McMaster Choice as Security Adviser Earns Praise
President Trump’s choice for national security adviser, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster is earning praise. He’s been called the “smartest and most capable military officer of his generation, one who has not only led American victories on the battlefields of the 1991 Gulf War and of the Iraq War, but also holds a Ph.D. in history.”
Mayport Lands East Coast Drone Hub
Naval Station Mayport in Florida was selected to house the Navy’s new squadron of unmanned aerial surveillance Triton drones. Mayport in Jacksonville was chosen as the drone hub from three finalists. The other two were NAS Key West and NASA Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia.
First US & Russian Military Meet-up Since ’14
the top US and Russian generals will meet today, Thursday in Azerbaijan, the first meeting since military cooperation was suspended in 2014 amid Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Flynn Resigns; GOP Reluctant to Investigate
Senate Republicans may not want an investigation of Flynn’s ties between Russia and Trump’s team, but the topic is unlikely to go away.
US, Japan Condemn N. Korea Missile Launch
Other countries join US and Japan denouncing the recent missile launch by North Korea. The Japanese prime minister called the incident Sunday “absolutely intolerable.”
Navy Eliminates Office Overseeing Warfare UAVs
The Navy’s Office of Unmanned Warfare Systems has been eliminated, and its functions are being distributed to other offices. OPNAV N99 was set up less than two years ago to oversee the warfare development of UAVs by then-NavSec Ray Mabus.
Army & Air Force Team Up to Support BRAC
The vice chiefs of the Army and Air Force threw their support behind another round of base closures as a way to save money that could be used for other military needs.
Netanyahu Calls on Nations to Follow Trump’s Lead on Iran
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calls on “responsible” nations to follow the lead of US President Donald Trump and impose sanctions on Iran.
Deal Reached on Next Batch of F-35s
Negotiations to bring down the cost of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter continued late last week. The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin said the deal for the next batch of 90 F-35s shaved $728 million off the cost of the program and brings the cost of each plane below $95 million.
AF’s F-35 Shows Its Stuff at Combat Exercise
F-35A Lightning II and F-18 Super Hornet among the aircraft strutting their stuff at the Red Flag air combat exercise at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. The wargames exercise featured more than 80 warplanes and support aircraft.
