The War ZoneSat 27th Feb

A-10 Warthog Emerges Painted In Green And Tan Camouflage

An A-10C Warthog has been rolled out of the paint barn at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona wearing one of the most iconic camouflage patterns ever to fly on American warplanes—the Southeast Asia scheme that adorned thousands of aircraft during the decade-long Vietnam War. 

The War ZoneFri 26th Feb

Did Russia Try To Refute Criticisms Of Its Missiles By Showing One Blowing Up A Syrian Hospital?

The Russian Ministry of Defense released a montage of video footage yesterday that it said showed successful strikes in Syria using both the ballistic and ground-launched cruise missile versions of the Iskander system. This was in response to criticism from Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan about the performance of his country's Iskander-E ballistic missiles during the conflict with Azerbaijan last year. However, one of the clips appears to have inadvertently confirmed an old allegation that short-range ballistic missiles had been used to deliberately target a hospital in Syria in 2016.

Breaking DefenseFri 26th Feb

Abu Dhabi Defense Shows Highlight New Products, Partnerships

The first global defense show to take place in the post-pandemic recovery stage attracted more than 62,000 attendees, 900 exhibitors, 59 countries, and 35 international pavilions.

Aviation WeekFri 26th Feb

USAF Sets First ARRW Flight Test For Week Of March 1

Aviation WeekFri 26th Feb

USAF Official Doubts Lockheed Will Meet F-35 Flight Hour Goal

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

Canada’s new frigate is getting heavier, more expensive

WASHINGTON – Canada’s next-generation frigate is putting on weight and will cost more money than originally projected, according to a new cost analysis.

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

Air Force general worried US won’t field sixth-gen fighter in time to beat China

WASHINGTON — Since September, when the U.S. Air Force disclosed that it had flown a full-scale demonstrator of its future fighter, the defense community has been hungry for more details about the Next Generation Air Dominance program. And Air Force leaders have been loathe to provide them.

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

Unmanned systems, artificial intelligence dominate the IDEX showroom

BEIRUT — You don’t have to bring gold-plated guns to a defense trade show to get attention, but it helps.

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

Report broadens conversation on space militarization and Space Force satellite defense

WASHINGTON — Now more than ever, American war fighters depend on space-based capabilities for their missions. In response, adversaries have developed counter space weapons meant to degrade or deny those capabilities.

Breaking DefenseFri 26th Feb

Israeli Cargo Ship Struck In Oman Gulf After US Air Strike

The F-15 airstrike, reported to have killed 17 people, drew an initial muted response from Iranian officials. However, a ship owned by an Israeli company was damaged later in the day while sailing in the Gulf of Oman. The MV Helios Ray sails under the Bahamas flag and belongs to the Israeli company Helios Ray Ltd, owned by Rami Unger, one of the largest car importers in Israel.

The War ZoneFri 26th Feb

F/A-18 Legacy Hornets Have Left The Navy’s Carrier Decks For The Last Time

F/A-18C/D Hornets have ended their almost four-decade tenure aboard the aircraft carriers of the U.S. Navy. The final carrier deployment by the "Legacy Hornet" has officially concluded after the return of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323, or VMFA-323, the “Death Rattlers,” from its final cruise aboard the supercarrier USS Nimitz.

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

See images of a secretive Israeli nuclear facility undergoing major construction

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A secretive Israeli nuclear facility at the center of the nation’s undeclared atomic weapons program is undergoing what appears to be its biggest construction project in decades, satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press show.

Aviation WeekFri 26th Feb

Safran Jockeys For Position In Military Engine Programs

Breaking DefenseFri 26th Feb

US Needs Better Space Defenses, Including Weapons: CSIS

“If space is to remain a source of economic and strategic advantage, the United States must prioritize and expedite its efforts to improve space defenses. Robust space defenses make conflict in space less likely,” argues Defense Against the Dark Arts in Space: Protecting Space Systems from Counterspace Weapons.

Aviation WeekFri 26th Feb

Golden Horde Enters New Phase With Colosseum Stand-up

Aviation WeekFri 26th Feb

U.S. Navy Demos Long-Range Cargo UAS

The War ZoneFri 26th Feb

Doomsday Plane Crews Made This Darkly Humorous Music Video Aptly Set To "Burning Down The House"

You just have to love squadron videos. From the sublime to the ridiculous, it’s always interesting to see how crews celebrate their traditions and showcase the aircraft they operate. While naval fighter units unsurprisingly grab most of the attention, those tasked with operating America's E-6B Mercury “Doomsday Planes” haven't shied away from playing in this often bizarre medium. Since the most important job of the E-6B is to relay orders to launch volleys of nuclear-armed ballistic missiles during a nuclear apocalypse, the choice of music — the Talking Heads’ 1983 new-wave classic ‘Burning Down the House’ — is appropriate, especially since it is paired withstock footage of various nuclear tests literally blasting houses with their explosive firestorm. Yes, it is some dark humor, but how else do you deal with a job that can result in ushering in the end of the world as we know it?

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

3 years later, DISA director reflects on how agency fought off elimination

WASHINGTON — In 2018, U.S. House appropriators attempted to eliminate the Defense Information Systems Agency. In 2020, the Pentagon’s combat IT support agency played a critical role in supporting the department’s rapid transition to telework in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

Italy’s Leonardo to list DRS subsidiary on New York Stock Exchange

ROME — Italian state-controlled defense company Leonardo has confirmed plans to list U.S. subsidiary DRS on the New York Stock Exchange.

Aviation WeekFri 26th Feb

RAF Sentinel Completes Last Operational Flight

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

Congress reacts to US airstrikes in Syria

WASHINGTON ― The Pentagon’s announcement that that U.S. forces conducted a deadly airstrike in Syria sparked complaints from some Democratic allies of President Joe Biden that he overreached, while key Republicans applauded the move.

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

Securing data in a telework environment: modern defense solutions

It’s clear that telework is here to stay. In November, the Department of Defense extended COVID-related telework flexibilities, allowing civilian employees with kids to work remotely until at least June 30, 2021. In January, the Defense Information Systems Agency and Joint Force Headquarters Department of Defense Information Network released a memo touting telework benefits.

Aviation WeekFri 26th Feb

USAF Plans To Pitch Aircraft Retirements In Fiscal 2022 Request

Breaking DefenseFri 26th Feb

Who’s Who in Defense: James Inhofe, Ranking Member, Senate Armed Services Committee

Policy Quote

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

Fincantieri to build two new German-design submarines for the Italian navy

ROME – Italian state shipyard Fincantieri has signed a 1.35 billion euro ($1.63 billion) contract to build the first two of four planned U212 NFS submarines for the Italian navy.

Aviation ListFri 26th Feb

“Arctic Bone”: U.S. B-1 Bombers Fly First Mission From Norway Over Eastern Barents Sea, “Russia’s Naval Backyard”

On Feb. 26, 2021, the U.S. Air Force B-1 Lancers from the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, deployed to Norway for a BTF (Bomber Task Force) have launched their first mission.

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

Top US Air Force general isn’t ready to buy E-7 Wedgetail just yet

WASHINGTON — The Air Force’s top general wants to take a deliberative approach to replacing its aging E-3 airborne early warning and control planes and isn’t ready to commit to the Boeing’s E-7 Wedgetail, despite support from the service’s top general in the Asia-Pacific.

Breaking DefenseFri 26th Feb

New Air Force ISR Strategy Ready, Including MQ-9

And the service is preparing now to brief Congress on the plan — which was mandated by the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, he said during a press conference on the margins of the annual Air Force Association winter meeting. 

Overt DefenseFri 26th Feb

Biden Orders Review of Key US Supply Chains

On Wednesday, President Biden signed a new executive order calling for a 100 day review of critical US supply chains in order to find vulnerabilities. This primarily includes items relevant to defense and public health and safety such as medical supplies, large capacity batteries, rare earth minerals and semiconductors.

Breaking DefenseFri 26th Feb

Army EW Targets Foes For Infantry

While EW is best known for disrupting radio and radar, recent wargames at Fort Benning showed tremendous tactical value to simply detecting hostile transmissions. EW troops following behind the frontline infantry used portable sensors to detect “enemy” units’ transmissions a kilometer or more away, long before regular soldiers could see them.

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

More missiles, dispersed forces are key to stopping Chinese invasion of Taiwan, says former US Navy official

MELBOURNE, Australia — The U.S. military needs to quickly deploy more anti-ship missiles capable of targeting invading forces heading to Taiwan, and ensure American assets within range of Chinese missiles are sufficiently dispersed or hardened against a preemptive strike.

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

Vietnam strengthens fortifications in disputed South China Sea, satellite images reveal

MELBOURNE, Australia — Vietnam has continued to beef up its outposts in the disputed South China Sea with improved fortifications and infrastructure, although the scale of its activities is modest compared to that carried out by China, according to a new report.

Aviation WeekFri 26th Feb

Sri Lanka Seeks Two King Air 360ERs For Maritime Patrol

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

DHS Expects Troops To Stay at Border for 3 to 5 More Years

Feb. 25 (UPI) -- The Department of Homeland Security wants troops to stay at the southern border of the United States for the next three to five years, officials told the Government Accountability Office during a review of its role in the region.

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

Failure to Lift Off: The U K 's Space Launch Ambitions

Although an early entrant into space activity, the UK has never had an indigenous launch capability. The launch of the UK’s first satellite, Ariel 1, on board an American rocket in 1962, made it only the third country after the US and Soviet Union to operate a satellite. This was followed by the Black Arrow, a British satellite-carrier rocket, launched four times from Australian soil. Since the cancelation of the programme in 1971, however, the UK has had to rely on various partners to launch its satellites into orbit.

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

Biden Orders Airstrikes on Iranian-Backed Militias in Syria

The U.S. military Thursday evening carried out airstrikes in eastern Syria, targeting facilities it said were being used by Iranian-backed militia groups.

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

New Details of Russian Belgorod 'Doomsday' Submarine Revealed

Russia’s latest super-sized submarine, Belgorod, has been a conundrum for interested observers. While its existence is far from secret, Moscow has gone to great pains to keep certain key details out of the public domain. While navies traditionally hide the screw, or propeller, from the cameras, in Belgorod’s case the reverse was true: the screws were on display at the 2019 launch ceremony, but no photographs of the forward section were ever published.

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

B-21 Completes Redesign With No Cost, Schedule Impact

A “major redesign” that fixed a size problem with the engine inlets on the Northrop Grumman B-21 did not cause a cost or schedule breach for the program, U.S. Air Force acquisition officials said Feb. 24. 

Overt DefenseFri 26th Feb

Finnish Hornets Demonstrate Wintertime Dispersed Operations

The Finnish Air Force conducted Exercise Talvinorva 21 between 24 and 25 February, testing the Lapland Air Command’s ability to rapidly set up and operate its F/A-18 Hornets from roads converted to runways in the Arctic winter.

Overt DefenseFri 26th Feb

Modular Active Protection System Integration for US Armored Forces

The recent award of a $30 million contract to Lockheed Martin will result in the company integrating the Modular Active Protection System (MAPS) into the variety of US Army vehicles. This includes M2 Bradleys, AMPVs, Strykers, and M1A2 Abrams MBTs.

Breaking DefenseFri 26th Feb

EXCLUSIVE Eying China, CNO Plans Hypersonics & Lasers On Zumwalt Destroyers

Adm. Mike Gilday is focused on getting hypersonic missiles on his Zumwalt destroyers first, using the long-troubled three ship class as a testbed for installing the weapon on other ships across the fleet, he said recently.

