Defense NewsWed 16th Jun

Robust, credible and layered missile defense is the foundation of deterrence

In 2005, an anticipated missile threat to the homeland prompted the expeditious fielding of a missile defense capability to defend the United States. Today, that threat is real, expanding, and most likely nuclear. Our defense needs to also be real and effective for today and into the future.

Aviation WeekWed 16th Jun

LeoLabs To Add Azores Space Radar For LEO Tracking

Defense NewsWed 16th Jun

Lawmakers are worried about the US Navy’s spending plan and a near-term China threat

WASHINGTON – A prediction last year that China could attempt to invade Taiwan in the next six years has put increased pressure on talks between lawmakers and U.S. Navy leadership over how to prioritize fiscal 2022 spending needs.

Aviation WeekWed 16th Jun

U.S. Space Force Launches Classified NRO Payloads

Breaking DefenseTue 15th Jun

NIST Releases New Language For Cloud Security Automation

NIST released the first version of the Open Security Controls Assessment Language (OSCAL) on Thursday.

Defense NewsTue 15th Jun

National Reconnaissance Office launches 3 satellites off Virginia coast

WASHINGTON — The agency in charge of the nation’s spy satellites launched three classified satellites into low Earth orbit aboard a Northrop Grumman Minotaur I rocket June 15.

Aviation WeekTue 15th Jun

Offensive UAS Swarms Added To U.S. Army Shopping List

Aviation ListTue 15th Jun

Two Russian Tu-160s And Four Flankers Intercepted By Italian F-35s, Danish F-16s and Swedish Gripens Over The Baltic

Two Russian Tu-160 (NATO reporting name “Blackjack”) bombers carried out an 8-hour mission over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea on Jun. 15, 2021. Interestingly, the two “White Swan” missile-carrier bombers were escorted by two Su-35S aircraft of the Aerospace Force and two Su-27 fighters of the Baltic Fleet’s naval aviation during their trip.

Aviation WeekTue 15th Jun

Roscosmos Chief Seeks Legal Consequences For Space Debris

The War ZoneTue 15th Jun

Dozens Of Chinese Warplanes Fly South Of Taiwan After Beijing Blasts Criticism From G7

China's military sent 28 aircraft into the southwestern corner of Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone, or ADIZ, earlier today. This is the largest group of People's Liberation Army warplanes to fly through that region since the Chinese began conducting these kinds of sorties on a near-daily basis in 2020. This show of force comes just a day after authorities in Beijing slammed a statement from the G7 group of industrialized nations, which includes the United States, that had called for, in part, a "peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues."

Breaking DefenseTue 15th Jun

Houthi ‘Terror’ Scuds Now Threaten Most Of Saudi Arabia

Ansar Allah, as the Houthis are formally known, released footage in August 2019 of a new ballistic missile, called the Burkan-3 (or Borkan-3). They claimed that they had used it to attack Dammam but no such attack was confirmed at the time. Then, on March 7, a Houthi ballistic missile indeed did hit Dammam.

Aviation WeekTue 15th Jun

B-21 Exports Supported By Former Obama Defense Official

Aviation WeekTue 15th Jun

Russia Eyes Crewed Flights To Chinese Space Station

The War ZoneTue 15th Jun

The Army Lays Out Plans For Its New Intelligence Gathering Jet

The U.S. Army has begun the next phase of its High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System, or HADES, which is intended to provide the mission payload for the service’s next-generation airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) system. The two contractors now bidding for part of the HADES requirement are L3Harris and Raytheon, with the long-term aim being to integrate one of their payloads on a new fixed-wing surveillance platform, for which a variety of options are under consideration. These fall into three fairly distinct categories: an airliner-sized adapted maritime patrol aircraft, one of a number of business jets, and a high-flying drone.

Breaking DefenseTue 15th Jun

NATO To Invest In C2 For Strategic Pivot: China Rises As Alliance Threat

“Increased common funding will enable us to do more command and control together, more exercises, higher readiness, invest in critical infrastructure, and many other things,” he told the Defense Writers Group this morning.

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

U.K. Carrier Capability Returns to the Indo-Pacific

Toward the end of May 2021, first the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and then the Queen visited the British flagship, the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth at Portsmouth. In effect this was their wave-off as, amid much commentary and following much anticipation, the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) set off from Portsmouth for a seven-month long deployment, its first maiden operational deployment. One Australian newspaper ran the headline: “Rule, Britannia! UK deploys carriers to Indo-Pacific.”

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

DoD Is Leading in Creating a Federal Zero Trust IT Architecture

Defense NewsTue 15th Jun

Army orders 2 prototype sensor suites for next-generation surveillance plane

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has selected two companies to design and build prototype sensors for its next generation airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system, according to a June 14 announcement.

Overt DefenseTue 15th Jun

FN America Awarded US Army Contract to Produce New M240s

FN America have been awarded a $92 million contract by the US Army to produce M240 series general purpose machine guns. The firm fixed price contract awarded 8 June calls for an estimated completion date of June 2026. FN confirmed that the contract will cover M240 provisions not just for the US Army but also other Department of Defense programs.

Aviation WeekTue 15th Jun

Two Rocket Lab Photon Satellites Going To Mars

Overt DefenseTue 15th Jun

China Denies It Poses “Systemic Challenges” As It Mounts Record Intrusion Into Taiwanese ADIZ

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported an incursion by 28 People’s Liberation Air Force aircraft of various types into its southwestern Air Defense Identification Zone on June 15. Tuesday’s incursion is now the largest single day presence of PLAAF aircraft in the Taiwan Strait this year.

Defense NewsTue 15th Jun

‘We need more’ before Ukraine can join NATO, says Stoltenberg

WASHINGTON ― A day after Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted NATO leaders had “confirmed” it would become a member, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made clear no such action was imminent.

Aviation ListTue 15th Jun

One Giant Sale for Mankind: Armstrong’s Moon Mission Companions Auctioned

In a little over a month, humanity will mark the 52nd anniversary of man’s, Neil Armstrong’s, first steps on the moon. On Jul. 20, 1969, at 10:56 p.m. EDT, Neil Armstrong plants the first human foot on another world. The situation was a little scarier than NASA had planned for. On approach to landing on the lunar surface, Commander Buzz Aldrin had to make some unexpected landing adjustments because of a computer error, and the lunar lander “Eagle” successfully landed on The Sea of Tranquility with only 30 seconds of fuel remaining. Fuel that the crew needed for their return to the orbiting command module Columbia which was being piloted by astronaut Michael Collins. Michael Collins eventually wrote an award-winning autobiography Carrying the Fire. A book I’ve read and consider one of my personal top 5 reads.

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

U.S. Army to Fund Extended-Range Precision Strike Missile

WASHINGTON — The Army wants to fund ways to extend the range of its Precision Strike Missile – which is still under development – out to 1,000 kilometers or more in fiscal 2022, according to documents accompanying the service’s budget request.

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

Navy's Ship-to-Shore Connector Breaches Nunn-McCurdy

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy’s Ship to Shore Connector program has become expensive enough to breach Nunn-McCurdy cost thresholds laid out in the decades-old acquisition law, but the service said in a June 11 statement the program has stabilized and will continue in production.

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

S-400 SAMs Knocked Out in Simulated Strikes

Simulated strikes on a pair of Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries were part of the still ongoing U.S. Army-led Africa Lion 2021 exercise that is taking place in various countries in North and West Africa. This comes as the Russian government continues to actively market export variants of the S-400, even to smaller countries, and amid persistent concerns within the U.S. military about the general increasing proliferation of higher-end air defense assets. The inclusion of these threats in African Lion 2021's training scenarios is also notable given that there were indications last year that the Kremlin had introduced S-400 or S-300 systems into the civil conflict in Libya, though U.S. Africa Command later said it had assessed that no such deployment had occurred.

Aviation WeekTue 15th Jun

Cross-Channel Ferry Firm To Study Regent’s Electric WIG Vehicle

Aviation WeekTue 15th Jun

Embraer’s Eve Partners With Ascent To Penetrate Asian Markets

Overt DefenseTue 15th Jun

NATO: “Case By Case” Decisions On Whether Cyber and Space Attacks Could Trigger Article 5

In a joint communique issued following the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s 31st summit in Brussels, the leaders of NATO’s 30 member states stated that cyberattacks on any member, as well as attacks on member space capabilities or attacks from space, could lead to an invocation of Article 5, the alliance’s mutual self-defense clause.

Aviation WeekTue 15th Jun

KAI Reveals Details Of New Transporter, Civilian Airliner

Overt DefenseTue 15th Jun

Termination Of US-Philippines Visiting Forces Agreement Suspended For Third Time

The government of the Philippines today announced that it would be suspending its move to cancel its Visiting Forces Agreement with the United States, the third such time it has done so. 

Breaking DefenseTue 15th Jun

Cross Domain Solutions: Enabling All Domain Operations

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Defense NewsTue 15th Jun

Part 4: Classified Navy JADC2 budget plan has a few spending hints

Editor’s note: This is the second article in a four-part series exploring what the Pentagon wants to spend on its future joint war-fighting concept, Joint All-Domain Command and Control, based on its fiscal 2022 budget request.

