Defense Secretary Jim Mattis visits the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea in 2017. DoD Photo
This post will be updated as new information becomes available.
Jim Mattis, the longest-serving cabinet secretary of the Trump Administration, submitted his resignation on Thursday following the White House announcement the U.S. would withdraw about 2,000 ground troops from Syria and reports of a drawdown in Afghanistan. Read More
A U.S. Marine Corps KC-130T aircraft from VMGR-452 prepares to taxi during Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course (WTI) 2-15 in Yuma, Ariz., April 11, 2015. WTI is a seven-week event hosted by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) cadre. US Marine Corps photo.
The Marine Corps determined that a corroded propeller blade that came off mid-flight was the cause of the July 10, 2017, crash of a KC-130T transport plane. Read More
A target missile was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Kauai, Hawaii during Flight Test Standard Missile-45. 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. US Navy Photo
Rebuilding a U.S. integrated air and missile defense capability, slashed to the bone by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, will not be easy, three former directors of the Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense Organization (JIAMDO) said on Monday. Read More
The following is the Nov. 21, 2018 Congressional Research Service report, U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues. Read More
THE PENTAGON — The Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force all hit their Fiscal Year 2018 recruiting targets, but the Army missed its goal by more than a regiment’s worth of troops – 6,528 active duty soldiers– according to a recently released Department of Defense report. With a shortfall looming, at least one Army recruiter took to the Navy-themed Reddit page, r/navy, in an apparent attempt to woo Navy personnel. Read More
Russian Zircon Missile Concept
Existing radars don’t provide the almost-split-second warning needed to keep Guam, carrier strike groups in the Pacific and Kadena Air Base in Okinawa from being held hostage to a future hypersonic attack, the Pentagon’s chief technology officer said this week. Read More
Two Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II, assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 121, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, transit the Pacific Ocean on Jan. 9, 2017. US Marine Corps Photo
The Pentagon modified its current F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter contract with Lockheed Martin to include an additional $6 billion intended to keep the production line going as details of a future contract are negotiated. Read More
The following is a Nov. 14, 2018, document, “Providing for the Common Defense: The Assessment and Recommendations of the National Defense Strategy Commission.” Read More
The following is the Oct. 26, 2018 Congressional Research Service Report, U.S. Role in the World, Background and Issues for Congress. Read More
Marines assigned to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conduct call for fire missions during Theater Amphibious Combat Rehearsal (TACR 18). Led by Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Expedition Brigade, TACR integrates U.S. Navy and Marine Corps assets to practice and rehearse a range of critical combat-related capabilities available to U.S. Central Command, both afloat and ashore, to promote stability and security in the region. US Marine Corps photo.
THE PENTAGON – The Marine Corps is looking at future fights as being inherently naval and joint and is seeking ways to more closely integrate with its sister services. Read More
