News
US sending patrol boats to help Ukraine control its rivers
Vessels plus Harpoons could also help defend Odesa port, defense official says.
Shift to air defense war in Ukraine prompts US to rethink aid
The attempt by Ukraine to hold the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk ended June 23 as the Biden administration announced another $450 million in military aid, including four additional HIMARS rocket systems, to help strike Russian artillery as unmanned aerial systems have grown ineffective against Russian air defenses.
Russia strikes Kyiv as G7 summit opens
President Biden said the world’s wealthiest democracies would ban imports of Russian gold. Moscow unleashed missiles at Ukraine’s capital. Here’s the latest.
Business
Vehicle makers court Europe’s militaries with hybrid, electric rides
In the past, military vehicles just needed to roll; now, they must come equipped with complex communications systems, radars, lasers, jammers, and other electronic systems, turning battlefield rides into mobile power stations.
Raytheon, Northrop advance in competition to develop hypersonic weapons interceptor
Raytheon Technologies and Northrop Grumman have each won contracts to continue developing hypersonic weapons interceptors in a Missile Defense Agency-led competition, according to a June 24 Pentagon contract announcement.
Boeing wants more money for new Air Force One, USAF official says
The company is looking for loopholes in its $4 billion contract.
Defense
Austin vows to maintain military’s access to abortion despite end of Roe
The Defense Department will ensure that service members, their families and civilian employees have access to reproductive health care in the wake of a Supreme Court decision June 24 to end the constitutional protection for abortion, the Pentagon said.
Army drops requirement for high school diploma amid recruiting crisis
The Army is tossing its mandate for potential recruits to have a high school diploma or GED certificate to enlist in the service, in one of the most dramatic moves yet in the escalating recruiting crisis hitting the entire Defense Department.
The congressional fight to scrap littoral combat ships isn’t over
Congress appears poised to save five littoral combat ships from an early retirement, but the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee says the effort to ditch the ships is not yet over.
House lawmakers ask Army: Who’s in charge of massive modernization program?
After a directive confused some lawmakers, a provision in the NDAA threatens to nullify a potential shake-up of the Army’s acquisition bureaucracy if representatives don’t receive additional information about who’s doing what.
Veterans
Major veterans’ toxic exposure legislation delayed again, but lawmakers insist it’s not defeat
Procedural issues scuttled a planned vote this week to finalize legislation that would dramatically expand benefits for veterans facing toxic exposure injuries from their time in the service, but congressional leaders insist the issues can be resolved and legislation passed in coming weeks.
Considerations for veterans when picking a college
Finding a school that fits what a veteran wants to study and provides the proper infrastructure to help them with the process is essential for veterans to get the most out of their higher education.
