UPDATED WASHINGTON: A Navy plan to base four Aegis warships in Spain could end up being sunk by congressional lawmakers looking to protect their own political interests. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced the ship relocation plan in October at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The decision “should send a very strong signal that the United States […]
WASHINGTON: The nation’s top military officer today insisted he did not oppose the expensive and controversial F-35, on which three of the four services he leads depend on for their future air capabilities. Asked about his recent congressional testimony that the nation “might not be able to afford” the three F-35 variants, Army Gen. Martin […]
Avoiding vendor lock and providing more room for sensors and upgrades are critical considerations.
Washington: A veteran Republican defense official played the skunk at the garden party today, raising serious technical and financial doubts about the Obama administration’s approach to ballistic missile defense for Europe after the Missile Defense Agency director and a top State Department official praised the program. Dov Zakheim, a senior Defense Department official under two […]
With the Tea Party ready to pounce and the Speaker of the House adamantly against raising taxes, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon apparently has seen the light and has decided he will not raise taxes to forestall further defense budget cuts. Speaking at a defense budget forum in a Capitol Hill restaurant today, […]
As the war in Afghanistan passed its tenth anniversary this week, many news outlets repeated the frequently repeated claim that the conflict there has replaced Vietnam as America’s longest war. That is a questionable assertion. Even if you count only from the first “official” U.S. combat operations in Vietnam — the Gulf of Tonkin air […]
The Marine Corps is taking the use of unmanned air systems to the next level, deploying pilotless cargo helicopters to Afghanistan to test their ability to supply troops in the field without trucks facing the risk of deadly IEDs. The six-month demonstration of the feasibility of a cargo UAS in a combat environment will involve […]
A decorated combat aviator and biotech CEO advocates preparing for novel viral threats before the next crisis.
CORRECTED Indianapolis: One day after the Marines successfully landed a Joint Strike Fighter on a ship for the first time, Rolls-Royce executives showed off a new factory built to produce the complex lift fan system that is key to the F-35B STOVL variant. The new plant, near the Indianapolis airport, is a large, antiseptically clean […]
Two top Pentagon spokesmen’s exchange with reporters today illustrated why U.S.-Pakistani relations are like a troubled marriage that at least one partner would like to preserve. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s spokesman George Little and Joint Chiefs chairman Adm. Michael Mullen’s flak Navy Capt. John Kirby echoed their bosses’ accusation that Pakistan’s Inter-service Intelligence agency (ISI) […]
After repeated assurances that the U.S. military would not put “boots on the ground” to support the rebellion against Libyan dictator Muamar Gaddafi, a top military spokesman announced Monday that four American service members are on the ground in Tripoli. But they aren’t there to lead the fight against Gaddafi. The military personnel are part […]
Washington: Northrop Grumman is searching for new customers for a new multi-mission, modular and “affordable” unmanned air system, a Northrop official said Wednesday. The Bat UAS is a relatively lightweight B-2 lookalike that promotes its ability to quickly change sensor packages and fuel capacity. So far, Northrop has a contract to deliver a number of […]
Demand signals from leadership are shaping investments in design, engineering and manufacturing.
Washington: Falling budgets will force the Army to boost adoption of unmanned systems and to look more closely at the ethical and moral implications of killing people using autonomous systems, two senior Army officers said Tuesday. Although the Army has been working with unmanned programs for decades, it still is not moving as fast as […]
Military pay and benefits must be cut by the new congressional “super committee” as it begins its quest to find $1.2 trillion to cut from the federal budget, a panel of experienced budget experts said today. Pushing through any package of cuts, the panel members said at the Brookings Institution, will be incredibly difficult and […]