Defense Employees Dissatisfied
Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River economic community. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Leader’s owners or staff.
A federal government 2014 personnel survey determined that civilian defense employees have grown increasingly dissatisfied with their jobs, and many wouldn’t recommend their organization as a good place to work, according to The Washington Post. The DoD’s approval ratings dropped in 47 out of 84 categories and results show that the civilian defense workforce remains deeply unsatisfied with senior leadership and managers. More than 42 percent of respondents said managers do not communicate goals and priorities effectively, and barely half said they respect senior leadership.
Large, sequester-defined defense cuts were relaxed in last year’s budget deal but are scheduled to return in 2016 unless Congress and the president can reach a new agreement. The cuts are problematic as the US faces major international challenges including battling ISIS in Iraq and Syria, which the Pentagon estimates could cost up to $10 million a day and last for years. Politico Magazine gathered the opinions of 12 military experts on ways to reshape the defense budget to effectively face current and future challenges.
Unmanned aircraft have flown unopposed to date but now US military services are working on weapons to shoot down UAVs, reports Breaking Defense. EA-18G Growlers, F-35s and other aircraft provide the first ring of defense against unmanned aircraft, but if any get through that line or if an enemy deploys small tactical drones, then soldiers need a defense against that threat. One effort is led by SRC, a not-for-profit company, which developed software tying together counter-fire radar, counter-IED systems and a small, armed Switchblade UAV.
Cicero Magazine believes that, despite ongoing debate, it is inevitable that the F-35 JSF will become America’s workhorse air platform. Billions are invested, the current fleet is aging, there is little investment in procuring alternatives, and its capabilities are applicable to the current ISIS air campaign.
White House officials are stepping up efforts to implement cybersecurity improvements within federal agencies and other critical infrastructure, including the financial and energy industries, reports FederalTimes. The Obama administration wants to enact cybersecurity policies as time runs out next year for Congress to pass cyber legislation.
A “Best for Vets: Career & Technical Colleges 2015” list was released by Military Times. The rankings evaluate schools that responded to a 100-question survey and indicates if they were career or technical institutions.
The difference between 4th-generation fighters, legacy systems such as the F-15 or F-16, and 5th-generation fighters, including the F-22 and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, is reviewed by Defense News. Air Force Lt. Col. Gene “Joker” McFalls said currently pilots have to look at a number of different information streams, then mentally make decisions on how to react. The F-35 will do all those mental calculations for the pilot, he said, freeing them up to focus on the operation.
SHIELD Aviation, Inc. announced the granting of a Category 3 Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Interim Flight Clearance (IFC) for the ARES Block C UAS by NAVAIR Patuxent River, according to Sys-Con Media.