Defense NewsTue 15th Jun

Part 3: Proposed modernization increases show Army sees joint operations as ‘top priority’

Editor’s note: This is the third article in a four-part series exploring what the Pentagon wants to spend on its future joint war-fighting concept, Joint All-Domain Command and Control, based on its fiscal 2022 budget request.

Defense NewsTue 15th Jun

Part 2: Congress dealt ABMS a blow, but experts see progress

Editor’s note: This is the second article in a four-part series exploring what the Pentagon wants to spend on its future joint war-fighting concept, Joint All-Domain Command and Control, based on its fiscal 2022 budget request.

Defense NewsTue 15th Jun

Part 1: What the budget reveals — and leaves unclear — about the cost of JADC2

Editor’s note: This is the first article in a four-part series exploring what the Pentagon wants to spend on its future joint war-fighting concept, Joint All-Domain Command and Control, based on its fiscal 2022 budget request.

Defense NewsTue 15th Jun

The growing threat of European tech regulation on US innovation

A proposed European Union law targeted at America’s largest technology companies could force U.S. companies to make changes to carefully developed security protocols aimed at keeping their users’ data secure and private. Suggested changes could introduce cybersecurity weaknesses for U.S. government agencies, going against recommended safeguards and ultimately increasing national security risks. President Biden should use his remaining time in Europe this week to emphasize that any attempts by the European Union to unfairly single out the U.S. technology industry for strict regulation that could risk compromising users’ security is unacceptable.

Defense NewsTue 15th Jun

Philippine president again delays abrogation of key security pact with US

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday again suspended his decision to terminate a key defense pact with the United States, which he has asked to provide more aid and coronavirus vaccines in exchange for retaining the accord.

Overt DefenseTue 15th Jun

Iranian Warships Sail in The Atlantic Ocean For The First Time

After a 30-day journey, two Iranian military ships, the destroyer Sahand and the forward base ship Makran, arrived in the Atlantic. After a journey of about 6,000 nautical miles, Iranian Army Coordination Deputy Chief Rear Admiral Habibullah Sayyari stated that the two ships, both of which were developed with domestic resources, had arrived in the Atlantic Ocean.

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

Iran's Recent Naval Loss Should Be a Warning, Not a Victory, for America's Military

Aviation WeekTue 15th Jun

NATO Flags China Military Ambitions As ‘Systemic Challenge’ 

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

GPS III Launch Will Provide Global M-Code

WASHINGTON: The Space Force plans to launch the fifth GPS III satellite Thursday, which will allow the constellation to broadcast the encrypted M-Code positioning, timing and navigation signal to military users anywhere on the globe. The planned launch was actually moved forward from its original July schedule.

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

Assessing Practical Educational Wargaming

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

We Ignore the Human Domain at Our Own Peril

“It is in the cognitive space where we must prevail.”

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

Lockheed Says Global Demand for F-35 Remains Strong

FORT WORTH, Texas — Despite lingering questions about the U.S. Air Force’s commitment to buying 1,783 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, Lockheed Martin’s new head of the aircraft program expects growing international demand for the stealth jet, she told reporters Thursday.

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

Biden to Stay Course on Nuclear Modernization

Despite calls from some Democrats and arms control advocates to slash spending on strategic forces, the Biden administration appears committed to forging ahead with previous administrations’ nuclear modernization programs.

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

MDA: U.S. Carriers Now at Risk From Hypersonic Missiles

U.S. aircraft carriers are already facing risks from hypersonic weapons that are now entering the inventory of American adversaries and the Navy has developed early defenses for the threat, the head of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said last week before the Senate.

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

An Alternative to the Afghan Pullout

I had the opportunity this month to visit and thank U.S. troops stationed around the world. Some of our troops are too young to remember 9/11, but that day is etched in my memory and the heart of our nation.

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

America's 17 Independence Class Ships Are Surveillance Frigates

In all the debate over the Navy’s battered and largely derided “Littoral Combat Ship” concept, the Independence Class littoral combat ship has been both misnamed and consistently misunderstood. The Independence Class trimaran is better described as a surveillance frigate capable of boosting America’s craftiness at sea. 

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

F-35 Pilot: Forget Drones, the Skies Still Belong to Fighter Pilots

As a fighter pilot, I have a lot of respect for what Elon Musk has accomplished. His ability to not adhere to dogma has allowed him to revolutionize two industries through SpaceX and Tesla. Much like a physicist, he relies on first-principle science to solve problems, which allows him to see things from a fresh perspective. However, he is wrong about the fighter jet era being over.

Real Clear DefenseTue 15th Jun

The Anti-Quad, the PRIC and the Clash of Values

Since the reincarnation of a new Avatar of the Quad 3.0 on March 12th, 2021, there is a serious counterreaction from a group of countries that feel strategically contained and threatened. This new Avatar of the Quad is being presented as an alliance of democracies that will bring peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. Though there are security aspects of it, but more important areas of cooperation are non-military in nature, including humanitarian issues, Covid vaccine supplies, emerging technologies, cyber-attacks and alternative supply chains.

Defense NewsTue 15th Jun

Military micro-reactors: Waging yesterday’s wars while losing the future’s

With its withdrawal from Afghanistan and decision to end programs that typified America’s conflicts of past two decades, the Biden administration’s Pentagon is planning for long-term competitions against China and Russia. But for the Pentagon’s mobile micro-reactor effort, Project Pele, it’s still 2007.

Defense NewsTue 15th Jun

The 2021 Military Times Best for Vets: Colleges rankings are out. Is your school on the list?

Army veteran James Kumm started college as a sergeant in the National Guard. It didn’t take long to feel like he didn’t fit in.

Aviation WeekTue 15th Jun

XTI Targets TriFan 600 First Flight Within 20 Months

The War ZoneTue 15th Jun

Hawaii-Based F-22s Scrambled On FAA's Request But Nobody Will Say Why (Updated)

A pair of F-22 Raptors were launched on an alert scramble out of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Sunday at around 4:00 PM local time. A third F-22 joined the mission about an hour after pair's departure. A KC-135 was also launched to support the fighters. Hawaii News Now reports that the scramble, described as an "irregular patrol," was initiated at the request of the Federal Aviation Administration, which reported an 'incident,' although nobody is providing any clear information in regards to what that catalyst for the prolonged scramble mission was. 

The War ZoneTue 15th Jun

Special Ops MH-47 Chinooks Can Use These Fuel Dump Pipes To Help Climb Over Mountains

Photos of the highly modified MH-47 Chinooks of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, or 160th SOAR, the famous Night Stalkers, are almost always worthy of attention. These highly-capable aircraft are frequently noted with different modifications cropping up around their airframes, some of them more mysterious than others. Some recent imagery of 160th SOAR MH-47s released by the U.S. Department of Defense brings to light one little-known feature of the U.S. Army’s extensively customized Chinooks — pipes for safely dumping fuel in flight.

Aviation WeekMon 14th Jun

U.S. Army Selects Two Companies For HADES Sensor Battle

Aviation WeekMon 14th Jun

DOD Awards Three Contracts For SCIFiRE Hypersonic Project

Breaking DefenseMon 14th Jun

GPS III Launch Will Provide Global M-Code

GPS III Space Vehicle-5 (SV-5), built by Lockheed Martin, will bring the number of satellites in the GPS constellation equipped with M-Code to 24 — the ‘magic number’ for allowing global access to the jam-resistant signal. Those 24 satellites include the five latest-model GPS III birds, as well GPS IIR-M and GPS IIF satellites. There are 31 GPS sats in total; GPS III SV-5 will replace one of the early models.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

Biden returns $26M in border wall money to Norfolk Naval Shipyard

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — President Joe Biden is sending $26 million in federal funds back to a U.S. Navy shipyard in Virginia. The money had been diverted by President Donald Trump to pay for a wall along the Mexico border.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

Air Force would contribute bulk of new cyber mission force teams

WASHINGTON —The Air Force is expected to provide the lion’s share of new cyber mission force teams to U.S. Cyber Command proposed in the fiscal 2022 budget, the first such increase in almost a decade.

The War ZoneMon 14th Jun

S-400 SAMs Knocked Out In Simulated Strikes During Big Army-Led Exercise In Africa

Simulated strikes on a pair of Russian-made S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries were part of the still ongoing U.S. Army-led Africa Lion 2021 exercise that is taking place in various countries in North and West Africa. This comes as the Russian government continues to actively market export variants of the S-400, even to smaller countries, and amid persistent concerns within the U.S. military about the general increasing proliferation of higher-end air defense assets. The inclusion of these threats in African Lion 2021's training scenarios is also notable given that there were indications last year that the Kremlin had introduced S-400 or S-300 systems into the civil conflict in Libya, though U.S. Africa Command later said it had assessed that no such deployment had occurred.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

Lockheed says global demand for F-35 remains strong despite uncertainty over US Air Force plans

FORT WORTH, Texas — Despite lingering questions about the U.S. Air Force’s commitment to buying 1,783 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, Lockheed Martin’s new head of the aircraft program expects growing international demand for the stealth jet, she told reporters Thursday.

