Radar Sweep
Federal Government of Somalia, US Conducted Airstrike Against Al-Shabab Terrorists
In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, US Africa Command conducted an airstrike targeting al-Shabab terrorists in the vicinity of Qunyo Barrow, Somalia, on Jan. 16.
DHS Seeks Pentagon Funds for 270 Miles of Border Wall
The Department of Homeland Security has asked the Pentagon to fund the construction of 270 miles of border wall this year as part of a counter-drug effort, defense officials said Jan. 16. The officials said the request came in Jan. 15, and the Pentagon is beginning what will be a two-week assessment to determine what will be approved.
The Pentagon Wants Help for its Satellites to Talk to Each Other
The Space Development Agency wants its satellites to be able to easily talk to each other and is considering using optical intersatellite links for communications within its future low earth orbit space architecture. Now, the organization is looking for industry’s help on what standards should be used for those links.
DIU Seeks Commercial Remote Sensing Technology
The Defense Innovation Unit is seeking commercial remote sensing technology to perform peacetime indications and warning. In a Jan. 13 notice, DIU states that it plans to initiate an 18-month competition, and will award other transaction agreements to prototype capabilities in five areas: small-satellite collection capabilities, advanced analytics software that uses cloud-based machine learning algorithms, edge compute capabilities, reduced latency direct downlink, and in-theater data processing.
What Do You Think About Artificial Intelligence? The Pentagon’s AI Center Wants to Know
The Pentagon’s nascent center devoted to artificial intelligence research and development wants to learn more about people’s perceptions of the budding technology. According to a proposed information collection notice published in the Federal Register on Jan. 16, the Defense Department’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center is funding a RAND Corporation-led study “exploring civil-military views regarding AI and related technologies.”
OPINION: The US Navy’s So-Called Budget Salvo Demands Too Much
"Gilday’s budget salvo should be seen for what it is: a return to a zero-sum argument to increase the Navy’s budget at the expense of the Army, which also needs to modernize; at the expense of the Air Force, which now operates the smallest and oldest force in its history; and at the expense of the Space Force, which needs more funding if it is to become a true war-fighting entity that dominates the highest frontier," writes retired USAF Col. Mark Gunzinger, director of future aerospace concepts and capability assessments at AFA's Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. "A better approach would be to argue for changes to the DOD’s planning and budget processes that remain stove-piped and focused on assessing each service’s annual budget proposals, rather than seeking the best value for the nation as a whole."
Survey: How Do You Spell the Sound that an A-10 Warthog's Autocannon Makes?
There are few sounds more welcome to US military personnel than the sound of an A-10 Thunderbolt II's GAU-8/A Avenger 30mm autocannon raining down a hail of lead on an unsuspecting enemy force. But here's a question: How the hell do you actually spell (and, in turn, pronounce) that sweet, sweet sound of freedom? To that end, we're attempting to build a regional map of A-10 autocannon pronunciations, from BRRRT to VVVTTT—and we need your help.