Aviation WeekFri 26th Feb

USAF Unveils Privatized Training Concept For Helo Pilots

Overt DefenseFri 26th Feb

‘Warmate’ Loitering Munitions Delivered to Polish WOT

The Polish Territorial Defense Forces (WOT) have announced that the ‘Warmate’ loitering ammunition system has been officially introduced into the Polish Armed Forces. The contract for the ‘Warmate’ suicide-drones was signed back in 2017, between WB Group and the Polish Special Forces Unit “Nil”. According to the contract, one thousand drones were to be delivered between 2017 and 2018. However, instead of ending up in “Nil”, the drones were assigned to the Polish WOT formation. It was also back in 2017 when the commander of WOT, General Wieslaw Kukula, claimed that each and every company of light infantry will be equipped with ‘Warmate’.

Breaking DefenseFri 26th Feb

Network Architecture For The Great Power Competition

To maintain our advantage, we must ensure forces can observe, orient, decide and act together, faster and with greater effect. That means investing in Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2).

Aviation WeekFri 26th Feb

SpaceShipTwo Flight Tests On Hold To Fix EMI Issue

Aviation WeekFri 26th Feb

House Committee Seeks Review Of Drone Integration Efforts

Aviation WeekFri 26th Feb

ATAC Mirage F1B Crashes at Tyndall AFB Runway

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

Uniting Against Authoritarianism: A Blueprint for the Quad

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

The F-35's Trillion Dollar Cost – How Did It Happen?

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

The Nuts and Bolts of the Pilot Training Shortage

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

TacAir Study Will Determine If F-35 Production Surge Needed

The Air Force remains committed to the F-35, and it is the “cornerstone” of USAF’s force planning, but the new tactical aviation study will decide if USAF should surge its production of the jet, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. said Feb. 25.

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

SASC Chair Expects 'Some Extension' of Troops in Afghanistan

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee said Wednesday he expects “some extension” of the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan beyond May, when a deal with the Taliban calls for a full U.S. withdrawal.

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

Small Number of States Dominate Defense Spending

A huge portion of U.S. defense spending is going to contractors and military personnel based in just a handful of states, according to data recently released by the Pentagon.

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

B-52 Could Get New Hypersonic Missile

WASHINGTON: Global Strike Command Head Gen. Timothy Ray is eyeing a new hypersonic cruise missile for the B-52 bomber — the classified Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) now in development.

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

Robo-Jets Part of Mix for Air Force TacAir Study

Robotic fighter jets — now in their experimental phase — will be part of an upcoming study to determine the right numbers and mix of Air Force tactical aircraft, the service’s Chief of Staff Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown Jr., said Feb. 25.Brown on Feb. 17 announced that he wanted a tactical air study to determine the right mix of new and legacy tactical aircraft the service will need in the future. As this study will be looking 10 to 15 years in the future, it will have to consider that autonomous fighter jets — serving as robotic wingmen to manned aircraft — might then be part of the mix, he said.

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

Global Defence-Spending on the Up, Despite Economic Crunch

Global defence spending reached US$1.83 trillion in 2020, a 3.9% annual uplift in real terms. As a proportion of GDP, global spending sharply increased from an average of 1.85% in 2019 to 2.08% in 2020 as military budgets were maintained, despite severe economic contractions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and the series of lockdowns introduced around the world in response. Global defence spending growth has strengthened since 2018 but could slow in 2021, as the US defence budget is set to flatten and Asia–Pacific spending growth is expected to slow. The increase in the US and Chinese defence budgets accounted for almost two-thirds of the total increase in global spending in 2020: the US defence budget increased by 6.3% in 2020 in real terms, while China’s growth slowed slightly to 5.2% in 2020 from 5.9% in 2019.

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

How To Overcome Weaknesses in the Western Way of Sea War

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

America's Approach Towards Iran

The Biden administration has a lot on its plate from handling the Covid19 pandemic and climate change, Russia, China and other highly important issues.  President Biden also seeks to negotiate with Iran in order to stop it from producing a nuclear weapon.  What should President Biden’s strategy towards Iran look like?  It is a crucial matter which might bring a nuclear arms race to the Middle East and maybe even a nuclear war.  Israel and Arab states are also very concerned about Iran and about its regional ambitions and long range missile project.  All of that has to be addressed by negotiation while retaining a military option should the talks reach a dead end.

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

A Unique Take on NPS: Important Then, Critical Today

Fifteen years ago, the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) was spared from the Base Realignment and Closure Study for good reasons. The school is even more important and relevant to naval and national security today.

Real Clear DefenseFri 26th Feb

How the National Cyber Director Position Is Going to Work

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal 2021 created the Office of the National Cyber Director within the Executive Office of the President. The office will be headed by the United States’s first national cyber director (NCD) and is intended to lead the implementation of national cyber policy and strategy, with a focus on making rapid progress on domestic cybersecurity. The director will serve as the president’s senior adviser for cyber issues. 

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

Flip the gray zone script: How the US can customize its approach to China

While the fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act acknowledges that China’s military is closing the capabilities gap with the United States, it also sows the seeds of an effective gray zone response to Beijing’s transnational influence apparatus. On this front, it is the NDAA’s centerpiece — the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, or PDI — which offers the U.S. its best opportunity to neutralize China’s malign activities.

Defense NewsFri 26th Feb

Israel chooses to buy Lockheed’s CH-53K over Boeing’s CH-47

JERUSALEM — Israel has decided to purchase Lockheed Martin’s CH-53K helicopter over the Boeing-made CH-47, the Defense Ministry announced Feb. 25.

The War ZoneFri 26th Feb

Biden Strikes Back: What We Know About The Bombing Raid On Iran's Militias (Updated)

The U.S. military says that it has carried out strikes against Iranian-backed militias in Syria in retaliation for a rocket attack on Erbil Airport in northern Iraq last week. That attack, which the War Zone reported on at the time, killed a contractor working for the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria and injured a U.S. military serviceperson, among other casualties. This would appear to be the first American strike on Iranian-supported groups in the region under President Joe Biden.

The War ZoneFri 26th Feb

Navy Destroyer Pulled Into San Diego Flying An Absolutely Gargantuan American Flag (Updated)

The trend of American warships flying ever-larger flags—sometimes Old Glory and sometimes flags unique to each ship's lore and culture—continues to expand. Seeing one of these fighting ships with a huge American flag unfurled while underway is a stirring sight for countrymen and allies, and an intimidating one for enemies. Multiple ships sailing together in formation all flying the American flag, which is also the U.S. Navy's National Ensign, can be even more impactful. Yet there is one ship in the fleet that has taken this practice to another level, the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112). Case in point, its grand entrance into Sand Diego Bay on February 24th, 2021. 

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

USAF Will Not Sacrifice F-35 To Buy NGAD, Brown Says

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

Israel Selects CH-53K For Heavy-Lift Helo Contract

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

U.S. Air Force May Declassify Portions Of New ISR Strategy

Aviation ListThu 25th Feb

ATAC Mirage F1B Has Crashed Off The End Of The Flight Line At Tyndall AFB

A contract Mirage F1B has crashed at Tyndall AFB, in the morning on Feb. 25, 2021, the 325th Fighter Wing commander has just confirmed.

Breaking DefenseThu 25th Feb

B-52 Could Get New Hypersonic Missile: Global Strike Commander

“Certainly, we’re in the in the conversation for the HACM as that gets developed,” he told reporters today in the margins of the Air Force Association’s annual winter meeting. “I’m not in a place where I can give you the dates and times. But as the Air Force looks at … how we continue to go down that path, I believe the HACM will give us an additional set of capabilities that will be both fitted for bombers and for fighter aircraft. So I think it’s a pretty special capability to keep our eye on.”

Aviation ListThu 25th Feb

RAF Retires Sentinel R1 Intelligence Gathering Aircraft With Final Mission To Watch Kaliningrad And Belarus

On Feb. 25, 2021, the RAF Sentinel R1 ZJ694 flew its last sortie before retirement. The touch down of mission RRR7303 (“ASCOT 7303”) at RAF Waddington marked the end of 13 years of RAF service for this airframe.

The War ZoneThu 25th Feb

Mirage F1 Aggressor Jet Crash Lands At Tyndall Air Force Base (Updated)

Reports are coming in of an unspecified “incident” involving a Mirage F1 fighter jet operated by the Airborne Tactical Advantage Company, or ATAC, at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida. An official statement from the base's public affairs office confirmed that an incident occurred at around 11:25 AM local time, but offered no additional details. 

Defense NewsThu 25th Feb

Missile Defense Agency needs to get back to its advanced tech roots, top US general says

WASHINGTON — The Missile Defense Agency has drifted from an organization chartered to research and develop new, advanced technology toward a focus on procuring and sustaining fielded systems, but Gen. John Hyten, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wants to reorient the agency back to its original intent.

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

Japanese Team Demonstrates GPS Navigation In GEO

Defense NewsThu 25th Feb

Space Force chief sees larger role for commercial industry in its missions

WASHINGTON — In year two, the U.S. Space Force wants to build deeper connections with commercial industry, said Chief of Space Operations Gen. John “Jay” Raymond

Defense NewsThu 25th Feb

Semiconductors, minerals: Supply chain review to cover key military tech

WASHINGTON — A new review ordered by President Joe Biden will improve understanding of risks posed by supply chains for semiconductors and other critical military and national security technologies made heavily in China.

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

Blue Origin Eyes Q4 ’22 Debut For New Glenn

The War ZoneThu 25th Feb

CH-53K King Stallion Beats CH-47 Chinook To Become Israel's Next Heavy Lift Helicopter

Israel has officially chosen the CH-53K King Stallion helicopter from Sikorsky, now a division of Lockheed Martin, as the replacement for its existing CH-53 type, known in that country as Yasur. This makes the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF, the first foreign military to commit to buying the CH-53K, which was developed for the U.S. Marine Corps.

Breaking DefenseThu 25th Feb

CEO Interview: SAMI To Strengthen Local Supply Chain

“2020 has been a great year for SAMI, not only because we started operationalizing the ongoing joint ventures, but also managed to win some strategic contracts and acquire the largest defense deal in the kingdom and region,” Walid Abukhaled, CEO of SAMI told Breaking Defense in an exclusive interview at IDEX.

Defense NewsThu 25th Feb

Air Force general busts myth that enemies always try to stop rivals’ communications

WASHINGTON — A top Air Force general wants to dispel the common assumption that adversaries will always try to cut or jam U.S. troops’ friendly communications.

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

U.S. Air Force Uncertain On B-52 Re-Engine Contract Award Timing

Breaking DefenseThu 25th Feb

Lockheed To Use UAE-designed AI For All Aircraft

Demonstrated at IDEX 2021 here, the system helps improve the speed and accuracy of quality inspections on aircraft production lines in the U.S.

Defense NewsThu 25th Feb

‘Too early to say’ when B-52 engine contract will be awarded

WASHINGTON — This summer, the Air Force expects to have all the data it needs from the three defense companies competing to replace the B-52 bomber’s engines, but it is still “too early to say” when a contract will be awarded, a top general said Feb. 25.

The War ZoneThu 25th Feb

Top Air Force General In The Pacific Wants E-7 Wedgetails To Replace E-3 Radar Planes

A senior U.S. Air Force official has made a surprise call for acquiring Boeing E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft. General Kenneth S. Wilsbach, head of Pacific Air Forces, the service’s top command in that region, has recommended buying the new radar planes to help offset the aging E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System, or AWACS, fleet.

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

Kitty Hawk Partners On Emergency Response Use Of Heaviside eVTOL

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

Air Force Working To Minimize Damage From Abms Budget Cut

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

Navy Sends Another Destroyer Through Taiwan Strait

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan – The USS Curtis Wilbur sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, the second time this month the Navy has sent a warship through the contentious waterway.

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

Troubled KC-46 Tankers Cleared for Limited Ops

The decision will free up older aerial refuelers needed overseas. But the KC-46 still can gas up only some warplanes and needs more testing and new technology.

