March 29, 2024

US Says 737-Max8 Safe to Fly; UK Says Not There

Boeing 737-Max8

FAA says the Boeing 737-Max8 is safe to fly despite two crashes of the model in the past five months. The CAA in the UK, however, has taken the opposite tack and has prohibited operation of any 737-Max8 commercial flights into or out of UK airports or in the UK airspace.

DoD Loses $28B in Expired Funds

DoD

The first ever Pentagon audit led to the discovery of nearly $28B in funds that expired in 2018. The military is prevented from using expired funds for new projects.

Troops at US Border Following ‘Legal Order’

US Border

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford rebuffed criticism from retired generals about deployment of active-duty troops to the southwest US border to face a caravan of migrants, saying military leaders are following a “legal order” from President Donald Trump.

Can FY19 Budget Staunch R&D Spending Decline?

R&D

Congressional and Pentagon leaders are concerned that the steadily declining portion of the military budget spent on research and development is exacerbating the threat that the US is losing its technological edge against its competitors and enemies. The Senate Appropriation Committee looks to boost R&D spending in the FY19 budget.

25% Cut to DoD Support Agencies Proposed

25% cut to DoD

Thornberry’s proposed 25% cut to DoD would impact “fourth estate” agencies supported by 200,000 civilians and 600,000 contractors, at a cost of more than $100 billion per year.

F-35 Costs Stabilized, says DoD

F-35 costs

The price of the most expensive weapon system in history, the F-35, has stabilized based on development and production costs. The DoD assessment does not figure in upcoming software upgrades.

Problems Remain for F-35 JSF Helmet

JSF Helmet

Problems still remain for the F-35 JSF’s helmet night-vision camera. Lockheed Martin officials said Friday they are aware of the issue and working to test potential solutions. Improvements to the software are underway and will be ready for testing in the fall.