Defense & Military

Lockheed Martin on Tuesday posted strong financial results in its first quarter buoyed by operating performance, a lower tax rate and a pension tailwind, and the company raised the outlook for its top and bottom lines in 2018. Net income soared 47 percent to $1.2 billion, $4.02 earnings per share (EPS), from $789 million ($2.69 […]

Marc Selinger Defense Daily Software deliveries have begun for the U.S. Air Force’s future B-21 Raider bomber, a service official said late April 18. “We’ve delivered the first set of software for the platform, and we’re going through that,” said Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, military deputy in the Air Force acquisition office. “And we’re getting set up […]

By Marc Selinger Defense Daily Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, whose duties include overseeing big-ticket acquisition programs, attended a recent “deep dive” briefing on the Air Force’s B-21 Raider to better familiarize himself with the bomber development effort, a service official said April 9. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson said that he and prime contractor Northrop Grumman [NOC] […]

Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, whose duties include overseeing big-ticket acquisition programs, attended a recent “deep dive” briefing on the Air Force’s B-21 Raider to better familiarize himself with the bomber development effort, a service official said April 9. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson said that he and prime contractor Northrop Grumman [NOC] also took part in the […]

A joint U.S. Navy and a Lockheed Martin industry team successfully launched two Trident II D5 Life Extension missiles from the Ohio-class USS Nebraska (SSBN-739) ballistic missile submarine. This test certified the submarine’s strategic weapon system and crew are ready for patrol and provided more information on the D5 Life Extension missile configuration. The test was called Demonstration and Shakedown […]

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has scheduled a biannual meeting for April 10 to brief the public on plans for cleanup of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory (SSFL). The state agency said Thursday it plans to update the public on progress made during the past six months toward starting environmental remediation of […]

WASHINGTON — In separate congressional hearings here Tuesday, senior Energy and Defense officials declined to pin down the date at which the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) might start modifying an existing warhead to create the low-yield, submarine-launched weapon sought by the Trump administration. The Pentagon has already requested 2019 funding to start upgrading the Trident […]

The U.S. Air Force is reviewing options for re-engining the B-52 bomber and intends to formally launch the acquisition effort later this year, a service official said Wednesday. William Roper, the Air Force’s new acquisition chief, said he conducted his first review with the re-engining team a few weeks ago and he expects to receive […]

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, said there have been some early production “hiccups” with the B-21, notably with its engines. Wittman told reporters following a speech at the McAleese/Credit Suisse defense conference that there have been challenges with airflow through the B-21 engines. “This […]

The U.S. Air Force is reviewing options for re-engining the B-52 bomber and intends to formally launch the acquisition effort later this year, a service official said March 14. William Roper, the Air Force’s new acquisition chief, said he conducted his first review with the re-engining team a few weeks ago and he expects to […]

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, said there have been some early production “hiccups” with the B-21, notably with its engines. Wittman told reporters following a speech at the McAleese/Credit Suisse defense conference that there have been challenges with airflow through the B-21 engines. “This […]

President Donald Trump has nominated Lt. Gen. Timothy Ray to be the next commander of the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command. If confirmed by the Senate, Ray will replace Gen. Robin Rand, who is retiring. Ray is currently deputy commander of U.S. European Command. Trump has also nominated Maj. Gen. David Thompson to be […]

President Donald Trump has nominated Lt. Gen. Timothy Ray to be the next commander of the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command. If confirmed by the Senate, Ray will replace Gen. Robin Rand, who is retiring. Ray is currently deputy commander of U.S. European Command. Trump has also nominated Maj. Gen. David Thompson to be […]

Top Department of Defense officials are set to testify Wednesday before a House Armed Services panel about the Pentagon’s fiscal 2019 budget request for nuclear weapon programs. On the witness list for the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee are Air Force Gen. John Hyten, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, and John Rood, undersecretary of […]

Rich Abott Defense Daily By the end of 2019, the National Nuclear Security Administration plans to identify the best ways to secure low-enriched uranium for U.S. nuclear-weapon programs over the next 20 years, the semi-autonomous Department of Energy agency wrote in response to a Government Accountability Office report published Friday. The National Nuclear Security Administration […]

