Brendan Rogers, nominated to be assistant secretary of the Navy for energy, installations and environment, promoted small modular reactors (SMRs) as a viable option to power military installations at a Senate nomination hearing last week.
Rogers said SMRs had “great potential” and if confirmed, would look for ways to implement the new nuclear technology to advance energy infrastructure at the military sites. Though Rogers embraced the potential of SMR technology, Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss), was more circumspect.
“Mr. Rogers it’s not going to be in the next 5 or 6 years though is it on these SMRs? They take longer than that,” Wicker said. “It sounds tempting and helpful [but] I don’t think there’s one [SMR] operating on the face of the Earth right now.” Rogers said there are currently many proposals to bring SMRs online.
Huntington Ingalls Industries Monday named Tim Taylor as the newest vice president of engineering, technology and design at its Newport News Shipbuilding division, according to the company’s website.
Taylor will step into the role Jan. 1, 2026, once Dave Bolcar, NNS vice president of engineering and design, and Brian Fields, NNS vice president and chief technology officer, retire. Taylor’s new position will be a combination of both of these positions.
Taylor is a Navy veteran that served at NNS for 29 years, the release said, currently holding the position for director of nuclear test engineering. He has a bachelor’s degree in nuclear engineering from Excelsior College and a master’s in business administration from Strayer University.
A month after receiving his nomination, the Senate confirmed Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach as the next Air Force chief of staff last Thursday.
Wilsbach, who headed Air Combat Command and Pacific Air Forces in his last two positions, has said that manned fourth, fifth and sixth generation fighters still have a role, as artificial intelligence for battle command and control matures.
Autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft, in contrast to older, maintenance-dependent drones, will be “‘flyable storage,” Wilsbach has said. Wilsbach has flown F-16, F-15, and F-22 fighters, according to his Air Force biography.
The U.S. Air Force B-21 Raider stealth bomber by Northrop Grumman [NOC] may have a crew of one pilot and one weapons systems officer (WSO) instead of two pilots, as previously planned.
On August 15, Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) commander Gen. Thomas Bussiere approved the switch in a memo to Air Force leadership–the rationale being to allow a more ready fusion of radar, electromagnetic spectrum, sensor and battle management data for operators of the future bomber. Bussiere announced his retirement in October.
The new AFGSC policy of one pilot and one WSO per B-21 comes as the Air Force faces a shortage of 2,000 pilots, including 1,100 for fighters, and as concern emerges about the service’s WSO career field on such platforms, as the F-15E fighter. Among bomber pilots, there is concern that the change on the B-21 to one pilot and one WSO will add to stress and workload during high tempo combat missions. The recent Operation Midnight Hammer featured more than 30 hours of flight and multiple refuelings.
Obituary
National news outlets reported early Tuesday that former Vice President Richard (Dick) Cheney has died at age 84.
The Wyoming native served as vice president to President George W. Bush for eight years after serving in Congress and in high-level positions, including secretary of defense and chief of staff, for various Republican administrations, Fox News reported.
According to published reports, Cheney died Monday from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease. Cheney, who had a history of heart trouble, underwent a heart transplant in 2012. The former vice president and Washington insider was considered an influential and controversial figure, having been in office during the 9/11 attacks on the United States and the Iraq war. Cheney is also often cited for his role in persuading the George W. Bush White House to invade Iraq in 2003, CNN reported.