AVX/L3, Bell, Boeing, Karem, and Sikorsky have submitted their designs for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft. None of them is a conventional helicopter.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.The Army isn’t just replacing old helicopters. It’s building a networked “ecosystem” of mutually supporting manned and unmanned weapons that can drive a flying wedge into Russian and Chinese air defenses.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.Four bases around the country will pioneer military use of the new high-speed communications network technology.
By Paul McLearyThe Army wants $985 million for modernization, from Apache gunships and 8×8 Strykers to safety improvements at ammunition plants. We have the list.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.The SB>1 Defiant compound helicopter has only 11 hours of flight testing, versus over 160 for Bell’s V-280 Valor. But Sikorsky and Boeing say they have thousands of hours of other testing data to help the Army choose.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.“The JROC tended to be a receiver of requirements from services, not a generator of requirements for the services to meet,” Gen. Hyten said. “That’s not what was intended by Congress.”
By Colin ClarkSDA says it’s still a transition partner for Blackjack, despite no specific funding line in its 2021 budget.
By Theresa Hitchens“I know $178 billion, by anybody’s standard, is a lot of money, but I gotta tell you, this is a million-man Army,” the deputy comptroller told reporters. But cutting manpower is off the table – for now.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.All-Domain Operations is”the biggest key to the future of the entire budget,” the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs said, “because if we figure that out, we’ll have a significant advantage over everybody in the world for a long time.”
By Colin ClarkThe Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is currently built by Oshkosh but the Army is seeking alternative manufacturers, who will get the government-owned Technical Data Package required to build it. The Army’s also reviewing how many JLTVs it really needs, Secretary Ryan McCarthy says.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.A smaller 2021 budget and greater funding demands for nuclear weapons development mean the end of plans by the four services to expand their numbers. Rising budgets have allowed the Pentagon to maintain old planes, ships, armored vehicles and other weapons, grow the force and invest in new weapons. The reduced topline in fiscal 2021…
By Mark Cancian and Adam SaxtonThe 2021 budget request also makes major reductions in the tracked M2 Bradley and the wheeled Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, as well as counter-IED programs.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.Rep. Thornberry, the senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said the White House move to repurpose military procurement money “is in violation of the separation of powers within the Constitution… and I believe that it requires Congress to take action.”
By Paul McLeary
A rara avis. That is what you are reading. This opinion piece by three active duty Air Force officers deals with perhaps the service’s most important program start since the Cold War, the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), which most industry and military experts believe will be the key to All Domain Operations. The Air…
By Paul Birch, Ray Reeves and Brad DeWees