The Defense Department has not yet decided what platform would launch the new nuclear- armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM) the administration is seeking in the recent nuclear posture review (NPR), the head of U.S. Strategic Command said. Air Force Gen. John Hyten said the Pentagon’s FY ’19 budget request has a tasking to look at […]

Calvin Biesecker Defense Daily Huntington Ingalls Industries on Wednesday posted strong financial results in its third quarter driven by work on aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships for the Navy and the acquisition last year of a technical services company. Huntington Ingalls is the parent company of Stoller Newport News Nuclear: one of the partners on […]

Vice President Mike Pence plans to visit Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota Oct. 27 to review the base’s two nuclear missions, Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) announced Oct. 25. Pence will meet with the base leadership and address the airmen, Hoeven said. “It’s important for the administration to be familiar with the good work […]

Marc Selinger Defense Daily The U.S. Air Force has picked Lockheed Martin and Rockwell Collins to begin designing a replacement for the aging Airborne Launch Control System (ALCS), which allows command-and-control aircraft to launch land-based, nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Rockwell Collins have been awarded three-year contracts valued at $80.8 million and $76.3 million, […]

Marc Selinger Defense Daily A key House member expressed confidence Sept. 26 that Congress will finish its work on the fiscal year 2018 defense authorization bill despite Capitol Hill gridlock on many issues. The optimism from Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC’s) strategic forces panel, came eight days after […]

Marc Selinger Defense Daily The U.S. Air Force, which awarded two contracts last month to mature designs for the Ground-based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), plans to hold the program’s first major review next month, a program official said Sept. 28. The system requirements review will ensure the prime contractors, Boeing [BA] and Northrop Grumman [NOC], fully […]

A key House member expressed confidence Sept. 26 that Congress will finish its work on the fiscal year 2018 defense authorization bill despite Capitol Hill gridlock on many issues. The optimism from Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC’s) strategic forces panel, came eight days after the Senate approved its […]

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – The U.S. Air Force intends to conduct a “deep dive” on the B-2 Spirit to determine how that bomber program’s strengths and weaknesses could guide the development of the B-21 Raider, according to a service official. The deep dive is designed to prevent the B-21 from experiencing the kind of cost and […]

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – The U.S. Air Force intends to conduct a “deep dive” on the B-2 Spirit to determine how that bomber program’s strengths and weaknesses could guide the development of the B-21 Raider, according to a service official. The deep dive is designed to prevent the B-21 from experiencing the kind of cost and […]

Rich Abott Defense Daily A U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released Tuesday found that the U.S. Navy’s four public shipyards’ facilities and equipment remain in poor condition leading to a continued backlog in maintenance and are inadequate to Navy needs. The four public shipyards are the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Puget Sound […]

Decommissioning of the radioactively contaminated STURGIS barge has resumed at the Port of Galveston after Hurricane Harvey swept through coastal Texas in late August, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday. There was no damage to the STURGIS or the decommissioning facility, and no signs that any radiation had been released into the environment, […]

The Senate is set to take up the National Defense Authorization Act after it deals with a three-month spending bill to keep the Energy Department and the rest of the government funded for the first quarter of fiscal 2018. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) made the announcement Wednesday in a press conference after the GOP’s weekly […]

Congress is working on a stopgap spending bill that will, by and large, keep the Energy Department funded at 2017 levels until mid-December, leading lawmakers and President Donald Trump said Wednesday. The so-called continuing resolution will fund the federal government through Dec. 15, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy […]

The Senate is scheduled to take up the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2018 when Congress returns from recess next week. A spokesman for Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Thursday the annual military authorization legislation “will be on the floor next week,” although the exact timing of debate was yet to be decided. The bill […]

The Pentagon should not have rushed to hand out more than $1 billion in contracts to modernize U.S. nuclear missiles before the Donald Trump administration completes the Nuclear Posture Review it started in January, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee said Sunday. “We should not be doubling down on these legacy nuclear […]