Who Has the Strongest Military in the World?
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Global Firepower’s 2024 Military Strength Rankings are out, and the United States tops the list, reports The National Interest. GFP evaluated 145 countries and assessed them based on their respective military capabilities. The top five countries include the United States, Russia, China, India, and South Korea. The US can boast the highest military expenditure in the world, a fleet of more than 13,300 aircraft, including 983 attack helicopters, and it stands out as a major player in technological advancements, most notably in the aerospace, computer/telecom, and the medical sectors.
Of the US fleet’s 13,300 aircraft, the US Navy has broad fleet of aircraft. Simply Flying offers a guide into the significant aircraft of the service, from fighters to transports to surveillance aircraft. The guide includes what aircraft are on hand, what’s used for training, and what’s been ordered. Military.com offers a quick glance at the 28 different aircraft that the service can boast. The Navy had 3,650-plus aircraft, as of 2018, according to Wikipedia.
Transforming the military for the artificial intelligence age will require “a certain ruthlessness,” according to a January report from defense and security experts, reports Breaking Defense. The report, “Leveraging Human-Machine Teaming,” from Britain’s Royal United Services Institute and America’s Special Competitive Studies Project argues both countries need determined military and civilian leaders to impose at least some “immediate transformational change” on the armed services from the top down.
The US Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are warning that Chinese-manufactured drones “pose a significant risk to critical infrastructure and US national security,” reports ABC News on MSN. These drones could steal American data, according to a CISA news release.
Pakistan’s Air Force announced it has a hypersonic-capable missile, reports Defense News, and that the weapon is part of a wider modernization effort “to counter evolving threats.”
NASA and Lockheed Martin earlier this month debuted a supersonic jet capable of flying from New York City to London in 3½ hours, New York Post reports. Dubbed “son of Concorde,” the new plane can travel 925 miles per hour while generating a less disruptive sonic boom.
In 2023, the US Navy relieved 16 commanding officers of command, reports Task & Purpose. Of those 16, 14 were fired “due to a loss of confidence” in their ability to command, and two were relieved for medical issues unrelated to their performance.
The US Air Force’s investigation into a damaged F-35 at Luke Air Force Base, AZ, in March 2023, found that a flashlight left inside an engine caused $4 million worth of damage, reports Air & Space Forces Magazine. The flashlight was left in an inlet and was sucked in to the engine during a maintenance ground run.
The US Senate passed legislation to keep the federal government open into March, sending the measure to the House as Congress continues its struggle to approve long-term spending laws, reports The Washington Post on MSN.
President Joe Biden said last week that US airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen so far have yet to put a stop to the rebel group’s harassment of vessels in the Red Sea, reports Breaking Defense, and that more military action can be expected.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels were put back on the US list of specially designated global terrorists, reports Los Angeles Times on MSN. This move also includes placing financial sanctions on top of American military strikes in an attempt to stop the militant group’s attacks on global shipping.
On Friday, the US launched a sixth round of strikes on the Houthis in Yemen, reports The Hill. Fighter jets launched from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier to hit Houthis preparing to fire anti-ship missile launchers.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov rejected a US proposal to continue nuclear arms control talks, reports The Hill. Lavrov said it is impossible to hold discussions in the wake of the US’s continued support to Ukraine. He described the proposal to resume negotiations “unacceptable.
The US Space Force will allow troops to switch between full-time and part-time work without formally transferring to a Reserve component or the National Guard, reports C4ISRNET. The move is part of the service’s broader vision to adapt military service to the needs of modern Americans.
Solar panels will be installed on the Pentagon, reports Navy Times. The Pentagon is one of 31 government sites that will recieve $104 million in Energy Department grants that are expected to double the amount of carbon-free electricity at federal facilities and create 27 megawatts of clean-energy capacity while leveraging more than $361 million in private investment.
Veterans Affairs benefits processors are on pace to beat last year’s workload levels, reports Military Times, but that still might not be enough to make significant progress on the overdue claims backlog. In fiscal 2023, department benefits officials completed nearly 2 million veteran and survivor claims, the most in agency history and up almost 16% from the previous year.
The Great American Defense Communities program is now accepting nominations for 2024. The program was developed to recognize and celebrate communities demonstrating an exceptional commitment to improving the lives of service members, veterans, and their families. GADC is sponsored by American Defense Communities and USAA. Find the nomination form here. Last year, the Fort George G. Meade region was one of five communities across the country selected as a 2023 Great American Defense Community, the Fort Meade Alliance reported at the time.
The Hickory Aviation Museum at Hickory Regional Airport in North Carolina added a new aircraft to its collection, reports Vintage Aviation News. The museum took delivery of De Havilland DHC-3 NU-1B Otter BuNo 144672 on Jan. 11. Its assignments over the years included the Test Pilot Training School/Naval Air Test Center at Pax River, MD; Naval Air Test Facility Lakehurst NJ; and Pacific Missile Range, Pt. Mugu, CA.
US Air Force 2nd LT Madison Marsh, 22, is the first active-duty service member to be crowned Miss America, reports Air Force Times. Marsh is an Air Force Academy graduate who has been piloting since she was a teenager. She was crowned Miss Colorado before moving on to the Miss America competition. The Miss America pageant was held Jan. 14.
