Contractors Unsure of Vaccine Mandate
The new federal vaccine requirement has fueled questions from defense contractors about how the mandate will work and whether they could lose employees as a result.
Space Is Being Littered With Orbital Debris
DeAnna Burt, vice commander of Space Force Space Operations Command, says there needs to be a way to clean up “space junk.” Speaking at the Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies Conference, she said, “We need to pick up debris — we need trash trucks. We need things to go make debris go away.” NASA says that more than 27,000 pieces of orbital debris are being tracked by DoD.
Global Posture Review Will Determine if US Forces Are Where They Should Be
The Defense Department’s global posture review, which will determine if the US has the right amount of troops in the right places, is nearing completion. Also expected shortly is an update of the National Defense Strategy. As many of the world’s seas are increasingly seeing more activity, the US Navy is anxious for more guidance.
Contractors Uneasy With DoD Cybersecurity Program
After months of silence, defense industry associations called upon the DoD to provide more transparency on the status of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, this week’s the Pentagon said defense contractors are to continue implementation of the program, although pending results from its internal review could bring significant changes.
Hypersonic Weapons Worry Congress
Concerned with a gap in the military’s ability to detect low-flying hypersonic weapons, lawmakers want the Pentagon to deliver a progress report by the end of November on its efforts to use radar to detect the weapons that can travel in excess of five times the speed of sound, covering vast distances in minutes.
For the CH-53K, a Real-World, Heavy-Lift Mission
A Marine Corps CH-53K King Stallion completed its first official fleet mission. The heavy-lift helicopter recovered another helicopter from a mountain ridge. “Heavy lift is a unique and invaluable mission for the Marine Corps. Horsepower is our weapon system and the CH-53K is armed to the teeth,” said the VMX-1 officer in charge.
Undersea Warfare Priority for Navy
The US Navy is renewing its focus on undersea threats and has labeled anti-submarine warfare a priority for all sailors.
Names Sought to Replace Confederate Legacy
The Defense Department commission taking suggestions from the public on what to rename 10 Army posts and two Navy ships named for Confederate troops unveiled its crowdsourcing website this week. DoD has until fall 2023 to rename Confederate “items” including posts, ships, street names, buildings, etc.
Mass Vax Clinics Open at Pax
Naval Health Clinic Patuxent River will be hosting mass vaccination clinics Sept. 8-17 to meet the new requirement that all service members be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Reports of Lasers Aimed at Aircraft on the Rise
The Federal Aviation Administration has released a report on incidents involving lasers being pointed at aircraft across the US from 2010 to 2020. Yearly reports of lasers being aimed at aircraft topped out at 7,398 in 2016, dropping to 5,663 by 2018, but has been steadily increasing since then.