Aviation WeekMon 14th Jun

U.S. Space Force Preps For First Launch With Reusable Booster

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

US Army to fund extended-range Precision Strike Missile starting in FY22

WASHINGTON — The Army is set to fund extending the range of its Precision Strike Missile – which is still under development – out to 1,000 kilometers or greater in fiscal 2022, according to documents accompanying the Army’s FY22 budget request.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

House Democrats pitch $1.5 trillion discretionary spending level amid internal discord

WASHINGTON — House Democrats have introduced a “deeming” resolution that sets discretionary spending at $1.5 trillion, but military spending levels were left out amid an intraparty split over the size of the defense budget.

Aviation WeekMon 14th Jun

Researchers Show Fast Charging Of High-Energy eVTOL Batteries

Aviation ListMon 14th Jun

The World War II Weekend Air Show Is BACK! And Here’s Our Report.

Organized by the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, the 30th annual World War II Weekend air show was a stunning success. After being cancelled last year, due to COVID, the June 4-5-6, 2021 show was a sign of normalcy returning. Held on the East Coast of the United States in Reading, Pennsylvania, this air show consists solely of warbirds from the Second World War, as well as a large contingent of WWII reenactors on the ground.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

US Army sets timeline to design new long-range weapon

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is kicking off a new effort in fiscal 2022 to design and develop a long-range precision munition for its future aircraft and will choose industry-born designs to move forward into a roughly five-year development program in FY23, according to FY22 budget documents.

Aviation WeekMon 14th Jun

France’s Ascendance Advances Hybrid-Electric Air Taxi, Power Train

Breaking DefenseMon 14th Jun

Pentagon: Diversify Your Orbital Regimes

Congress considers the Pentagon’s $1.2 billion request for military space systems in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and its other broader space portfolio, it would do well to consider the key factor of resilience at each decision point.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

China delivers 100 military vehicles to Lebanon

BEIRUT — Lebanon’s military has received 60 B80VJ and 40 Sinotruk Howo vehicles as part of military assistance from China.

Breaking DefenseMon 14th Jun

NGA Seeks Upgraded Software To Speed Analysis

“DTS converts raw sensor data into formats that are compatible with systems within the government,” the spokesperson said in an email. “In addition, it will provide metadata and corrections to improve data utility.” (Metadata allows data libraries to be more easily searched, for example.)

Aviation WeekMon 14th Jun

The Weekly Debrief: Loss Of Second B-52 Defensive Crew Member Looms

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

Cost of US Navy’s Ship-to-Shore Connector breaches Nunn-McCurdy law

The U.S. Navy’s Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) program costs have risen enough to breach Nunn-McCurdy cost thresholds laid out in the decades-old acquisition law, but the Navy said in a June 11 statement the program has stabilized and will continue in production.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

Fincantieri’s Marinette Marine announces Mark Vandroff as new shipyard CEO

WASHINGTON — Fincantieri’s Marinette Marine announced a leadership change at the Wisconsin shipyard, with retired U.S. Navy captain Mark Vandroff set to take over as CEO in July.

The War ZoneMon 14th Jun

Canadian Submarine Bedeviled By Accidents For A Decade Is Finally Back In The Water

The Royal Canadian Navy’s Victoria class diesel-electric submarine HMCS Corner Brook has returned to the water, following a troubled overhaul that began back in 2014 and was interrupted by an onboard fire. The boat has not been to sea for even longer, however, since it was effectively put out of commission after hitting the seabed off Vancouver Island in the Pacific Ocean back in 2011.

Aviation WeekMon 14th Jun

New Shepard Suborbital July 20 Space Ride Sells For $28 Million

Breaking DefenseMon 14th Jun

Houthis Lay Sea Mines In Red Sea; Coalition Boasts Few Minesweepers

TEL AVIV: The Houthi rebels in Yemen have planted sea mines in the southern part of the Red Sea where US Navy and other allied ships are sailing, posing a possibly grave threat to shipping.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

NATO leaders declare China a global security challenge

BRUSSELS — NATO leaders on Monday declared that China poses a constant security challenge and is working to undermine global order, and they said they’re worried about how fast the Chinese are developing nuclear missiles.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

NATO says attack in space could trigger mutual defense clause

BRUSSELS — NATO leaders on Monday expanded the use of their all for one, one for all, mutual defense clause to include a collective response to attacks in space.

Aviation WeekMon 14th Jun

SLS Core Stage Mated To Boosters For Artemis I

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

Why the Biden administration must not trade away homeland missile defense

Historically, modern presidential transitions have been rocky, to say the least. That is why many of us in the defense community breathed a sigh of relief at the Biden administration’s embrace of the Next Generation Interceptor missile defense program, even though its genesis occurred under the Trump administration.

Aviation WeekMon 14th Jun

Facing Cancellation, SOFIA Observatory Probes Star Formation

Overt DefenseMon 14th Jun

Northrop Grumman Delivers First AN/SLQ-32(V)7 Electronic Warfare System to the U.S. Navy

Northrop Grumman has delivered the first  AN/SLQ-32(V)7 Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 3 Engineering and Development Model (EDM) to the Navy. The company said in a press release on Friday, 11 June. The system was handed over to the Navy at Northrop Grumman’s systems integration facility in Baltimore. After the transfer to the Navy, the system is headed for NAVSEA’s Surface Combat Systems Center in Wallops Island, Virginia.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

Small drone biz Vanilla Unmanned has big plans for the US Navy

HOLLYWOOD, Md. — When U.S. Pacific Fleet conducted its first exercise focused on manned-unmanned teaming in April, some familiar systems showed up: the distinctive silhouettes of a Zumwalt-class destroyer, an Independence-variant littoral combat ship and an unmanned Sea Hunter in the water, plus a Navy variant of the Air Force’s MQ-9 Reaper drone in the air.

Aviation ListMon 14th Jun

The AH-1Z Viper Performed The First Link 16 Test Flight As The H-1 Mixed Fleet Surpassed 400,000 Flight Hours

An AH-1Z Viper of the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (HX) 21 demonstrated for the first time the Link 16 to establish a two-way connection between a ground station and the helicopter during a test flight at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. The new capability is part of the digital interoperability (DI) suite, which includes Link 16 and Advanced Networking Wideband Waveform (ANW2) data links used to share information across various networks. Another novelty of the DI suite is the new digital moving map which can integrate all the info shared by other assets through the datalink for a better Situational Awareness (SA).

Aviation WeekMon 14th Jun

Airbus Unveils European-Made H175 Fuselage

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

Northrop Grumman launches experimental satellite for the Space Force from a plane

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force successfully launched its Tactically Responsive Launch-2 payload into orbit using a Northrop Grumman Pegasus XL rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base June 13.

Aviation WeekMon 14th Jun

Kitty Hawk Repositions Heaviside As Autonomous Air Taxi

Overt DefenseMon 14th Jun

Azerbajian Releases 15 Armenians For Location Of 97,000 Land Mines

Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on 12 June, that it had released 15 Armenian citizens it had previously detained, in exchange for Armenian maps of the location of 97,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel land mines in Azerbaijan’s Agdam region.

Aviation WeekMon 14th Jun

CFM Unveils ‘Open Fan’ Demonstrator Plan For Next-Gen Engine

CFM International joint venture partners GE Aviation and Safran have launched an aggressive technology development program to pave the way for a new generation of fuel-efficient unducted—or open fan—engine to enter service around the mid-2030s.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

FY22 shipbuilding budget could do more to pave the way for US Navy fleet transformation, experts say

WASHINGTON — The fiscal 2022 shipbuilding plan was never going to be one that kicked off a major transformation of the U.S. Navy.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

NATO helicopter program could be next battleground between US, European defense industries

STUTTGART, Germany — A NATO-led effort to field a new multirole helicopter by 2035 is setting the stage for a competition between U.S.- and European-based rotorcraft industries.

Overt DefenseMon 14th Jun

France Ending Operation Barkhane in Sahel & Cuts Military Aid to CAR

Following the 2013 arrival of French troops in Mali, In August 2014, the French deployment to the Sahel region became Operation Barkhane. The deployment eventually grew to include over 5,000 French military personnel and although international partners eventually joined in support of France, the French commitment remained by far the most significant. Controversial at home and abroad due to mounting losses and accusations of killing civilians, the anti-terrorist campaign will soon be coming to an end according to French President Emanuel Macron.  

Breaking DefenseMon 14th Jun

All-Domain Operations Shape The Joint Battlespace For Decision Dominance

Melding these technologies together was one of the main objectives of the Northern Edge 21 exercise that took place in the first half of May in Alaska. The goal of the exercise was to show that U.S. forces can operate in a joint all-domain environment (JADO) against near-peer/peer competitors like China. As such, it was not a coincidence that U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and other Pacific-based forces from the Army and Air Force took the lead in the exercise aimed at this potential Pacific adversary.

