Expecting less of ALIS

The Air Force is looking to see if it really needs the F-35’s Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) to do everything it was originally planned to do right away, Air Force Materiel Command chief Gen. Ellen Pawlikowski said Thursday. The...

HASC Passes NDAA

After a marathon markup session, the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act, which includes an amendment that would require women to register for the draft. The committee voted 32-30 to include...

CYBERCOM’s First Combat Operation

Defense Secretary Ash Carter recently directed US Cyber Command to make the fight against ISIS the command’s first major combat operation, and that has taken shape with “virtual isolation” around the group as air strikes isolate fighters on the battlefield....

Pentagon Releases Strategy Targeting Retaliation

The Pentagon on Thursday released a department-wide strategy aimed at preventing and responding to retaliation toward service members who have reported sexual assault or sexual harassment. The strategy proposes standardizing definitions, addresses the need to improve data collection and analysis,...

Working to Stop Retaliation

Two senators on Thursday introduced legislation that would make retaliation a specific offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, require special training for investigators who handle retaliation complaints, and require the Pentagon to collect and publish retaliation data. The...

Marine Officer Nominated to Lead AFRICOM

President Obama has nominated Marine Lt. Gen. Thomas Waldhauser to replace Army Gen. David Rodriguez as head of US Africa Command. Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Thursday congratulated Waldhauser for the nomination and his pending promotion to general. He has...

Another Failed North Korean Launch

North Korea reportedly failed to launch two more intermediate-range missiles this week, bringing the tally of recent unsuccessful launches to three. US Strategic Command systems detected and tracked the two attempted launches, at 4:43 p.m. Central Daylight Time on April...

Lawmakers Press DOD, Coalition to Target Assad

Some lawmakers are pushing for harsher action against Syrian President Bashar Assad, including possibly targeting the Syrian Air Force, a move military leadership is cautiously pushing back on. During a Thursday Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)...

Not in Kansas Anymore

Six KC-135s were forced to leave McConnell AFB, Kan., and find temporary refuge in the Inland Northwest due to projected severe weather. The Stratotankers landed at Fairchild AFB, Wash., on April 26, along with 36 aircrew and support personnel. The...

Saving Money in Space

SpaceX’s winning bid to launch the second GPS III satellite is about 40 percent cheaper than the government estimate for previous missions, Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center, told reporters Thursday. The contract award,...