News
Democratic debate offers first look at candidates’ Afghanistan, national security plans-
The 2020 presidential hopefuls saw their first significant foreign policy discussion this week during the two-night Democratic Party debate in Detroit, including questions about how long U.S. troops should remain in Afghanistan.
Pompeo backtracks on Afghanistan withdrawal by fall 2020-
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on July 30 backtracked on comments suggesting a massive U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan before the 2020 election, flatly stating “there is no deadline” for the end of the American mission there.
Trump nixes NAMs for 4 prosecutors tied to SEAL case-
With a trio of tweets the afternoon of July 31, President Donald Trump nixed the Navy Achievement Medals recently bestowed on four prosecutors tied to the war crimes case against Special Warfare Operator Chief Edward “Eddie” Gallagher.
Business
Hypersonics: From zero to 40 plus flights in next four years-
As Mark Lewis, an expert on hypersonics at the Institute for Defense Analyses, said here at the NDIA conference: “You can’t walk more than 10 feet in the Pentagon without hearing the word hypersonics.”
India signs $700 million deal with Russia for 1,000 additional air-to-air missiles-
The Indian Air Force has signed deals with Russia worth about USD700 million for an additional 1,000 air-to-air missiles to arm its fleets of MiG and Sukhoi combat aircraft.
Talisman Sabre: Land-based missiles vs. China-
The Army’s experimental Multi-Domain Task Force tested new tactics for Pacific conflict, hand-in-glove with the Marines, Air Force, and Australians.
Serbia presents BRDM-2Ms gifted by Russia-
Serbia presented 10 BRDM-2M armoured reconnaissance vehicles gifted by Russia at ‘Mija Stanimirovic’ barracks in Niš on July 29, the Ministry of Defence announced on its website.
Defense
U.S. Air Force is ramping up its airstrikes in Somalia-
The Air Force has already carried out as many airstrikes in Somalia in the first seven months of 2019 as it did in all of 2018.
Pentagon’s top two jobs are finally filled-
After a whirlwind few weeks, the Defense Department has two confirmed officials in its top civilian roles, and the Navy secretary has gone back to his official duties.
Pentagon No. 2 confirmed by Senate-
The Senate has confirmed David Norquist to be the deputy secretary of defense, locking in the Pentagon’s top two leaders for the first time in 2019.
Inhofe: Navy ‘arrogance’ on USS Ford ‘oughta be criminal’-
The head of the Senate Armed Service Committee July 31 charged Navy leadership with “a level of arrogance” in dealing with the failures of its new $13 billion USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, saying the lack of planning for key new technologies that have struggled to perform “oughta be criminal.”
Gilday submits data-driven, tech-focused plan to push Navy forward-
Vice Adm. Michael Gilday supports the Navy’s vision for a larger and more lethal Navy that uses data to make decisions and incorporates industry’s technological advances rapidly, according to advance policy questions he submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Gilday acknowledges ship maintenance challenges, vows to study barriers to readiness-
Vice Adm. Michael Gilday says he’s ready to get smart on ship maintenance and tackle the Navy’s ongoing readiness challenges if confirmed as the next chief of naval operations.
Veterans
Research finds veterans earn more than non-veterans-
A new study conducted by the University of Akron looked to see if there was a difference between wages earned by military veterans compared with non-veterans.
Pilot who was a daredevil flier with WASPs during WWII dies at 103-
About 30 people stood on the pavement of the Calvary Cemetery, looking toward the sky, waiting for World War II planes to fly overhead in honor of a woman who flew ones like them more than 75 years ago.
The post Headlines – August 2, 2019 appeared first on Aerotech News & Review.