Contracts:
HDR Engineering Inc., Omaha, Nebraska (W9133L-24-D-6101); Pond & Co., Peachtree Corners, Georgia (W9133L-24-D-6102); Jensen Hughes Inc., Halethorpe, Maryland (W9133L-24-D-6103); and Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. Inc., Kansas City, Missouri (W9133L-24-D-6104), will compete for each order of the $150,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect and Engineer services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 10 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 19, 2029. National Guard Bureau’s Directorate of Acquisitions, Operational Contracting Division, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded a $180,000,000 modification (P00005) to increase the ceiling on a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (HQ003419D0001) from $950,668,589 to $1,130,668,589. No funds are being obligated at the time of the ceiling increase. The cumulative total of the contract is $1,130,668,589. The total if all options are exercised is $1,130,668,589. The purpose of this contract is to provide research, analyses, technical evaluation, and test and evaluation support to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the combatant commands, and the defense agencies. This work will involve the comprehensive evaluation of national security issues, including systems and technologies at all stages of development, deployment, and use. This research will require a deep understanding of performance, mission capabilities and costs, the underlying technologies, the information environment, the supporting infrastructure, and related intelligence matters. It also will require a thorough knowledge of the national security policies, strategies, organizational structures and relationships, and force employment concepts that help determine which capabilities are needed and how they will be used. The work will be performed at IDA Headquarters, Alexandria, Virginia. The estimated completion date is June 30, 2024. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Dell Federal Systems LP, Round Rock, Texas, was awarded a $92,761,164 firm-fixed-price contract for virtual machine ware software and software maintenance. Bids were solicited via the internet with 3 received. Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 22, 2027. Fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $92,761,164 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W519TC-24-F-0075).
CoSolutions Inc., Sterling, Virginia, have been awarded a $23,467,543 firm-fixed-price contract (FA4600-24-F-0011) for U.S. Strategic Command audio visual support. This contract provides for appropriately skilled and experienced personnel to support three distinct functional areas: enterprise audio visual (AV) operations and sustainment; global operations center AV operations and sustainment; and enterprise AV engineering. Work will be performed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 30, 2029. This contract was a competitive acquisition, and two offers were received. Fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance funds are being obligated at time of award. The 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, is the contracting activity.
SERCO Inc., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a one-year urgent undefinitized letter contract estimated at $17,635,554 for contractor support services, studies and analysis to the Global Positioning System user equipment systems, and Assured Position, Navigation and Timing related programs, for the Joint Service System Management Office which includes the PNT Program Offices. Work will be performed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia; and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 22, 2025. This urgent award was the result of a non-competitive acquisition. Fiscal 2024 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $6,168,882 obligated at time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins AFB, Georgia, is the contracting activity. (FA8576-24-C-0001)
Chenega Agile Real-Time Solutions LLC, Lorton, Virginia, was awarded $8,581,590 for a firm-fixed-price contract (HT001124C0005) to provide web and mobile development and sustainment services for the Defense Health Agency (DHA). This award provides for services, material, and equipment for mobile application development, web design, web development, and necessary support (to include testing, information assurance, compliance, and risk mitigation in accordance with Department of Defense standards) for Military Health System (MHS) internet, intranet, and extranet websites, web applications, and mobile applications. The contractor shall be the primary point of contact for customer support services for all web-related development and sustainment provided by DHA Solutions Delivery Division Web and Mobile Development Team to the MHS community. Additionally, the contractor shall provide Tier I, Tier II, and Tier III consultation and customer support for implementation, troubleshooting, and management for the products described in the scope of work, supporting possible hosting migration(s) when needed, and product decommissioning activities where applicable. The contract is for a 7-month base period, 1 1-month option period, 1 9-month option period and 1 1-month option period. Period of performance is Feb. 1, 2024, to July 31, 2025. The total estimated value if all options are exercised is $25,000,000. The contract is a direct award through the Small Business Administration 8(a) program. Fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance funds will be used for this award. The work will be performed in government furnished spaces in Falls Church, Virginia; San Antonio, Texas; Aurora, Colorado; and Tacoma, Washington. Defense Health Agency, Professional Services Contracting Division, Falls Church, Virginia is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 19, 2024)
WR Systems Ltd., Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded $34,520,389 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price ordering provisions for program support services in support of the Relocatable Over-the-Horizon Radar Life Cycle Management Department at the Forces Surveillance Support Center in Chesapeake, Virginia. The contract will include a 60-month ordering period with no options. The ordering period is expected to begin April 2024 and be completed by March 2029. Work will be performed in Chesapeake, Virginia (42%); Fairfax, Virginia (39%); New Kent, Virginia (6%); Corpus Christi, Texas (3%); San Juan, Puerto Rico (3%); Adelaide, Australia (1%); San Diego, California (1%); Dayton, Ohio (1%); Colorado Springs, Colorado (1%); Washington, DC (1%); Arlington, Virginia (1%); and Key West, Florida (1%). Fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated to fund the contract’s minimum amount, and funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year. Subsequent task orders will be funded with appropriate fiscal year operations and maintenance (Navy) funds. One source was solicited for this non-competitive, sole-source requirement in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-24-D-Z012).
