News
US to increase weapons deployment to counter North Korea
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Jan. 31 said the United States will increase its deployment of advanced weapons such as fighter jets and bombers to the Korean Peninsula as it strengthens joint training and operational planning with South Korea in response to a growing North Korean nuclear threat.
US Army goes virtual to help Ukraine maintain weapons
The first M777 howitzers arrived in Ukraine less than two months after Russia invaded Ukraine.†
Russia says it will fast-track testing of tank-killing robot in Ukraine
Russia warns that western tanks should be “prepared for their destruction.”
Business
Capella Space creates US government-focused subsidiary
Capella Space, a Colorado-based satellite imagery company, said it created a wholly owned subsidiary called Capella Federal to help meet the “heightened security and facility clearance needs” of U.S. government customers.
LeoLab’s newest space tracking radar expands Indo-Pacific coverage
“More geographic coverage helps revisit rates, so we see satellites more frequently. Which is quite critical,” LeoLabs CEO Dan Ceperley told Breaking Defense.
Workforce woes are top ‘strategic challenge’ for Navy, admiral says
The U.S. Navy and its suppliers have thousands of open jobs at government repair yards and in the private shipbuilding and ship repair industrial base, as hiring and retaining skilled workers has become “our No. 1 strategic challenge across the enterprise,” according to the head of Naval Sea Systems Command.
General Atomics’ air-launched ‘Eaglet’ gets its wings
A General Atomics Aeronautical Systems-developed unmanned aerial system flew for the first time, launching from another UAS in a demonstration at Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah.
Sweden eyes next-gen, hybrid CV-90 infantry fighting vehicle
The commander of the Swedish Army told Breaking Defense he’s looking forward to “kick-starting” development for the next, next BAE-made CV-90.
Defense
Space Force chief calls for tighter link between operators and buyers
As the Space Force invests in simulators and ranges to improve its testing and training enterprise, the service’s top officer wants to ensure that operators have a hand in shaping those capabilities.
US hypersonic missile passes test, puts ‘exclamation point’ on development program
The U.S. has successfully tested another hypersonic missile, bringing the military a step closer to having an operational version of the weapon in its arsenal, developers said.
Navy nears operational capability on LCS counter-mine mission package
The U.S. Navy is close to declaring initial operational capability on its second and final Littoral Combat Ship mission package, the mine countermeasures package, as it awaits a final report from the service’s test and evaluation office.
GAO finds Navy ships having more problems, less steaming time over past decade
Navy officials told GAO that supply chain shortages, worsened by COVID-19, have only made things more difficult.
F-35s deploy to Greenland for first time, operate from Thule
Four Air Force F-35s deployed to Thule Air Base in Greenland in January, operating from the U.S.ís northernmost base for the first time.
Veterans
Lawmakers demand fixes in VA health records before any more rollouts
Veterans Affairs leaders would be blocked from deploying the department’s new electronic health records system at any additional medical centers until significant safeguards are put in place, under legislation introduced Jan. 31 by House Republicans.
VA pays $201 million in retro benefits to ‘blue water’ vets under 2020 court ruling
The Department of Veterans Affairs shelled out about $201 million in retroactive benefits over the past two years to nearly 7,000 “blue water” Navy Vietnam War veterans and their survivors in connection to exposure to Agent Orange, a veterans’ advocacy group said Jan. 30.
VA to Congress: Keep pandemic rule allowing prescriptions across state lines
As Congress and the Biden administration eye the end of national and public health emergency measures taken to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Veterans Affairs is asking to keep the authority to conduct telehealth appointments and prescribe medications across state lines.
