The LCS failure is starting to hit mainstream news: The Navy spent $30B and 16 years to fight Iran with a littoral combat ship that doesn’t work. Recommended. Didn’t know this bit: “The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act currently being debated on Capitol Hill includes funding to build three more littoral combat ships than the Navy wanted.”
“The T5’s main job will be to further test whether Skunk Work’s basic [fusion] reactor design can handle the heat and pressure from the highly energized plasma inside, which is central to how the system works.” Its scheduled to go online at the end of 2019. Interesting visualizations at the link.
“Chinese scientists have achieved a series of breakthroughs in stealth materials technology that they claim can make fighter jets and other weaponry lighter, cheaper to build and less vulnerable to radar detection.” The story is from the South China Morning Post, the link is posted at the Political Crossfire blog.
More on China Scare: China #1 in quantum entanglement, teleports object 300 miles. Here’s what it could mean: “This work establishes the first ground-to-satellite up-link for faithful and ultra-long-distance quantum teleportation, an essential step toward global-scale quantum Internet.”
ComNavOps: Navy Flight Hours Slashed. “… non-deployed east coast P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol squadrons will see a 10% flight hour reduction, non-deployed MH-60R/s helo detachments will see a 25% reduction in flight hours.”
Basic intro to US Navy ship types.
Army Futures Command is ready for prime time.
Bloomberg has reported that the Pentagon is faulting Boeing for continuing quality, management and other deficiencies in the production of F-15s and F/A-18 fighters at its St Louis production facility.
USAF to proceed with next-gen area attack weapon production. It will soon issue an RFP to manufacture the BLU-136/B warhead.
“Presumptive Defense Secretary Mark Esper says flatly the F-35 “is not expected” to meet the 80 percent readiness goal set for it this year because of problems with a… special coating on the F-35 canopy that enables the aircraft to maintain its stealth.” Even if that’s what’s on the critical path, something tells me there is a slew of other supply problems right behind it. Link is here.
Related: Scandal? the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation Claims His Colleagues Are Lying About the F-35’s Problems. That’s interesting considering the latest DOT&E report on the F-35 is much shorter and less informative than it has been in years. Nevertheless, it is good to hear that some DOT&E is doing some minor criticism. Still, would like to see some real accountability. Here are some highlights from the memo:
- Critical delays faced by the final version of the F-35 software.New delays in live-fire testing of the aircraft’s gun.
- Inadequate wing strength of the F-35C (the U.S. Navy carrier variant of the aircraft) when carrying the AIM-9X Sidewinder short range air-to-air missile.
- Excessive F-35C vertical oscillations (or shaking), experienced by the aircraft during catapult shots from aircraft carriers.
- Symbols on the Rockwell Collins F-35 Generation III Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) “unusable and unsafe” to perform air-to-ground missions.
And here is a good POGO podcast update on the F-35.
Uh oh: US government is running out of money faster than expected, Mnuchin warns.
Pretty cool: Coast Guard releases video of $232 million cocaine bust on moving submarine.
JEDI saga update: Trump expressed concerns about Pentagon cloud-computing contract.
Premature? Lockheed Martin gets $125M for integration of combat system elements into future frigate
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