Tag Archives: Kathleen Hicks

Short-Term Problems are Prime Focus of New Pentagon Drone Initiative

Short-Term Problems are Prime Focus of New Pentagon Drone Initiative

Two unmanned surface vessels, a Devil Ray T-38 and Saildrone Explorer, operate in the Gulf of Aqaba, Sept. 10, during Eager Lion 2022. US Navy Photo

Solving short-term problems for military commanders in the Pacific and Europe is driving the Pentagon’s push to accelerate production of attritable air, sea and ground drones powered by artificial intelligence, USNI News has learned. Read More

DEPSECDEF Hicks: DoD Wants Thousands of Drones to Counter China’s Military Mass Advantage

DEPSECDEF Hicks: DoD Wants Thousands of Drones to Counter China’s Military Mass Advantage

A Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel (USV) operates with guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) in the Arabian Gulf during exercise Phantom Scope, Oct. 7, 2022. US Navy Photo

The Pentagon is betting that by fielding thousands of attritable autonomous systems across domains in fewer than two years, the United States can overcome China’s advantage of mass in manpower, ships, aircraft and missiles, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said in a Monday speech. Read More

Navy: OSD Directed Amphib Procurement Pause, Joint Staff Says Current Amphib Force ‘Sufficient’

Navy: OSD Directed Amphib Procurement Pause, Joint Staff Says Current Amphib Force ‘Sufficient’

A CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (Rein.), flies over the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD-24) on May 3, 2022. US Navy Photo

THE PENTAGON – A new study directed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense led to the halt in amphibious ship procurement so the Navy can evaluate requirements and cost efficiencies, a Navy official said Monday. Read More

Reagan Strike Group Operating with Japanese, Canadian Warships in Western Pacific

Reagan Strike Group Operating with Japanese, Canadian Warships in Western Pacific

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), and USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), steam in formation with Republic of Korea (ROK) Navy ships in waters east of the Korean Peninsula, Sept. 29, 2022. US Navy Photo

The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group and amphibious warship USS New Orleans (LPD-18) this week operated in the Philippine Sea with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Royal Canadian Navy for a joint exercise, U.S. 7th Fleet announced.
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U.S. Carrier Reagan to Visit Busan, Drill with South Korean Navy as Tensions with North Korea Increase

U.S. Carrier Reagan to Visit Busan, Drill with South Korean Navy as Tensions with North Korea Increase

Cmdr. Nick Cunningham, commanding officer of the ‘Saberhawks’ of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77 flies over USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) in an MH-60R Sea Hawk during a change of command ceremony in the Philippine Sea on Aug. 1, 2022. US Navy Photo

The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group will arrive in South Korea on Friday in preparation for large-scale joint naval exercises with Seoul amid concerns mount over North Korea’s likely resumption of nuclear weapons testing, according to local reports. Read More

Pentagon Wants Delay in Draining Red Hill in Interest of National Security, DoD Leaders Say

Pentagon Wants Delay in Draining Red Hill in Interest of National Security, DoD Leaders Say

Lt. Cmdr. Travis Myers, Red Hill Recovery Filtration System lead, Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, gives media a tour of the Red Hill on Jan. 28, 2022. US Navy Photo

The Pentagon wants more time to weigh its options before it complies with an order from the Hawaii state government to drain the fuel out of a strategically important resupply hub at Red Hill, department officials said this week. Read More

Hicks: DoD Budget Designed to Deter Chinese Aggression; Pentagon Issues New China Policy Directive

Hicks: DoD Budget Designed to Deter Chinese Aggression; Pentagon Issues New China Policy Directive

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