The U.S. on Nov. 20 released a new $100 million aid package for Ukraine, announcing more artillery rounds and anti-aircraft munitions as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a surprise visit to Kyiv. The package includes 155 millimeter artillery shells, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, small arms ammunition, and Javelin and AT-4 launchers. Austin said at a press conference in Kyiv that the package will help Ukrainian troops in the coming months “have the means that they’ll need to be successful fighting in the wintertime.”
High above Gaza, unarmed United States drones are using powerful cameras to search for hostages held by Hamas. At the Creech Air Force Base in the Nevada desert, Air Force pilots are helping in the search from thousands of miles away. NBC News’ Dana Griffin shares an inside look at the operations.
The Pentagon’s chief digital and artificial intelligence officer, Craig Martell, is alarmed by the potential for generative artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT to deceive and sow disinformation. His talk on the technology at the DefCon hacker convention in August was a huge hit. But he’s anything but sour on reliable AI.
“Today, the world faces an inflection point, where the choices we make—including in the crises in Europe and the Middle East—will determine the direction of our future for generations to come,” writes U.S. President Joe Biden. “What will our world look like on the other side of these conflicts? Will we deny Hamas the ability to carry out pure, unadulterated evil? Will Israelis and Palestinians one day live side by side in peace, with two states for two peoples? Will we hold Vladimir Putin accountable for his aggression, so the people of Ukraine can live free and Europe remains an anchor for global peace and security?”
In episode 155 of the Aerospace Advantage podcast, host John “Slick” Baum talks to Doug Birkey and Lt. Col. Alex “Big Bobby” Wallis, a former JSTARS battle manager who currently serves as the Director of Plans at the 461st Air Control Wing at Robins Air Force Base. JSTARS enabled Air Force battle managers to monitor surface targets, convert data into actionable insights, and exploit a comprehensive command and control system to make more effective decisions. This capability represented a fundamental transformation in modern combat operations. But given the JSTARS’ retirement, the Air Force is reshaping how it achieves these effects. The battle management mission will only become more vital as the Air Force moves toward more disaggregated operational concepts empowered by JADC2.
Rocket engine maker Ursa Major is the latest company to join the increasingly crowded race to fill the Pentagon’s skyrocketing demand for solid rocket motors (SRMs)—as the Defense Department stares down a gaping hole in missile inventories in the wake of the war in Ukraine. Describing the solid rocket motor market as “plagued by a broken supply chain and an overextended industrial base,” the Colorado startup today announced its plans to use its 3D printing techniques developed for liquid rocket engines to speed production of solid-fuel propulsion systems. Ursa Major has received several contracts from the Air Force Research Laboratory for its work on a new rocket engine for heavy space launch vehicles, as well as a hypersonic engine.
The Department of Defense relies on hundreds, if not thousands, of weapons and products such as uniforms, batteries, and microelectronics that contain PFAS, a family of chemicals linked to serious health conditions. Now, as regulators propose restrictions on their use or manufacturing, Pentagon officials have told Congress that eliminating the chemicals would undermine military readiness.
The Department of Defense has recognized it needs a surge capability to respond to activity that occurs within the information environment. Tucked inside the DOD’s Strategy for Operations in the Information Environment, released publicly Nov. 17 but published in July, the department notes it will need to build up its workforce to take on an increase in adversary activity within the information sphere.
The Pentagon has finally published its long-awaited policy allowing cadets and Midshipmen to continue their education at the nation's service academies if they have children while enrolled, instead of having to leave school. Under the prior policy, cadets who admitted to either procreating or giving birth to children were in violation of their service academy's rules, could have been kicked out, and might have been on the hook to pay back the cost of their education. Reforms to that policy were mandated in the National Defense Authorization Act passed in December 2021.
A group of Republican lawmakers warned that two F-16 fighter jet programs for Taiwan remain at “high risk” of falling further behind despite efforts to accelerate deliveries to bolster the island’s defenses against China. In a letter to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on Nov. 17, the two dozen GOP representatives said they appreciated Biden administration efforts to speed up deliveries but are concerned that past difficulties in completing the production and transfer of F-16s could drag on.
Rocket Lab, a provider of launch services and spacecraft systems, is establishing a manufacturing facility in Maryland to meet growing demand for advanced materials used in space missions. The California-based firm will develop systems hardware at the Space Structures Complex, including satellite dispensers, panels, and accessories, solar panel substrates, and spacecraft buses, it said in a Nov. 17 statement.
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works is celebrating its 80th anniversary. A marketing push around this milestone has been underway and today we got a new ad for it that includes a look at an intriguing tailless manned tactical jet concept. It's in line with what we have seen from the bleeding edge design firm in the recent past surrounding the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) initiative.