The “Milestone C” decision is a crucial moment signifying the department’s confidence in the performance of the F-35 and maturity of Lockheed Martin’s production system, though the plane has been in service for years.
By Valerie Insinna“I share your commitment to maintaining the public’s trust in the Department of Defense,” Douglas Schmidt, the new director of operational test and evaluation, said in the letter to Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
By Valerie Insinna“We absolutely believe we will save money,” said Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. DT Thompson. Other military departments are looking into a similar approach, another Space Force officer said.
By Theresa HitchensIn a letter obtained by Breaking Defense, lawmakers called on Sec. Austin to review the “controlled unclassified information” and “publicly release the greatest amount of information possible about these systems, consistent with the continued protection of sensitive information.”
By Valerie Insinna“This unjustified restriction of public access will not serve to protect national security information but will instead be abused to avoid disclosure of failures in our major weapons programs,” wrote Sen. Elizabeth Warren, citing Breaking Defense reporting.
By Valerie InsinnaSome services have turned to commercial solutions for receivers as delays mount, report says.
By Theresa Hitchens“I worry that this will end up [resulting] in a watered down version of the report that makes it more difficult for the press and the public to make sure that we are buying weapon systems that are effective and safe,” said Mandy Smithberger of the Project On Government Oversight.
By Valerie InsinnaBefore the F-35 can be declared ready for full-rate production, it must complete tests in the Pentagon’s Joint Simulation Environment.
By Valerie InsinnaThe ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline in May underscores the urgency for the Pentagon to safeguard its transportation and logistics enterprise, defense officials said.
By Valerie InsinnaDespite a 2018 mandate for “electronic protection” against jamming, there’s little data available showing how vulnerable systems are, said EW director David Tremper.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.The US Director of Operational Test and Evaluation’s annual report says the CH-53K engine’s performance degrades bellow the accepted minimum after 21 minutes of dust exposure. This is causing great concern in the IAF as it eyes buying the first batch of 20 helicopters.
By Arie EgoziThe Pentagon’s top tester, DOT&E, had urged the Army to take more time. But Army leaders said today they’ve got plenty of field tests scheduled with real soldiers.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.The experimental targeting goggles field-tested last fall didn’t work in the rain. The ruggedized version to be tested this month will fix that flaw – and more, the Army says.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.