OVER THE MARIANA ISLANDS — The airmen have five seconds.
Poised next to nearly three tons of cargo — plastic barrels of water — these loadmasters aboard a C-17 airlifter know the stakes. If they airdrop the precious supplies too early, the cargo ends up in the Pacific Ocean. Too late? Same result.
When the countdown hits zero, the barrels zip down the open ramp and dip off the edge. White…
Romania eyes 32 F-35s under $6.5 billion deal
August 10, 2023
WARSAW, Poland — The Romanian Ministry of National Defence has requested the parliament’s approval for the purchase of 32 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, according to Defense Minister Angel Tîlvăr. The planned procurement is estimated to be worth about $6.5 billion.
In…
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The U.S. Army will embark on a yearslong effort this fall to ensure various weapons capabilities work in sync and are tailorable for combatant commanders, the service’s program executive officer for missiles and space said Tuesday at the Space and…
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army could tap several companies to supply tank-busting drones under the fledgling LASSO program, according to one acquisition leader.
The Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance initiative was unveiled last month with the goal of quickly providing soldiers a portable loitering munition, similar to gear used in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Assistant Secretary of the Army for…
Navy extends service lives of four more destroyers
August 10, 2023
The Navy plans to extend the service life of four guided-missile destroyers that were slated to be retired in the coming years, adding four or five years to each of the warships’ standard 35 years of service.
Under a plan announced last week, the destroyers Ramage and…
US Army splits testing phase of future missile defense radar
August 10, 2023
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The U.S. Army has begun developmental testing of its future missile defense radar in a new, two-phased approach, according to Brig. Gen. Frank Lozano, the service’s program executive officer for missiles and space.
The Lower Tier Air and Missile…
FORT LIBERTY, N.C. — Nearly a year into leading Army Futures Command, Gen. James Rainey says he’s no longer focused on modernizing the service; he wants to transform it.
The four-star command, based in Austin, Texas, opened five years ago to help the service modernize at an ambitious pace. It was originally meant to develop requirements and to work with the acquisition branch to produce nearly…
US Army plans to grow Patriot missile defense force
August 10, 2023
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The U.S. Army will grow its Patriot air and missile defense force structure, the head of Space and Missile Defense Command told reporters in an Aug. 8 briefing.
“The Army senior leaders — from the secretary [to] the chief — they recognize the…
ROME — As Italy gets down to work with Japan on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) with the aim of building a new sixth-generation fighter by 2035, it has boosted defense ties with Tokyo by dispatching F-35s for a first-ever training exercise in Japan.
Four Italian Air…
WASHINGTON — Maj. Gen. Heath Collins spent the last year managing some of the United States’ largest homeland and regional defense programs. Now, he’s poised to lead the Missile Defense Agency, where he would oversee key modernization programs, some of which will overlap with his lengthy background focused on space and satellites.
President Joe Biden in May tapped Collins to be the next MDA…
