Study Reviews Environmental Impact of Navy’s Offshore Training, Activities
The Department of the Navy and US Coast Guard have published information evaluating the environmental impact of Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard training and testing activities conducted in the Atlantic Fleet Training and Testing study area. The comment period ends Nov. 21.
Report Evaluates STEM Labor Force in US
The National Science Foundation has published its latest report on the STEM labor force. Nearly one of every four workers in the United States is involved in a STEM occupation.
House Defense Spending Bill Includes More F-35s, One Attack Sub
The US House on Friday narrowly passed its version of the $833 billion defense spending bill for fiscal 2025. The legislation would buy eight more F-35s beyond the Pentagon’s budget request of 68, while only procuring one Virginia-class attack submarine instead of the usual two vessels the bill usually provides.
Navy Lowers Requirements for Enlistees
The US Navy will now allow those without a high school diploma or GED to enlist as long as they reach a certain score on the Armed Forces Qualification Test. The service hopes these new standards will attract more prospects during its recruiting crisis.
Dubai Air Show Packed Despite Tensions
Despite a tense regional backdrop, the huge Dubai Air Show is running this week, although without a robust presence of Israeli defense firms. The show opened with great news for Boeing which sold another 90 passenger jets to the Emirates, the largest order since the US company’s first sale to Dubai 10 years ago.
NAWCAD Unveils Newest Nat’l. Cyber Range
US Navy commanders, executives, and other local leaders celebrated the opening of the Department of Defense’s newest National Cyber Range last week at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at NAS Pax River.
MD Won’t Send Guard to Southern Border
A growing list of Republican leaders are sending their state National Guard soldiers or other state law enforcement officers to the US border with Mexico. Gov. Wes Moore (D) said last week that “Maryland’s not doing that. Right now, what Maryland is doing — Maryland is focusing on public safety here. Maryland is focusing on our schools here. Maryland is focusing on the myriad of challenges and the myriad of opportunities that we have here in the state of Maryland … .”
TPP to Present 2023 Defense Summit
The Patuxent Partnership will present its 2023 Defense Summit on Naval Aviation and National Security on June 21 at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland.
Probe Finds Pilot Error in F-35C Crash
Naval Air Forces investigators found that pilot error caused an F-35C Lightning II fighter jet to crash onto the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson before sliding into the South China Sea last year. The error “was not conducted in a reckless manner nor with malicious intent,” according to the Naval Air Forces Command.
Contractors Get Half of DoD Budget
More than half of the Pentagon’s yearly budget goes to private contractors. In 2021, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman received over $116 billion in Pentagon contracts while paying their top two dozen executives a total of $287 million. The CEOs of the top five contractors received compensation ranging from $18 million to $23 million each.
