Gordon England has been serving as the Acting Deputy Defense Secretary since May 2005, but he also retained his leadership of the Navy. On Dec. 29, England formally resigned as Secretary of the Navy. The new Navy Boss, Donald Winter—confirmed by the Senate on Nov. 10—takes up the mantle today. For the five day interim, the Navy’s Deputy Secretary, Dionel M. Aviles, served as Acting Secretary.
The U.S. has approved a $310.5 million Foreign Military Sale to provide Ukraine with maintenance and training for its F-16 fighter jets, the State Department announced May 2. Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force has been sending retired F-16s to Ukraine to be used for spare parts.