Defense

WASHINGTON — A lack of spare parts and technical data, poor training of maintainers, and a lagging effort to expand repair depots are dragging down the U.S. military’s ability to keep the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in the air, a government watchdog said in a report released Thursday. And the problems hindering the military from taking over more sustainment activities from the prime F-35…

WASHINGTON — The newly formed Department of the Navy Science and Technology Board will meet for the first time this week, with members slated to discuss how they can help Navy and Marine Corps leaders leverage scientific advances. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro last week announced the creation of the board, which is meant to “ensure the identification of new technologies and new applications…

WASHINGTON — Leidos will provide the U.S. Army with tens of thousands of pieces of information-technology equipment such as servers and workstations under a contract worth as much as $7.9 billion. The defense IT specialist announced its win of the Common Hardware Systems 6th Generation contract, or CHS-6, Sept. 19. The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity deal could run for a decade, if all…

The Marine Corps is pausing its aviation operations for two days as the disappearance of a Marine Corps F-35B jet over South Carolina on Sunday remains unsolved. The Corps’ Monday statement announcing the standdown cited three recent significant mishaps involving Marine aircraft. “During the safety stand down, aviation commanders will lead discussions with their Marines focusing on the…