March 29, 2024

F-35, Warthog About to Go Head to Head

F-35

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the A-10 Warthog are about to go head to head in comparison tests mandated by the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. The F-35 has been heavily anticipated since its development began in the 1990s, but the A-10 has provided the Air Force with close air support since it entered service in 1976 and has developed a loyal fan base along the way.

VADM Suggests Incentive Pay, Bonuses to Keep Pilots

VADM Robert P. Burke believes the Navy may need to offer aviation incentive pay and aviation bonuses to help retain pilots. “We continue to face challenges within some historically retention-challenged communities, particularly among aviators in specific model/type/series platforms,” Burke told Congress.

DoD Report Critical of F-35’s Progress

Federal Defense Dollars

Lockheed Martin defends F-35’s progress in response to a critical Pentagon report saying efforts to improve the joint strike fighter’s reliability are “stagnant.”

UK’s Top Test Pilot Compares F-35, Harrier

F-35 top test pilot UK

The Royal Air Force’s top test pilot says there is no comparison between the F-35 and the Harrier. Andy Edgell, stationed at NAS Patuxent River, said the F-35 and the Harrier, despite broadly doing the same thing (landing vertically), are “almost incomparable” in flying terms.

Analyst: Space Corps ‘Not Dead at All’

Analyst: Space Corps 'Not Dead at All'

Though the defense policy bill passed by Congress won’t create a new branch of the military dedicated to space, it does make changes that lay the groundwork for a Space Corps to become a reality in the near future. One analyst says, “This issue is not dead at all.”

Troops More Vulnerable to Data Breach Fallout?

New Normal on the Internet cyber

Active-duty service members are among the 143 million Americans affected by the Equifax data breach and might be more vulnerable to its potential fallout.

War Authorizations Will Not Be Repealed

rand paul

A bipartisan rejection of Sen. Rand Paul’s effort to repeal the war authorizations leading to US entry into Afghanistan and Iraq returns the Senate to consideration of other provisions in the defense authorization bill.

New Strategy for F-35 on Horizon

F-35 Strategy

The head of the F-35 Joint Program Office floated a new strategy that the JPO hopes will make updates to the fighter jet more efficient and agile.

Is US Really Ready to ‘Fight Tonight’?

Ready to Fight Tonight

The US national security adviser says the US is taking action to resolve the nuclear threat from North Korea without resorting to military action, adding that the administration is prepared to deal militarily if necessary. Despite some challenges, the bomber fleet is ready, an Air Force official said. 

Navy ID’s Sailors Killed in Destroyer Collision

Fitzgerald

The Navy has identified the seven sailors who died when the destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided Saturday with a Filipino cargo ship off the coast of Japan. One of the sailors was from Maryland.