DefenseNews

Defense budget policy bill negotiations face murky waters

Congressional leaders say they’re confident they can reach agreement on a compromise defense authorization bill later this year even though the House and Senate drafts advanced so far differ significantly on a host of contentious social issues. On Thursday, Senate lawmakers approved their version of the massive authorization bill, which outlines plans for $886 billion in defense spending next…
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DefenseNews

Senate to extend Buy American laws for Navy ships

WASHINGTON ― Senators unanimously agreed to legislation mandating that 100% of components for all Navy ships be manufactured in the U.S. by 2033. The Senate passed the amendment from Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., by unanimous consent with little fanfare last week, tacking…
DefenseNews

Northrop Grumman won’t bid on Air Force’s NGAD fighter

WASHINGTON — Northrop Grumman does not plan to bid on the Air Force’s sixth-generation Next Generation Air Dominance fighter program as a prime contractor, chief executive Kathy Warden said Thursday. But Northrop Grumman is interested in serving as a supplier to other…
DefenseNews

Software glitch during turbulence caused Air Force F-35 crash in Utah

An F-35A Lightning II fighter crashed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, last October when turbulent air confused its avionics, rendering the jet uncontrollable, an Air Force investigation has found. The nonfatal crash marks the second time an Air Force F-35A has been destroyed in an accident since the jets began flying in 2012. Its loss cost the Air Force more than $166 million, the service said in a…
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DefenseNews

Lockheed, BWXT to build nuclear-powered spacecraft, engine

WASHINGTON — The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and NASA selected Lockheed Martin and BWX Technologies to develop an experimental nuclear propulsion system that could provide a more efficient power source for future in-orbit maneuvering and Mars-bound…
DefenseNews

How high-speed drone racing could aid struggling Air Force recruitment

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force is expanding its partnership with a professional drone-racing league that touts a tech-savvy fan base, which leaders believe will likely engage with and potentially enlist in the military. The Drone Racing League’s 2023-2024 season will for the first time feature an Air Force-endorsed pilot and flight deck, capping seven years of growing collaboration. An…
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DefenseNews

Allvin nominated to be Air Force’s top officer

President Joe Biden has tapped Gen. David Allvin as his nominee to serve as the next Air Force chief of staff, the White House announced Wednesday. That puts Allvin, who has served as Air Force vice chief of staff since November 2020, in line to lead the service in the midst…
DefenseNews

David Berger’s journey from Navy ROTC to ‘boldest’ Marine commandant

Early in the military career of recently retired Marine Gen. David Berger, he and his wife, Donna, whom he had met when they were in sixth grade, made a promise to each other. The young officer would get out of the Corps if he ever had three bad days in a row, he told reporters at the Modern Day Marine conference in Washington June 28. That never happened. “Why did I stay? The people,” Berger…
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