Defense NewsThu 25th Feb

US military may sidestep big budget cuts backed by progressives

WASHINGTON ― While the cost of the nation’s pandemic response is putting pressure on the defense budget, its unlikely Congress will make a sweeping, indiscriminate cut, according to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed.

Breaking DefenseThu 25th Feb

F-35 In Crosshairs As Joint Staff Assess TacAir Buys For Biden Budget

In turn, the Joint Staff review will inform the Biden administration’s 2022 budget calculus, led by the director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE), outside experts say. The peril for the F-35 is clear as it is identified as one of the critical questions laid out in an internal DoD memo penned by Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks obtained by Breaking D.

Defence BlogThu 25th Feb

Israeli military selects CH-53K King Stallion as new transport helicopter

The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on 25 February that it has chosen Lockheed Martin’s heavy-lift CH-53K King Stallion as a new Israel Defense Force᾿s (IDF) transport helicopter, replacing the current “Yas’ur” (CH-53) model.

Defense NewsThu 25th Feb

New report flags Chinese push to field support ships, planes for greater reach

LONDON and COLOGNE, Germany – The Chinese military’s buildup is increasingly focused on ferrying forces to faraway places, with new logistics capabilities coming online quickly, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

Proposed Turkish Attack Helicopter Gets Uncrewed Makeover

Aviation ListThu 25th Feb

Italian Tornado IDS Aircraft Have Logged More Than 4,000 Hours Flying Recce Missions Over 5,000 Targets In Iraq

The Italian Tornado IDS aircraft, belonging to the 154° Gruppo (Squadron) of the 6° Stormo (Wing) of the Italian Air Force, from Ghedi Air Base, Italy, deployed to Ahmed Al Jaber airbase, Kuwait, have recently celebrated the achievement of 4,000FH (flight hours) flying reconnaissance missions in support of OIR (Operation Inherent Resolve), the multi-national coalition fighting Daesh in Iraq and Syria.

Breaking DefenseThu 25th Feb

AFRL Pushes Laser “SHiELD” Flight Test Back, Again

The first full-up flight test of the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) is now slated for 2024, Jeff Heggemeier, AFRL program manager, told Breaking D yesterday in an email. Some ground testing will be undertaken between now and then to “ensure system performance.” AFRL originally planned a flight test in 2021, last summer they pushed the date out to 2023.

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

Europe Could Lead Global Defense Spending Growth, Think Tank Says

Overt DefenseThu 25th Feb

Pashinyan Accuses Armenian Military Of Coup Against Him

Armenia’s embattled Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan, today accused the Armenian armed forces of attempting to mount a coup against him, following the publication of an open letter signed by multiple senior military leaders calling for his resignation.

Defense NewsThu 25th Feb

Top SAMI executive talks joint ventures, acquisitions and the Biden administration

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Despite the Biden administration’s recent freeze on two munition sales to Saudi Arabia as part of a new Yemen policy, one of the kingdom’s defense industry conglomerates has gone ahead with joint ventures with American firms Lockheed Martin and L3Harris Technologies.

Overt DefenseThu 25th Feb

DARPA Develops Technologies To Quickly Restore US Power Grid

One of the greatest nightmares for American civilian and defense planners would be the loss of the US power grid. Reportedly, both Chinese and Russian hackers now have the capability to do so, never mind the possibility of a nuclear weapon being airburst in a desperate bid to “deescalate through escalation” creating an nuclear electromagnetic pulse that could knock out power infrastructure. Princeton professor Michael O’Hanlon explores this threat as part of a breakout of initially limited fighting with Russia or China in one of his books:

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

BAE Expects 'Positive' Outcome From Upcoming UK Defense Review

Overt DefenseThu 25th Feb

USAF Beginning Construction of SHiELD Aircraft Self Defence Laser Pod Prototype

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has announced that they are preparing to begin assembly of their new Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD). The first major component of the new system is to be delivered this month, with the remaining two subsystems set to be delivered later this year.

Overt DefenseThu 25th Feb

US Marine Corps Fields New Squad Common Optic Scope

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) has begun fielding a new standard magnified day optic for its small arms that will allow their infantry to engage adversaries at greater distances.

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

DARPA Advances Blackjack Program With 6 New Satellites

WASHINGTON — Blue Canyon Technologies has received a contract option worth $26.5 million to produce six satellites for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a company spokesman told SpaceNews.

Defence BlogThu 25th Feb

U.S. Marine Corps uses its newest ACVs during exercise in Twentynine Palms

The United States Marine Corps has announced that the long-awaited Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV) are being used during exercise.

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

CENTCOM Chief Warns Iran Over Strikes on Erbil, Saudi Arabia

Gen. Kenneth "'Frank" McKenzie warned Iran in the boldest statement yet from the Biden administration over the attacks.

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

Sen. Reed Supports Maintaining Nuclear Triad Budget

The Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., said he supports maintaining current budget levels for the nuclear triad, but he expects the overall defense budget to flatten.

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

With Equal Opportunity Comes Equal Responsibility

As the Army’s first female infantry officer, I have long awaited the elimination of a gender-based fitness test. The drastically lower female standards of the old Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) not only jeopardized mission readiness in combat units but also reinforced the false notion that women are categorically incapable of performing the same job as men. The new Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT) promised to alleviate these issues by finally assessing women on the same fitness scale as men and setting minimum physical standards based on branch requirements rather than gender.

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

America's Vast Overseas Military Empire

MANAMA, Bahrain – After weeks at sea, hundreds of young Americans shed their military uniforms for baseball caps and T-shirts and poured forth from the main gates of the heavily fortified U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet base, a major hub for U.S. naval forces in the Middle East. 

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

Why Nothing May Stop The B-21 Raider Stealth Bomber

Developed to complement and eventually replace the Rockwell B-1 Lancer, Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, and Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber won’t enter service until at least 2026-2027 at the earliest. However, it seems that progress is moving forward on the stealth aircraft.

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

Going Digital Will Take Courage; Fighter Study Looks to 2040s

The transformational acquisition ideas championed by former Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper will survive his departure from the service, but it will take “courage” to implement them, USAF acquisition leaders said at AFA’s virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium. They also said the Air Force’s new tactical aircraft study—in parallel with a Joint Staff study—will take a decades-long look at aviation requirements.

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

Japan Increases Protection for U.S. Military

Hong Kong (CNN) Japan's military performed 25 missions in 2020 in defense of US ships or planes, a sign of the growing integration of two of Asia's most powerful armed forces.

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

Key Senator Urges Pentagon to Finish F-35's Combat Tests Quickly

The head of the Senate panel that authorizes military programs said he’s impatient for the Pentagon to finish rigorous combat simulation testing of the F-35 and provide an assessment of the stealthy fighter jet’s effectiveness.

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

Conversations on National Security

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

ClimaCell Declares Jump To Space For Weather Radar Service

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

PACAF Chief Calls For Fast Acquisition Of E-7s

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

IAEA Weakens Iran Nuclear Safeguards

Before departing Iran on Sunday, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi issued a joint statement with his hosts, announcing they had reached an agreement on Tehran’s nuclear safeguards implementation, but would not disclose all of its provisions. Based on the limited information available, it seems the Iran-IAEA deal may set a dangerous precedent by weakening safeguards and will have long-term consequences for the IAEA’s ability to monitor nuclear developments in Iran and other countries.

Real Clear DefenseThu 25th Feb

The Dragon Dances with the Ballistic Missile Shield

For more than two decades, China stringently criticized the U.S. BMD program. In the early 2000s, China formally denied any plans to develop a national ballistic missile defense system.  Chinese Academicians and military officials have rationalized China’s expanding nuclear capabilities to concerns over the U.S. ballistic missile defense advances. Since 2010, the Chinese posture has taken a U-turn and China is now actively developing and pursuing a national ballistic missile defense system.On Feb 4th, 2021, China declared success in the latest mid-course anti-missile intercept test. It was China’s fifth land-based ABM technical test and the fourth land-based, mid-course ABM technical test publicly announced.  China claims that it is the second country after the US to possess interception technology which aims to knock out incoming missiles mid-flight. The news agency Xinhua said such tests involving highly complicated technologies for detecting, tracking and destroying a ballistic missile flying in outer space have only been tried before by the United States and Japan.

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

In Bittersweet Development, Spirit AeroSystems Sees Defense Surge

Defense NewsThu 25th Feb

Esper’s end-around on Trump harmed civil-military relations

Last fall, senior civilian and military leaders in the U.S. Department of Defense agreed that Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost and Army Lt. Gen. Laura J. Richardson should be the second and third women to head a combatant command, as reported by The New York Times. Then they made a mistake: They played politics and hit pause.

Defense NewsThu 25th Feb

Pentagon’s dated budget process too slow to beat China, new report says

WASHINGTON ― A new report argues for a sweeping overhaul of the Pentagon’s 60-year-old defense budgeting and appropriations process, so it can match the fast-moving commercial sector and outpace China’s technological development.

Breaking DefenseThu 25th Feb

Sen. Inhofe, Rep. Rogers To Dems: Support Nuke Modernization

The Senate Armed Services Committee is likely to consider the nomination of Colin Kahl for undersecretary of Defense for policy next week and those nuclear issues are likely to be near the top of the list as he gets grilled on his views. Sen. James Inhofe, top Republican on the SASC, and Rep. Mike Rogers, Inhofe’s counterpart on the House Armed Services Committee, offer their views below on how and whether and why to modernize America’s nuclear weapons. Read on! The Editor.

Defence BlogThu 25th Feb

Russia receives requests for Su-57E fighters from foreign customers

The Russian Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation has confirmed that it has received a number of requests from foreign customers for the Su-57E multirole fighter aircraft, an official spokesman of the Service told at the IDEX-2021 defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi.

Defence BlogThu 25th Feb

Russian Army orders more Chinese SUVs

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have ordered dozens of Chinese Haval H9 SUVs and plans to place an additional order for several hundred civil vehicles.

Defence BlogThu 25th Feb

Ukrainian Army expected to receive new Kozak-2M1 combat vehicles later this year

The Armed Forces of Ukraine are expected to take delivery of improved Kozak-2M1 armored vehicles later this year, according to a ArmyInform report.

Defence BlogThu 25th Feb

Turkish hunter-killer unmanned aircraft passes 300,000 flight hours milestone

Turkish game-changing unmanned combat system, called the Bayraktar TB2, has reached a major milestone and finished 300,000 hours of operational flight hours.

Defense NewsThu 25th Feb

Lockheed Martin has a new F-35 sustainment proposal for the Pentagon that may improve readiness

WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin is pitching the Defense Department on a performance-based logistics contract for the F-35 joint strike fighter that company officials say will help improve the availability of spare parts and speed up repair times.

The War ZoneThu 25th Feb

Check Out The Mystery Drone Model On The Desk Of This General Atomics Executive

When it comes to unmanned aircraft, there is seemingly no shortage of new and cutting-edge projects and programs. As well as actual drones that are being built or tested, there are reams of studies, works in progress, and more hypothetical concepts in this game-changing arena. That said, once in a while, an artist’s study or model crops up which takes us somewhat by surprise. Case in point, a pair of desktop models in the office of a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems executive that Steve Trimble, Aviation Week’s Defense Editor and a friend of The War Zone, spotted today. The company later confirmed they show an undisclosed prototype combat drone and a precursor to the Sparrowhawk — a weapon-carrying air-launched drone, itself designed for launch from drones.

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

U.S. Discloses Anti-Jam Waveform Test In Previous ABMS Demo Event

Aviation WeekThu 25th Feb

Skyborg Set For Flying Debut At Orange Flag

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

Raytheon Says HAWC Flight Tests Start Soon

The War ZoneWed 24th Feb

FAA Releases Statement On Airliner's Encounter With Unidentified Object Over New Mexico

After nearly three days of waiting, and following American Airlines confirming the incident to The War Zone, we finally have received a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding the recent bizarre encounter between American Airlines Flight 2292 and an unidentified fast-moving cylindrical object over New Mexico. 