Overt DefenseMon 14th Jun

“Double Tap” Attack On Afrin’s Al Shifa Hospital Kills 19 Civilians

At least 19 civilians have been killed following an artillery attack on the city of Afrin in northern Aleppo in the evening of 12 June. An initial attack on Afrin’s city center was followed by a direct attack on the Al Shifa hospital there, with newborn children, women, medical staff and ambulance drivers among those killed. Over 20 civilians were injured as well, with the Syrian Civil Defense reporting that three of its volunteers are among the injured.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

Founder of Army tactical network team reflects on tenure, future of joint war fighting

WASHINGTON — For the last three and a half years, the U.S. Army’s Network Cross-Functional Team focused on delivering new tools to soldiers to beef up the service’s tactical network capabilities. After delivering the first set to tackle immediate network gaps, known as Capability Set ‘21, the two-star general who launched and shaped the team has retired.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

As NATO rolls out 2030 agenda, will it find its place in the space race?

STUTTGART, Germany — Global military leaders have upped their investments in the space domain over the past several years, warning of a growing reliance on vulnerable assets in orbit. As the NATO alliance pushes a forward-leaning agenda ahead of the Brussels summit, its level of involvement in this new domain remains to be seen.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

NATO to look eastward and inward at summit

COLOGNE, Germany — NATO heads of state and government will confront a sizable to-do list at their June 14 Brussels summit, as the event will set the path for hardening the alliance’s outer defenses while staying limber on the inside.

Defense NewsMon 14th Jun

NATO surveillance drones dial up flying hours, maritime sensing

ROME — Global Hawk drones flown by NATO from their Italian base will soon be racking up 100 hours of flying time per week between them, and boasting a new maritime target tracking capability, alliance officials have said.

Aviation WeekSun 13th Jun

Northrop Launches Pegasus Rocket For U.S. Military

Defense NewsSun 13th Jun

House tees up war authorization repeal while Senate waits on White House

WASHINGTON ― The House will vote on a repeal of the Iraq-focused 2002 war authorization this week, but similar legislation is on a slower track on the other side of the Capitol, where lawmakers were still negotiating with the White House last week.

The War ZoneSun 13th Jun

The Marine Corps Now Admits They Probably Caused The San Diego "Skyquake"

In a follow-up to our reporting earlier this week on the mysterious boom heard around San Diego on the evening of June 8th, 2021, we can now report that Marine Corps Air Station Miramar has put out a statement saying essential "it was probably us." 

Real Clear DefenseSun 13th Jun

Canceled in Combat: Get Ready for Smear War

To understand future information warfare threats, it is helpful to identify specific tactics that can be used and how they have been employed recently.

Real Clear DefenseSun 13th Jun

A Permanent Detachment of SOF in the American High North

In the decades following the collapse of the Soviet Union the Arctic was largely a strategic and geopolitical afterthought. Too remote and environmentally hostile for anything but fishing, resource extraction, and indigenous economics, conventional military threats in the theater were improbable. In fact, Canadian General Walter Natynczyk told the Canadian Senate Committee on National Security and Defense in 2010 that, were the Canadian Arctic to be invaded, his “first challenge is search and rescue to help them out.”

Real Clear DefenseSun 13th Jun

Rifles and Miniguns Adapted to Fire Longer-Range 6.8mm Ammo

Ammunition maker True Velocity says it can give many guns that fire 7.62x51mm ammunition far better performance with just the swap of a barrel.

Defense NewsSat 12th Jun

NATO members set to say they won’t deploy land-based nukes in Europe

WASHINGTON ― NATO allies are poised to formally oppose the alliance deploying ground-based nuclear missiles in Europe, following U.S. President Joe Biden’s meeting with fellow heads of state set for June 14 in Brussels, Defense News has learned.

The War ZoneSat 12th Jun

The Soviet-Era Hurricane High-Speed Missile Boat Had Absolutely Gargantuan Hydrofoils

Known in the Soviet Union as the Project 1240 Uragan, meaning hurricane, and given the Western codename Sarancha class, only one example of this hydrofoil missile boat was ever built, but it certainly packed a punch and was in many ways a remarkable design from a technical point of view. With enormous hydrofoil surfaces on either side at the front, and another at the rear mounting propellers, the Uragan could race across the surface of the water at an impressive 60-plus knots.

Aviation ListSat 12th Jun

Who Says the F-35 Can’t Dogfight? You Just Gotta Jump Out of It for the Best Shot!

Well, if you still have your doubts about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s ability to dogfight, the newly released BattleField 2042 should put those concerns to rest.

The War ZoneSat 12th Jun

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.

Aviation WeekFri 11th Jun

Pentagon Provides $150 Million Package For Ukraine Security Assistance

Aviation WeekFri 11th Jun

Lilium Works Toward Concurrent EASA/FAA eVTOL Certification

Aviation WeekFri 11th Jun

Zipline, Pfizer Join To Develop Drone Vaccine Distribution

Aviation WeekFri 11th Jun

Experienced Team Key To eVTOL Developer Vertical’s SPAC Deal

The War ZoneFri 11th Jun

Australia To Upgrade All Its Aging Submarines Amid Chronic Delays To Its New French Design

As Australia waits for its 12 new, controversial Attack class submarines, the country’s defense ministry has announced that it will spend around $4.6 billion keeping its current fleet of Collins class submarines viable until they can be replaced. Previous plans would have modernized just three of the Collins class, but the ministry has been forced to make the move since the first of the Attack class is not now expected to be delivered until around 2035, while the full fleet won’t achieve final operational capability (FOC) until 2054.

Aviation WeekFri 11th Jun

Griffin: Pentagon’s Hypersonic Production Plan 'Unacceptable'

Breaking DefenseFri 11th Jun

Key Senator, Congressman Praise Biden’s Navy Nominee

Carlos Del TOro

The War ZoneFri 11th Jun

Gremlins Drones Could Be Rearmed Inside Their Mothership Transport Aircraft

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, is exploring new potential concepts of operations as part of its Gremlins program, which has been experimenting with swarming drones that are designed to be launched and recovered in mid-air. DARPA is now looking into the possibility that personnel on a mothership aircraft that deploy and retrieve these unmanned aircraft might be able to load new payloads onto them, including swarms of smaller drones or munitions, before sending them out on new missions.

Aviation ListFri 11th Jun

First Leonardo TH-73A Training Helicopter Delivered To The U.S. Navy

The U.S. Navy took delivery of the first new TH-73A training helicopter during a ceremony at Leonardo’s facilities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on June 10, 2021. The helicopter is the first of the 32 acquired through the initial 177 million USD firm-fixed-price contract awarded last year, out of a total requirement of 130 aircraft that will be delivered through 2024 to replace the ageing TH-57 Sea Ranger a military derivative of the famous Bell 206 Jet Ranger, after 35 years of service. Towards the end of 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense exercised options for an additional 36 aircraft in a $171 million fixed-price-contract.

Breaking DefenseFri 11th Jun

Northrop Delivers 1st SEWIP Block 3 Jammer To Navy

So it’s significant that, after years of development, Northrop Grumman has officially delivered the first full-up working model of the Navy’s Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block III for land-based testing.

Overt DefenseFri 11th Jun

True Velocity Extends the Benefits of their ‘Next Gen’ 6.8 TVCM ammunition to Currently Fielded Weapons

True Velocity have made a very interesting announcement about their 6.8 TVCM ammunition which was originally developed for the US Army’s Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) program. True Velocity have successfully chambered several 7.62x51mm chambered weapon systems in the new 6.8mm TVCM round.

Breaking DefenseFri 11th Jun

Air Force To Set Up 3D Printed Supply Chain At Tinker AFB

The next step in the program will see a metal parts additive manufacturing supply chain established at Tinker AFB in Oklahoma, starting with a buy of two GE printers in fiscal 2022.

Breaking DefenseFri 11th Jun

Supporting Australia To Deter China Helps America

As the Biden administration focuses on ways to improve deterrence in the Pacific, reenforcing Australia’s defense against China is a good place to start. Working closely with Australia now can send an important message to Beijing that political intimidation, backed by economic and military threats, is not in its long-term interest.

Breaking DefenseFri 11th Jun

Machinists Union Presses F-35 Jobs Campaign On Capitol Hill

In that tradition, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has launched a full-court lobbying campaign to shore up wavering congressional support for the long-troubled program.

Defense NewsFri 11th Jun

Space Command asks Congress for $67 million to achieve full operational capability

WASHINGTON — U.S. Space Command wants $67 million to reach full operational capability and develop interim capabilities that will allow it to accomplish its mission today, according to a letter to Congress obtained by Defense News.

Defense NewsFri 11th Jun

South Korean shipbuilders unveil competing carrier designs

BUSAN, South Korea — Two shipbuilders have each displayed their conceptual designs for the South Korean Navy’s future light aircraft carrier, code-named CVX.

Aviation WeekFri 11th Jun

Eve Confirms Talks With Ricci’s Zanite SPAC

Defense NewsFri 11th Jun

White House to nominate retired commander, business leader Carlos Del Toro as Navy secretary

The Biden administration will announce Carlos Del Toro as its pick to be the next Navy secretary.

