Defense Secretary Robert Gates took the Administration’s new plan for Iraq on the road, holding discussions about both Iraq and Afghanistan with British officials, including Prime Minister Tony Blair, in London on Jan. 14. Gates then traveled to Belgium on Jan. 15 to meet with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer to talk primarily about Afghanistan. Gates called success for the alliance’s Afghan mission a “top priority.” He also planned to visit Afghanistan.
The Air Force has awarded a $29.7 million contract to engine startup Beehive Industries to complete work on a new disposable jet engine meant to power drones and munitions. The contract is just the latest step in the service’s effort to massively scale up production of cheap new missiles and…