SPACECOM Standup Aug. 29
Upon its standup, SPACECOM head Gen. Jay Raymond will inherit 87 units, covering missile warning, satellite operations, space control and space support — and pull about 642 personnel from US Strategic Command.
Medals Awarded to US-Mexico Border Troops
Thousands of US troops who deployed to the US-Mexico border will receive the Armed Forces Service Medal, created by President Bill Clinton.
Readiness Rate of F-35s Raises Questions
A Project on Government Oversight’s Center for Defense Information June 2019 reports reveals that 8.7 percent of the 23 F-35s jets in the Edwards Air Force Base test fleet were “fully mission capable.”
DoD: Contractors Self-Reported Waste Tally Is $200M
The Defense Department’s inspector general says that contractors have returned more than $200 million to the US in the decade since it became mandatory to self-report potential fraud, waste, or abuse.
Misconduct Allegations Stall DoD’s Cloud Contract Award
President Trump’s concern that the DoD $10B cloud-computing contract is biased toward Amazon prompts DefSec Mark Esper to order another review of the acquisition process. The competition is between Amazon and Microsoft.
Army Mini-Drones Join the Afghanistan Mission
82nd Airborne Division used the Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System last week to support a foot patrol in Kandahar province — it marks the entry of mini-drones into counter-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan.
Senators Urge Expansion of F-35 Foreign Military Sales
Republican Sens. Marco Rubio and Pat Toomey are leading the case that the US-led F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program should be expanded with additional foreign sales to create a stronger coalition of allies.
1st Female Pilot Chosen for Marines’ F-35C Program
Lt. Catherine Stark of Erie, PA, was recently the first female Marine selected to train and fly the F-35C.
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.”
UK to Join US Navy in Strait of Hormuz
Britain will join a US-led naval security mission in the Strait of Hormuz, raising tensions in the region. Iran’s foreign minister calls the US ratcheting up of sanctions a “failure” for diplomacy.
