News Later Paper ISO

Lockheed Martin PrSM missile candidate launched on its third test flight. Photo: Lockheed Martin White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico: Lockheed Martin successfully tested today the long-range missile designed for the Army’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) program. It was the third and final flight demonstration the company delivered as part of the program’s Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction phase. Previous flights were tested in March and December last year were also successful. PrSM  was fired from Lockheed Martin’s  High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher and flew approximately 85 kilometers to the target area, culminating in a highly accurate and lethal warhead event. On previous tests the missile flew 270 and 180 km.  PrSM is designed for a minimum range of 60 km and a maximum range of “exceeding 499” km. “Today’s PrSM test, a highly stressful short-range shot, represents the third successful flight test proving the effectiveness, survivability, and

Russia is warning that any U.S. attempt to use a low-yield nuclear weapon against a Russian target would set off a massive nuclear response. The Russian foreign ministry was reacting to a State Department paper released last week that says placing low-yield nuclear weapons on ballistic missiles launched from submarines would counter what it sees as possible new threats from both Russia and China. Experts describe a low-yield weapon as the kind the United States dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. The State Department asserts that the low-yield weapons “reduce the risk of nuclear war by reinforcing extended deterrence and assurance.” It alleges Russia is considering using such nonstrategic nuclear arms in a limited war. Russia denies it is a threat to the U.S. and accuses Washington of “lowering the nuclear threshold.” “Any attack involving a U.S. submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), regardless of its weapon specifications, would be perceived as

Saab has delivered the first of five GlobalEye airborne early warning aircraft to the United Arab Emirates. This consists of a Saab Erieye Extended Range Radar and additional sensors fitted to Bombardier Global 6000 long-range aircraft. (Saab photo) Saab delivered the first GlobalEye Swing Role Surveillance System aircraft to the United Arab Emirates on 29 April 2020. The United Arab Emirates has ordered three GlobalEye aircraft, with the initial contract signed in late 2015. In November 2019 the country also announced its intention to complete a contract amendment for the purchase of an additional two systems. “The delivery of the first GlobalEye is a major milestone for Saab, but also an important step in the history of airborne early warning and control. We have set a new standard for the market and I am proud to say that we have delivered the most advanced airborne surveillance solution in the world to the United Arab Emirates”, says Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab.

CHICAGO --- The Boeing Company reported first-quarter revenue of $16.9 billion, GAAP loss per share of ($1.11) and core loss per share (non-GAAP)* of ($1.70), primarily reflecting the impacts of COVID-19 and the 737 MAX grounding (Table 1). Boeing recorded operating cash flow of ($4.3) billion. "The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting every aspect of our business, including airline customer demand, production continuity and supply chain stability," said Boeing President and CEO David Calhoun. "Our primary focus is the health and safety of our people and communities while we take tough but necessary action to navigate this unprecedented health crisis and adapt for a changed marketplace." As the pandemic continues to reduce airline passenger traffic, Boeing sees significant impact on the demand for new commercial airplanes and services, with airlines delaying purchases for new jets, slowing delivery schedules and deferring elective maintenance. To align the business for t

Russia is warning that any U.S. attempt to use a low-yield nuclear weapon against a Russian target would set off a massive nuclear response. The Russian foreign ministry was reacting to a State Department paper released last week that says placing low-yield nuclear weapons on ballistic missiles launched from submarines would counter what it sees as possible new threats from both Russia and China. Experts describe a low-yield weapon as the kind the United States dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II. The State Department asserts that the low-yield weapons “reduce the risk of nuclear war by reinforcing extended deterrence and assurance.” It alleges Russia is considering using such nonstrategic nuclear arms in a limited war. Russia denies it is a threat to the U.S. and accuses Washington of “lowering the nuclear threshold.” “Any attack involving a U.S. submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), regardless of its weapon specifications, would be perceived as a

Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon jets, based at RAF Lossiemouth, have today left for Lithuania to begin the UK’s latest NATO Air Policing mission. The 6 Squadron aircraft are deploying to Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania where they will carry out the Baltic Air Policing mission for the summer, along with the Spanish Air Force, who will be deploying F-18 fighters. This is a core UK defence task that the RAF is able to continue in addition to supporting the NHS, and other Government departments during the current COVID-19 Pandemic. Wing Commander Matt D’Aubyn, the Officer Commanding 6 Squadron RAF, said: “This deployment is the latest RAF contribution to NATO Air Policing. As one of four front-line Squadrons at RAF Lossiemouth, we routinely conduct UK-based Quick Reaction Alert – on standby 24/7 to defend the Nation’s skies. “The NATO Air Policing mission in the Baltics is very similar to UK QRA, and my pilots and supporting personnel are experienced operators when it comes to compl