Breaking DefenseWed 24th Feb

AMC Approves ‘Limited’ KC-46 Tanker Refueling

Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, told reporters today that she briefed a congressional delegation, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown and acting Secretary John Roth “earlier this week” — including flying them on the KC-46 as it refueled F-16 and F15 fighters. She said her team also has briefed leaders at Transportation Command on the “conditions-based” approach AMC is using to gradually bring the Boeing-built tanker into fleet operations.

Breaking DefenseWed 24th Feb

Air Force Working To Minimize Damage From ABMS Budget Cut

“We’re literally working through those details right now to see what we can and cannot do in order to implement it,” Darlene Costello, acting Air Force acquisition head, said today in a press briefing on the margins of the (virtual) Air Force Association winter meeting.

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

Air Mobility Command Backs KC-46 For Limited Operational Missions

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

Despite growing pains, KC-46 tanker will begin ‘limited operations’

JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — The Air Force is gearing up to begin offering some of its new KC-46 tankers for operational use as early as this year, although continued technical issues will keep the aircraft from being flown in combat.

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

Sierra Nevada Protests HH-60W Upgrade Contract Award

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

Hyten wants a greater ‘focus’ with cruise missile defense

WASHINGTON — The best way to defend the United States from a cruise missile attack may be to focus on where adversaries are keeping the ships and aircraft that could fire such a weapon and not take a broader approach to counter any possibility, the vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said Feb. 23.

Breaking DefenseWed 24th Feb

Who’s Who in Defense: Avril D. Haines, Director of National Intelligence

Stated Priorities

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

Air Force Research Laboratory wants to add more Vanguard programs

WASHINGTON — The Air Force Research Laboratory wants to add more Vanguard programs in the coming year while accelerating development of its existing programs, said AFRL Commander Brig. Gen. Heather Pringle.

The War ZoneWed 24th Feb

How The World's First Privately Owned Fleet Of F-16 Aggressor Jets Became A Reality

On January 28, 2021, an Antonov-124 transport plane was loaded up with four F-16s. The plane's mission was to transport the jets to a location in America’s Southwest, thousands of miles away, where they would be reassembled so they could go up against U.S. military fighter aircraft in mock air combat. Their arrival in the U.S. is the culmination of a vision that started in 2014 when the aerial adversary company Top Aces signed a sales agreement with the Israel Ministry of Defense for the purchase of 29 of their older F-16A and Bs, those types being known as the “Netz” in that country. Here’s the story of how the first private 4th generation fighter adversary jets to ever arrive in the United States did so, and how Top Ace's overall vision for them is becoming a reality.

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

With limited time, DoD to review five key investments for next budget

WASHINGTON — With limited bandwidth before the Biden administration’s first budget is due, Pentagon planners are diving deep into shaping five key modernization efforts.

Breaking DefenseWed 24th Feb

China, UAE Forge New Deals; Joint R&D Plan & New Drone Sales

“The deals could include 10 to 15 Golden Eagle CR500 helo drones fitted with Red Arrow 12 missiles, and 20 MR40 unmanned aircraft fitted with BBE-2 bombs,” the official told me, adding that both deals will approximately cost $9 million and $7 million respectively.

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

DoD innovation arm delivers much-needed secure drones to the federal government

WASHINGTON — For the first time, the Defense Department’s emerging technology acquisition arm made a product available to the entire federal government — small drones as a more secure alternative to dominant Chinese suppliers.

Breaking DefenseWed 24th Feb

UAE’s First Air Defense Missile To Be Used on German Oerlikon Skynex

“We are so proud of our locally-made SkyNight multi-mission missile in cooperation with Rheinmetall, who is responsible for the integration of the system,” Saeed Al Mansoori, CEO of Halkon told Breaking Defense. “This is exactly the right kind of weapons to defeat the threats that are facing the Gulf region, from drones to cruise missiles.”

Aviation ListWed 24th Feb

Iran Unveils Indigenous Kaman 22 Armed Drone. But It Looks Like an American MQ-9 Reaper Rip-Off

As announced at the beginning of the month, Tehran has eventually unveiled the Kaman 22 UAV, “the first wide-body drone in the country”. Images of the new drone during a visit of Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, Commander of the IRIAF (Islamic Republic of Iran Air Force) provide a glimpse to the homegrown unmanned aircraft, with some weapons loaded on the external pylons and a few more bombs and pods on display next to the UAV, said to have a range of 3,000 kilometers, endurance of +24 hours and ability to carry 300 kg of payload.

The War ZoneWed 24th Feb

Iran’s Latest Indigenous Drone Is A Predator Lookalike

Iran has unveiled its new Kaman-22 drone, which seems to be modeled on the U.S.-made MQ-1 Predator, with other features from the more advanced MQ-9 Reaper. The development comes over four years after Iran showed an example of what was apparently a captured U.S. military Predator, which Tehran erroneously described as a U.S. Army MQ-1C Gray Eagle.

Breaking DefenseWed 24th Feb

Working With Hill Key To ‘Accelerating Change:’ CSAF Brown

Divesting legacy systems to afford modernization is key to Brown’s overarching vision document, “Accelerate Change or Lose” — and, at the same time, his major challenge.

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

B-21 Completes Redesign With No Cost, Schedule Impact: USAF

The War ZoneWed 24th Feb

Stinger SAM-Armed Marines Riding In Rubber Rafts Were Featured In Recent Pacific Exercise

A recent exercise on and around the Japanese island of Okinawa featured U.S. Marines armed with FIM-92 Stinger shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles riding in rubber rafts. This offers a look into how the Marine Corps might incorporate short-range air defense capabilities into their new distributed and expeditionary warfighting plans. These concepts of operation are centered on the idea of being able to rapidly deploy and then reposition from location to location, even in expansive maritime environments where individual outcroppings of land may be very far from each another, such as in the Pacific region. 

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

SPAC Deal Funds Joby Through UAM Scale-up

Breaking DefenseWed 24th Feb

New Hicks Memo Sets Acquisition, Force Posture 2022 Budget Priorities

The Feb. 17 memo by Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks underscores the urgency with which the department has to move not only on some major acquisition programs, but also efforts to rethink the US force posture in an era where defense budgets are expected to be flat at best.  

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

US Army to test new microwave weapon for defeating drones

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The U.S. Army will conduct field-testing of a new microwave weapon designed to protect military bases from incoming drones as early as 2024, following an on-site demonstration at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, officials said.

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

NASA Closing In On Human Lunar Lander Awards

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

California F-117A Sighting Confirms Expanding Role

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

EASA Clears Way For Certification Of PAL-V Flying Car

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

Lockheed Offers Pared-Down Version Of F-35 Sustainment Contract

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

Army AI Gets Live Fire Test Next Week

In an unusual bottom-up initiative, the 18th Airborne Corps is developing its own AI targeting system – and the corps’ fire support coordinator says he wouldn’t go to war without it.

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

SecDef Austin to Troops: If You See Extremism, Report It

Troops who have encountered extremism from their fellow service members should share those experiences with their leaders, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a video posted Friday.

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

Boeing Offers Up Its T-7A Trainer Jet to Replace Navy's T-45 Goshawk

Boeing Co. is in discussions to replace the U.S. Navy's aging T-45 Goshawk training aircraft with the company's T-7A Redhawk jet, a top executive said Tuesday.

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

Leonardo Confirms Intent To Spin Off U.S. DRS Business

Overt DefenseWed 24th Feb

IDEX 2021: NIMR Announces Collaboration On JAIS 4×4 Saudi Opportunities

NIMR has announced the signing of a strategic teaming agreement with Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference 2021. The agreement establishes a framework for future collaboration on the exploration of opportunities for the JAIS 4×4 MRAP in Saudi Arabia, and is the first industrial military collaboration between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

UK Defence JournalWed 24th Feb

Texan trainer water restrictions ‘to be reviewed’

We reported this last year, you can read more about it by visiting the link below.

UK Defence JournalWed 24th Feb

British aircraft hit 15k hours over Syria and Iraq last year

The aircraft are deployed in the region as part of Operation Shader.

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

DoD policy pick faces ‘critical’ confirmation hearing, says Reed

WASHINGTON ― Amid warnings from a top Senate Republican, President Joe Biden’s pick to become Pentagon policy chief, Colin Kahl, faces a make-or-break confirmation hearing next week, according to Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed.

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

AI militarization will be ‘force multiplier’ for UAE, Saudi Arabia

BEIRUT ― In two Gulf countries focused on advancing artificial intelligence to boost their economies, experts expect military AI technology to progress quickly and extend the reach of the nations’ armed forces.

Breaking DefenseWed 24th Feb

CJCS Gen. Milley Reviews JADC2 Strategy While Industry Jostles For Position

As Breaking D readers were first to know, the draft strategy was crafted by a Joint Cross Functional Team led by the Joint Staff J6, Command, Control, Communications, & Computers/Cyber. The strategy has five lines of effort, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Dennis Crall, J6 director, told me in an exclusive interview. The strategy also includes milestones for the services and DoD agencies to meet in its implementation, and a new process for the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) to ride herd on that process, he explained.

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

Belarus, UAE eye joint ventures with Saudi defense conglomerate

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — A Saudi defense industry conglomerate has signed separate agreements at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference with an Emirati economic group and a Belarusian government organization with the aim of creating joint ventures.

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

The first-ever World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia is a year away. Are event planners ready?

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabian Military Industries is the official strategic partner for the World Defense Show, a defense conference scheduled for an inaugural launch in March 2022 in Saudi Arabia, event organizers announced Monday.

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

New four-star command allows US general to ‘coordinate closely’ with NATO allies in Africa

Moving troops between Africa and Europe during a crisis is expected to be streamlined after the U.S. Army command bridging the regions combined into a four-star headquarters late last year.

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

Archer’s First UAM Network To Serve United Airlines Hub At LAX

Overt DefenseWed 24th Feb

U.S. Army Investing in USAF’s THOR Anti-Drone Microwave Weapon

The mounting concerns that the U.S. Army has about the dangers posed to its personnel by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or ‘drones’) has led it to begin investment in the United States Air Forces’ (USAF) Tactical High Power Operational Responder system – known as THOR for short.

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

Spain’s Aciturri To Build Lilium eVTOL Airframe

Overt DefenseWed 24th Feb

Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann Contracted To Install Trophy APS On German Leopard 2A7A1s

Krauss-Maffei-Wegmann, manufacturer of the Leopard 2 main battle tank, has been awarded a contract to equip the Leopard 2A7A1 main battle tanks of the Bundeswehr with Rafael’s Trophy hard-kill active protection system. The contract was signed on February 22 with BAAINBw and the State of Israel.

Breaking DefenseWed 24th Feb

DoD’s Technology Imperative: How Industry Is Answering DoD’s Call For A Competitive Edge

Breaking Defense: Flying the latest and greatest aircraft has always been important to the Air Force, but there has been an increasingly high interest in a broader level of innovation within the service in recent years.

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

Air Force launches unarmed Minuteman 3 missile from Vandenberg AFB

The Air Force launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile and a test re-entry vehicle late Tuesday evening from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

Collins, DLA Take Different Approach To B-2, F-16 Sustainment

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

Erickson Proposes Military Role for S-64F+ Aircrane

Overt DefenseWed 24th Feb

IDEX 2021: AL JASOOR Debuts Laser Weapon Equipped Rabdan 8×8

AL JASOOR presented a mockup of its Rabdan 8×8 equipped with a Raytheon high energy counter-UAV laser system at the EDGE Group stand at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference 2021 in Abu Dhabi. The company had announced a partnership with Raytheon Emirates and Raytheon Intelligence & Space (RI&S) to integrate the laser system onto the Rabdan 8×8 prior to the exhibition.

