DoD Loses $28B in Expired Funds
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.
China Considers Attack on US Vessels in South China Sea
Trade wars and intensification of China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea toughen China’s stance toward US, including consideration of attacks on US vessels.
NASA Plans 3-D Printing of Habitats on Other Planets
NASA uses 3-D printing to repair tools in space and now wants to use the technology to build habitats on other planets. The US Army deploys its Rapid Fabrication via Additive Manufacturing on the Battlefield, with five printers to get broken equipment ready for battle quicker. The current, fourth deployment of the $250,000 facility, is in South Korea.
NATO Arctic Exercise Hits Cold War Levels
NATO’s Trident Juncture opens this week, a month of NATO military exercises in the Arctic, involving troops operating in the air, on land, and at sea. This year anticipates the biggest show of force since the Cold War with 50,000 troops in place around the Arctic Circle.
VA to Review Benefit Denials to Sexual Assault Victims
An IG report found VA officials improperly denied benefits to thousands of military sexual assault victims. The department will review all denied military sexual trauma claims from October 2016 forward.
Blue Angels Set for Major Upgrade
The Blue Angels Squadron is set for a major upgrade following a $17 million contract award.
Revenues Up 2nd Year for Top 100 Defense Contractors
For the second straight year revenues for the Top 100 defense companies in the world have increased, suggesting the defense industry has weathered sequestration-related budget cuts and emerged stronger. Total 2017 defense revenues for the Top 100 companies came in at $375.4 billion, a 2.9 percent increase over the companies represented in the previous year’s Top 100 list.
DoD Report Aims to Head Off ‘Strategic Surprise’
A Pentagon study is expected to consider “what potential technological capabilities may not be sufficiently acted upon by the Department of Defense in the decade to come, that will lead to US regrets in 2028,” says Michael Griffin, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering.
Engineering Club Checks Out NAVAIR, NASA
College of Southern Maryland’s Engineering Club took a trip from the La Plata Campus to Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt in February, getting a glimpse of possible career opportunities.
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.
