News
U.S. military seeks more troops for Iraq –
The U.S. military is requesting authority to send up to 500 new troops to Iraq ahead of a much-anticipated campaign to take back Mosul from Islamic State, according to U.S. officials, adding to an expanding American presence in the country.
Business
STRATCOM nominee ‘strongly’ supports modernising entire nuclear delivery triad –
U.S. Air Force General John Hyten, the nominee to become the next head of U.S. Strategic Command, told Congress he “strongly” supports efforts to modernize all legs of the ‘triad’ of nuclear delivery vehicles.
Predator drones surpass 4 million flight hours –
The Predator family of remotely piloted aircraft has achieved a milestone — 4 million fight hours, according to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.
Domestic shipbuilders target Taiwan’s submarine requirement –
Taiwanese naval shipbuilders and systems integrators are lining up to pursue a four-year program that is intended to inform the design and construction of the Republic of China Navy’s future diesel-electric submarines.
Saab gets order for man-portable air defense missile system –
Swedish defense and security company Saab is to deliver a very short range air defense system to an unidentified country.
U.S. Marine Corps command and control system passes test –
General Dynamics Mission Systems’ Common Aviation Command and Control System recently completed a U.S. Marine Corps operational test, the company announced Sept. 21.
Army awards Leidos max $777 million geospatial contract –
Leidos has been awarded an Army contract, valued at up to $777 million, for geospatial information services.
Egypt receives second Mistral LHD –
The second of Egypt’s two Mistral-class landing helicopter dock amphibious warfare vessels, ENS Anwar el-Sadat (L 1020), was handed over to the Egyptian Navy in the French port of Saint-Nazaire Sept. 16.
Lockheed Martin demos Legion sensor pod on F-15 –
Lockheed Martin’s Legion Pod sensor system has successfully performed its first flight test on an F-15C aircraft.
General Dynamics upgrades Identification Friend or Foe modules –
General Dynamics has provided an upgraded Identification Friend or Foe module to the Air Force.
Defense
JSTARS stalls as Air Force, Congress work contract details –
The JSTARS request for proposals has been delayed as the U.S. Air Force works with Congress to scrub language in the defense authorization bill that would force the service to pursue a fixed-price contract, the service’s acquisition executive said.
RPAs need improvements to stay alive on future battlefields, experts say –
Remotely piloted aircraft must undergo major changes to stay relevant in a future battlespace, a panel of experts said Sept. 20.
Multi-function sensors could be the next big thing –
What’s next in the way of game-changing technologies? A panel of industry and military leaders provided interesting answers to this question during the Air Force Association’s Air, Space and Cyber Conference Sept. 20.
U.S. Air Force developing new weapon that would be perfect against ISIS –
The Air Force is engineering and testing a new air-dropped weapon able to destroy moving targets in all kinds of weather conditions at ranges greater than 40-miles, Air Force and Raytheon officials said.
U.S. Army’s new Apache scout squads add capability, but also complexity –
The U.S. Army is to soon retire its last Bell Helicopter OH-58 Kiowa Warrior armed aerial scout squadron, which under the Aviation Restructure Initiative (ARI) are being replaced with a ‘heavier’ organization based on the Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.
Will ‘course correction’ fix Navy’s troubled littoral program? –
As the Jackson arrives Thursday in San Diego, its first home port, the Navy’s littoral combat ship program is embarking on a major course correction.
Veterans
Senators seek inquiry into concerns about veteran’s suicide –
Two U.S. senators said Sept. 20 they asked for an investigation into a whistleblower’s report that an Army veteran killed himself while awaiting treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder at a U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs clinic in Colorado Springs.
$4 million in federal funds allotted to open more veteran treatment courts –
Four days after Tim Wynn return home from Iraq, the former Marine Corps sergeant was arrested in Philadelphia on assault charges.
Military veterans are losing GI Bill benefits because of ITT bankruptcy –
Like many students attending the now-defunct ITT Technical Institutes when it closed earlier this month, Byron Sumpter was depending on the school to get a degree and all the economic benefits he hoped would come with it. But he was also relying on the opportunity to stay in school for another reason: a large part of his income was tied to being enrolled.
Service dog helps veteran cope with PTSD –
On a sunny afternoon, Maj. Todd Olsen stood in Falls Township Community Park, facing away from the sidewalk, when a man on a skateboard approached. Olsen did not notice him, but his friend did.