprint makes clear that, even before the ink is dry on many 5G contracts for broadband telecommunications, China and its networking giant Huawei are gearing up to ensure their vision of the internet goes global.

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

KC-46 Deliveries Slow, But TRANSCOM Optimistic

Boeing missed planned KC-46 delivery dates in March and early April, leading to a slower than expected acceptance rate.

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

Crucial F-35 Combat Test Could Be Delayed Until Late in 2022

The stealthy F-35 jet may not complete its most critical stage of combat testing until about September 2022, the latest in a series of delays that has set America’s most expensive weapons program back by years, Pentagon officials were told last month.

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

Can the U.S. Still Advise Afghan Security Forces?

Defense NewsWed 14th Apr

Cloudy vision: Can NATO’s new deployable combat system focus the field?

STUTTGART, Germany — NATO is on a time crunch to develop new cloud technologies to help set interoperability standards for its members’ own nascent computing infrastructures.

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

Sleep Disorders Are Skyrocketing Among U.S. Military

A new study has found that serious sleep disorders are on the rise in the U.S. military -- conditions that can affect readiness and cause short- and long-term physical and mental health problems for troops and veterans.

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

Biden Taps First National Cyber Lead

The administration is set to nominate two NSA veterans, one for the newly created national cybersecurity director position and one to head CISA. The new leaders, once confirmed by Congress, will have

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

U.S. Sending 500 More Troops to Germany

The Pentagon will add 500 U.S. troops to its presence in Germany, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Tuesday, reversing the Trump administration’s plan to slash the number stationed there by thousands.

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

National Defense Strategy 'Unrealistic,' Says HASC Chairman

WASHINGTON — The chairman on the House Armed Services Committee said Tuesday that the United States must review its national defense policy, as lofty goals set by former President Donald Trump’s administration in the 2018 National Defense Strategy are overly ambitious.

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

U.S. Troops to Leave Afghanistan by Sept. 11

President Biden sets deadline for withdrawal to occur two decades after the 2001 terrorist attacks

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Warfare

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

U.S. Spy Chiefs Warn of Threats From China to Climate Change

The U.S. and its allies will face “a diverse array of threats” in the coming year, with aggression by Russia, China and Iran set against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic that has caused global disruption, according to the annual threat assessment by American intelligence agencies.

Real Clear DefenseWed 14th Apr

Putin's Eye on Ukraine. Biden Must Stare Him Down.

Troops massing on Russia’s western border may be a ploy to deter U.S. sanctions — or they may signal the world’s next geopolitical crisis.

Aviation ListWed 14th Apr

Poland Signs Excess Defense Article Deal Procuring Five Extra C-130Hs (Resurrected From The “Boneyard”)

The Armament Inspectorate of the Polish Ministry of Defense published a release stating that an intergovernmental agreement has been signed on Apr. 12, 2021, concerning the delivery of five C-130H airlifters to Poland. The deal is a part of the Excess Defense Articles grant program. The aircraft would be partially retrofitted with new equipment, made flightworthy, and then they would fly to Poland.

Aviation WeekWed 14th Apr

Orbital Sidekick Completes $16M Series A Round

Defense NewsWed 14th Apr

Army Software Factory experiments with a new culture to unleash coders in its ranks

WASHINGTON — U.S. Army Spc. Jeremy Boyle started creating software when he was 10 years old. Curious how websites were made, Boyle taught himself how to code using online video how-tos.

Defence BlogWed 14th Apr

Bell UH-1D has been retired from Bundeswehr after 53 years of service

The German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) has officially retired the Bell UH-1D helicopter from its fleet, after more than 53 years of service.

Defence BlogWed 14th Apr

Iveco opens new factory in Romania for high mobility trucks

Italian industrial and military vehicle manufacturer Iveco announced that it has launched a new final assembly plant in Petresti (Dambovita), Romania.

Defense NewsWed 14th Apr

US Army finalizes requirements for future attack reconnaissance aircraft

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army’s Requirements Oversight Council has approved the acquisition plan to develop and field a new future attack reconnaissance aircraft, a service spokesman confirmed to Defense News.

The War ZoneWed 14th Apr

Disney Helped The Thunderbirds Create Their New Shortened Air Show Routine

The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flight demonstration team has revealed details about its new air show routine, a pared-back, highlights reel kind of display that is designed to showcase the team's airmanship as well as keep spectators engaged, inspiration for which was provided by Disney, and even the rival U.S. Navy Blue Angels. As the team worked through a tough 2020, which saw the air show season largely canceled, efforts instead focused on saluting first-responders, as well as completely revising their existing demonstration routine.

The War ZoneWed 14th Apr

Belgian Frigate's Movements Lend Credence To Reports Of Another Attack On An Israeli Ship

Ship tracking software shows that the Belgian Navy's Karel Doorman class frigate Leopold I sailed around the area where an Israeli-owned cargo ship, the Hyperion Ray, was reportedly the victim of an attack in the Gulf of Oman earlier today. That incident, which remains unconfirmed, follows a recent attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear site, as well as one earlier this month in the Red Sea on the Iranian cargo ship M/V Saviz, which is widely understood to be a covert mothership operated by that country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC. Israel has been accused of carrying out both of those attacks.