WASHINGTON — After another canceled test of the U.S. Army and Navy’s Common Hypersonic Glide Body due to a problem just prior to launch at the end of October, it is now “highly unlikely” the Army will field the weapon to the first unit by the end of the year as planned, Doug Bush, the service’s acquisition chief, told reporters in a Nov. 8 briefing.
The Army and Navy have in recent…
As the Navy continues to experiment with and expand upon its burgeoning drone fleet in the Middle Eastern patrolled by U.S. 5th Fleet, an unmanned surface ship fired missiles for the first time there during an exercise last month.
The firing of a so-called “Lethal Missile…
ARLINGTON, Va. — “It’s counterintuitive,” the head of U.S. submarine forces acknowledges, but the Navy’s ballistic missile submarine force is spending more time operating at sea while also seeing better material readiness rates.
The trend is encouraging, submarine…
US Air Force may remove 105mm cannon from AC-130 gunship
November 7, 2023
WASHINGTON — The days of the AC-130J Ghostrider’s hefty 105mm cannon may be numbered.
U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command confirmed to Defense News it is considering removing this howitzer-sized weapon, used to carry out punishing strikes on ground targets, from the aircraft as early as 2026. The idea comes as the service rethinks how it will use the heavily armed gunship following the…
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy’s three-star admiral in charge of fixing submarine maintenance delays says it will take four years to get the attack sub fleet back to its proper state of readiness.
In May, the Navy had twice as many attack submarines tied up in maintenance…
Lockheed to upgrade Chilean Air Force’s F-16 jets
November 7, 2023
SANTIAGO, Chile — Lockheed Martin will upgrade 36 operational F-16 fighter jets with the Chilean Air Force under a $177 million contract, the Pentagon announced.
The deal, unveiled Oct. 31, will see those F-16AM/BM Block 15/20 MLU aircraft modified to the M6.6 standard. A…
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is seeking industry feedback as it kicks off an overhaul of software designed to coordinate the use of mortars, missiles and more on the battlefield.
The service posted a request for information for the modernization of the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System, also known as AFATDS, and the development of the Joint Targeting Command and Coordination Suite, or…
WASHINGTON — Epirus has completed initial government acceptance testing of its high-power microwave prototype meant to counter drone swarms, the company said in a Nov. 1 statement.
The prototype system delivered to the U.S. Army is part of the service’s effort to develop…
Senate finally confirms Adm. Franchetti as Navy’s top officer
November 2, 2023
The Senate voted Thursday to confirm Adm. Lisa Franchetti as the Navy’s 33rd chief of naval operations, ending a months-long delay caused by Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s ongoing blockade of military nominations that he began in protest of Defense Department abortion access…
WASHINGTON — Boeing expects to deliver the U.S. Air Force’s next F-15EX Eagle II fighter by the end of November, nearly a year after the company originally planned and four months behind its revised estimate.
This F-15EX, the third Boeing has so far produced for the Air Force, took its first two flights on Oct. 27 at Boeing’s St. Louis, Missouri, factory, the company said in a social media…
