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.
Navy Flight Instructors Offered New Career Path, Shoreside
A new billet would allow Navy pilots and naval flight officers to remain in the Navy outside the traditional career path and normal sea/shore rotation. The changes address readiness and retention and allow officers to remain in the Navy later in their careers.
US Defense Trade Up Over Last Year
Through the first two quarters of this fiscal year, the US has signed $46.9 billion in weapons sales to foreign partners and allies — smashing past the $41.9B figure from all of fiscal 2017.
First Loss of F-35B for Marine Corps
An F-35B that erupted into flames caused by a faulty bracket nearly two years ago has been struck by the Marine Corps, making it the first loss of an F-35 for the corps. The corps made the determination that the costs to repair the fighter would not be worth the return on investment.
Senate Blocks F-35 Sale to Turkey
US Senate blocks Lockheed’s $10 billion sale of F-35s to Turkey, fearing the fighter jet’s secrets are at risk since the NATO ally’s decision to buy the Russian S-400 air defense system.
Leaders Arrive in Singapore Ahead of Summit
President Donald Trump arrived in Singapore on Sunday for a historic summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that could lay the groundwork for ending a nuclear stand-off between the old foes.
Federal Workers Face Trio of Workforce Reduction Orders
Federal workers are not only facing anti-union sentiments in Congress and a presidential desire to make firings easier, three executive orders were signed this week designed to shrink the federal workforce through hiring freezes, attrition, reform plans and vacancies.
Afghanistan Solutions Still Evade US
After 16 years in Afghanistan, the US still has no strategy for winning or exiting this war. And that’s the opinion of the military, the administration, and congress.
Competition Grows for Attack Aircraft
There has been interest in the past few years in fleet replacements for the Joint Strike Fighter. The number of ongoing or potential competitions for fighters, bombers, and attack aircraft is 54 worldwide.
Is Trump’s F-35 a Mistake or Deal Maker?
Industry analysts are trying to calibrate the F-35’s future from Trump’s F-35 tweets that it’s cost is ‘out of control’ and word of a multi-year block buy if Lockheed does not protest a buy of F/A-18s from Boeing.
