Mysterious Drones Visited THAAD Battery in Guam
The US Army’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery charged with defending Guam from ballistic missile attacks appeared in the area of interest last year when repeated drone incursions over Andersen Air Force Base were spotted.
Report: Where Federal Defense Dollars Are Spent
A Pew Charitable Trusts report on where federal defense dollars are spent shows Pentagon contract spending puts Connecticut at No. 1 by one measure: defense contracts as a percentage of spending. Maryland was 21st on the list. In FY2018, the federal government spent a total of $579 billion on defense in the states and DC, or $1,772 per capita. In Maryland, the per capita spending was $2,955.
Esper Targets Area No Longer Under Treaty
A day after the US pulled out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, DefSec Mark Esper said he wants to deploy a ground-based missile able to travel into the previously prohibited range, “sooner rather than later.”
Japan’s 1st F-35 Crashes in Pacific
The jet was less than a year old with a total of 280 hours in the air; it had been aloft 28 minutes before contact was lost. This is the second F-35 to crash since the jet’s first flight in 2006 and could reignite concern about the F-35 having only one engine.
VA Leaves Millions Unspent for Suicide Outreach
Veterans Administration has spent only $57,000 out of $6.2 million set aside for suicide prevention and suicide outreach in the media in fiscal 2018, less than 1 percent, while a respected, retired Marine colonel becomes the fifth suicide since 2013 at the same Florida VA complex.
Retired Marine Col. Jim Turner became the fifth veteran at Bay Pines Department of Veterans Affairs in Florida to take his life, reports Military.com. He put on his dress uniform and medals and drove to the complex. He got out of his truck, sat down on top of his military records and took his own life with a rifle. He left a suicide note blasting the VA for failing to help him. He was remembered as a professional and a leader.
VA to Review Benefit Denials to Sexual Assault Victims
An IG report found VA officials improperly denied benefits to thousands of military sexual assault victims. The department will review all denied military sexual trauma claims from October 2016 forward.
Navy Seeks Software Captains – Now!
You won’t be commanding a ship, the Navy wants to recruit the “scientific or technical” skills needed to wage cyber war and needs to bring in those software engineers at a captain’s grade. A six-figure salary, commensurate with civilian workers, is necessary to bring the skill needed into the military.
New Presidential Helicopter Fleet on Schedule
Sikorsky is four years into its $1.2 billion contract to replace the president’s helicopter fleet with its VH-92A in 2019.
Trump Says F-35 JSF Deal Cut by $600M
President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that Lockheed Martin has cut $600 million from the latest deal for 90 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets.
DoD Sets Sights on Low-Ball Bids
The Pentagon is looking for ways to end low-ball bids for development project from contractors banking on collecting other DoD funds later.
