Sailors Fault Navy Culture for Failures
It’s the leadership, according to a lawmakers survey finding 94% of sailors connect “damaging operational failures” in the Navy to its culture, in a study, titled “A Report on the Fighting Culture of the United States Navy Surface Fleet.”
Defense Revenues Up 5% Over Last Year
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the defense industry saw a gain in revenues in 2020. Defense revenues recorded in this year’s Defense News Top 100 list totaled $551 billion, up about 5% from $524 billion for fiscal 2019.
IG: Security Issues With Military 3D Printing
A July 1 DoD Inspector General’s report finds the military is not doing enough to secure its 3D printing technology. The report says that service members are miscategorizing the military’s additive manufacturing programs and leaving them vulnerable to cyberattacks.
Huntington Ingalls to Buy Alion: $1.65B
Huntington Ingalls Industries to buy Alion Science and Technology in $1.65B deal. Alion is among a number of recent acquisitions as the large shipbuilder seeks to move toward emerging technologies like unmanned systems.
US Slips Out of Bagram in the Night
The US troops slipped out of Bagram Airfield Friday night, shutting off the electricity as they left, but not telling the new Afghan commander. Gen. Mir Asadullah Kohistani didn’t learn of the departure until two hours later.
Italian Carrier Readies for Its 1st F-35B
Italy’s ITS Cavour will receive its first F-35B this month after the aircraft carrier started certification work in the US earlier this year. Final checks are being conducted at Cameri air base. The assembly facility is expected to turn out 90 F-35s for Italy, including 30 F-35Bs. The Cavour began its certification in February 2021 out of Naval Station Norfolk, VA.
F-35s: Too Expensive to Fly?
The House Armed Services Committee chair continued his criticism of contractors over the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and its exorbitant lifecycle costs, “as high as $38,000 an hour,” says Adam Smith.
Primes Key to DoD Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
Legislators specifically debated to what extent prime contractors should be required to share information with DoD about their supply chains. A 2018 report found the manufacturing and defense industrial base held “a surprising level of foreign dependence on competitor nations” said REP Mike Gallagher (R-WI).
Dwyer Nominee for 2nd Fleet Commander
RADM Daniel Dwyer has been nominated to lead the US 2nd Fleet. He will replace VADM Andrew Lewis.
Inconclusive Findings in Report on UFOs
An unclassified report from the US Office of National Intelligence reveals very little about strange aerial sightings reported by military pilots over the past few decades.
