March 28, 2024

Pentagon Avoids Immediate Cuts

capitol snow

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.Morning Coffee logo

The bipartisan federal budget agreement announced on Tuesday by House and Senate negotiators prevents Pentagon spending cuts scheduled for January, increases Defense spending by $2 billion over last year, while reducing the deficit by over $20 billion over the next 10 years, reports the Washington Post. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) revealed the bipartisan deal that could avert another government shutdown and halve sequestration cuts for the current fiscal year. The House could vote on the legislation, which would fund the federal government through October 2015, on Thursday with the Senate following suit next week.

Commander Michael J. Dobbs, USN (Ret), won the 2013 Unmanned Maritime Systems Essay contest with an in-depth analysis on the effect of “unman(ning) the front lines” on the future of warfare and the Navy in general, reports the U.S. Naval Institute. The astonishing rise in the use of unmanned systems is an effort to mitigate the “human, monetary and political cost of warfare,” but comes with critical military and cultural changes, and challenges, to the Navy.

Lockheed Martin achieved a perfect score on a survey that evaluates corporate environments related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workplace inclusion, according to MarketWatch. The defense giant received the 100 percent score for the sixth year running on the Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national survey administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Kim Admire, Lockheed Martin vice president, said, “The 100 percent rating reflects our mission to embrace the diverse talents and perspectives of our people to power innovation and business success.”

Cyber-attacks on the US may be foiled by online gamers if Pentagon research group “Darpa” can attract enough users to its new gaming website, reports Wired. The “Verigames” site “will help eliminate vulnerabilities in commercial off-the-shelf software the U.S. military, government and other organizations use . . . ” According to Darpa, “it may be possible for large numbers of non-experts to perform formal verification much faster and more cost-effectively than with conventional processes.”

US Navy analysts says that sonar testing and training, along with the associated use of explosives, could kill dozens of sea mammals, including whales and dolphins and injure thousands more over the next five years, according to PilotOnline.com. However, the Navy further states that most of the injuries would be temporary and that the long-term effects will be minimal. Although environmental groups say the actual impact that sonar and explosives have on sea life is unclear, the National Marine Fisheries Services agreed last month to the Navy’s request for up to three times as much sonar training over the next five years.

Canadian aerospace businesses could pick up as much as $9.9 billion in contracts to build and maintain parts for the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter if a deal to buy 65 aircraft goes through, according to Global News. Industry Minister James Moore said, “Canada’s involvement as a partner in the Joint Strike Fighter Program (JSF) creates significant opportunities for the aerospace and defence industry.”

Active-duty military personnel ages 18-34 handle their finances better than civilians in the same age group, reports the L.A. Times. Service members are less likely to live from paycheck to paycheck and surpass civilians in “spending and savings habits, economic confidence and financial readiness.”

 

 

 

 

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