Defense

The U.S. Army must move faster to deter near-term threats. Although the Army has a strategy to modernize the force by 2030, that is just seven years away and potentially four years too late if the Chinese Communist Party attempts to retake Taiwan by force by 2027, as our military commanders suggest. To effectively deter Chinese President Xi Jinping, the U.S. Army must develop a clear and coherent…

WASHINGTON ­— The U.S. Army is nearing a final decision on whether and how much to invest in Chinook Block II helicopter upgrades, and it’s committed to buying a new engine and the latest software version for the Apaches. But Boeing, which makes both aircraft, is developing and demonstrating more extensive upgrade options in a bid to help the service boost the survivability, connectivity and…

WASHINGTON — Boeing has flown a new version of the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter with upgraded capabilities, the company announced Oct. 11 at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference. The Version 6.5 attack helicopter, which Boeing went under contract to produce with the U.S. Army in December 2021, includes software updates and improvements to the pilot interface, Boeing said in…

WASHINGTON — An aerial electronic jammer the U.S. Army slated for use aboard a reconnaissance and attack drone successfully underwent testing using a turboprop aircraft, an outcome officials said demonstrates the payload’s future battlefield flexibility. The Multi-Function Electronic Warfare-Air Large, or MFEW-AL, is part of the Army’s focus on sophisticated electronic warfare technologies…