US & Australia partnership on next generation Jammer for Boeing EA-18G Growler
Washington DC and Canberra have entered a partnership for work related to the developmental Next Generation Jammer Low Band (NGJ-LB) project. The pact between the US and Australian defence departments allows the two countries to share costs and risk, as well as ensure commonality, says the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). NGJ-LB is part of the broader Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) programme. When deployed, the new jammer will replace the ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System aboard the Boeing EA-18G Growler, the electronic warfare variant of the…
UK signs £65m contract for first three Protectors
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has ordered its first three of a planned 16 Protector RG1 unmanned air vehicles from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, with the £65 million ($82 million) contract announced on 15 July. Also including three ground control stations and support equipment, the launch production order follows what the MoD describes as a “successful development phase” activity performed by General Atomics in the USA. With its first production order now in place, the MoD says operations with the Protector fleet will start by mid-2…
US Navy: Bonhomme Richard fire deals a blow to the Navy’s designs in the Indo-Pacific
WASHINGTON – The amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard , which burned through the night while in port in San Diego, was at the tail end of two years of upgrades supporting the integration of the F-35B , according to Navy documents. That means the Navy will now have fewer options to deploy the next-generation fighter in the Pacific. The Navy awarded the $219 million modernization contract to General Dynamics, National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. in 2018, which had options for up to $250 million. Bonhomme Richard is one of four large-deck amph…
US Air Force: Adopting Army’s Future Vertical Lift program
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force is keeping an eye on the Army’s next-generation rotorcraft program, which could fill a gap for agile airlift that might be needed in a fight against Russia and China, an Air Force general said Thursday. With its large air bases vulnerable to attacks from a near-peer adversary, there’s no guarantee that the Air Force will be able to rely on its current processes or equipment to transfer supplies in and out of air bases. In a war with China or Russia , the U.S. Air Force would distribute its assets to bases ow…
Donald Trump has officially chosen Gen. James Mattis for defense secretary
Donald Trump on Thursday announced retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis as his pick for secretary of defense, tasking the popular military leader with carrying out the president-elect's planned overhaul of Pentagon operations and a shift in national security priorities. Speaking at a rally Thursday night in Cincinnati, Trump confirmed media reports published earlier in the day indicating the president-elect intended to nominate Mattis for the key Cabinet post. Neither Mattis nor Trump's transition team responded t…
US military prepares for the next frontier: Space war
Washington : Since man first explored space, it has been a largely peaceful environment. But now US adversaries are deploying weapons beyond Earth's atmosphere, leading the US military to prepare for the frightening prospect of war in space. "As humans go out there, there has always been conflict. Conflict in the Wild West as we move in the West ... conflict twice in Europe for its horrible world wars," Gen. John Hyten, head of US Strategic Command"So, every time humans actually physically move into that, there'…
'Streets safer' after Afghan mission, says General Sir Nicholas Houghton
The UK's top military officer says the "streets of the United Kingdom are safer" because of the Afghan mission. Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Nicholas Houghton said the "prime strategic purpose" of having troops in the country had been achieved. "In the last 13/14 years there has not been a single international terrorist attack launched from Afghanistan," he said. Britain's 13-year war in Afghanistan ended last month. More than 450 UK troops died during the conflict, and as …
US: Obama signals 'new phase' against Islamic State in Iraq has begun
President Barack Obama has said the deployment of 1,500 more US troops to Iraq marks a "new phase" against Islamic State militants. He told CBS TV that the new troops, although non-combat advisers, could help Iraq go on the attack against IS. A US-led coalition has been helping Iraqi and Kurdish ground forces with hundreds of air strikes since August. Iraqi forces have now reportedly seized large parts of Baiji - home to Iraq's biggest oil refinery - from IS. Officials said troops now controlled so…
Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi: Taking on rules to ease Sikhs' path to the US army
The Sikhs of northwestern India have for centuries cherished their rich military history. Wearing long beards and turbans into combat, they have battled Mughals in Punjab, Afghans near the Khyber Pass and Germans in the bloody trenches of the Somme. But when Maj. Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi , an American Sikh raised in New Jersey, signed up for the United States Army , that tradition counted for nothing. Before sending him to officer basic training, the Army told him that he would have to give up the basic symbols of his religion: his beard…
US Army Chief to visit India next month
US Army Chief Raymond Odierno said he will visit India next month to expand the existing military to military co-operation between the two countries. US Army Chief Raymond Odierno said he will visit India next month to expand the existing military to military co-operation between the two countries. Terming the visit to be an “important relationship for the US”, Odierno today said that he would meet Indian Army Chief General Bikram Singh and other defence officials during the visit. “We will discuss many issues that we have in com…
5 US military weapons reportedly compromised by Chinese hackers
More than two dozen U.S. military weapons have been compromised by Chinese cyberspies, according to an unnerving new report by the Department of Defense. The Washington Post reports the the "electronic intrusions gave China access to advanced technology that could accelerate the development of its weapons systems and weaken the U.S. military advantage in a future conflict." While it's unclear exactly how much damage was done by the breaches, the designs include a formidable array of high-tech aircraft, missile defense syst…
Posts
Social Plugin