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

Russia Approves UAE Investment In VRT500 Helo Program

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

Air Force To Begin Assembly of Airborne Laser

WASHINGTON — The Air Force Research Laboratory is set to receive the first major assembly of one subsystem needed for its airborne laser, although it’s pushed back the first test to fiscal year 2024.

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

Northrop Grumman Tackling JADC2

As the Defense Department continues to invest in joint all-domain command and control technologies, Northrop Grumman is bolstering its own portfolio of JADC2 offerings to meet the increasing demand signal.

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

Blinken to Egypt: Human Rights Are 'Central' to U.S. Relationship

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also expressed concern over Egypt’s planned procurement of Su-35 fighter aircraft from Russia.

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

What Are China's Leaders Saying About the South China Sea?

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

Nuclear Warfare or Cyber Warfare: Which Is the Bigger Threat?

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

DHA Set To Takeover All Military Hospitals by End of 2021

After a tumultuous year of pauses and reconsiderations, military hospitals and clinics are still on track to move under the management of the Defense Health Agency by the end of the year.

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

French Carrier Strike Group Begins 2021 Deployment

The French Navy’s (Marine Nationale) carrier strike group set sail on Sunday for a four-month operational deployment called Clemenceau 21.

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

A Principled U.S. Diplomatic Strategy Toward North Korea

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

Cybersecurity & Water: Hacker Attempted to Poison Water Supply

An unknown hacker remotely accessed the chemical controls of a water treatment plant in the City of Oldsmar, near Tampa, Fla., earlier this month. This breach is a reminder that the country’s water infrastructure is poorly secured in cyberspace — and that vulnerabilities in this critical system pose real world consequences. 

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

The Air Force Wants a New Fighter To Fill In for the F-35

The U.S. Air Force is thinking about starting from scratch on a new, lightweight fighter that could ease the financial burden brought on by the troubled but capable F-35.

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

Space Force Awards Contract for Certification of ULA's Vulcan Rocket

WASHINGTON — Millennium Engineering and Integration received a $13.2 million award from the U.S. Space Force on Feb. 19 for services in support of the certification of United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket.

Real Clear DefenseWed 24th Feb

Israeli Air Force Could Soon Have More F-35 Fighters

Defence BlogWed 24th Feb

Boeing begins production of newest T-7A aircraft

This month, American plane-maker Boeing started assembly on a U.S. Air Force’s all-new advanced trainer aircraft calls the T-7A Red Hawk at its factory in St. Louis, Mo.

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

The Lockheed-Aerojet deal hampers hypersonics

Recently, Lockheed Martin announced its intent to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne to create a vertically integrated company that would, in effect, corner the hypersonic propulsion market. For Lockheed. this may be a good idea. However, in defending America, other factors must be considered.

Defence BlogWed 24th Feb

Arquus launches its futuristic armored vehicle at IDEX 2021

French Defense company Arquus unveiled its futuristic and will combat vehicle at the IDEX 2021 defense show.

Defence BlogWed 24th Feb

Saudi Arabia awards contract to Science Technology for Eagle unmanned aircraft

Science Technology company announced on Tuesday an agreement worth about $266 million (1 billion riyals) to produce a new Eagle unmanned aircraft.

Aviation ListWed 24th Feb

The First F-15EX Received U.S. Air Force Camouflage And Markings

Few weeks after its maiden flight, the first F-15EX received its U.S. Air Force camouflage and the insignias of Eglin Air Force Base’s 40th Flight Test Squadron, which will be in charge of the jet’s developmental testing (DT). The aircraft received the classic F-15C/D Eagle camouflage, which by the way was applied also on the F-15SA (externally similar to the EX variant). The photos of the aircraft were kindly shared with us by aviation photographer Alex Farwell, known also by its Instagram handle vikingaeroimages,.

Defence BlogWed 24th Feb

Russian Iskander missile system was completely useless, says Armenian Prime Minister

Russian-made Iskander (SS-26 Stone) ballistic missile systems are “completely useless”, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said yesterday.

Defence BlogWed 24th Feb

U.S. State Department approves possible sale of guided artillery rockets to Finland

Last week, the U.S. government has approved the potential sale of Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems and related equipment to Finland.

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

Air Force’s MQ-9 Reapers are now conducting missions from Romania

The Air Force conducted MQ-9 Reaper missions from Romania for the first time this month, after basing a squadron of the drones there in January.

The War ZoneWed 24th Feb

Navy Tests Autonomous Aerial Supply Drone From Its Newest Supercarrier

The U.S. Navy recently conducted a demonstration in which a relatively small vertical takeoff and landing capable unmanned aircraft with autonomous capabilities delivered equipment to the supercarrier USS Gerald R. Ford. The service has been increasingly exploring novel means of resupplying surface warships and submarines that may be better suited to future distributed concepts of operation.

The War ZoneWed 24th Feb

American Airlines Confirms Encounter With Unidentified Cylindrical Object Over New Mexico

Less than 48 hours after our initial reporting on an outright strange incident involving American Airlines Flight 2292 as it flew at 36,000 feet over the northeastern corner of New Mexico on February 21st, 2021, we have confirmation that the event in question did indeed occur and that it is being investigated by the FBI. The incident involved pilots of the Airbus A320 being buzzed by an unidentified cylindrical-shaped object moving at high-speed, which resulted in them querying the FAA's Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control Center.

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

Lack of Pentagon nominees could be harbinger of slow process

WASHINGTON — A month after the inauguration of Joe Biden as president, nominations for dozens of top Pentagon jobs have yet to be announced — and it may be quite some time before those roles are filled with confirmed individuals.

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

U.S. Army Invests In AFRL’s High Powered Microwave System

Aviation WeekWed 24th Feb

Boeing Moves First T-7A Section Into Final Assembly

Defense NewsWed 24th Feb

Army switches up cyber leadership

WASHINGTON — In a switcheroo, the Army announced two top officers will change roles at Army Cyber Command and the Cyber Center of Excellence.

Aviation WeekTue 23rd Feb

Blue Origin Nears Completion Of New Glenn Launch Pad

Aviation WeekTue 23rd Feb

Top General Cites NGI Program As Industrial Base Concern

Breaking DefenseTue 23rd Feb

IDEX: Low-Key US Presence Opens Doors For Israel, China

If anybody had any doubt that the U.S. relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were going tough times after the Biden Administration suspended major arms sales, the recessive American presence at IDEX drove the point home unmistakably.

Defense NewsTue 23rd Feb

An unexpected way to accelerate Egyptian-Emirati cooperation? IDEX

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Any visitor to the IDEX trade show here would notice the Egyptian booth exhibiting three major defense producers from the African country: the Ministry of Military Production, the Arab Organization for Industrialization and Arab International Optronics.

Breaking DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Experts Tell Congress How To Turn Innovation Into Reality

Fox, the former head of the Pentagon’s powerful Cost Assessment & Program Evaluation (CAPE) unit, was testifying to the first-ever hearing of House Armed Services’ newest subcommittee, Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems. The topic of the day was innovation – but Fox and her fellow acquisition experts on the panel made clear that having lots of neat ideas was far from enough.

The War ZoneTue 23rd Feb

Photo Emerges Of Shadowy Intelligence Gathering "Ghost Plane" In Somalia

For years, there has been very limited information available publicly about U.S. counter-terrorism operations in Somalia and the forces, based there and in neighboring countries, carrying them out. The repositioning of the bulk of American military forces out of this East African nation between December 2020 and January 2021, dubbed Operation Octave Quartz, highlighted those activities in a way that had not been previously seen. This has included the release of a significant number of what would have been previously been very rare pictures and video clips of U.S. personnel operating in and around the country. One picture that was recently released, seen at the top of this story, prominently shows what can be considered a "ghost aircraft." 

Defense NewsTue 23rd Feb

From lasers to missiles, IDEX exhibitors are determined to counter drones

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — While some companies at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference are showing off their drones — as surveillance aircraft, loitering munitions or swarms — a few have countermeasures on display, including high-energy laser systems and smart missiles.

Defense NewsTue 23rd Feb

Air Force to begin assembly of airborne laser

WASHINGTON — The Air Force Research Laboratory is set to receive the first major assembly of one of the subsystems needed for its airborne laser, although it’s pushed back the first test to fiscal year 2024.

Breaking DefenseTue 23rd Feb

UAE’s Tawazun, MBDA To Develop SmartGlider Missiles

“This partnership is very emblematic as we are really embracing the ambition of UAE and want to pursue our long-lasing cooperation through more local presence in the country,” Patrice Hajjar, MBDA’s export vice president for the Mideast, told Breaking Defense.

The War ZoneTue 23rd Feb

The First F-15EX Fighter Jet Has Now Flown In Its Air Force Colors

The U.S. Air Force’s latest and greatest Eagle, the new F-15EX, now looks a lot more like the powerful war machine that it’s promised to be. After its maiden flight on February 2, which you can read all about here, the first of these aircraft returned to the air today in St. Louis, Missouri, with a newly applied, F-15C/D-style service color scheme. The markings include the tail codes of Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and its resident 40th Flight Test Squadron, which will be charged with proving out the jet in the months to come.

Aviation WeekTue 23rd Feb

Norwegian Helicopters To Be Monitored By Space-Based ADS-B

Defense NewsTue 23rd Feb

Schumer says Senate will draft tech research funding bill

WASHINGTON ― Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday he is directing lead Senate Democrats to draft bipartisan legislation invest in developing disruptive new technologies and challenge Beijing.

Aviation WeekTue 23rd Feb

Mars Nuclear Propulsion Challenging But Doable, Study Says

Breaking DefenseTue 23rd Feb

DoD Deal Targets Doubling Efficiency Of 5G Spectrum

This technology combines both the transmitting and the listening function of a radio into the same frequency and is known as Integrated Access Backhaul. The current project is designed to integrate Kumu’s existing technology with 5G and DoD radio frequency networks. By reducing the dedicated range of spectrum needed to support the Pentagon, this Sharing Initiative hopes to free up part of the existing spectrum to facilitate commercial and civilian 5G.

The War ZoneTue 23rd Feb

Laser Defense Pod For The Air Force's Fighter Jets Is Finally Taking Shape

The U.S. Air Force is about to receive the first major component for a prototype of a defensive tactical laser weapon designed to be carried externally on its combat jets. Boeing recently finished work on the pod assembly for this directed energy weapon, inside which the laser and beam control systems will be installed later this year.

Aviation WeekTue 23rd Feb

Paramount Group Launches N-Raven UAS Development

Breaking DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Boeing, Navy Discuss T-7A As Goshawk Replacement

“We’ve been in some discussions with the Navy about a couple of different variants of the T-7,” he told reporters today. “There is no program of record right now, [but] we’re working closely with them in answering questions about the platform and its capabilities. And we’re hopeful that it will be able to play a role in the Navy’s training systems as well.”

Aviation WeekTue 23rd Feb

Redwire Space Rollup Company Acquires Deployable Space Systems

Defense NewsTue 23rd Feb

After SolarWinds, US needs to toughen cyber defenses, says Microsoft president

WASHINGTON ― In the wake of a sweeping hack that may have revealed government and corporate secrets to Moscow, the U.S. must strengthen its cyber defenses and, more broadly, prepare a “robust menu” of responses to such attacks, Microsoft Corp President Brad Smith said Tuesday.

