Canada Is Reconsidering F-35A Contract
Canada is reconsidering its F-35A contract with the US and looking elsewhere for its military hardware as trade tensions escalate.
New Navy CNO Caudle Outlines Priorities
ADM Daryl Caudle, new US Navy chief of naval operations, was sworn in early last week and then held his first all-hands call Thursday aboard the USS Harry S. Truman. He outlined his priorities for the service, among them calling for an updated fleet design and discussing the importance of delivering a combat-credible fleet, taking care of sailors, and advancing readiness.
DOGE Can Now Review Unclassified Contracts at DoD
The DoD Department of Government Efficiency team will now get a chance to assess unclassified contracts before they’re awarded. DOGE may now review solicitations, requirements, and cost estimates for new contracts and modifications,
Report: US Shipbuilding Needs an Overhaul
A recent GAO reports says the US Navy needs to take a new approach to increase its fleet size. “To start, it could apply leading ship design practices used by commercial shipbuilders,” reads the report. Navy programs and their shipbuilders are effectively made to operate in a “perpetual state of triage.”
5,400 Job Cuts to Hit Pentagon This Week
About 5,400 Defense Department employees will lose their jobs this week. The cuts are the first in what is expected to be a 5% to 8% reduction of the civilian workforce. The department employed 764,000 civilians as of June 2024, which means more than 61,000 people could lose their jobs. The White House also wants an 8% cut to the DoD budget.
DoD $1.4B Short on Next F-35 Contract
The Pentagon is $1.4 billion short for its next major F-35 contract with Lockheed. If more money isn’t found, the pending three-year contract, valued at as much as $30 billion, will yield fewer aircraft for the US’s costliest weapons program, which is now estimated at $412 billion.
Ship’s Trespass Investigated
A Coast Guard investigation is underway after the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Harmony of the Seas forced Sunday evening’s scrub of a SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The ship veered into the exclusion zone along a Falcon 9 rocket’s flight path just before the scheduled launch.
Navy’s Challenge: Try to Hack the Machine
Military and civilian participants are invited to join HACKtheMACHINE this week to help the US Navy solve digital, data, and cyber problems. The Office of Naval Research calls the hacking competition the “Blue Angels for geeks.”
A Navy 1st: Woman to Command Nuclear Carrier
Another first in US Navy history. CAPT Amy Bauernschmidt is now the commanding officer of the USS Abraham Lincoln. She becomes the first woman to lead a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.
Burial Rules at Arlington Likely to Change
Burial eligibility rules at Arlington National Cemetery are expected to change in the fall due to space limitations. “It’s really an impossible problem for us,” said Karen Durham-Aguilera, cemetery executive director. “The eligible population is more than 22 million … currently today, we have less than 85,000 spaces.”
