Radar Sweep
Snapshot: DOD and COVID-19
Here's a look at how the Defense Department is being impacted by and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
White House Names Five Defense Executives to Group Focused on Reopening Country
The White House announced April 14 five defense executives will serve as part of what it is calling "Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups." The names were rolled out as President Donald Trump unveiled plans to consult with business leaders on when to reopen the country, which has been shut down in most areas to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Germany Arrests 4 Islamic State Group Suspects Planning Attack on U.S. Bases
German authorities say police have arrested four suspected members of the Islamic State group alleged to be planning an attack on American military facilities. Federal prosecutors said the suspects were arrested by tactical police units early April 15 at various locations in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Reports of Civilian Killed in U.S. Airstrike Are Al-Shabaab Propaganda, DOD Says
Officials with U.S. Africa Command are disputing news reports that a civilian was killed during a "precision airstrike" near Jamaame, Somalia, this month, saying the reports are based on propaganda from a terrorist group. The strike took place April 10 and killed one terrorist, according to a release from AFRICOM: "an al-Shabaab member complicit in the murder of at least six innocent Somalis."
The F-15 Eagle’s Most Advanced Production Version Performs Its First Flight
Boeing announced that the F-15QA, the most advanced version of the F-15 Eagle, performed successfully its first flight from the company’s plant at Lambert International Airport in St. Louis. The flight, which lasted 90 minutes, was conducted by the chief test pilot, Matt Giese, and implemented a precise mission checklist to test the multirole aircraft’s capabilities and to check radar and avionics.
Lawmakers Urge Trump to Stop FCC from Approving Ligado Bandwidth Request
U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, on April 15 sent a letter to President Donald Trump asking him to intervene to prevent the Federal Communications Commission from granting the license modification request of Ligado Networks, which wants to use a part of the communications spectrum that will interfere with Global Positioning System reception.
NATO’s New Tool Shows the Impact of GPS Jammers
A new tool developed by NATO will help the alliance prepare for GPS jammers, allowing operational commands to see what impact the devices will have on their GPS receivers, the NATO Communications and Information Agency announced April 6.
North Korea Has Hackers for Hire, Agencies Warn
Officials and analysts have long associated cyberattacks for financial gain with North Korea—its economy struggles under the weight of international sanctions—but a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency advisory warns the regime also conducts attacks on other entities’ behalf.
The Pentagon's Plan to Build a Secret Super Command Bunker 3,500 Feet Under Washington, D.C.
Unlike any fortification on Earth, the Deep Underground Command Center was intended to withstand multiple direct hits from giant nukes on Doomsday.