Overt DefenseFri 11th Jun

Russia Begins Large-Scale Exercises In The Pacific Ocean

On 10 June, the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that a large military exercise in the central Pacific Ocean had begun. The ministry announced that up to 20 warships, support ships and submarines, as well as 20 aircraft, will take part in the drill.

Aviation ListFri 11th Jun

Check Out These Shots Of Air Force One and SAM46 At RAF Mildenhall For Biden’s Trip To G7 Summit

U.S. President Joe Biden is currently in the UK to attend the G7 summit, that will take place from June 11 to 13 in Carbis Bay, Cornwall. Biden arrived in Europe aboard VC-25A serial number 82-8000, using callsign “Air Force One”, on Wednesday June 9 at 19.37LT.

Aviation WeekFri 11th Jun

Pipistrel Racks Up Electric Trainer Deliveries

Defense NewsFri 11th Jun

Marine Corps names new top information officer

WASHINGTON — The Marine Corps is getting a new top officer to oversee operations in the information environment, according to a June 10 announcement.

Overt DefenseFri 11th Jun

DARPA Successfully Demonstrates New Anti-Drone System

On 7 June, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced it has concluded its Mobile Force Protection (MFP) Program with a successful demonstration at Eglin Air Force Base.  The aim of the program was to create an affordable and reusable counter to the increasing presence of unmanned drones on the modern battlefield. DARPA’s successful demonstrator included a new X band radar capable of automatically identifying unmanned vehicles and came as a result of four years of work. The radar is capable of identifying whether the drone is fixed wing or rotary and, based on this information, automatically choosing to deploy one of two interceptor types. These were designed to counter either the first or second drone type.

Overt DefenseFri 11th Jun

Fincantieri Secures Contract For Eight Ships From Indonesia

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri announced on Thursday, the 10 June, that it has signed a contract with Indonesia for the supply of eight warships. This includes six new-build FREMM class frigates as well as two refurbished Maestrale class frigates that will be acquired from the Italian Navy on their decommissioning. 

Defense NewsFri 11th Jun

High-Speed Connectivity is Possible For All — Here’s How

We’re at a point in history where digital connectivity has become the main driver of virtually everything we do. Vital elements of enterprise, education, entertainment, transportation, and government rely on technology — specifically, connected systems and devices that make up a vast infrastructure through which information can move more or less freely.

Aviation WeekFri 11th Jun

Wind Tunnel Tests Advance France’s EcoPulse Hybrid-Electric Testbed

Aviation ListFri 11th Jun

Rare Photos Show Italian Eurofighters Dropping Flares During Live-Fire CAS Training With U.S. JTACs In Kuwait

Four Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets are currently stationed in Kuwait, to support OIR (Operation Inherent Resolve), the multinational campaign against Daesh in Iraq and Syria. The F-2000A jets have deployed in April 2021, as part of “Prima Parthica”, as the Italian Armed Forces operation is dubbed at national level, and operate within the Task Group “Typhoon”.

Overt DefenseFri 11th Jun

Russia Cancels “Open Lands” Memorandum

In the fallout following the collapse of the Open Skies treaty, Russo-American relations continue on a downwards trends. On 9 June, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree officially withdrawing Russia from the 1992 Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Open Lands. It was made public a day later. Signed in the early days of the Russian federation, a time of optimism about future relations between the historic rivals, the Open Lands Memorandum facilitated an avenue for dismantling travel controls and restrictions placed on individuals and destinations. The memorandum did not cover just diplomats but also commercial representatives, journalists and even military attaches; signifying the optimism of closer military ties at a time when Russian troops stood alongside NATO forces in Yugoslavia and Russian membership in NATO was actively being considered.

Defense NewsFri 11th Jun

‘Drone Wars’: New book wonders who will be the next drone superpower

Victory in the next major conflict could very well depend on the effectiveness of drones — from their swarm capabilities to their surveillance and artificial intelligence technologies. In “Drone Wars: Pioneers, Killing Machines, Artificial Intelligence, and the Battle for the Future,” author and Defense News correspondent Seth J. Frantzman wonders: Who will be this victorious drone superpower?

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

U.S. Lifts Some Iran Sanctions Amid Stalled Nuclear Talks

The Biden administration lifted sanctions on three former Iranian officials and several energy companies amid stalled nuclear negotiations, signaling Washington’s willingness to further ease economic pressure on Iran if the country changes course.

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

SASC Question Navy's Decision to Abandon Nuclear Cruise Missile

Pentagon leaders faced tough questions from lawmakers on the Navy’s decision to shelve the development of a sea-launched nuclear cruise missile during a Thursday budget hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

GEN Milley Clarifies Biden's Threat Assessment

A day after Joe Biden said the military told him as vice president that global warming represents America’s greatest threat, the Pentagon’s top officer offered a more traditional answer.

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

Pentagon Renews Effort To Withhold More Unclassified Records

Pentagon leaders are asking Congress to expand the kinds of unclassified information about military operations that the department can withhold from the public, continuing what has been an annual tradition for seven years and spanning three administrations.

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

Pentagon Works to Move Troops to Countries Near Afghanistan

The Pentagon wants to put counterterrorism forces in nations neighboring Afghanistan to monitor terrorist activity in that country after U.S. troops end their two-decade fight there, top U.S. defense officials said Thursday.

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

SASC Advances Air Force Secretary Pick, Six Others

WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden’s nominee for Air Force secretary and six other top Pentagon picks advanced out of the Senate Armed Services Committee by a voice vote June 10.

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

NATO General Urges 'Alignment' for Sixth-Gen Fighter

COLOGNE, Germany – NATO’s top general in Europe says alliance members developing sixth-generation military aircraft should ensure their plans are in sync to avoid duplication.

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

The Budget (and Fleet) That Might Have Been

When the U.S. military was engaged in multiple ground wars in Asia, advocating for a larger ground force didn’t seem like a parochial idea. But, somehow, as defense officials shift their focus to competition with China in a theater that is dominated by water, some Army officers see advocating for more ships as the height of Navy parochialism. Some have responded to that imagined slight with ahistorical claims that “war is won, and peace is preserved, on land.” But the Indo-Pacific is a maritime theater. It is not parochialism to acknowledge that fact and adjust defense budgets to address that reality. Today’s Navy does not have the ships required to execute the U.S. national strategy in a time of relative peace and security, let alone in a future defined by competition and the threat of great-power war. The Biden administration’s Fiscal Year 2022 defense budget was an opportunity to arrest the Navy’s decline and recapitalize the fleet to address this uncertain future. Instead, its authors elected to perpetuate a status quo that would see the fleet continue to wither, while the competition surges ahead.

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

Lockheed Martin to Build Up to 139 F-35s This Year

UPDATED: To include latest expectations on cost reduction. FORT WORTH: Lockheed Martin and DoD’s F-35 Joint Program Office are likely to sign a six month stop-gap sustainment contract to provide administrative authority for work to continue while they negotiate a longer-term contract, according to company officials.

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

'Hack The Army' Uncovers 238 Cyber Vulnerabilities

Breaking DefenseFri 11th Jun

‘Hack The Army’ Uncovers 238 Cyber Vulnerabilities

The bug bounty event, which began in January and ran for six weeks, invited military and civilian security researchers to find vulnerabilities within a limited time frame. This allows the Army to proactively fix the prospective cyber targets, ideally before a bad guy can exploit them.

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

Deterrence & the Proliferation of Hard & Deeply Buried Targets

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

Israel's F-35 Stealth Jets Are Sending a Message to Iran

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

Academy Tells Army to Stick With Fossil Fuels

Battlefields of the future will require the Army to invest in a mix of energy sources, including jet propellant 8 (JP-8), diesel and renewable diesel, but all-electric vehicles are not yet practical — at least through 2035, according to a study undertaken by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.The study — which was sponsored by the deputy assistant secretary of the Army for research and technology — tasked the Academies’ Committee on Powering the U.S. Army of the Future to analyze the energy needs of dismounted soldiers, manned and unmanned vehicles and forward operating bases on future multi-domain battlefields.

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

Pentagon Announces New Classified Programs to Counter China

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday directed the Pentagon to start several new initiatives to counter China, though details were scarce on what exactly the efforts would be.

Real Clear DefenseFri 11th Jun

Textron's Cottonmouth Emerges for USMC's New LAV

Textron announced its Cottonmouth 6×6 armoured vehicle as an entrant for the US Marine Corps' (USMC) Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) requirement in May, revealing that the vehicle had entered validation testing at the National Automotive Test Center in February 2021 and would continue onto amphibious tests in Q2 of 2021.

The War ZoneFri 11th Jun

7.62x51mm Rifles And Miniguns Adapted To Fire Longer-Range Polymer Cased 6.8mm Ammo In Tests

Ammunition manufacturer True Velocity has test-fired an M134 Minigun, among other weapons, chambered for its 6.8mm TVCM cartridge. The company says that the round's design means that all that you need to do to convert guns that use 7.62x51mm ammunition to fire it, in many cases, is to perform a simple barrel change. True Velocity originally developed this 6.8mm ammunition for General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, as part of that company's submission for the U.S. Army's Next Generation Squad Weapon program.