Aviation WeekTue 23rd Feb

Avio Fine-Tunes Light Launcher Transition Plan To Vega C

Aviation WeekTue 23rd Feb

Russia Schedules Three Angara Launches in 2021

Overt DefenseTue 23rd Feb

IDEX 2021: Excalibur Army Debuts The DITA

Excalibur Army’s new DITA self-propelled howitzer made its physical debut at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference 2021 in Abu Dhabi. The DITA is the latest generation of Czech wheeled self-propelled howitzers, having been announced just prior to the start of IDEX.

Aviation ListTue 23rd Feb

Norwegian F-35A Jets (With Their Peculiar Upper Fuselage Drag Chute Pod) Deploy To Iceland For NATO’s Air Policing

Four RNoAF F-35A Lightning II jets have deployed to Iceland to carry out the NATO’s Icelandic Air Policing mission. It’s the second time the Norwegian Lightnings deploy there to perform Quick Reaction Alert duties in support of NATO’s Airborne Surveillance and Interception Capabilities to meet Iceland’s Peacetime Preparedness Needs (ASIC IPPN) mission. The purpose of the NATO mission, initiated in 2008 after the withdrawal of US forces from the island, is to provide air surveillance and interception coverage over Iceland, in order to maintain the integrity of the NATO airspace.

Defense NewsTue 23rd Feb

Germany orders Israel’s Trophy active protection system for its Leopard 2 tanks

COLOGNE, Germany – The German and Israeli defense ministries have signed an agreement for the purchase of the Rafael-made Trophy active protection system for the Bundeswehr’s Leopard 2 tanks, the two governments announced on Feb. 23.

UK Defence JournalTue 23rd Feb

Patrol vessel HMS Spey continues trials

Commanding Officer Ben Evans said in a Royal Navy news release.

Breaking DefenseTue 23rd Feb

No Growth, No Big Cuts Likely For First Biden Defense Budget

If that planning holds up, the top line for the Pentagon’s 2022 budget will likely come in around the $696 billion the department received in it’s base funding 2021, which was itself just $2.6 billion more than the enacted 2020 budget.

Aviation WeekTue 23rd Feb

UK Royal Navy To Adopt Saab Remote Tower Technology

Overt DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Thales UK Awarded £180 Million Contract For Boxer Remote Weapons Systems

Thales UK have announced that Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land and Rheinmetall Landsystems have jointly awarded it a contract worth £180 million to supply and integrate Kongsberg’s PROTECTOR RS4 remote weapons system on the British Army’s Boxer Mechanized Infantry Vehicles. The contract will see Thales, a Kongsberg strategic partner, fully assemble and integrate around 500 PROTECTOR RS4s onto the Boxer. 

Aviation WeekTue 23rd Feb

Scottish Communities Benefitting From Medical Drone Network

Breaking DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Army AI Gets Live Fire Test Next Week

The AI-driven system – developed in large part by 18th Airborne itself — is already mature enough to let the corps strike more targets, more quickly than ever before, wherever it deploys, the corps’ fire support coordination officer, artillery veteran Col. Joe O’Callaghan said.

Defense NewsTue 23rd Feb

Why would Russia’s Kalashnikov make a NATO-friendly assault rifle?

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Firearms manufacturer Kalashnikov is exhibiting its new AK-19 rifle for the first time outside of Russia during an arms trade show in the United Arab Emirates.

Breaking DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Executing The NGI Mission: Protecting Our Homeland

While this current Ground-Based Midcourse Defense program continues to defend the country against existing threats, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has requested proposals for a Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) – a more capable Interceptor, able to respond to advanced and ever-evolving missile threats at a moment’s notice to add to the existing Ground-Based Midcourse Defense Weapon System.

Real Clear DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Rebuilding America's Navy for Great-Power Competition

Once again, we find ourselves in an era of great-power competition. And the pressures driving current competition among the United States, China and Russia are only intensifying.

Overt DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Russian Design Bureau KBP Developing New Anti-Tank/UAV Missile

The KBP Instrument Design Bureau, which is part of the Rostec Defense group, has started developing a new missile that they state will be the world’s first multi-purpose anti-tank AND anti-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) guided weapon system.

Defense NewsTue 23rd Feb

Israel to buy two KC-46 tankers, with plans for more F-35s and weapon systems

JERUSALEM — Israel will purchase two Boeing KC-46 tankers as part of a letter of offer and acceptance announced Feb. 22. Israel’s Defense Ministry said it is also pursuing additional F-35 fighter jets (beyond the 50 it already has agreed to buy), more helicopters, advanced munitions and other weapon systems.

Real Clear DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Marine Corps Awards OTA for Long-Range Sea Drone

The Marine Corps has selected shipbuilding company Metal Shark to develop a long-range unmanned surface vessel.

Real Clear DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Air Combat Command Issues Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan

Air Combat Command is pursuing four lines of effort to enhance diversity and inclusion among its force, according to an excerpt from its newly issued Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, obtained by Air Force Magazine on Feb. 19. The plan, which has not been publicly released, was issued the same day.

Real Clear DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Afghanistan: To Leave or Not To Leave

Under the Doha deal, US forces are meant to be out of the country in mere weeks. Either way, peace appears far off.

Real Clear DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Pentagon Spending May Escape Deep Budget Cuts

The high price tag of taming the coronavirus pandemic and pressure from some Democrats to significantly reduce the Pentagon’s $700 billion budget probably won’t force arbitrary national security budget cuts, the Senate Armed Services Committee’s new chairman said. “Arbitrary reductions would not be the right way to go,” Senator Jack Reed, the Rhode Island Democrat who leads the panel, said in an interview Monday. Congress will weigh President Joe Biden’s first budget request and review the military services’ proposals to see if they cut unnecessary, so-called “legacy” weapons programs and facilities, Reed said.Reed’s position is significant because Biden’s election elevated a narrative within the Democratic Party that the president will be under enormous pressure from progressives to slash defense spending. National security makes up about half of the federal government’s discretionary budget.

Real Clear DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Biden Administration Should Not Provide Sanctions Relief for Terrorism

As President Joe Biden looks to rejoin the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran is likely to pressure the Biden administration to provide broad sanctions relief, including to entities targeted since 2015 for financing terrorism. The new administration and its supporters should resist such pressure and keep U.S. terrorism sanctions in place – particularly those targeting the Central Bank of Iran (CBI).

Real Clear DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Marine Corps Seeks To Make 'Smarter' Infantry Force

The Marine Corps is ditching some of its formation marches and adding board games to a new, longer entry-level infantry training course aimed at creating Marines who can better think and act for themselves.

Overt DefenseTue 23rd Feb

BAE Awarded Contract to Provide Space Force with M-Code GPS

The United States Space Force (USSF) has awarded BAE a $247 million contract to design and manufacture a next-generation military Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for the organization. The new system will provide improved capabilities for size-and-power constrained military GPS applications, such as those used in precision-guided munitions and battery-powered handheld devices.

Real Clear DefenseTue 23rd Feb

France To Begin Building New Ballistic Missile Subs

PARIS — France has launched the program for its Navy’s third-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, which will see four vessels eventually delivered to the service.

Real Clear DefenseTue 23rd Feb

UAE, Qatar Officials Meet in Kuwait Amid Gulf Thaw

Kuwait hosted delegations from the two countries more than a month after Saudi Arabia and its allies agreed to end their blockade on Qatar.

Real Clear DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Austin Supports Air Force Decision Making for Space Command Basing

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has issued a statement in support of the U.S. Air Force’s handling of the basing decision for U.S. Space Command, his spokesman said.

Aviation ListTue 23rd Feb

U.S. Air Force F-16s Integrate With Italian Air Force F-35s During Agile Combat Employment Exercise

U.S. Air Force F-16s belonging to the 555th and 510th Fighter Squadrons of the 31st Fighter Wing, based at Aviano Air Base, Italy, took part in an Agile Combat Employment exercise at Amendola AB, Italy, on Feb. 16-17, 2021.

Aviation WeekTue 23rd Feb

Valve Issue Delays SLS Core Stage 'Hot Fire'

Overt DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Israeli Air Force to Get KC-46 Tankers & Third Squadron of F-35s

In a tweet on 22 February, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced that the government had approved agreements for the purchase of two new KC-46 aerial tankers and enough new F-35s to form a third squadron of the type in the Israeli Air Force (IAF).

Defence BlogTue 23rd Feb

Germany to add Israeli active protection system to is Leopard-2 tanks

Israel’s Ministry of Defense confirmed on Tuesday that the German Federal Ministry of Defense signed and signed a government-to-government (G2G) agreement to supply Israeli designed Trophy active protection system for their fleet of Leopard-2 main battle tanks.

Real Clear DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Vought 1600: F-16s on Aircraft Carriers?

The F-16 Fighting Falcon has been the U.S. Air Force’s workhorse fighter for more than forty years, and at one point, it looked like a carrier-capable version would do the same for the U.S. Navy.

Real Clear DefenseTue 23rd Feb

B-2 Spirit: The Air Force's Ultimate Weapon

Real Clear DefenseTue 23rd Feb

Early Cold War and Its Applicability to Current U.S.- China Relations

Defense NewsTue 23rd Feb

Keep all B-1 and B-2 bombers until the new B-21 is available

It was brief and it was dark, but the flyover of three U.S. Air Force bombers in formation at Super Bowl LV signaled more to the world than just a fleeting flyby.

Breaking DefenseTue 23rd Feb

A New African Counter-Terrorism Strategy: An Opportunity For Biden Administration

The reassessment occurred because of the persistence of the terrorist threat in the region, which is jeopardizing development efforts already impaired by other factors such as analphabetism, challenging demographics and climate change, to name a few.

Defense NewsTue 23rd Feb

LCS shipbuilder president resigns amid US and Australian financial investigations

WASHINGTON – The head of Alabama shipbuilder Austal USA has resigned amid investigations from U.S. and Australian authorities into a $115 million loss the company posted in 2016 tied that was tied to the builder’s Independence-class littoral combat ship program.

The War ZoneTue 23rd Feb

Russia Provides A Glimpse Of Its Orion Drone Executing Combat Trials In Syria

Russia has released a video showing, apparently for the first time, its Orion unmanned aerial vehicle during field trials in Syria, including dropping weapons. The footage seems to have originated from the drone’s combat evaluation that reportedly took place in 2018. 

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

Israel’s IAI and Matrix partner for AI center focused on automatic target detection

Israel Aerospace Industries and Matrix Defense are partnering on an artificial intelligence center to develop automated target detection for future battlefields.

Aviation WeekMon 22nd Feb

St. Jude’s Physician Assistant Named To Private Space Mission

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

US Air Force wants to transition software aboard C-130s

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force needs industry’s help to transition software onboard C-130s to a DevSecOps approach to allow easier, more frequent updates.

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

Paramount Group pitches new drone swarm amid region’s lack of countermeasures

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — South Africa’s Paramount Group unveiled on Monday a long-range swarming UAV system during the International Defence Exhibition and Conference in the United Arab Emirates.

Aviation WeekMon 22nd Feb

NASA Releases Multi-Camera Videos Of Perseverance Landing 

CAPE CANAVERAL—NASA has released about 4,500 images and video taken by its new Mars rover Perseverance and descent stage, including unprecedented views of parachute deployment, heat shield jettison, rocket jetpack ride, touchdown in Jezero Crater and even the flyaway of the descent stage.

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

France to begin building new ballistic missile subs

PARIS — France has launched the program for its Navy’s third-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, which will see four vessels eventually delivered to the service.

Aviation WeekMon 22nd Feb

The Weekly Debrief: An F-35B Induction Highlights Looming Modernization Bills

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

Pentagon budget must prioritize Navy, Air Force and cyber, lawmakers say

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and cyber warfare must start taking a larger share of the defense budget if the U.S. is going to compete with China, two pro-seapower lawmakers said last week.

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

Saab heads EU industry push for a drone collision-avoidance kit

COLOGNE, Germany – The European Commission has approved Saab to lead the bloc’s quest for a detect-and-avoid kit that would allow aerial drones to fly safely alongside civilian air traffic.

