Audit to Probe How DoD Spent COVID Relief Funds
The Pentagon’s inspector general will audit DoD’s distribution of $1 billion from the CARES Act to determine if money designated for a coronavirus response went to defense contractors instead.
New NavSec Braithwaite Confirmed
The Senate confirmed Kenneth Braithwaite as the new Navy secretary, reports Politico. The NavSec post has been vacant since November when Richard Spencer was fired.
MD Sites on List of Locations Where Agent Orange Was Stored, Tested
A new list released by the Defense Department shows locations outside Vietnam where herbicides like Agent Orange were tested and stored. Five sites in Maryland were on the list.
US Wants to Resume North Korean Talks
Trump’s White House asks Chairman Kim to come back to the table for more North Korean talks about denuclearization.
Debate Reopens on Atlantic Wind Farm Project
The Maryland Public Service Commission is reopening discussion about a wind turbine project in the Atlantic off the shores of Ocean City after developers of the project say they want to build the turbines more than 200 feet taller that originally proposed.
Navy Tests Cutting-Edge V-BAT Drone
The US Navy sent its expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Spearhead to sea to experiment with a number of cutting-edge technologies, including MartinUAV’s V-BAT drone. V-BAT is capable of vertical takeoff and landings while also retaining the high efficiency of a fixed-wing aircraft for long-endurance missions.
DHS Issues Alert on Chinese Drones
The Department of Homeland Security issued an alert on Chinese drones, which could pose security risks, including data theft. Most drones purchased in the US are manufactured in China.
New FAA Rules for Recreational Drones
Recreational drone users will face new FAA regulations that will go into effect this summer.
Pentagon to Retire USS Truman Two Decades Early
The Pentagon wants to retire the Nimitz-class carrier USS Harry Truman two decades early, which would cut the US aircraft carrier fleet from 11 to 10.
General: Consider Russia, China ‘Very Real’ Threats
Air Force Gen. Terrence O’Shaughnessy told a Senate committee that he sees no military threat coming from the southern border with Mexico, but his focus is on “very real” threats from China and Russia.
