Chinese Balloon: Spying or Blown Off Course?
A Chinese balloon’s three-day trip across the US ended Saturday afternoon off the coast of South Carolina after an F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at the balloon, puncturing it. There is much criticism of how the incident was handled as well as many questions about what the balloon was for.
Defense Revenue Up Nearly 8% From ’21
Defense revenues of the top 100 defense companies climbed for a sixth consecutive year. Fiscal 2021 defense revenue for the Top 100 list totaled $595 billion, up nearly 8% from last year.
Deployments in Europe Likely to Remain Into Summer
The Pentagon said that thousands of troops mobilized over the past few months to Eastern Europe will most likely remain into the summer. DoD also announced that the US will send additional aid to Ukraine: $300 million more in military supplies, including drones, laser-guided missiles, armored vehicles, and machine guns.
Israel to Purchase 12 CH-53K Helicopters
The Israeli Air Force will purchase 12 Lockheed Martin CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopters at the price of $2 billion. Negotiations are said to have taken place over the last several years.
Burial Rules at Arlington Likely to Change
Burial eligibility rules at Arlington National Cemetery are expected to change in the fall due to space limitations. “It’s really an impossible problem for us,” said Karen Durham-Aguilera, cemetery executive director. “The eligible population is more than 22 million … currently today, we have less than 85,000 spaces.”
Bill Would Create Medal of Honor Monument
A bipartisan bill in the US Senate — the National Medal of Honor Monument Act — would create a monument to honor the more than 3,500 medal recipients who have performed extraordinary valor in combat.
A New Flying Classroom for Test Pilots
An old Fairchild Swearingen C-26A Metroliner is now the Airborne Systems Training and Research Support, or ASTARS III, and belongs to the Test Pilot School at NAS Pax. The aircraft will serve as a flying classroom.
Mattis: North Korea No. 1 US Threat
Persistent nuclear missile tests, despite international sanctions, moved North Korea above Russia to become the top threat to the United States.