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

Alabama governor welcomes federal review of Space Command’s proposed home

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Monday said she welcomes a federal review of the decision to move the Space Command headquarters from Colorado to Huntsville, saying she believes it will confirm the decision to move it to her state.

The War ZoneMon 22nd Feb

American Avenger Air Defense Systems Reportedly Spotted On A Highway Linking Iraq And Syria

Pictures have appeared on social media that reportedly show trucks carrying Avenger short-range air defense systems on a highway between the Iraqi city of Ramadi and the Syrian border. The Avenger is primarily designed to engage low-flying manned fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, but can also be employed against drones. Two weeks ago, the top U.S. general overseeing operations in the Middle East said that the ever-growing threat posed by small unmanned aircraft was "the most concerning tactical development" since improvised explosive devices became the weapon of choice for militants and terrorists in the region.

Breaking DefenseMon 22nd Feb

US Industry Struggles To Strip Chinese Tech From Networks

One key problem, Jones explained, is that neither DoD nor the FCC have issued lists of what equipment is banned by the laws.

Aviation WeekMon 22nd Feb

Investigation Launched Into Spacecom HQ Basing Decision

Aviation WeekMon 22nd Feb

MBDA, Tawazun To Develop SmartGlider Weapons

Aviation WeekMon 22nd Feb

Transport Canada Issues Bell 505 Emergency Directive

The War ZoneMon 22nd Feb

It’s Official: KC-46 Tankers And More F-35s For Israel, But No Advanced F-15s For Now

Israel has formally approved plans for its first order of troubled KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tankers from Boeing, as well as the third squadron of F-35I “Adir” stealth fighters. Despite reported Israeli interest, there was no mention of any planned purchases of advanced versions of the F-15 Eagle. However, the Israeli government has also given the green light to purchases of “advanced munitions” and a new heavy-lift helicopter, either a variant of the H-47 Chinook or CH-53K King Stallion.

Breaking DefenseMon 22nd Feb

UAE’s Paramount Group Opens In Israel, Company Says At IDEX

Back in September 2020, a joint peace deal was signed between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and the United States – known also as the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement – and concerns a treaty of peace, and a full normalization of the diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Aviation ListMon 22nd Feb

U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer Bombers Have Just Arrived At Orland Air Station, Norway.

Four U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers from the 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, have deployed to Norway, as part of a BTF (Bomber Task Force) mission. Flying as TABOO11-14 and supported by tankers from Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire, and RAF Mildenhall, UK, the B-1s have arrived at Ørland Air Force Station, Norway, an important air base operated by the Royal Norwegian Air Force. The air station is the home of the RNoAF F-35 MOB (Main Operating Base) and also hosts search and rescue helicopters and a FOL (Forward Operating Location) of the NATO E-3A AWACS fleet.

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

Saudi, Emirati defense conglomerates cut deal for military vehicle production

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — In a first for the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, their respective defense industry conglomerates signed a deal to produce the four-wheel drive JAIS vehicle, developed by Emirate firm Nimr, in Saudi Arabia.

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

Saudi Arabia to stop contracting with firms without local headquarters

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia announced Feb. 15 that it plans to stop signing contracts with foreign companies that don’t have their Mideast headquarters in the kingdom, state-run media reported, a bold move that could escalate business competition in the region.

Breaking DefenseMon 22nd Feb

UAE, Saudis Team On Armored Vehicles For Kingdom; Precedent Setting Deal

The two parties signed a teaming agreement on the second day of IDEX 2021 here, under which the original equipment manufacturer of JAIS 4×4 MRAP vehicles will work together exclusively to produce the armored vehicles locally in Saudi Arabia.

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

Who showed up for the in-person UAE weapons show?

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — In spite of the surging coronavirus pandemic, major arms makers descended Sunday on a convention center in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, hoping to make deals with militaries across the Middle East.

Overt DefenseMon 22nd Feb

Italian Ambassador to DR Congo Killed In Convoy Ambush

Italy’s Foreign Ministry reports that Italy’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been killed in an ambush on a World Food Program convoy in the east of the country today, alongside a Carabineri policeman.

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

Why a UAE company transformed a 4x4 Ajban into an autonomous vehicle

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - Nimr unveiled Feb. 21 that it is working with Adasi-Ajban on a 4x4 armored vehicle that can be transformed into an unmanned vehicle.

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

Saab inks deal with Tawazun to bolster sensor technology research in UAE

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Swedish firm Saab will launch research and development efforts for sensor technology in the United Arab Emirates under multiple agreements it signed Sunday at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi.

Aviation WeekMon 22nd Feb

Israel Firms KC-46 Buy, Confirms Third F-35 Squadron Purchase Plan

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

Edge Group unveils kamikaze drones at IDEX

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Emirati defense conglomerate Edge Group unveiled on Sunday four multirotor loitering munitions, sometimes called kamikaze drones, during the first day of the International Defence Exhibition and Conference held in the United Arab Emirates’ capital Abu Dhabi.

UK Defence JournalMon 22nd Feb

‘Bad Defence Tweets’ – a new YouTube series

Basically, we plan on taking a look at the most ridiculous defence tweets on the internet.

Overt DefenseMon 22nd Feb

Is Poland Planning to Modernize its F-16s?

The Technical Modernization Program of the Polish Armed Forces (PMT) will focus on the F-16C/D Block 52+ currently in service. 48 of ‘Fighting Falcons’ were delivered to Poland in 2006 as a part of overall modernization to fit the Polish Army into NATO. The aircraft, however, have not had any sort of upgrades since their delivery, besides the purchases of new armaments like the JASSM cruise missiles.

Aviation WeekMon 22nd Feb

Northrop Grumman Cargo Capsule Reaches Space Station

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

The Learning Never Stops for EOD Sailors

For Master Chief Petty Officer Brian Jurgens, the first lesson about trying to become a Navy explosive ordnance disposal tech wasn’t about learning how to dive. It was about learning how to learn.

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

Four Rockets Strike Contractor Housing on Balad Air Base

One person was reportedly wounded in the attack that followed a raid on an Islamic State hideout

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

How the U.S. Military Can Recover from Trump Budget Trauma

Congress should move swiftly to recover every lost dollar diverted by President Donald Trump from defense for the border as soon as possible.

Aviation WeekMon 22nd Feb

UAE Reveals Loitering Munitions, Anti-Ship Missile Developments

Overt DefenseMon 22nd Feb

USAF Contemplating Developing New 4.5+ / 5 – Gen Fighter to Replace F-16

In a somewhat surprising announcement, the Chief of the Staff of the United States Air Force (USAF) has said that the service is looking at the possibility of developing a new combat aircraft to replace the F-16s that make up the backbone of the USAFs tactical fighter squadrons.

Defence BlogMon 22nd Feb

Russian spies try to steal Ukrainian modern tank secrets

Ukraine’s security service, known by the acronym SBU, has reportedly thwarted attempts by the Russian spy to get secrets of the Ukrainian tank program.

Overt DefenseMon 22nd Feb

Inactivation Of USS Bonhomme Richard Slated For April

The US Navy has announced that it will formally inactivate the USS Bonhomme Richard on 15 April this year ahead of her scrapping. The announcement was made with the release of a revised ship inactivation schedule for fiscal year 2021 on 12 February.

UK Defence JournalMon 22nd Feb

Littoral Strike Ship concepts see light again

The Littoral Strike Ship concept has been off the radar for around a year, with nothing new coming into the public domain.

Defence BlogMon 22nd Feb

Hanwha Defense showcases unmanned defense solutions at IDEX 2021

Hanwha Defense, a leading defense company in South Korea, is displaying up-to-date unmanned defense systems during the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) that opened on February 21 for a five-day run.

Defence BlogMon 22nd Feb

Milrem Robotics showcases robotic mini-tank at IDEX 2021

Estonia’s Milrem Robotics has unveiled its new robotic combat system at the IDEX 2021 show in Abu Dhabi.

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

U.S. Warns Beijing Against Force at Sea

WASHINGTON • The United States on Friday warned China against the use of force in disputed waters as it reaffirmed its view that Beijing's assertive campaign in the South China Sea is illegal.

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

The Integrated Operating Concept

In September 2020 the Secretary of State for Defence and the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) launched The Integrated Operating Concept 2025 (IOpC).  IOpC set a blueprint for operations and presented four sub functions: protecting the base, engaging with partners and opponents, constraining activity, and, if necessary, fighting.  These themes work symbiotically with a blurring between them.  Introducing the new concept, General David Petraeus described it as an ‘important juncture for UK defence’ and a ‘new approach’… a fundamental change in the conduct of operations. However, the concept did not receive a universally positive reception.  One blogger, Sir Humphrey, described it as being ‘long on buzzwords [and] short on evidenced examples’.  He questioned how it changed the reality of operations today compared to historical campaigns.  Michael Clarke urged commentators to hold IOpC against the outcome of the Integrated Review and not to judge it until resources were confirmed.  Beyond these views there has been little public analysis about it and the evidence base underpinning it is not yet developed.

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

Army Airpower To Strike Deep in EDGE21 War-Game

New drones – launched by helicopters in flight and built by the Pentagon's Strategic Capabilities Office – will reach out “hundreds of kilometers.” Marine F-35s, 82nd Airborne

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

USAF Instructor, Japanese Student Pilot Killed in T-38 Crash

A USAF instructor pilot and Japan Air Self-Defense Force student pilot were killed when their T-38C crashed Feb. 19 at Dannelly Field near Montgomery, Ala.

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

The Sino-American War of 2025

The reasons why the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) avoided total war, let alone a nuclear exchange, during their armed conflict in the autumn of 2025 remain a source of dispute. What is clearer is why the Sino-American Littoral War broke out, and what course it took. The United States lost part of its position in Asia, while China found its gains an unexpected burden. The resulting cold war between the United States and China became the defining feature of geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific in the middle of the 21st century. To understand what happened and why, we must start with the political environment between Washington and Beijing in the years leading up to the war, look at their military assets and assess the balance of power in the western Pacific at the outset of hostilities. Only then will analysts be able to interpret the political and military decisions taken by both sides.

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

NATO Allies Must Pay More for Europe's Security

Other major issues are pulling out of Afghanistan and getting on the same page with China policy.

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

Navy Seeks New Underwater Drones for Submarine Threat

Feb. 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy seeks to upgrade its fleet of autonomous underwater sensor gliders, devices used to provide data to attack submarines.

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

Focus U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers on China, Not Persian Gulf

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

The Moment Britain's Army Knew It Was Lost

In 2008, a dramatic failure in Iraq finally set the force on a path of improvement.

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

Austin Reaffirms Defensive Support for Saudi Arabia

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to reaffirm strategic ties.

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

Why Nation-Building Matters

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

Xi's Vision for China's Nationalist Resurgence

Defence BlogMon 22nd Feb

Halcon is debuting a new cruise missile system at IDEX 2021

Halcon, a UAE-based manufacturer of precision-guided systems,  unveiled its new AntiShip-250 (HAS-250) cruise missile system at the International Defence and Exhibition Conference (IDEX) 2021, taking place in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi between 21-25 February.

Defence BlogMon 22nd Feb

UkrOboronProm gets $86M support contract for Pakistani T-80 tanks

The Ukrainian state arms conglomerate UkrOboronProm announced on Monday that it has been awarded an $85.6 million contract to support the fleet of T-80UD main battle tanks of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

What is a legacy system? The key is relevance, not age.

Two decades into the 21st century, far too much of the U.S. military consists of systems that were designed and initially produced at the end of the last century, and in many cases back to the late Cold War. While the United States and its allies face growing threats from China and Russia, much of the U.S. military force structure has been worn out by the relentless pace of global operations over the past two decades.

