News
Budget for fiscal 2020 expected to be released March 12 –
The Trump administration expects to deliver its fiscal year 2020 budget on March 12, a six-week delay from the planned initial release date.
French Air Force rehearses a long-range nuclear strike –
The French Air Force has successfully practiced a nuclear strike mission, sending aircraft on an 11-hour mission to sneak a nuclear-capable cruise missile through simulated enemy air defenses and nail it into the sands of a test range south of Bordeaux.
Business
France, Germany to launch first contracts on future combat jets –
France and Germany will on Feb. 6 announce a 65 million euro ($74 million) contract financed equally by both countries over two years as the first act of the joint programme to design a next-generation combat jet, a French army source and two other sources familiar with the matter said.
Images emerge of new Chinese 8×8 assault gun –
Images have emerged showing what appears to be a new Chinese 8×8 assault gun equipped with a 105 mm main armament and a remote-controlled weapon station reportedly being trialled at what local media identified as the Baicheng Weapons Test Centre in northeastern China.
Raytheon’s Spy-6 Navy radar passes ballistic missile test –
The Spy-6 air and missile defense radar system successfully completed its most challenging test, Raytheon and the U.S. Navy announced Feb. 5.
When delete’s not good enough: Navy to burn 2 tons of digital storage –
Researchers at the Naval Surface Warfare Center have a lot of classified information stored on digital devices and issued a solicitation to literally watch it all burn.
Germany’s plan to boost defense spending hits a snag –
Germany may be unable to deliver on its pledge to increase the defense budget due to smaller-than-expected economic growth, according to a new Finance Ministry analysis.
India’s new defense budget falls way short for modernization plans –
India’s defense budget for 2019 included a marginal 6.87 percent bump to $49.68 billion, which is unlikely to meet modernization demands or ‘Make in India’ manufacturing increases.
Defense
U.S. Navy admits failure on $760 million weapon to protect its aircraft carriers from an age-old threat –
The U.S. Navy has shed light on a previously highly classified project meant to protect aircraft carriers from the grave and widespread threat of torpedoes, and it’s been a massive failure.
Lawmakers tell Pentagon: Revise, resubmit your climate-change report –
The Pentagon’s latest climate-change report was so bad that it didn’t even meet legal requirements, say House lawmakers who on Jan. 30 ordered the military to redo the document by April 1.
Pentagon’s first AI strategy will focus on near-term operations — and safety –
The Defense Department will unveil a new artificial intelligence strategy perhaps as early as this week, senior defense officials told Defense One. The strategy — its first ever — will emphasize the creation and tailoring of tools for specific commands and service branches, allowing them to move into AI operations sooner rather than later.
Watchdog: Navy bought too many helicopters –
Dogged by cost overruns, design glitches and debates about the vessel’s ability to withstand modern sea battle, the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship program has faced its share of controversy.