The House version of the Fiscal 2015 defense authorization bill includes $220 million to develop an alternative to the Russian-made RD-180 engine, which powers United Launch Alliance rockets. In addition, the Senate Armed Services Committee’s mark of the Fiscal 2015 authorization bill prohibits “the use of Russian rocket engines on the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle at the end of the current block buy contract,” according to a release from Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), SASC chairman. The SASC mark also calls on the Defense Department to “pursue new domestic development in a world-class liquid rocket engine.” If enacted, the language becomes even more critical as tensions between the US and Russia over the RD-180 heat up. (Read the full report.)
The U.S., South Korea, and Japan flew an unusual trilateral flight with two U.S. B-52H Stratofortress bombers escorted by two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s, and two ROK Air Force KF-16 fighters—both countries’ respective variants of the F-16—July 11. That same weekend, the top military officers of the three nations…