Electric Grid Getting Cyber Checkup
The White House is setting up a pilot program to improve the cybersecurity of the nation’s electricity infrastructure as part of a broader initiative focused on industrial control systems. Complicating the US cybersecurity effort, the National Security Agency cannot collect intelligence domestically.
Fagan Nominated Vice Commandant USCG
USCG VADM Linda Fagan nominated as vice commandant of the Coast Guard. Fagan is the head of the Pacific area of operations and will become the first woman to achieve a fourth-star in the Coast Guard.
Mercy’s New Flight Deck Put to the Test
The USNS Mercy hospital ship conducted its first-ever flight deck landing of a V-22 Osprey last week. The MV-22B Osprey is assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 21 of NAS Patuxent River.
The Afghanistan War Takes Its Toll
A Brown University report has put a price tag on the two-decades-long Afghanistan war at $2 trillion, and notes that 240,000 lives have been lost in Operations Enduring Freedom and Resolute Support.
No Unity on Afghan Withdrawal
Biden’s plan for a withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan withdrawal by Sept. 11 meets fierce GOP congressional opposition but support from former SecState Colin Powell.
Who Pays for Clearing Suez Canal?
Disputes grow regarding who should pay for dislodging the massive Ever Given container ship from the Suez Canal. Egyptian authorities say they won’t release the ship until its owners agree to pay up to $1 billion in compensation.
Who Has AI Advantage in US vs. China?
National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence releases its AI report and shows how the US stacks up against China. The NSCAI vice chair says the US does not have the strategy, organizational structure, and resources to win the competition with China for effective implementation of AI, and he warns that the US needs to take the competition seriously, and it needs to win it.
Biden Proposes $715B Defense Budget
President Joe Biden has rolled out his defense budget for the next fiscal year. He is asking $715 billion for the Pentagon. The FY22 proposed budget represents a 1.6% increase over this year.
Is Universal Conscription Needed Now?
Concerns that an all-volunteer military cannot meet contemporary needs and efforts to eliminate male-only draft registration are reaching the Supreme Court, Congress, and Pentagon this spring.
1st Martian Flight Test On Track
NASA’s rotocraft Ingenuity deployed successfully and survived its first Martian night where frigid temperatures can freeze and crack unprotected electrical components. Testing this week will attempt the first aircraft flight in the very thin air of another planet.
