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Esper Stands By Korea, Taiwan – But Offers Olive Branch To China « Breaking Defense
Defense Secretary Mark Esper is greeted by Indo-Pacific Commander, Adm. Philip Davidson in Hawaii. WASHINGTON: Defense Secretary Mark Esper walked a delicate line today in London, seeking to balance President Trump’s desire to withdraw US forces overseas, a strong commitment to allies like South Korea and Taiwan, and an offer to visit China even as …
Senate Kills NDAA Language To ‘Usurp’ Civilian Control Of Nuke Budget « Breaking Defense
B61-12 warhead, Sandia National Laboratory image WASHINGTON: A provision in the SASC’s 2021 defense policy bill that could have caused great friction between two powerful committees has been quashed. The provision would have handed DoD budgetary control of nuclear weapons development in the wake of strong opposition — including from Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette and …
DoD Seeks Billions More For COVID-Related Delays « Breaking Defense
Undersecretary of Defense for acquisition and sustainment Ellen Lord at the Pentagon. WASHINGTON: The Pentagon knows it needs “lower double digit billions” to cope with COVID-19 related costs, but remains vague about just how much money it is asking the White House to add to the $740 billion already requested for 2021. Defense officials disclosed …
Navy Rushes ‘Unprecedented’ 1,600 Reservists To Shipyards As COVID Guts Workforce « Breaking Defense
A dock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard is flooded during the undocking of the Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS City of Corpus Christi. WASHINGTON: The Navy has lost 50,000 workdays a month at its four public shipyards during the COVID-19 crisis, sparking concerns over delays in repairing and refitting nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines. …
AFRL’s ‘Quantum Collider’ Focuses On Boosting ISR, PNT « Breaking Defense
Image converted using ifftoany WASHINGTON: In a first of a kind event next week, Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) will award up to 36 contracts designed to push research on ground-breaking uses of quantum science out of university labs and eventually into the hands of warfighters. “Quantum information science (QIS) will impact many future Air …
CQ Brown Brings Pacific Focus; Keen Interest In Joint Ops « Breaking Defense
Gen. Charles Brown WASHINGTON: Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown’s Pacific theater experience will be critical to the service and to OSD as the Pentagon shifts its focus from Russia to China as the peer adversary of the future, observers say. “It sends a message that the threat is China,” one insider said, …
Air Force Slates $950M For ABMS Tech; 28 Vendors « Breaking Defense
Advanced Battle Management System Overview WASHINGTON: The Air Force has slated $950 million to rapidly acquire technology from 28 firms, some behemoth defense contractors and others are Silicon Valley startups, over the next five years to support its ambitious Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) for future joint all-domain operations. The funds have been lumped together …
Senior House Dem Begins Pushback Against New Saudi Arms Deal « Breaking Defense
President Donald Trump with ceremonial swordsmen at Murabba Palace, as the guest of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia. WASHINGTON: The Trump administration is working on a new deal to sell precision-guided missiles to Saudi Arabia just months after Congress tried to stop a similar sale, the top Democrat on the Senate …
Pentagon Pumps $3B Into Industry As COVID-19 Delays Loom « Breaking Defense
Army soldiers conduct COVID-19 coronavirus testing PENTAGON: The Pentagon’s acquisition chief today said she expects major defense programs to be delayed by around three months due to COVID-19 closures and disruptions, while DoD rushes to pump $3 billion into the defense industry to bolster programs at greatest risk. Speaking to reporters here this morning, Lord …
A Smart Approach To Retaining Most Of The A-10s « Breaking Defense
Air Force JTACs (Joint Terminal Attack Controllers) wave to an A-10 during training. In American politics people like to talk about third-rail issues, those that kill you when you touch them. For the Air Force, retiring the much-loved and much-misunderstood A-10 Warthog has been a third-rail issue. Army folks, generally not known for their knowledge of aircraft capabilities, …