Wind Turbines OK’d Offshore in Ocean City
Skipjack Offshore Energy received approval from the Maryland Public Service Commission for the company’s plan to erect wind turbines off the coast of Ocean City. The turbines will be more than 800 feet tall, more than 200 feet taller than the original plan. The taller turbines will mean that fewer would be installed.
How Will New Space Force Be Organized?
The new US Space Force is putting together a plan to bring personnel from the Army, Navy, and Marines into the new branch. The Air Force secretary has to tell Congress by Feb. 1 how the Space Force will be organized.
DoD Report Aims to Head Off ‘Strategic Surprise’
A Pentagon study is expected to consider “what potential technological capabilities may not be sufficiently acted upon by the Department of Defense in the decade to come, that will lead to US regrets in 2028,” says Michael Griffin, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering.
Only Half of F-35s Available for Flight
Of the 280 operational F-35s purchased by the US and international partners, only 51 percent are currently available for flight, according to the F-35 Joint Program Office.
VADM Suggests Incentive Pay, Bonuses to Keep Pilots
VADM Robert P. Burke believes the Navy may need to offer aviation incentive pay and aviation bonuses to help retain pilots. “We continue to face challenges within some historically retention-challenged communities, particularly among aviators in specific model/type/series platforms,” Burke told Congress.
Reaper Drones Help Combat Wildfires
Remotely piloted Air Force drones were put to work to help combat the recent California wildfires. MQ-9 Reapers from the Air National Guard’s 163rd Attack Wing were put into service in Northern California.
You’re Invited to Hack the Air Force
The Air Force’s Chief Information Office will hold its Hack the Air Force exercise. The “bug bounty” program will invite participation from talent in the US and, this year, will include those from US partner-nations, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Deadliest Aircraft in Pentagon’s Arsenal?
Don’t be deceived by the appearances of the E-6 Mercury. Though the Mercury doesn’t carry any weapons of its own, it might be in a sense the deadliest aircraft operated by the Pentagon.
T-45 Training Grounded Indefinitely
The Navy has extended the grounding of all of its T-45 training jets indefinitely after a group of instructor pilots refused to fly the aircraft. The service’s engineers need to figure out what’s causing a spike in dangerous physical symptoms in pilots brought on by a drop in oxygen in the cockpit.
1st Drone Command Center Installed on Carrier
USS Carl Vinson gets first drone command center, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, based in Norfolk, VA, is next.
