DefenseNews

The US Navy is at risk of losing vital shipbuilding skills

November 12, 2024
By 2030, the U.S. could have approximately 2.1 million unfilled manufacturing jobs. Not only are these lost opportunities for American workers, but this magnitude of unfilled manufacturing jobs could negatively impact the U.S. economy, costing us more than $1 trillion by the end of the decade. Part of that cost will be realized in reduced production capacity, limited adoption of new, more…
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DefenseNews

Army’s long-range assault aircraft fuselages to be built in Kansas

November 8, 2024
Bell Textron will build the U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft, or FLRAA, fuselages in Wichita, Kansas, the company announced this week. The company won the Army’s bid to build FLRAA in late 2022 following a competition in which it and a Sikorsky-Boeing team flew technology demonstrators for several years to evaluate aircraft capabilities and drive out risk to a future program of…
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DefenseNews

Navy extending service lives of three cruisers

November 8, 2024
The Navy is keeping three cruisers in service for three additional years each – just after extending the service life for 12 destroyers. The service announced Monday that the Gettysburg, Chosin, and Cape St. George will now remain in service up until fiscal year 2029…
DefenseNews

‘Fat Leonard,’ Navy scandal mastermind, sentenced to 15 years

November 7, 2024
SAN DIEGO — Former military defense contractor Leonard “Fat Leonard” Francis was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years in prison for masterminding a decade-long bribery scheme that swept up dozens of U.S. Navy officers, federal prosecutors said. U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino also ordered Francis to pay $20 million in restitution to the Navy and a $150,000 fine, according to a statement…
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DefenseNews

Why the Defense Department needs a chief economist

November 5, 2024
The Department of Defense budget is growing, and the DOD is spending more money in novel industries and nontraditional areas than ever before. To ensure the DOD spends smartly in this new environment, Congress should authorize a chief economist to keep the DOD thinking about…
DefenseNews

Air Force to send bomber task force to Europe

November 5, 2024
The Air Force plans to soon send its latest task force of strategic bombers to Europe to train with NATO allies. U.S. Air Forces Europe-Air Forces Africa said on Friday that the bomber task force deployment will begin “in the coming days,” and would last several weeks. But details about the deployment are scant, and USAFE declined to say what type of and how many bombers would make up the task…
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