Military on Display at Valiant Shield ’18
US military forces from the US Indo-Pacific Command participated in Valiant Shield 2018 last week near Guam with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan, 15 surface ships, over 160 aircraft and around 15,000 military personnel.
F-35A Tests Triple Its Expected Lifetime
The F-35A airframe tests are expected to double the life expectancy of 8,000h, but tests are showing 24,000h of service life for the stealth fighters.
Space Force Comes With Big Pricetag
The Air Force estimates that creating a Space Force will cost $13 billion over the next five years, including an initial $3 billion cost to stand up the service.
Aircraft Big Winner in Defense Budget
House and Senate conference committees have finalized a $675 billion defense spending bill. Aircraft of all kinds are the overall winner.
Military Joins Relief Efforts After Hurricane
The military has joined relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Florence’s landfall. DoD has assigned 13,470 personnel and deployed 1,286 military assets, according to the US Northern Command.
Hurricane and Typhoon Threaten Navy on Both Coasts
Monster Hurricane Florence and super Typhoon Mangkhut have sailors in the Pacific and along the Atlantic seaboard preparing for what many are predicting could be among the worse of both types of coastal storms.
F-35 Operating Costs Targeted by US & Europe
The US military and Europe officials partner to minimize F-35 operating costs to assure sustainment and future purchase goals can be reached.
East Coast on Alert As Florence Nears
The mid-Atlantic region is expecting to be impacted by the approaching Hurricane Florence. Naval Station Norfolk is among the military installation taking precautions. The National Hurricane Center says it is still too early to predict the storm’s exact path.
F-35Bs Join Drills Off African Coast for 1st Time
For the first time ever, US Marine Corps F-35Bs are on an operational deployment off the coast of Africa.
First F-35C Flight Mishap Costs $2 Million
An F-35C flying from USS Abraham Lincoln was damaged during an aerial refueling exercise. Debris from an aerial refueling basket was ingested into the F-35C’s engine intake, resulting in damage costing about $2 million.
