Former Top Marine Calls for Joint Work To Get Weapons Quicker
Posted on
I was continually frustrated during my time as the Marine’s Deputy Commandant for Aviation by our inability to rapidly upgrade Marine equipment, especially aircraft cockpits and similar systems. The reason is simple, much of the aerospace and defense industry uses unnecessary and arbitrary proprietary markings as a base requirement. We must change this mind-set. The… Keep reading →
Global Hawk Ground Station Goes Global
Posted on
Washington: What began as a plan to get the Air Force and Navy versions of the Global Hawk unmanned aerial system under a single control station is now going worldwide, a top industry official said today. The new common ground station being designed by Northrop Grumman for the Navy’s Broad Area Maritime Surveillance UAS and… Keep reading →
JLTV Cut May Delay Humvee Upgrade
Posted on
Washington: The Army may have to retool its plans to upgrade its Humvee fleet, if the proposed cancellation of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is finalized. Companies vying for the Army’s Modernized Expanded Capacity Vehicle program had expected a draft proposals request from the Army to come out today. Last month, the service released an… Keep reading →
Good Government Groups Detail $429B in DoD Cuts; Kill F-35, MEADS
Posted on
Washington: Two of Washington’s better known taxpayer groups today offered a salad of Pentagon cuts, including recommendations to kill the entire F-35 program. The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) — who occupy very different parts of the political spectrum — issued the recommendations to the congressional Super Committee… Keep reading →
DoD Takes Second Look At JSF Alternate Engine
Posted on
UPDATED Washington: DoD is ready to give the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s second engine program another look, but only if industry is ready to foot the bill. DoD acquisition chief Ash Carter said today he is willing to sit down with the General Electric and Rolls-Royce team building the F136 alternate engine. Testifying at his… Keep reading →
Lawmakers, Industry Gear Up For Budget Battle
Posted on
Washington: Defense hawks and defense industry supporters are ramping up the rhetoric as they prepare to battle for defense dollars on Capitol Hill. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta plans to meet tomorrow with top defense industry leaders as Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee prepares to weigh in on defense spending levels for fiscal year 2012. “The Secretary… Keep reading →
Marines Create Group To Push For More Amphibs
Posted on
Washington: The Marine Corps says it needs more amphibious ships. Now, thanks to a new working group, they will finally have the numbers to prove it. The working group, started today by Marine Corps Combat Development Command, will take information from upcoming amphibious exercises and use that data to as it presents the service’s arguments… Keep reading →
Navy Hopes to Crank Out New Subs Ahead Of Schedule
Posted on
Washington: The Navy says it will be able to crank out two new Virginia-class submarines within 60 months, or almost two years faster than in the past. The Naval Sea Systems Command has already begun construction on SSN 787 this month, which NAVSEA officials anticipate will be completed within 65 months, according to a command… Keep reading →
Daniel Gordon: ‘Progress on Wartime Contracting’
Posted on
When the [Obama] Administration took office, it was clear to us that for too long there was not adequate oversight of contractors, leading to wasted taxpayer dollars, repeated delivery delays, and unacceptable contractor performance. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in wartime contracting during the last decade. That’s why this Administration has focused on… Keep reading →
Lockheed’s K-MAX Drone Clears Key Marine Corps Test
Posted on
Washington: A Lockheed Martin-built aerial cargo drone is one step closer to hitting the skies above Afghanistan this fall, after completing a key Marine Corps evaluation this month. The Marine Corps recently ran the K-MAX through a five-day Quick Reaction Assessment test in Yuma, AZ. The tests put the helicopter-like drone through a number of… Keep reading →