Air Force Magazine
Here's a look at how the Defense Department is being impacted by and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Defense One
Only a multinational effort can meet this unprecedented threat, say former U.S. Central Command boss retired Army Gen. Joseph L. Votel and former U.S. Pacific Command boss retired Navy Adm. Samuel J. Locklear III.
The War Horse
Last October, the Defense Health Agency, a combat support organization that provides medical support staff across all branches, began to take over management of all the military hospitals and clinics. The change would mean the Army, Navy, and Air Force no longer managed their own health care systems.
Aviation Week Network
When he was United Technologies Corp. chairman and CEO, Greg Hayes took a lot of heat for merging his company with Raytheon to create aerospace powerhouse Raytheon Technologies. But the critics have been silenced as defense has cushioned the company from the battering the commercial downturn has inflicted on its Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney operations.
Army Times
Although the coronavirus pandemic has lowered basic training graduation rates this year, Army and Air Force leaders aren’t expecting shortfalls in their respective end-strength numbers as a result, officials of the two services said July 9. They credited the expected success to historically high retention rates.
Forbes
“Today the Air Force operates the smallest bomber force—157 total aircraft—and oldest—average age of 45 years—since its formation as a separate service in 1947,” writes retired Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, dean of AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “At the same time the demand for bombers has surged.”
The Associated Press
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said he is backing Nevada’s Democratic congressional delegation, which is opposing a military effort to widen the boundaries of a vast U.S. Air Force bombing range into a national wildlife refuge.
C4ISRNET
An anomaly occurred during the small launch provider’s most recent mission, resulting in the loss of the rocket and the commercial payloads it was carrying. Rocket Lab noted in a statement that the issue occurred approximately four minutes into the July 4 flight, following a successful liftoff from its New Zealand launch pad as well as a successful first-stage burn and stage separation.
Air Force Magazine
The Air Force and U.S. defense establishment are breaking down barriers and injecting speed, innovation, and creativity into the procurement system. Check out our new page to learn more about these efforts.
Breaking Defense
Iridium is considering legal action to block the Federal Communication Commission’s controversial approval of Ligado’s 5G mobile wireless network, which much of the federal government says will interfere with GPS.
Task and Purpose
Thirty-four sailors and 23 civilians have been treated for minor injuries, including heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation, from the fire aboard the San Diego-based amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, which began on the morning of July 12, the Navy said. Five sailors remain in the hospital and are in stable condition, Naval Surface Forces for the Pacific Fleet tweeted on July 13.
Defense One
“The U.S. has recently notched victories at the International Court of Justice and United Nations General Assembly in its battle to take from Britain its sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago,” writes Nilanthi Samaranayake, director of the Strategy and Policy Analysis program at the Center for Naval Analyses. ”The largest of these islands, Diego Garcia, has for decades been a key logistics, reconnaissance, and operational base for U.S. forces. While many factors are at play, including discussion about the Chagossian people, the Diego Garcia case reveals two critical dimensions that warrant attention by U.S. policymakers now.”
The Associated Press
A misaligned missile battery, miscommunication between troops and their commanders, and a decision to fire without authorization all led to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard shooting down a Ukrainian jetliner in January, killing all 176 people on board, a new report says. The report released late July 11 by Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization comes months after the Jan. 8 crash near Tehran. Authorities had initially denied responsibility, only changing course days later after Western nations presented extensive evidence that Iran had shot down the plane.
One More Thing
The Drive
The video highlights just how much fly-by-wire automation is needed to make the Raptor's super maneuverability a reality.
