Marines’ Helicopters Bring Sticker Shock
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The Marine Corps got a costly surprise along with the Pentagon’s approval to start buying Lockheed Martin’s new heavy lift helicopter program, costs increased 6.9 percent to $31 billion, reports Bloomberg.
A handful of drones controlled from the US and a small force of offshore Marine aircraft played a decisive role in defeating Islamic State fighters in Libya last December, reports USA Today.
Vice President Mike Pence reassures Japan that the US is committed to rein in North Korea’s nuclear and missile ambitions, reports Reuters, presenting recent US strikes in Syria and Afghanistan as evidence of resolve. Pence arrived in Tokyo from South Korea and reassured those leaders that the US “era of strategic patience is over” regarding North Korea, reports NPR.
The Trump administration and military leaders announcement last week that the carrier Vinson with a full “armada” was on its way to North Korea was premature. The Vinson is expected to depart the northwest coast of Australia by Wednesday evening toward the Sea of Japan, about a week’s sail, reports PRI. Before the Vinson was identified in the Java Sea, The Telegraph reported, China and Russia had dispatched spy vessels to shadow President Trump’s armada as it steams to North Korean waters.
A failed missile launch in North Korea on Sunday has brought renewed attention to reports that the United States is trying to degrade North Korea’s missile capabilities via hacking, reports CNN.
The Navy announced that flight operations will resume on the T-45C fleet, with an adjustment addressing pilots’ concerns about contamination in the cockpit, reports NBC Los Angeles.
The Baltimore Sun reports the State Medical Examiner’s Office is short staffed and overburdened with the increase in opioid overdose deaths. The state pathologists’ caseload size threatens accreditation.
The Navy tests a new steam suit to protect sailors during steam leaks on nuclear-powered subs, reports Navy Times.
A border wall could leave some Americans on the Mexican side, reports NBC News. Landowners could lose property, and those that already lost some for the existing fence are preparing for a new battle.