UK Defence JournalMon 22nd Feb

New defence podcast – The OSINT Bunker

The podcast is hosted by @Osinttechnical, @skywatcherintel, @air_intel and @DefenceGeek.

Defense NewsMon 22nd Feb

Geospatial intelligence could offer blueprint for protecting national security through technological leadership

When the Cold War ended 30 years ago, the United States was unrivaled in virtually all of the technologies thought to define the future of civilization. In the intervening years, however, there has been a steady decline in U.S. technological leadership and, in turn, a deterioration of the country’s economic performance.

Defence BlogMon 22nd Feb

International Armored Group unveils Rila fighting vehicle at IDEX 2021

International Armored Group took the opportunity at the 15th edition of the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX), which was held from 21 to 25 February, to reveal a new fighting vehicle.

Defence BlogMon 22nd Feb

Kia showcases new light military truck at IDEX 2021

South Korea’s second-largest automobile manufacturer Kia corporation unveiled its new tactical vehicle at IDEX 2021 defense show in the UAE, the largest international defense exhibition in the Middle East and Africa.

Defence BlogMon 22nd Feb

Saudi Arabia partners South Korea on production of Biho II air defense system

Saudi Arabia’s Science Technology company has announced a partnership with South Korean Hanwha Defense through which the Middle East country will produce a new Biho II air defense system.

The War ZoneMon 22nd Feb

Airliner Encountered Unidentified Fast-Moving Cylindrical Object Over New Mexico

American Airlines Flight 2292, an Airbus A320 flying between Cincinnati and Phoenix on February 21st, 2020, had a bizarre close encounter with what its crew described as a "long cylindrical object that almost looked like a cruise missile" moving extremely fast over the top of their aircraft as it cruised along at 36,000 feet and 400 knots. The incident occurred over the remote northwest corner of New Mexico, to the west of the tiny town of Des Moines. 

Real Clear DefenseMon 22nd Feb

Austin Calls for More NATO Help in Countering China

The United States needs its NATO allies to invest more in their military capabilities and help the Pentagon address the growing threat posed by China, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III said Feb. 19.

Breaking DefenseSun 21st Feb

IDEX 2021: First COVID-Era Defense Show Kicks Off

The bi-annual five-day events, International Defense Exhibition and Naval Defense Exhibition (IDEX and NAVDEX 2021), feature more than 900 exhibitors from 59 nations with 35 national pavilions. Among the new countries participating are North Macedonia, Azerbaijan, Luxembourg and Portugal; Israel backed out a week ago due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

UK Defence JournalSun 21st Feb

Army Reserves train in Exercise Yorkshire Strike

The British Army say that the training package included cross-country driving, rifle ranges, and tactical skills as part of a Potential Junior Non-Commissioned Officer (PJNCO) course.

Defense NewsSun 21st Feb

Defense Department inspector general reviews Trump relocation of Space Command

DENVER — The Department of Defense’s inspector general announced Friday that it was reviewing the Trump administration’s last-minute decision to relocate U.S. Space Command from Colorado to Alabama.

Breaking DefenseSun 21st Feb

Engagement vs. Estrangement: Arms Sales Strengthen Key Alliances And Keep Partners Close To Washington

Rebuilding relationships with partners and allies is a core goal of the new U.S. administration. A robust program of foreign military sales (FMS) and direct commercial sales (DCS) can strengthen ties abroad while empowering countries to both defend themselves and contribute to collective security efforts.

Defence BlogSun 21st Feb

Two F-117 Nighthawks stealth aircraft spotted over Los Angeles

A freelance photographer Matt Hartman says that at least two F-117 Nighthawks stealth aircraft were spotted over Los Angeles.

Defence BlogSun 21st Feb

UROVESA showcases latest defense capabilities during IDEX 2021

Spanish heavy vehicle manufacturer URO Vehículos Especiales (UROVESA) took the opportunity at the IDEX 2021, which is being held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to display a range of its new equipment and platforms.

Defence BlogSun 21st Feb

Iveco unveils Medium Tactical Vehicle at IDEX 2021

The Italian armoured vehicles specialist Iveco Defence Vehicles unveiled the new Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) at the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX), in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Defence BlogSun 21st Feb

John Cockerill Defense showcases its latest products at IDEX 2021

Belgium’s John Cockerill Defense (previously CMI Defence) showcased at the IDEX 2021 defense exhibition in Abu Dhabi its latest innovative products.

Defence BlogSun 21st Feb

Ukrainian new combat drone makes international debut at IDEX 2021

Ukraine’s military export agency, Ukrspecexport, unveiled the Sokil-300 unmanned combat aerial vehicle at the biennial International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX).

The War ZoneSat 20th Feb

Listen To Mayday Call From United 777 With Catastrophic Engine Failure Over Colorado

United Airlines Flight 328, a Boeing 777 with 231 passengers on board that had taken off from Denver on its way to Honolulu, had a catastrophic engine failure shortly after its 12:49 p.m. departure. The view out of the right side of the cabin was clearly terrifying as the engine had blown its cowling off and flames were creeping along the rear of the badly damaged nacelle. 

Aviation WeekSat 20th Feb

Northrop Grumman Cargo Mission Heads for International Space Station

UK Defence JournalSat 20th Feb

Turkey takes command of NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2

The virtual Change of Command was held on 19 February, led by Vice Admiral Keith Blount, Commander of Maritime Command, and the ceremony took place in Istanbul, Turkey with the participation of core personnel of the flagship TCG Sokullu Mehmetpasa, TCG Ayvalık, and ESPS Tajo.

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

6 Reasons Why the Battle of Iwo Jima Is So Important to Marines

No historical account of World War II would be complete without covering the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

DoD Budget 'Bloodletting' Inches Closer to Reality

WASHINGTON: The head of the House Armed Services influential seapower subcommittee just stepped closer to the position of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs that the Navy might be in line for a funding boost — and other services will have to pay the bill.

Overt DefenseSat 20th Feb

Media Drama Over Assault Rifle Causes National Security Concerns in Poland

On the 25 January, Polish media outlet, Onet.pl, published an article about the MSBS GROT, the new service rifle recently introduced by the Polish Armed Forces. The MSBS Grot is produced by Fabryka Broni “Łucznik” in Radom, part of the Polish Armaments Group, a state-owned holding company. The article reported on a series of trials conducted by a team of experts led by Pawel Moszner, a former Polish SOF officer and ex-member of the Polish GROM unit. Moszner decided to test the rifle as it had apparently earned an unpopular reputation among Polish SOF operators.

Defence BlogSat 20th Feb

Highland Systems unveils potentially revolutionary multi-role vehicle at IDEX 2021

R&D and project management company Highland Systems will take the opportunity at IDEX 2021 defense show, which will hold from Feb. 21 to 25, 202, to reveal a new Storm MPV multi-role armoured vehicle.

Aviation ListSat 20th Feb

Listen To The Cool Howling Sound Of The Russian Su-57 Felon Engines In This Awesome Clip

This video, featuring four Russian Air Force Su-57 Felon jets performing a low level flyby (most probably during Russia’s annual Victory Day parade on May 9 at Moscow) as someone films them, has been around for a few months now. However, it’s still pretty interesting as it lets you hear the aircraft’s pretty peculiar jet engine sound.

Defence BlogSat 20th Feb

Saab delivers third GlobalEye aircraft to United Arab Emirates

Sweden’s aerospace and defense concern Saab announced that it delivered the third GlobalEye aircraft to the United Arab Emirates on 20 February 2021.

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

U.S. Military Must Develop Radically New Ideas

As we remember the euphoria of Operation Desert Storm 30 years ago, it’s easy to forget how broken the U.S. military was just 15 years before Desert Storm, at the end of the Vietnam War.

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

Army Putting New Infantry Squad Vehicle Through Paces

The Army is testing its new transport vehicle less than a year after it awarded a contract to GM Defense for the program.

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

USS Eisenhower CSG Begins Second Deployment in a Year

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group deployed today for the second time in a year, after wrapping up a final training and certification exercise with its new set of cruiser and destroyer escorts.

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

DoD IG To Investigate U.S. Space Command Move to Alabama

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department’s inspector general will begin a probe into how the Air Force decided U.S. Space Command should move its headquarters from Colorado to Alabama.

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

Navy Awards $3B to Newport News for USS Stennis Refueling

The Navy today awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding $3 billion for the USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH).

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

A Strong Offense Can Decrease Cyberattacks on Critical Infrastructure

After years of malicious cyber activity targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, hackers linked to Russia recently infiltrated numerous American companies and federal government agencies, including the Departments of Homeland Security and Commerce, the Treasury and the Pentagon. This attack compromised national security and is costing business and the government untold millions or billions of dollars in damages.  

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

The U.S. Air Force's F-16 Replacement Plan Is Taking Shape

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

Russian Nuclear and Military Modernization 2021

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

National Guard at the Capitol: Too Costly

Six weeks after the Trump-inspired attack on the Capitol, Washington remains an armed camp.  No fewer than 26,000 National Guard members were deployed to the city by Jan. 20 — that is, within two weeks of the extremist insurrection and in time for President Biden’s inauguration. 

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

China Sanctions Could Complicate Reengining of B-52 Bomber

In January the U.S. Department of Defense sanctioned Chinese civil-aviation manufacturer COMAC due to concern that it shares technology with the People’s Liberation Army.

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

IAEA Found Uranium Traces at Two Sites Iran Barred It From

The find and Iran’s response risk hurting efforts by the new U.S. administration to restore Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal, which President Joe Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump abandoned.

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

Bowe Bergdahl Petitions Federal Court to Have His Case Expunged

Former Army Sgt. Robert "Bowe" Bergdahl has filed a petition in federal court seeking to have his military conviction and sentence expunged based on arguments of unlawful command influence by former President Donald Trump and new information about the judge who presided over his court-martial.

Real Clear DefenseSat 20th Feb

Army to Test New Anti-Missile System to Protect Armored Vehicles

The Army will soon start testing a Lockheed Martin anti-missile defense system designed to work with the service's M1 tanks and Bradley and Stryker armored vehicles.

The War ZoneSat 20th Feb

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 ListSat 20th Feb

USAF Suffers Two T-38 Accidents in Two Days. Non-Fatal Accident at Beale AFB, Two Killed in Columbus AFB Crash.

Two separate, non-related accidents involving USAF T-38 Talon trainers have occurred during the past two days. In the most recent accident on Friday, Feb. 19, 2021, near Montgomery Regional Airport in Alabama, the two-person crew was killed when their T-38 trainer aircraft crashed into a field outside the airport. Although both members of the flight crew died in the crash, no injuries by persons on the ground were reported in the accident.

Defence BlogSat 20th Feb

U.S. Air Force T-38 trainer aircraft crashes and burns in Alabama

A U.S. Air Force Northrop T-38C Talon trainer aircraft crashed in a wooded area about 15 miles southwest of Montgomery Regional Airport (MGM/KMGM), Montgomery, Alabama on Friday, multiple news outlets reported.

Defence BlogSat 20th Feb

AM General unveils Humvee NXT 360 fitted with Javelin missile at IDEX 2021

Famed Humvee maker, AM General, will participate in the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) show held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre February 21-25, 2021. 

Defence BlogSat 20th Feb

Arquus will be exhibiting all its expertise at IDEX 2021

Major supplier of the French Army and partner to several governmental forces in the Middle East and North Africa, Arquus (formerly known as Renault Trucks Defense) will be present at the IDEX 2021 trade show.

Defence BlogSat 20th Feb

Ukraine promotes its advanced wheeled fighting vehicle for Middle East

Ukraine’s defense industry is promoting its advanced version of a BTR-4 wheeled fighting vehicle at the 15th edition of the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2021) for the Middle East market.