Aviation WeekFri 11th Jun

Archer Marks eVTOL Milestone With Maker Unveiling

The War ZoneThu 10th Jun

Texan F-16 Viper Appears In Vietnam-Era Green And Tan Camouflage

The latest in a long line of U.S. Air Force heritage schemes is a special one, indeed, recalling the service’s combat during the Vietnam War, when hundreds of aircraft were adorned in these shades of green and tan. While the Southeast Asia camouflage scheme is a well-known one, this is very likely the first time an F-16 fighter jet has appeared in these colors. 

Breaking DefenseThu 10th Jun

Milley, Austin Defend A-10, Global Hawk Retirements At SASC

The biggest challenge facing the Biden Administration as the 2022 request wends its way through Congress is almost certain to be the opposition by lawmakers to Pentagon plans to divest a host of aging weapons that are expensive to maintain and eat up money that would be used for new weapons to better deter China. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin clearly knew they’d face criticism from lawmakers who really don’t like change because it can affect jobs and cash in their districts and states.

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

EVTOL Startup Vertical To Go Public In $2.2B Deal With Broadstone SPAC

Defense NewsThu 10th Jun

NORAD, NORTHCOM want $80 million to test SpaceX and OneWeb in the Arctic

WASHINGTON — The head of U.S. Northern Command wants $80 million to continue testing SpaceX’s and OneWeb’s low Earth orbit satellite internet service, which it believes could solve the military’s Arctic communications woes.

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

AFRICOM, NORTHCOM Seek Satcom Capability In Fiscal 2022 Wish List

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

SOCOM Wants CV-22 Funds; Southcom Seeking Helos

Defense NewsThu 10th Jun

US Navy’s light amphibious warship on track for 2022 contract award

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Navy’s Light Amphibious Warship program is still on track for a fiscal 2022 start of construction, despite the program not appearing in the shipbuilding plan in the FY22 budget request, Navy officials told Defense News.

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

MDA, NORTHCOM Seek Additional Funds for Cruise Missile Defense

Breaking DefenseThu 10th Jun

Lockheed Martin To Build Up To 139 F-35s This Year

Meanwhile, the company expects to pump out up to 139 Joint Strike Fighters in 2021, Bridget Lauderdale, the company’s new F-35 program head, told reporters today at Lockheed Martin’s F-35 production facility in Fort Worth. That would mark an increase of 19 from 2020.

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

Lockheed Seeking To Stretch Out COVID-19 Recovery For F-35

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

ESA Adds To New Venus Armada

Defense NewsThu 10th Jun

2 combatant command budgets left out funding for JADC2 international collaboration tool

WASHINGTON — U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. European Command would like a combined $124 million to improve information sharing with allies for the Pentagon’s joint war-fighting concept, according to unfunded priority lists obtained Thursday by C4ISRNET.

Defense NewsThu 10th Jun

Top NATO general urges ‘alignment’ between US and European sixth-gen fighter plans

COLOGNE, Germany – NATO’s top general in Europe has said alliance members developing sixth-generation military aircraft should ensure their plans are in sync to avoid duplication.

The War ZoneThu 10th Jun

Iran Releases Video It Says Shows One Of Its Warships In The Atlantic For The First Time (Updated)

The Iranian Navy says that the Makran, a sea base-like ship that only entered service in January, and the corvette Sahand are now sailing in the South Atlantic and has released video of the latter vessel plowing through the waves in that region. Previous reports have indicated that the ships' final destination is Venezuela, possibly with plans to deliver missile-armed boats and other weapons to the regime there, but they might also be scheduled to stop in Cuba, as well. The U.S. government has said that if the Iranian vessels are indeed carrying military-related cargoes that this represents a "threat" to regional security and that it reserves the right to at least attempt to block any such deliveries.

Defense NewsThu 10th Jun

Austin, Milley defend weapons cuts in Biden’s defense budget

WASHINGTON ― Top Pentagon leaders defended President Joe Biden’s flat defense budget request to lawmakers on Thursday and its “hard choices” to slash legacy weapons programs in favor of developing technologies, as a hedge against China.

Defense NewsThu 10th Jun

DoD wish list seeks more funds to boost Pacific missile defense, weapons cybersecurity

WASHINGTON — Should additional money become available on top of the recently released fiscal 2022 budget request, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the Missile Defense Agency would like to use it to boost defense against ballistic missile threats in the Pacific, according to a wish list sent to Congress and obtained by Defense News.

Breaking DefenseThu 10th Jun

‘Systematically Attack’ What Makes Cyber Attacks Possible: WH Cyber Director Nominee

“The pace of events and our adversaries deny us the luxury of biding our time before we seize back the initiative that for too long has been ceded,” Chris Inglis told the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee.

Defense NewsThu 10th Jun

SASC advances Air Force secretary pick, six other nominees

WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden’s nominee for Air Force secretary and six other top Pentagon picks advanced out of the Senate Armed Services Committee by a voice vote Thursday. The Senate must consider them before they can be confirmed.

Breaking DefenseThu 10th Jun

Who’s Who in Defense: Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., Chief of Staff of the Air Force

Military Career

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

Leonardo Delivers First TH-73 Training Helicopter To U.S. Navy

The War ZoneThu 10th Jun

South Korea Is Looking At Building A Way Bigger Carrier Than We Thought

The South Korean shipbuilding industry has shown off a range of models of the country’s planned first aircraft carrier, now known as CVX, which is intended to operate F-35B stealth fighters. While a previous plan, referred to as LPX-II, suggested the South Korean Navy was eying a revised amphibious assault ship design better suited to carry those short takeoff and vertical landing-capable jets, the revised CVX project is an altogether more ambitious aircraft carrier. Among the latest proposals are a vessel with a new ‘ski jump’ takeoff ramp, as well as twin island superstructures.

Overt DefenseThu 10th Jun

Syrian Regime Shelling Of Northern Syria Now Joined By Russian Airstrikes

The Syrian Civil Defense reported today that 11 people, including a woman and her child, have been killed and six others injured, after Syrian regime forces shelled the town of Ibleen in southern Idlib. The shelling was part of a series of continued artillery attacks on the southern Jabal-al-Zawiya area of the rebel-held governorate and neighbouring northwest Hama that have been ongoing since 6 June, with towns and agricultural land targeted.

Defense NewsThu 10th Jun

Biden should support European strategic autonomy

U.S. President Joe Biden travels to Europe this week to begin a series of meetings with European allies, his first international trip since entering office. Biden telegraphed his main message for the G-7 and NATO summits in The Washington Post, writing that both meetings will be squarely about “realizing America’s renewed commitment to our allies and partners” while ensuring democracies around the world will be able to compete in the 21st century.

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

Juno Imagery Stirs Intrigue Over Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede

Overt DefenseThu 10th Jun

US Navy Stands Up DDG(X) Program Office

On 4 June, the U.S. Navy established a Program Office for the DDG(X). PMS (Program Office) 460 falls under the PEO Ships (Program Executive Office) and was approved by the acting Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition. The Program Office will be headed by program manager Captain David Hart and Katherine Connelly as deputy program manager.

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

China’s Shenzhou-12 Moves To Launch Pad

Aviation ListThu 10th Jun

Enjoy This Walkaround Of The TF-104G-M “Black Beauty” at Kennedy Space Center

Back in January, we reported about the stunning black paintjob of one of the TF-104 (actually, a TF-104G-M) aircraft of Starfighters Aerospace. The jet, dubbed “Black Beauty”, is one of the seven F-104s owned by the company, of which four are currently airworthy, and based at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center to be used for research and development flights.

Breaking DefenseThu 10th Jun

The Five Surprises In Pentagon’s 2022 Budget

Many elements of the Biden Administration’s first defense budget had been signaled ahead of time: focus on climate, cuts to “legacy” platforms, and an emphasis on developing future technologies.

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

FAA To Create New Drone Rulemaking Committee

Overt DefenseThu 10th Jun

Two Drones Intercepted And Shot Down Over Iraqi Air Base

The Iraqi Army said that two drones were spotted and hit by air defense systems near Iraq’s Ain al-Assad airbase, which is home to US personnel, in a statement released on 6 June. The C-RAM air defense system at Al-Assad Air Base, one of Iraq’s largest and oldest military sites, intercepted and struck two unmanned aerial vehicles, according to the statement.

Defense NewsThu 10th Jun

US Cyber Command wants more money for network defense

WASHINGTON — U.S. Cyber Command asked Congress for an additional $62 million to harden Department of Defense networks as part of its unfunded priorities that didn’t make it into the command’s fiscal 2022 budget request

Defense NewsThu 10th Jun

7 questions with the chair of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly

WASHINGTON ― When U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly was elected to chair the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in November, the new role harkened back to one of the congressman’s earliest jobs in Washington.

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

Senate Committee Advances Nominations For Pentagon Posts

Defense NewsThu 10th Jun

Indonesia orders six FREMM frigates from Fincantieri

ROME – Fincantieri has signed to sell six FREMM frigates to Indonesia, a deal which CEO Giuseppe Bono said allowed the Italian yard to “assume global leadership” in the surface ships sector.

