CH-53K, K3, piloted by Mr. Rob Pupalaikis and Maj. Joshua Foxton, flies an aerial refueling test with an external load on Sept. 28, 2020, from NAS Patuxent River, MD. Sikorsky Photo.
The Marine Corps’ top aviation officer assured a key House panel this week that the unit costs of the CH-53K King Sea Stallion helicopter are dropping significantly. Read More
U.S. forces host a range day with the Danab Brigade in Somalia, May 9, 2021. US Air Force Photo
After leaving Somalia in December, U.S. forces are “commuting to work” from other parts of Africa and Europe to combat the rising terrorist threat in Somalia and across the region. Read More
President Tsai Ing-wen reviews a Marine Corps battalion in Kaohsiung in July 2020. Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China
The fate of Taiwan and Okinawa are key to stemming the military influence of China and Russia in the Western Pacific, Japan’s number two defense official said Monday. Read More
An M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launches a Precision Strike Missile on Dec. 10, 2019, at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. US Army Photo
The Army “didn’t sneak out in the dead of night” to establish its own long-range fires regime to stay relevant in the Indo-Pacific, a missile defense analyst said on Wednesday. Read More
USS Wayne E Meyer (DDG 108) departs Apra Harbor, Naval Base Guam after a planned port visit in 2018
. US Navy Photo
The U.S. will likely need to deploy a hybrid system to defend Guam due to its difficult terrain and the variety of missile threats it faces, the head of the Missile Defense Agency said this week. Read More
A target missile was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Kauai, Hawaii during Flight Test Standard Missile-45. The USS JOHN FINN (DDG-113) detected and tracked the target missile with its onboard AN/SPY-1 radar using the Aegis Baseline 9.C2 weapon system. Upon acquiring and tracking the target, the ship launched an SM-3 Block IIA guided missile which intercepted the target. Missile Defense Agency photo
This post has been updated to clarify comments from Gen. Glen VanHerck in Wednesday’s hearing.
The head of the Missile Defense Agency warned the House that a continuing resolution will leave gaps in testing and work on test ranges will “come to an all-stop” until the president signs a new budget into law, MDA director Vice Adm. Jon Hill said on Tuesday. Read More
Chinese president Xi Jinping tours People’s Liberation Army Navy warship. Xinhua Photo
This post has been updated to clarify comments from Kathleen Hicks.
The Pentagon drew up its $715 billion budget request with a clear-eyed approach on how to “deter military aggression” when it comes to China, the Defense Department’s number two civilian said on Tuesday. Read More
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meeting with the press outside the White House on meeting with US President Joe Biden on June 8, 2021. NATO Photo
In a warning to adversaries, NATO’s secretary general said increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks on its members could trigger an alliance response. Read More
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday meets with U.K. First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff Adm. Tony Radakin, and Chief of the French Navy Adm. Pierre Vandier for a trilateral maritime discussion. The three heads of Navy met in France to sign a trilateral joint statement reaffirming their commitment to deeper co-operation and interoperability around the globe on June 3, 2021. US Navy Photo
After signing a new trilateral agreement pushing for deeper cooperation, the top officers of the American, French and British navies signaled that their naval forces are in a new era of seamless command and control. Read More
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG-104) transits alongside the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) on Jan. 19, 2021. US Navy Photo
The Navy’s modest shipbuilding request as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 budget shows the Pentagon has “walked away from the 500-ship Navy,” a senior defense analyst said Tuesday. Read More
