DefenseNews

DoD chief warns of disruptions as Army, Marines lack confirmed leaders

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned that troop readiness and retention is at risk as the Army’s chief stepped down Friday, leaving the military’s two ground combat forces without Senate-confirmed leaders for the first time in history. Speaking during a ceremony at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Austin said the Senate’s failure to confirm the services’ new leaders is…
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DefenseNews

US Air Force to issue new refueling tanker request in September

DAYTON, Ohio — The U.S. Air Force expects to release its formal request for information for a KC-135 tanker recapitalization in September, which will pave the way for an official acquisition strategy for the program it previously referred to as a “bridge tanker.” In a roundtable discussion with reporters at the service’s Life Cycle Industry Days event in Dayton, Ohio, the deputy program…
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DefenseNews

Adaptive engine work feeds sixth-gen fighter design, says US Air Force

DAYTON, Ohio — The future of the U.S. military’s Adaptive Engine Transition Program is still up in the air, but one service is trying to fold the effort’s technological innovations into an advanced jet’s propulsion system. In a Tuesday roundtable with reporters in Dayton, Ohio, John Sneden, director of the Air Force’s propulsion directorate, outlined ways his organization is working to…
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DefenseNews

US Army developing LASSO tank-killing drone for infantry

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army kicked off a program to quickly provide soldiers a portable, tank-busting drone, amid ballooning use of similar equipment in the Russia-Ukraine war. The service’s Program Executive Office Soldier, or PEO Soldier, this month announced the Low…
DefenseNews

Army Futures Command drafting next operating concept

FORT LIBERTY, North Carolina — The U.S. Army four-star command tasked with modernizing the force is preparing to release this fall a warfighting concept for operations in 2040, according to the AFC commander. The concept would closely follow last year’s release of the…
DefenseNews

German Air Force rushes to Iceland in ‘Rapid Viking’ drill

STUTTGART, Germany — The German Air Force kicked off what it called a “lean and mean” operation on Friday to demonstrate its ability to quickly deploy to Iceland as part of a two-week exercise dubbed “Rapid Viking.” From July 28 through Aug. 10, six German Eurofighters and 30 service members from the Tactical Air Force Squadron 73 “Steinhoff” are deployed to Keflavik Air Base…
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