Overt DefenseThu 10th Jun

IS Khorasan Claims Responsibility For Attack On Halo Trust Mine Clearers

Islamic State Khorasan Province, IS’ branch in Afghanistan, has claimed responsibility for a Tuesday attack on Halo Trust mine clearers in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan that killed ten and injured 16.

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

Bidders Shortlisted For UK Coastguard Aviation Contract

Defense NewsThu 10th Jun

Australia is suffering from a defense information dearth

Australia’s defense reporters are being denied access to senior Department of Defence officials under a clampdown imposed by new Defence Minister Peter Dutton.

Overt DefenseThu 10th Jun

UPDATED: US Air Force Says First Two B-21 Prototypes Still Under Construction

The United States Air Force’s acting acquisition executive has revealed that the first two prototype B-21 Raiders have been completed. 

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

South Korean Shipbuilders Float Carrier Design Concepts

Aviation ListThu 10th Jun

Italian, British F-35B Jets Carry Out Austere Runway Ops During Expeditionary Event On Pantelleria Island

On Jun. 8, 2021, Pantelleria, the tiny island located in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, some 100 km (62 mi) southwest of Sicily and 60 km (37 mi) east of the Tunisian coast, hosted an Italian Air Force F-35B (the only one assigned to the service, serialled MM7453/32-14) and a Royal Air Force F-35B (ZM154/020) embarked with 617 Sqn aboard HMS Queen Elizabeth, involved in an Expeditionary Combat Support Event (ECSE) part of the large Falcon Strike 2021 exercise currently underway in Italy.

Real Clear DefenseThu 10th Jun

Bipartisan Support Needed to Protect Vulnerable Electric Grid

President Joe Biden’s negotiations with Republicans, led by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., on improving the nation’s infrastructure broke down on Tuesday. But negotiations in some form will probably continue, even during the president’s European trip. As debate on infrastructure funding continues, one can only hope that there will be agreement to include funding to protect our electric power grid.

Real Clear DefenseThu 10th Jun

Austal USA to Develop Autonomous Version of Spearhead-class EPF

The builder of the Navy’s Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) has won a $44 million contract to develop an autonomous version of the aluminum catamaran, according to a June 7 Pentagon contract announcement.

Real Clear DefenseThu 10th Jun

The Capitol Riot and the Pentagon

Washington has concluded a news cycle trashing Republicans for voting against a special commission on the mob violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6. But Congressional committees already have the ability to investigate the event, as demonstrated by a new 95-page Senate report.

Real Clear DefenseThu 10th Jun

The Russian Submarine Threat in the Atlantic Is Growing

Over a hundred years after German U-boats first threatened Britain’s maritime lifelines to North America, submarines continue to pose a danger to the security of Western democracies.

Real Clear DefenseThu 10th Jun

USAF Won't Retire More B-1s Until B-21 on Duty

The Air Force won’t retire any more B-1 Lancer bombers until the new B-21 Raider joins the fleet, Lt. Gen. David S. Nahom told a House Armed Services panel June 8.

Real Clear DefenseThu 10th Jun

Our Guard in War

Real Clear DefenseThu 10th Jun

New Submarine, Frigate, Or Fighter?

Constrained by budgetary limitations, the U.S. Navy can afford either a new fighter, a new submarine, or a new destroyer, but not all three, according to a recent memo from the current acting secretary of the Navy, Thomas W. Harker.

Real Clear DefenseThu 10th Jun

Leaving Afghanistan

After Sept. 11, 2001, most Americans thought justice and prudence demanded sending troops to Afghanistan to oust the Taliban and extirpate its ally, al Qaeda, the organization that had carried out the most horrific terrorist attacks ever on U.S. soil.

Real Clear DefenseThu 10th Jun

MACV-SOG: The Covert SOF Unit You've Never Heard Of

If a conflict in U.S. history ever came with baggage, it has to be the Vietnam War. Although the service and actions of the millions of Americans who fought in Southeast Asia have been slowly recognized, the unpopularity of the war at the time, and for many years after, left a scar in American society. This unpopularity also meant that extraordinary men and units, such as the Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG), have fallen through the cracks of America’s consciousness, and are only known to a few old comrades, their families, and a handful of military history enthusiasts.

Real Clear DefenseThu 10th Jun

The First Two B-21 Stealth Bombers Are Now Ready for Testing

The modernization of the U.S. Air Force’s bomber branch is gathering pace, with the news that the first two examples of the so-far highly secretive Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber have been completed. As the service prepares to start testing the two new flying-wing bombers, it has also confirmed that it has no plans to retire additional examples of its aging B-1Bs until deliveries of the Raider begin, scheduled for some time in the mid-2020s, at the earliest. That reflects wider concerns in the service about whether it actually has enough bombers in its current fleet to deal with the kinds of high-end threats that it could face today. 

Real Clear DefenseThu 10th Jun

China Overtakes America in Presidential Diplomacy

Real Clear DefenseThu 10th Jun

China's Plan: Take Down Taiwan's AIr Defenses and a U.S. Carrier

A fictional war scenario showcases how emerging technological capabilities could be used in a future Sino-U.S. military confrontation over Taiwan.

Real Clear DefenseThu 10th Jun

Instead of Countering China, U.S. Navy Plans 'Rebuilding Year'

Aviation WeekThu 10th Jun

Pentagon To Begin Missile Defense Review

The War ZoneWed 9th Jun

Supersonic Aircraft Tracked Off San Diego Coincided With Mysterious "Skyquake"

Residents of San Diego County in South California, as well as other nearby areas, heard and felt at least one loud boom late yesterday. The U.S. Geological Survey did not detect any earthquake activity at the time of this incident, which occurred at around 8:20 PM local time on June 8th, 2021, and that some are referring to as a "skyquake." There are strong indications that this was a sonic boom and flight tracking data available online does show an unidentified plane flying at supersonic speeds off the coast in a general area that regularly hosts military training exercises, among other military aviation activity, at around the same time. A U.S. Navy supercarrier was also training in the area yesterday.

Breaking DefenseWed 9th Jun

Sen. King Urges ‘Reimagining Conflict’ On Eve Of Cyber Nominees Hearing

“We have to reimagine conflict,” King said. “I can’t tell you how serious I think this problem is. If there are not consequences for people doing this, then they’ll keep doing it. It’s almost impossible to overstate this risk.”

Defense NewsWed 9th Jun

Army says 2025 tactical network will make JADC2 a reality

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — Mobile command posts dot the battlefield. On-the-move units connect with new commercial satellite constellations but automatically pivot to other communications routes if interrupted by an adversary. Soldiers and systems on the ground communicate with waveforms that mask their locations while receiving up-to-date battlefield data to help make decisions.

Aviation WeekWed 9th Jun

Mars Helicopter Makes Seventh Flight

Defense NewsWed 9th Jun

Stealth fighter mock-up appears at China’s aircraft carrier testing facility

MELBOURNE, Australia — China is stepping up its aircraft carrier program on all fronts with the emergence of a stealth fighter mock-up at a naval test facility, suggesting that China intends to operate the type on its ships.

Defense NewsWed 9th Jun

US Navy needs $50M to get submarine construction back on track after COVID-19

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Navy needs $50 million in fiscal 2022 to get Virginia-class attack submarine construction back on track, after the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately hit that shipbuilding program, the service says.

The War ZoneWed 9th Jun

Air Force Corrects Top Official's Statement On B-21 Bomber Progress (Updated)

The modernization of the U.S. Air Force’s bomber branch is gathering pace, with the news that the first two examples of the so-far highly secretive Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber have been completed. As the service prepares to start testing the two new flying-wing bombers, it has also confirmed that it has no plans to retire additional examples of its aging B-1Bs until deliveries of the Raider begin, scheduled for some time in the mid-2020s, at the earliest. That reflects wider concerns in the service about whether it actually has enough bombers in its current fleet to deal with the kinds of high-end threats that it could face today. 

Breaking DefenseWed 9th Jun

China Bill Doubles DARPA’s Budget, Adds $52B For US Chips

The United States Innovation and Competition Act, formerly called the Endless Frontiers Act, passed the Senate 68-32 and appears likely to become law. The bill now goes to the House. President Biden has said he supports the bill.

Aviation WeekWed 9th Jun

F-35 Embarks On Second British Carrier

Defense NewsWed 9th Jun

Lebanon’s Navy chief talks fleet expansion, new security missions

BEIRUT — Lebanon’s sole coastline along the Mediterranean Sea is about 150 miles, and its Navy is largely tasked with protecting the country’s exclusive economic zone. But with the government becoming more interested in oil exploration, the maritime service may have to bolster its security capabilities. Some of that can be accomplished through foreign aid.

Aviation WeekWed 9th Jun

Lunar IceCube Clears Critical Prelaunch Test

Aviation WeekWed 9th Jun

NATO Nations Agree On Flight Training Initiative

Aviation WeekWed 9th Jun

Heaviside eVTOL Assessed In Military Exercise

Kitty Hawk has completed its first operational exercise with the U.S. Air Force’s AFWerx innovation unit assessing the ability of the company’s Heaviside electric vertical-takeoff aircraft to perform medical evacuation, personnel recovery and logistics.

