JERUSALEM — The newly configured Spyder air defense system has intercepted a drone during a test with the Israeli military, the weapon’s manufacturer announced Wednesday.
The announcement comes amid the Israel-Hamas war and tension along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where the militant group Hezbollah is based. Hezbollah in recent months has fired Katyusha missiles and drones at…
US Army carves out its role in space
January 10, 2024
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army’s mission when it comes to operating in space and using space capabilities is shifting to adapt to the arrival of the U.S. Space Force.
Before the Space Force’s establishment in 2019, the Army’s space-related mission areas included…
Germany’s Hensoldt hires Thales executive to lead company
January 10, 2024
PARIS — Defense electronics specialist Hensoldt has hired a competitor’s executive as its new leader, the German company announced Monday.
Oliver Dörre will become CEO at Hensoldt and replace outgoing boss Thomas Müller on April 1.
Dörre joins Hensoldt from the…
Here’s what the Navy is doing to boost SWO retention
January 10, 2024
Retention among surface warfare officers going into department head school is slightly down from last year, but numbers overall remain up as the service has launched several initiatives to keep SWOs in the service longer, according to officials.
SWOs have historically departed their community at higher rates than the submarine and aviation communities, and the Navy has been working to keep more of…
Navy chief to prioritize getting more ships ready for action
January 10, 2024
ARLINGTON, Va. — The chief of naval operations said Tuesday the service must “get more players on the field” as international crises demand more of the naval force, in her first major address since taking the helm of the Navy two months ago.
Adm. Lisa Franchetti said…
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy’s surface fleet, still short of its readiness goal of 75 combat-credible surface ships at any given time, is pursuing new ways to boost its readiness.
Then-Commander of Naval Surface Forces Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, who retired in August…
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force’s next-generation tanker was supposed to be the ideal candidate for a fixed-price development program.
Indeed, when Boeing first won the deal to build what’s now known as the KC-46, the defense contractor said it would use a “low-risk approach,” basing its design on the existing Boeing 767 commercial airplane. The contract was firm-fixed-price, meaning…
Bombardier wins US Army contract for new spy plane prototype
January 4, 2024
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army awarded a contract to Bombardier Defense to provide at least one Global 6500 aircraft to serve as a prototype airframe for a new spy plane program, the service announced Wednesday.
The firm-fixed-price contract, awarded Dec. 12, includes an…
Gen. Jim Slife sworn in as Air Force vice chief of staff
January 4, 2024
Gen. Jim Slife stepped into the role of Air Force vice chief of staff at a Dec. 29 ceremony at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, ending the service’s three-month stretch without Senate-confirmed officers in its top two leadership posts.
Slife’s assignment to…
New radars and interceptors are headed to soldiers for testing in 2024 as the Army seeks to upgrade its air defense capabilities.
After decades of relying on limited short-range air defense and Patriot batteries with technology dating to the early 1980s, the Army has pushed resources into new systems to defeat the growing threat of enemy missiles and drones.
Defense News reported in November that…
