News
Trump signs off on plan to allow U.S. Navy more freedom to patrol in South China Sea, report says –
U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly approved a plan to give the United States Navy more freedom to carry out patrols in the South China Sea – a move analysts say will add to uncertainties over Sino-US relations and regional security issues.
Business
Trump orders extensive study of defense industrial base –
The review will examine manufacturing capacity, workforce and other priorities.
Italy generals eye possible $15 billion funding plus-up –
Italian generals are eyeing a cash windfall of 12.8 billion euros, or U.S. $15 billion, to cover new Chinooks, drones and missiles. But there is one proviso — the buy could take years, or never arrive at all.
L3 CEO Michael Strianese to retire at end of year –
After more than a decade at the helm, L3 Technologies Chairman and CEO Michael Strianese will retire effective Dec. 31, 2017, succeeded by President and Chief Operating Officer Christopher Kubasik.
Northrop Grumman awarded Air Force maintenance deal –
Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $41.2 million Air Force contract for maintenance of Battlefield Airborne Communications Node aircraft.
Defense
Senators sending lofty Space Corps hopes down to Earth –
Rep. Mike Rogers, the House Strategic Forces Subcommittee chairman and Congress’s chief advocate for a new branch of the military focused on space, issued a dire warning to fellow lawmakers. The United States faces very real threats from Russia and China, he said, and “war-fighting has become absolutely dependent on space.”
Mattis decides to withhold U.S. cash from key Pakistani military fund –
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has decided that the Pentagon will not give Pakistan the remainder of a key U.S. military reimbursement fund allotted to the country for 2016, a move that could signal a burgeoning hard-line approach by the Trump administration toward Islamabad.
These 12 defense experts hope to guide the Pentagon forward –
Congress has formed a new advisory committee of top defense thinkers, in order to provide a pathway forward for the Department of Defense.
Mattis: Authority delegated by Trump in Afghanistan is tactical, not strategic –
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis clarified July 21 that while the Defense Department now has authority to set troop numbers for Afghanistan, President Donald Trump is still setting the strategy that will drive those numbers.
Speed, range could be key for Navy’s next fighter jet –
The Navy is knee deep in an analysis on how best to replace its Super Hornet and Growler aircraft. Though much work is still left to be done, the resulting platform could look a lot different than both those jets, with a much higher priority on range and speed.
U.S. Navy boss: Network everything –
The Navy’s top officer wants to expand the reach of each of his ships, and he’s looking towards networking to make it happen.
Navy can build two Virginia-class subs per year for foreseeable future, report says –
The U.S. Navy’s submarine shortage may not be as bad as once thought, reports USNI News. A recent Navy report found that the service can continue adding a pair of Virginia-class attack submarines to its fleet each year while still incorporating the future Columbia-class ballistic missile attack subs.
Airmen train with Marines to boost skills, capability –
For the first time, two special tactics airmen integrated into Marine Raider training to learn how to lead a joint ground force.
Podcast: F-35 in the Crossfire, Part 1 –
Pentagon Editor Lara Seligman leads a debate about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter with two seasoned experts – retired Marine Lt. Col. David Berke, a former F-35B and F-22 pilot and Pierre Sprey, who helped conceptualize the design of the F-16 and A-10 fighters. In this episode, they discuss whether the F-35 can fight in combat as advertised.
As adversaries evolve, U.S. Air Force chief seeks networked airpower –
It was early on May 2, 1999, and Lt. Col. David Goldfein was flying over western Serbia. On that fateful morning, the Yugoslav Air Force shot an S-125 surface-to-air missile into the belly of his F-16. Goldfein was forced to eject and parachute into an open field in the middle of the night. More than 18 years later, Goldfein is the U.S. Air Force’s top officer, serving as chief of staff since July 2016. He credits his life to the combat search-and-rescue team that picked him up.
Veterans
Trump welcomes USS Arizona survivors –
Three of the five living survivors of the USS Arizona were feted from the Pentagon to the Oval Office July 21.
Vet groups urge House to reject plan to fix VA’s budget gap –
Leading veterans groups are opposing House lawmakers plans to extend the Veterans Affairs Choice program with emergency funding, saying the plan unfairly shifts needed monies away from department programs.