DefenseNews

US Air Force drone wingmen to get own squadrons, chief nominee says

The U.S. Air Force plans to create independent squadrons for its future fleet of collaborative combat aircraft instead of adding the drone wingmen to already-existing squadrons of manned fighters. Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the nominee to be the service’s next chief of staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing Thursday the Air Force Reserve and Air National…
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DefenseNews

Israel and Hamas agree to ‘first phase’ of peace plan, Trump says

Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners, U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday in announcing the outlines of the biggest breakthrough in months in the two-year-old war. “This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line…
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DefenseNews

Navy cannibalizing materiel for spare parts, watchdog says

The U.S. Navy is scavenging for spare parts from grounded materiel in order to address maintenance needs, a new government watchdog report found. The problem arises from gaps in the Defense Department’s data rights for weapon systems that force Navy maintainers to rely on…
DefenseNews

German arms makers lukewarm on government stakeholder push

BERLIN — Representatives of Germany’s defense enterprises have responded cautiously to a proposal for the government to become a shareholder in key companies. German Defense Minister Borius Pistorius pushed ahead with the idea that the state might play a more active role…
DefenseNews

Italy lines up fallback plan for freeing €12 billion defense spending

ROME — Italy is ready to use an EU-devised accounting trick to help boost its defense budget by €12 billion, or $14 billion, as it tries to meet tough new NATO spending targets. The plan devised in Brussels last year allows EU member states to exempt defense spending when they calculate annual deficit spending, allowing them to raise defense budgets without breaking EU deficit rules. The EU…
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DefenseNews

Texas National Guard deploying to Chicago on Monday

About 200 Texas National Guard troops are set to deploy to Chicago on Monday night unless a judge blocks the order, a Pentagon official told Military Times. Illinois officials sued the Trump administration Monday for its attempt to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to…
DefenseNews

Marines retire ‘workhorse’ Assault Amphibious Vehicle after 50 years

From the shores of Grenada to the deserts of Iraq, the Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) shielded and carried Marines from ship to sea to shore for over 50 years. Now, after a Sept. 26 ceremony, the famous “workhorse” has been officially decommissioned. Col. Lynn Berendsen, commander of the Assault Amphibian School at Camp Pendleton, California, noted during the ceremony that the AAVs were…
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