Biden Proposes $715B Defense Budget
President Joe Biden has rolled out his defense budget for the next fiscal year. He is asking $715 billion for the Pentagon. The FY22 proposed budget represents a 1.6% increase over this year.
F-35B Sea Trials on Cavour Completed
The four-week sea trials on the Italian navy’s Cavour aircraft carrier for the operational use of the F-35B fighter jet have been completed. The trials — more than 115 ski jump short take-offs, 120 vertical landings, and two vertical take-offs – were conducted with two specially instrumented F-35Bs that belonged to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 from NAS Patuxent River.
Stealthy F-35B Tests Weaponry Follow-up
The first day of weapons, or external stores, flight test during Cavour’s sea trials with the F-35B, the short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the fifth-generation fighter aircraft that will serve as the ship’s key weapon system.
How About ‘Zoom-Free Fridays’?
Citigroup has declared “Zoom-Free Fridays,” an effort to combat employee fatigue triggered by remote working during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I know from your feedback and my own experience, the blurring of lines between home and work and the relentlessness of the pandemic workday have taken a toll on our well-being,” the company CEO wrote in a memo to employees.
HASC Chairman: F-35 Is a Cash ‘Rathole’
The House Armed Services Committee chairman, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), called the F-35 a “rathole” and said the US should consider cutting its losses by investing in a range of competing fighter jets.
Turkey Lobbies for Return to F-35 JSF Program
The Turkish government has hired a Washington, DC, law firm to lobby its case to be readmitted to the US F-35 JSF program. Turkey was booted from the program in 2019 after purchasing air missile defense systems from Russia.
Bill Aims to Cut DoD Workforce by 15%
A California representative has reintroduced the Rebalance for an Effective Defense Uniform and Civilian Employees Act. This legislation would require DoD to cut its civilian workforce by 15% by 2025, a move that could result in the elimination of over 100,000 federal jobs.
US Sticks With Policy to Keep Turkey Out of F-35 Program
The Biden administration is sticking with the policy of keeping Turkey out of the F-35 JSF program. The US urges Ankara not to keep the S-400 defense system it purchased from Russia in 2019. Turkey should instead invest in the American-made Patriot air defense missile system, the Pentagon says.
F-35 Full-Rate Production Put on Hold
DoD has put a hold on the full-rate production of the F-35. The Pentagon says technical challenges and the impact of COVID-19 have delayed preparation of the simulation facility where the combat testing will be conducted.
2nd Navy MQ-8C Drone Suffers Mishap
An unmanned MQ-8C drone was damaged during testing of a lithium ion battery at Webster Field in St. Inigoes on Nov. 16. That was the second major mishap involving the new variant just in the month of November. A Fire Scout drone crashed at a California Navy base Nov. 10.
