In another Thursday night vote, the Senate approved the nomination of James Clapper to be director of national intelligence, overseeing the nation’s 16 major intel organizations. Clapper, a retired Air Force lieutenant general with years of experience in the intelligence realm, succeeds Dennis Blair, who resigned from the position in May. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) earlier this week had temporarily blocked Clapper’s vote, pending receipt of a classified intelligence report that was subsequently provided. Clapper previously served as under secretary of defense for intelligence. (For more, see Politico report and Associated Press report.)
A new Navy missile could fill a long-range air-to-air need for the U.S. Air Force’s fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation fighters. The Navy’s portfolio acquisition executive for munitions posted information on the AIM-424 Long Range Air-to-Air Missile online on Aug. 22, the same day it unveiled the project at the service’s…