Trump Wants Out of Afghanistan by 2020 Election
SecState Pompeo says President Trump wants troops out of Afghanistan before the 2020 election. Pompeo says “real progress” has been made with security in the area. “It won’t just be us. … we hope that overall, the need for combat forces in the region is reduced.”
$738B for DoD Not Enough, Says GOP
The nearly $1.4 trillion spending plan — which would prevent a government shutdown this fall and do away with the final two years of budget caps known as sequestration — includes about $738 billion for DoD in FY2020, a 3 percent increase from current year levels.
Iranian President: US Sanctions End Diplomacy
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani rebukes the Trump White House in reaction to new US sanctions. Rouhani says the hope for a diplomatic solution between the two nations has ended.
Navy Salvage Team Joins Search for Crashed F-35A
The Japan F-35A that crashed into the Pacific Ocean about three weeks ago is believed to be lying on the ocean floor. The US 7th Fleet has sent a Navy salvage team to help find the plane.
Navy’s Aviation Accidents Keep Rising
Manned aviation accident deaths across the services continue to break records, but the steady six-year climb finally halted this year. Only the Navy did not improve in the total accident categories from 2017 to 2018 and is still 83 percent higher than in 2013.
F-35 Dominates Mock Combat Exercise
At the recent Red Flag mock combat exercise, the Air Force put the F-35 up against “the most advanced weapons systems out there,” and the stealth fighters apparently dominated — so much so that even the rookie pilots were crushing it.
F-35 Brings Billions to Md.’s Economy
The F-35 is expected to add $2 billion to Maryland’s economy over the next decade, and almost 6,000 civilian and military jobs to the region.
Navy Plans Two Carriers, One Contract
The Navy plans to commit $24 billion to buy two new Ford-class aircraft carriers under the same contract, a commitment that should save 5 to 10 percent over buying each carrier separately.
Boeing 737 Safety System Implicated in Crash
Pilots repeatedly fought to override an automatic safety system installed in the Boeing 737 MAX 8 plane before the plane hurtled nose-first into the Java Sea.
JSF Helmet Bug Limits Night Carrier Landings to Experts
The Navy is getting closer to fixing the technical bug in the F-35 JSF helmet, which allows LED light to spill out and obliterate a pilot’s ability to see landing lights on carriers at night. But for now, only expert pilots can perform night landings.
