Air Force Reveals Tests of supposed record-setting scramjet engine from Northrop Grumman. Ran for 30 minutes at speeds above Mach 4. When things are going well, there doesn’t seem to be much reluctance to release test information. If it were Mach 5 you’d be sure they’d say it. People naturally want to take credit for good work. There is something suspicious about a derth of information, and what it implies about performance.
Peter Levine: Can the pentagon save its way to better management?
Revolving door watch: Former Defense Secretary James Mattis returns to General Dynamics’ board
The wiser side of Congress: Congress demands the army put its plans to gut its underappreciated naval fleed on hold. Of course, one could say that naval vessels like support, landing craft, etc., are part of the Navy’s mission. The Army would happily reallocate the funds to new technologies, but if they lose the mission, Congress would have to transfer the budget to the Navy to match the responsibility.
Lockheed space exec talks future space endeavors.
The total cost of the F-35 program grew by $25 billion in 2018—or about $95 billion when adjusting for inflation. That huge difference between constant and then year dollars tells you we’re talking over a very long timeframe. A slice: “The CAPE office estimates that operations and sustainment grew by $9.7 billion (or $12 billion when including inflation), but the JPO said O&S decreased by $23.1 billion (or $8.5 billion when including. inflation).”
Why Dave Norquist is the perfect choice for DOD’s deputy secretary.
The Air Force twice stopped accepting the tanker after discovering debris that ranged from zip ties, electrical tape and washers to nuts and even tools.
Inhofe credits SASC for moving thousands of Pentagon nominations, expects more in September.
The Pentagon’s top technology expert defended Wednesday his decision to move the Strategic Capabilities Office under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. “Put another way: Should the DARPA move happen, the SCO will have gone from reporting directly to the secretary of defense in early 2018 to reporting to the director of DARPA, who reports to the deputy R&E, who reports to the R&E head, who reports to the defense secretary.”
Large Surface Combatant (LCS) slip. The Navy might buy a DDG-51 flight IV to fill the gap, and keep on its 355-ship building program timeline… “previous documents from the Pentagon showed LSC acquisition beginning in Fiscal Year 2023, following heel-to-toe behind the end of the current contract for Flight III DDGs that ends in 2022.” Probably a good hedge considering Flight III had restart costs associated with the unanticipated failure of the DDG-1000.
Leave a Reply