Daily Report

May 13, 2013

Breedlove Assumes Command in Europe

Gen. Philip Breedlove last week took charge of US European Command during a ceremony at the command’s headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. Breedlove, who previously oversaw Air Force units in Europe, succeeded Adm. James Stavridis, who led the command since summer...

New START Decisions Eyed for Year’s End

Decisions on how the United States will structure its strategic nuclear arsenal to comply with the New START agreement “look like they will be made at the end of this calendar year,” Madelyn Creedon, assistant secretary of defense for global...

Not Resolved Yet

The Obama Administration continues to study US nuclear deterrence requirements and operational plans in a follow-on effort to the 2010 nuclear posture review, said Madelyn Creedon, assistant secretary of defense for global strategic affairs, last week. “The analysis is not...

Cost is Not the Driving Issue

The quality of the imagery products and not relative operating costs is the main reason the Air Force wants to divest its RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 30 fleet in favor of keeping U-2 surveillance airplanes in service for longer, Chief...

Still the Plan, Fort Smith

Plans remain in place to start transitioning the Arkansas Air National Guard’s 188th Fighter Wing in Fort Smith this fiscal year from flying A-10 ground-attack jets to operating MQ-9 remotely piloted aircraft and executing additional roles, said Air Force Chief...

Hagel Outlines Middle East Policy

The three issues shaping current US Middle East strategy are the US relationship with Israel, the ongoing civil war in Syria, and Iran’s “destabilizing” influence in the region, said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel last week. Speaking on May 9 at...

B-52 Digital Upgrade Advances

Boeing announced receipt of a $76 million contract to continue work on the Combat Network Communications Technology program that is adding new digital displays and communications systems to the Air Force’s B-52 bombers. The contract covers low-rate initial production of...

New Defense Health Agency Slated for October Launch

The Pentagon’s new Defense Health Agency is slated to stand up on Oct. 1, according to a Defense Department release. The new organization, which supersedes the Tricare management activity, will be responsible for shared health care support services, such as...

Looking Beyond Afghanistan for Special Operations

The next Quadrennial Defense Review offers an opportunity for reshaping US special operations forces to address a wider range of issues, including weapons of mass destruction proliferation and anti-access, area-denial challenges, according to a new Center for Strategic and Budgetary...