The Iron Dome air-defense system fires to intercept a rocket over the city of Ashdod on July 8, 2014, in Ashdod, Israel. (Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images)
The U.S. Army announced today that it has activated two air-defense batteries at Fort Bliss, Texas that will test the Israeli-designed Iron Dome system to see if it can be plugged into the service’s air and missile defense network.
Designed by…
In F-35 sale to UAE, Senate seeks State Dept. guarantee for US technology and Israel
November 14, 2020
WASHINGTON ― Senate appropriators are calling on the State Department to certify that a pending sale of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to the United Arab Emirates would not threaten Israel’s military edge or make U.S. military systems vulnerable to Russia and China.
The…
Top US Air Force general wants to go faster, but the biggest changes won’t happen for another year
November 14, 2020
WASHINGTON — Shortly after U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown took command this August, he vowed to quickly adopt a radical plan to overhaul the service in preparation for a future fight against an advanced nation, like Russia or China.
But the Air…
WASHINGTON — Senate appropriators want the Army to move more quickly to buy vehicles capable of operating in the Arctic, according to its version of the fiscal 2021 defense spending bill released Nov. 10.
“The committee encourages the Secretary of the Army to pursue equipment and vehicles necessary for Arctic and cold weather environments,” bill language stated.
The Senate…
National Museum Dedicated to Army Debuts on Veterans Day
November 13, 2020
A marker commemorating the service of Sgt. William Carney, a former slave who served in the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infantry Regiment and became the first African American Medal of Honor recipient, is displayed outside the new National Museum of the United States Army on…
Army, Guard Units Participating in Sinai Observer Mission That Sustained Tragic Helo Crash
November 13, 2020
U.S. troops case the colors during a transfer of authority ceremony on South Camp, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on March 8, 2020. U.S. units support the Multinational Force and Observers peacekeeping mission. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Eliverto Larios)
The identities of…
Congress clashes with Army over purchasing cargo helicopters
November 13, 2020
WASHINGTON — For the second year in a row, Congress is poised to bolster the CH-47F Chinook Block II program as the Army holds steady on its decision to scale back and only buy the latest variant for special operators.
Both the House and Senate appropriators are injecting cash into the Boeing-manufactured, F-model Chinook program in fiscal 2021 to buy them for the active force after the Army…
WASHINGTON — The Senate wants to spend an additional $1.7 billion to buy 17 more F-35 fighter jets for the military in fiscal 2021.
The Senate Appropriations Committee’s $696 billion defense spending bill, which was released Nov. 10, would add 12 F-35As for the Air…
US State Dept. approves UAE’s purchase of F-35 jets, MQ-9 drones
November 11, 2020
WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department on Tuesday cleared a massive package of F-35 fighter jets and MQ-9 unmanned systems for the United Arab Emirates, making official a potential sale still opposed by many congressional Democrats.
In a statement, Secretary of State…
3 questions with the US Army’s Synthetic Training Environment lead
November 10, 2020
WASHINGTON — Maj. Gen. Maria Gervais has led the Synthetic Training Environment Cross-Functional Team as part of Army Futures Command since its inception a few years ago, and already the STE has made great strides in bringing state-of-the-art training to the force.
Defense News spoke with Gervais just ahead of the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference, which took place virtually…
