N. Korea Missile Launches Raise New Alarms
North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the East Sea in an apparent protest against the ongoing joint military drills between South Korea and the US. These launchings Monday raise new alarms about the threat to North Korea’s neighbors.
Mayport Lands East Coast Drone Hub
Naval Station Mayport in Florida was selected to house the Navy’s new squadron of unmanned aerial surveillance Triton drones. Mayport in Jacksonville was chosen as the drone hub from three finalists. The other two were NAS Key West and NASA Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia.
First US & Russian Military Meet-up Since ’14
the top US and Russian generals will meet today, Thursday in Azerbaijan, the first meeting since military cooperation was suspended in 2014 amid Russian aggression in Ukraine.
US, Japan Condemn N. Korea Missile Launch
Other countries join US and Japan denouncing the recent missile launch by North Korea. The Japanese prime minister called the incident Sunday “absolutely intolerable.”
Deal Reached on Next Batch of F-35s
Negotiations to bring down the cost of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter continued late last week. The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin said the deal for the next batch of 90 F-35s shaved $728 million off the cost of the program and brings the cost of each plane below $95 million.
AF’s F-35 Shows Its Stuff at Combat Exercise
F-35A Lightning II and F-18 Super Hornet among the aircraft strutting their stuff at the Red Flag air combat exercise at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. The wargames exercise featured more than 80 warplanes and support aircraft.
DefSec Wants Review Comparing F-35 & Hornet
Defense Secretary James Mattis is calling for a review that compares the F-35C and F/A-18E/F operational capabilities and assesses the extent that F/A-18E/F improvements (an advanced Super Hornet) can be made in order to provide “competitive, cost effective, fighter aircraft alternative.”
Trump Executive Order Freezes Federal Hiring
President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday freezing some federal government hiring. He said it would affect all employees “except for the military.”
DefSec Mattis Cleared to Begin Work
Newly sworn in DefSec James Mattis held what the Defense Department called a “Top 4″ meeting Saturday that included Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Deputy Defense Secretary Robert O. Work; and Air Force Gen. Paul Selva, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
Super Hornet Is No F-35, CNO Richardson Says
Responding to President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion the F/A-18 Super Hornet could compete with the F-35, Chief of Naval Operations says F-35 is “on a completely different level.”