Libya’s UN-recognized government on Wednesday protested over what it said was an unauthorized overflight of territory under its control by a French-built Rafale warplane. The Rafale and a refueling aircraft had flown over Misrata, 200 kilometers (120 miles) east of Tripoli, and Abu Grein, a combat zone further east, the Government of National Accord’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “The French foreign ministry indicated to us that it would contact the French defence ministry and give us details,” the GNA said. The GNA, which added it had voiced its “displeasure” over the incident, did not specify if the Rafale was operated by the French armed forces or another country’s military. The North African nation has been gripped by chaos since the 2011 ouster and killing of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival administrations in the east and west vying for power. France has repeatedly denied supporting eastern military strongman General Khalifa Haftar in his battle to disl

The new US Navy secretary announced a deeper investigation Wednesday into the crippling outbreak of coronavirus on a nuclear powered aircraft carrier that cost the job of the ship’s captain and the previous Navy chief. Acting Navy Secretary James McPherson said he still had questions about the case after last week’s preliminary report to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. The decision left undecided the fate of the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Brett Crozier, who was removed on April 2. Crozier allegedly broke his chain of command to make public the outbreak of dozens of cases of COVID-19 among the warship’s crew. The caseload has risen beyond 900 since he spoke out. “I have unanswered questions that the preliminary inquiry has identified and that can only be answered by a deeper review,” McPherson said in a statement. He said the probe would build on the inquiry to provide a “more fulsome understanding of the sequence of events, actions, and decisions of the chain of comm

Last summer, the Department of the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center Launch Enterprise requested a RAND Corp. study of the heavy lift launch market. The RAND study confirms the heavy lift launch market is unlikely to support more than two U.S. launch providers in the long term, and highlights the short term schedule risks of transitioning to new providers. The National Security Space Launch Phase 2 strategy assumes a limited market and mitigates much of the transition risk. The Department is pleased the RAND report supports the major elements of its National Security Space Launch strategy. "I thank RAND for the thorough analysis highlighting the risks we balanced in developing the next generation of launch vehicles. We had to take prudent steps to expeditiously end reliance on Russian propulsion systems while maintaining 100 percent mission success for critical National Security Space assets," said Dr. William Roper, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for

In response to COVID-19, the Department of the Air Force is posturing to identify and provide support to the space industrial base, assessing sectors most impacted by the pandemic while creating an environment where companies in need can compete fairly in the event of supplemental federal relief funds. "Our space industrial base is critical to our military and economy," said Dr. Will Roper, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics and U.S. Space Force Service Acquisition Executive. "The Space Force Acquisition Council held an emergency session to synchronize our response to fragile supply chains, at-risk workforces, and receding commercial markets and we'll continue to work with the Department of Defense and Congress to get additional help." Roper said the council directed a comprehensive survey go out to space industrial base sectors, including members and non-members of the Space Enterprise Consortium, several federally

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo vowed Wednesday to use all means available to extend a UN arms embargo on Iran, including working through a nuclear accord that President Donald Trump has trashed. A ban on selling conventional weapons to Iran ends in October under a 2015 Security Council resolution that blessed the denuclearization accord negotiated by former president Barack Obama. "We're not going to let that happen," Pompeo told a news conference. "In the event we can't get anyone else to act, the United States is evaluating every possibility about how we might do that." Pompeo said he would ask the UN Security Council to prolong the ban. But China and particularly Russia, which stand to win major new arms contracts with Iran, are certain to oppose an extension. They only agreed to the five-year ban in 2015 as a compromise reached with the Obama administration. There is one way to avoid a veto by China or Russia -- a participant in the nuclear deal

🇬🇮 The Royal Gibraltar Post Office  issued a set of 4 stamps on 30 April 2020 on the subject of local schools in Gibraltar. The photographs by Karl Ullger used for the designs by Stephen Perera do not show us particularly beautiful buildings so perhaps they are more functional than decorative. It may be that these are architectural masterpieces but the stamps do not convey that that would be the case. The designs also miss the point that a school is very much more than the building itself and what goes on inside is much more important that what it looks like from the outside. Having said that the point of the issue appears to be that the Gibraltar government has built some new schools in recent years and these stamps are issued to highlight the new places of education. The set was lithographed by Cartor. The total face value of the stamps is a rather expensive £7.82p. Rating:- **. 🇸🇬 Singapore Post has announced that all of its stamp issues planned for release in April and M

Saab delivered the first GlobalEye Swing Role Surveillance System aircraft to the United Arab Emirates on 29 April 2020. The United Arab Emirates has ordered three GlobalEye aircraft, with the initial contract signed in late 2015. In November 2019 the country also announced its intention to complete a contract amendment for the purchase of an additional two systems. “The delivery of the first GlobalEye is a major milestone for Saab, but also an important step in the history of airborne early warning and control. We have set a new standard for the market and I am proud to say that we have delivered the most advanced airborne surveillance solution in the world to the United Arab Emirates”, says Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab. GlobalEye is Saab’s new airborne early warning and control solution. It provides air, maritime and ground surveillance in a single solution. GlobalEye combines Saab’s new Erieye Extended Range Radar and a range of additional advanced sensors with th

