New NavSec Braithwaite Confirmed
The Senate confirmed Kenneth Braithwaite as the new Navy secretary, reports Politico. The NavSec post has been vacant since November when Richard Spencer was fired.
DefSec: Here’s How Navy Reaches 355-Ship Fleet
DefSec Mark Esper says he is committed to a bigger, but much lighter, naval force. He lays out the steps on how the Navy can reach the 355-ship fleet goal.
DoD: List of Bases With Contaminated Water Likely to Grow
The list of active and former US military installations found to be contaminated with chemical compounds found in firefighting foam is expected to grow as the DoD continues its investigation.
US Downplays N. Korean Missile Tests
President Donald Trump is downplaying a series of recent missile tests by North Korea, saying he doesn’t consider the launches a setback amid stalled nuclear talks. South Korea believes they are in protest of the failed summit.
2nd Fleet Readies for Baltic Sea Exercise
After the US Navy’s new 2nd Fleet stands up later this month, its commander will push the USS Mount Whitney command ship, along with dozens of other NATO vessels, into the Baltic Sea to direct a major exercise primarily to track and meet Russian maneuvers in the North Atlantic and the Arctic.
F-35 Dominates Mock Combat Exercise
At the recent Red Flag mock combat exercise, the Air Force put the F-35 up against “the most advanced weapons systems out there,” and the stealth fighters apparently dominated — so much so that even the rookie pilots were crushing it.
East Coast on Alert As Florence Nears
The mid-Atlantic region is expecting to be impacted by the approaching Hurricane Florence. Naval Station Norfolk is among the military installation taking precautions. The National Hurricane Center says it is still too early to predict the storm’s exact path.
SpaceX Gears Up for 1st Crewed Flight
SpaceX is gearing up to launch NASA astronauts to space with its Falcon 9 rockets. The agency has been debating whether to allow the company to fuel its spacecraft after the astronauts have boarded.
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.
Unpredictable Spending Costing DoD Vendors
Unpredictable Pentagon spending has DoD vendors leaving the marketplace. The defense industrial base is shrinking, research and development stagnant, meaning the weapons systems of tomorrow are not being developed today.