Overt DefenseWed 9th Jun

China and ASEAN Agree to Avoid Escalatory Actions in the South China Sea

This year, China had intensified its activities in the South China Sea leading to rising tensions with both Malaysia and the Philippines. Beginning in March, the Whitsun Reef incident saw China’s so-called “fishing fleet” deploy hundreds of ships to and around Whitsun Reef as well as chase away Philippine civilian ships. More recently, Sino-Malaysian tensions have grown with Chinese vessels encroaching on Malaysian waters on 4 June following an air incursion of sixteen aircraft into Malaysian airspace on 1 June. Meanwhile, China continues to regularly send aircraft into Taiwan’s ADIZ although these have calmed somewhat recently.

Defense NewsWed 9th Jun

Ingalls to hire 3,000 full-time shipbuilders

WASHINGTON ― Huntington Ingalls Industries announced Wednesday that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division plans to hire roughly 3,000 full-time shipbuilders as part of its future-growth plan.

Overt DefenseWed 9th Jun

Malaysian Coast Guard: Chinese Coast Guard Ship Entered Malaysian Waters

The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency reports that it and the Royal Malaysian Navy are monitoring the presence of a Chinese Coast Guard ship in Malaysian waters off Borneo, near the Patinggi Ali shoals. The shoals, 84 nautical miles offshore from the city of Miri in northeastern Sarawak, had previously been overflown by 16 PLAAF cargo aircraft that intruded into Malaysian airspace on 1 June.

Aviation WeekWed 9th Jun

Honeywell Partners With Lilium As Key Supplier And Investor

The avionics and flight control systems for Lilium’s seven-seat electric regional air taxi will be supplied by Honeywell.

Breaking DefenseWed 9th Jun

SecDef Austin Takes Personal Charge of DoD China Policy With Classified Directive

“The efforts I am directing today will improve the Department’s ability to revitalize our network of allies and partners, bolster deterrence, and accelerate the development of new operational concepts, emerging capabilities, future force posture, and a modernized civilian and military workforce,” Austin said in a statement.

Aviation ListWed 9th Jun

Russian Su-30SM and Italian F-35As Had Their First Close Encounter Over The Baltic Sea

It was just a matter of time but, in the end, a pretty interesting (and quite relaxed) close encounter between a Russian Sukhoi Su-30SM two-seat multirole aircraft and two Italian Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft, took place in the Baltic Region.

Overt DefenseWed 9th Jun

US Navy Awards Austal Autonomy Contract for USNS Apalachicola

Austal USA, a fully owned subsidiary of Australian shipbuilder Austal, was on Monday awarded a $44 million fixed price contract modification by the United States Navy (USN), Navy Sea Systems Command. As a result of the modification, Austal will incorporate autonomy features onboard USNS Apalachicola (EPF-13) the thirteenth Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport. Austal USA was originally awarded a $656 million fixed price contract to build ships 13, 14 and 15 of the class in 2018 and Apalachicola was laid down in the company’s Mobile, Alabama facility on 21 January, 2021. The contract modification awarded to Austal USA covers the “design, procurement, production implementation and demonstration of autonomous capability on EPF-13”.

Breaking DefenseWed 9th Jun

USG Should Beware Exaggerated Threat To GPS: RAND

While the study’s scope does not cover DoD requirements for the Global Positioning System during wartime and in theaters abroad, experts say the findings on threat and consequence analysis are applicable to Pentagon decision-makers as they consider future PNT needs.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

How to Prevent Coups d'Etat

How to Prevent Coups d’etat. Erica De Bruin. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2020.

Defense NewsWed 9th Jun

Is the Navy ready to repair battle-damaged ships in wartime?

As U.S. Navy brass continues to sound the alarm about a future war with China, or at least the end of American naval dominance in the Pacific, a new government watchdog report questions whether the sea service would have the ability to repair battle-damaged ships should a conflict break out.

Overt DefenseWed 9th Jun

Latvia Considering Bayraktar TB-2 UCAV Buy

A delegation led by Latvian Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks visited the National UCAV R&D and Production Facilities of Baykar Defense, the manufacturer of Bayraktar TB-2 UCAVs. Minister Pabriks was accompanied on the trip by Baykar General Manager Haluk Bayraktar. Bayraktar briefed the Minister and the accompanying team on the UAV systems that Baykar has developed nationally. During his tour, the Minister also took a close look at Turkey’s first flying car, the Cezeri.

Overt DefenseWed 9th Jun

Germany Withdraws Beer from Afghanistan as US Reports Exit Halfway Done

On 8 June, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) declared in its regular weekly report that the Afghanistan withdrawal is halfway complete. Released on 8 June, the report was titled “Update on withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan June 7, 2021”.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

Assessing U.S. Army Diversity Efforts

Louis Melancon, PhD has served in the U.S. Army around the globe for 25 years. He presently represents the U.S. Army to the Joint Hard Targets Strategies program. Divergent Options’ content does not contain information of an official nature nor does the content represent the official position of any government, any organization, or any group.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

Navy Finds 32 Problems with Littoral Combat Ships

The Navy has identified almost three dozen upgrades and fixes that are needed for the littoral combat ships to improve their reliability, and has selected a commander to oversee the ship’s improvement efforts. 

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

The Army Isn't Getting Rid of Its M4s and SAWs Any Time Soon

The Army is moving quickly toward a replacement for the M4 carbine and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon machine gun, but don't expect those old weapons to head into retirement any time soon.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

The Wages of Over 75 Years of Peace at Sea

In the years since the end of WWII, though this nation has fought wars medium and small, with the exception of striking a mine here, a flight of hostile aircraft there, an occasional ASCM, and even a ship or two that decided to challenge the leviathan, the United States Navy has forgotten most of what it has forgotten about sustained war at sea; how to take a hit, fix yourself, and keep fighting.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

GAO Raises Concerns on Space Launch, Missile Warning Satellites

WASHINGTON — Technical challenges in the development of United Launch Alliance’s new Vulcan rocket could prevent the Defense Department from ending its reliance on the Russian-made RD-180 rocket engine by 2022 as required by Congress, the Government Accountability Office said in a report published June 8.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

Germany Selects Lockheed Martin for Space Tracking System

The German Space Agency selected Lockheed Martin’s iSpace system to enhance its ability to track and characterize debris in orbit.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

Synthetic Bioweapons Are Coming

Gene-editing advances pose a serious threat.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

Navy's Four-Ship Amphib Buy, New Force Structure Assessment

The Navy has reached a preliminary agreement with Huntington Ingalls Industries on a plan to buy four amphibious warships, but the Pentagon may hold off on executing the deal pending a new force structure assessment, said a service official testifying before Congress today.

Breaking DefenseWed 9th Jun

Pipeline CEO Defends Company’s Cyber Info Sharing

The acting director of DHS’s cyber arm, Brandon Wales, had told Congress that CISA was not getting the “technical information” it needed to share publicly about the Colonial ransomware incident. Wales also testified that he didn’t think Colonial would have reached out to CISA directly if the FBI hadn’t acted as an intermediary.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

Israeli Firm Delivers Advanced Targeting System

Smart Shooter, an Israel-based developer of fire control systems, has delivered a new optical targeting scope to the Defense Department for testing.Last year, the department’s Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate awarded the manufacturer the opportunity to design a system for its Individual Weapon Overmatch Optic, or IWOO, project.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

New Stealth Fighter For Chinese Navy's Aircraft Carriers

The Chinese Navy is massively expanding its fleet, with at least three aircraft carriers at its vanguard. Yet these lack low-observable fighters. But that is expected to change. A new image offers the

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

Hacking for Defense @ Stanford 2021 Lessons Learned

Breaking DefenseWed 9th Jun

Help The Afghan Air Force To Blunt Taliban Attacks

The United States and our international partners have worked for years to build an Afghan air force capable of providing effective air support to troops battling the Taliban, al Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

DARPA's Interceptor Drone Shoots 'Stringy Streamers'

DARPA has shared footage of a recent successful demonstration of its Mobile Force Protection concept aimed at defeating swarms of small drones.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

U.S. Navy's $166 Billion Attack-Sub Program Sees More Delays

The U.S. Navy’s $166 billion Virginia-class submarine program continues to experience cost increases and “persistent problems” that are likely to force delays in delivery, according to a congressional watchdog’s assessment of the Pentagon’s $1.8 trillion weapons portfolio.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

The Infantry Automatic Rifle Is Nothing New

I learned a lot of things in the Marine Corps. One thing I learned is that cheating and bending the rules are two different things. Conducting a platoon vs. platoon field op? Well, is it cheating if I go to the headquarters’ tent to ask Gunny for a water jug and snap a photo of the map showing every platoon’s location? Nope, it’s gathering intel. That’s rule-bending.

Real Clear DefenseWed 9th Jun

What Does the Marine Corps' Return to the Sea Mean for the Army?

Aviation WeekWed 9th Jun

EHang Extends eVTOL Demos To Japan