Budget HASC chairman: DOD doesn't need more stimulus money By Lauren C. Williams Apr 29, 2020 Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the House Armed Services Committee chairman, told reporters DOD didn't need funds in a future stimulus package, during an April 29 Defense Writers Group virtual event. "We're going to have to spend a lot of money on this," Smith said about responding to the pandemic. "Good news: we have a lot of money. The defense bill last year was $738 billion plus we had a few odd billion for emergency construction." Smith said that DOD has needs that require funding but the organization should spend the money it already has to meet them. "I'm not saying there aren't needs in the Department of Defense to spend money, there absolutely are. I'm saying that the Department of Defense has a lot of money and they ought to spend that money to meet those needs," the chairman said. "There are clear needs in this country

AI & Analytics Opening up DOD's AI black box By Derek B. Johnson Apr 29, 2020 The Department of Defense is racing to test and adopt artificial intelligence and machine learning solutions to help sift and synthesize massive amounts of data that can be leveraged by their human analysts and commanders in the field. Along the way, it's identifying many of the friction points between man and machine that will govern how decisions are made in modern war. The Machine Assisted Rapid Repository System (MARS) was developed to replace and enhance the foundational military intelligence that underpins most of the department's operations. Like U.S. intelligence agencies , officials at the Pentagon have realized that data -- and the ability to speedily process, analyze and share it among components – was the future. Fulfilling that vision would take a refresh. "The technology had gotten long in the tooth," Terry Busch, a division chief at the Defense Intelligence Ag

Cyber Cyber Commission pushes defense bill as vehicle for implementation By Derek B. Johnson Apr 29, 2020 The Co-Chair of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission said that members and staff are targeting the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act as the most likely vehicle to pass a chunk of their final report's recommended policies into law. "Even in the worst-case scenario as far as coronavirus precluding our ability to convene Congress, we'll still move forward in one way or another," said Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) during an Apr. 22 webinar hosted by Palo Alto Networks. "We think there's probably about 30% of our recommendations that could be put into the NDAA process." Gallagher said the commission had carefully planned the report's rollout to build momentum for the implementation phase, but acknowledged the lockdowns and disruption caused by COVID-19 and its fallout have complicated those efforts. "We did not intend for [the ro

Personnel Pentagon plans to test all troops for COVID-19 By Lauren C. Williams Apr 29, 2020 The Pentagon hopes to test every active duty service member, including the National Guard and Reserves by the summer starting with those in critical areas, such as nuclear and missile systems. Air Force Gen. John Hyten, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters April 22 the Defense Department will begin shifting to a four-tiered testing system that prioritizes those in critical national capabilities areas. Tier One, Hyten said, would focus on national defense, such as operating and fielding missiles and nuclear weapons. The second tier includes "engaged fielded forces around the world" while the third tier includes forward-deployed and and redeploying forces. Tier Four will include the rest of the 1.4 million active duty forces, including the National Guard and Reserve. The most at-risk forces, such as mobilized doctors and nurses, are considered Tier Zer

IT Infrastructure Navy's future networks need rapid acquisitions, CIO says By Lauren C. Williams Apr 29, 2020 The Navy wants to rebuild its legacy networks but needs to speed up its acquisitions first, according to Aaron Weis, the military service's CIO. "The acquisition teams that we have, they know what they need to do. I think they're hamstrung by the process," Weis said during an April 21 FedInsider webinar. "How do we take acquisition teams who are technically skilled and trained and give them the freedom and accessibility to go apply that in a different mindset and a time frame?" Weis said that while there's awareness, the challenge resides with getting flexibility from Congress and with Navy budgets. "I think people are aware of this, it's a matter of getting the flexibility from the financial side but also from the congressional side to give us the flexibility to move at that speed," he said. Weis said the future netw

🇯🇪 The British offshore islands seem to compete with each other to issue stamps to commemorate various anniversaries of the writers of important British literature. Now Jersey Post , which issues far too many stamps, has announced that it will release a set of 8 stamps and 1 miniature sheet containing all 8 stamps to note the 150th anniversary of the death of perhaps the most important of then all, Charles Dickens. It’s a very attractive set based on lovely artwork depicting scenes from 8 of Dickens’ novels (sadly mostly the titles used have previously appeared on numerous stamps from various countries though Bleak House  is less frequently featured than some). The stamps were designed very pleasingly by Mark and Julie Wilkinson  and the date of issue is planned for 9 June 2020.   My main problem with this issue is that I cannot find any connection between Dickens and Jersey and in the pre-release publicity Jersey Post is only able to tell us that, “In Jersey, a production of a Ch

Defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. is on schedule for testing of its next-generation rocket, the OmegA, despite the challenges of operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, a company executive said. Northrop's OmegA program is the company's entry in a four-way competition with SpaceX, Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance to provide new launch services for military satellites. "We're fortunate to be in a position where we can keep working, despite some problems with obtaining materials from our supply chain," Charlie Precourt, Northrop's vice president and general manager of propulsion systems, said in an interview last week. Northrop employees in Utah are assembling the rocket while wearing protective gear. They also have built mock-ups of the rocket's components to test shipment and reception of the hardware at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Northrop workers modified part of NASA's huge Vehicle Assembly Building to accommodate the new rocke