News
Finland’s leaders back NATO bid; Ukraine makes gains near Kharkiv
Finland’s leaders announced May 12 that they would seek NATO membership for the Nordic nation, a potential tectonic shift to the military alliance and Europe’s security order. On the battlefield, Ukraine said its troops were pushing back Russian forces around the second-largest city of Kharkiv, as airstrikes hit the Chernihiv region further north.
Ukraine goes on the counteroffensive as Russians fall back
According to some news reports, Russian forces retreated to regroup around defensive positions less than 10km (6 miles) from the Russian border, with Ukrainian units in hot pursuit.
Intelligence-sharing with Ukraine designed to prevent wider war
The Biden administration has drawn up guidance around intelligence-sharing with Ukraine that is calibrated to avoid heightening tensions between Washington and Moscow.
UK defense chief flags iffy weapon stocks for Ukraine war
The operation to supply Ukraine with defensive weapons is straining allied supply chains, laying bare the potential for bottlenecks in lower-echelon but high-tech weaponry needed quickly at scale, according to British Defence Minister Ben Wallace.
Ukraine to hold first war crimes trial of Russian soldier
Vadim Shyshimarin is accused of killing an unarmed 62-year-old civilian on February 28, firing an automatic rifle from a car window to prevent him from reporting a group of soldiers, according to a statement on May 11 from Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova’s office.
Business
Lockheed secretly worked to block Airbus’ influence in Washington — while teaming on major Pentagon bid
Internal email reveals U.S. company’s pressure to deny Europeans’ application to powerful trade group.
Xtend to supply hundreds of Wolverine Gen2 drones to US military
Israeli firm Xtend will supply hundreds of new Wolverine Gen2 unmanned systems to the U.S. Defense Department as part of a joint government-to-government program with Israel’s Defense Ministry, the company announced May 10.
Defense
Senators introduce legislation to create Space National Guard
A bipartisan group of senators on May 11 introduced a bill that would create a Space National Guard under the newly-established U.S. Space Force.
Pentagon tests high-power microwave systems against drones
The Pentagon’s Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office has wrapped up a demonstration of high-power microwave technology capable of taking out multiple drone threats at once.
Marines to field multibarrel sniper rifle to replace two existing weapons
The rifle will replace both the Mk13 Mod 7 and the M40A6 sniper rifles.
War in Ukraine reinforces need for US Army network upgrades, generals say
The war in Ukraine validates the U.S. Army’s efforts to upgrade communication gear and beef up cybersecurity tools, according to officials driving the service’s network modernization.
DOD’s Pacific Plans aren’t scaled back to finance Ukraine aid, say Austin and Milley
A hearing of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee drew attention to perceived funding shortfalls in the U.S. Indo-Pacific strategy, but Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley said plans to counter China have not been curtailed by the demands to defend NATO and supply weapons to Ukraine.
Veterans
3 VA mental health counselors kept their jobs after starting relationships with patients, watchdog finds
Three mental health counselors were allowed to keep practicing at a Veterans Affairs medical center in Danville, Ill., despite leaders knowing they had engaged in inappropriate relationships with patients, the VA’s top investigator found.
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