Page 7 - Us Pentagon

US stealth destroyer to house first hypersonic weapon on navy warship

The US Navy is transforming a costly flub into a potent weapon with the first shipborne hypersonic weapon, which is being retrofitted aboard the first of its three stealthy destroyers. The USS Zumwalt is at a Mississippi shipyard where workers have installed missile tubes that replace twin turrets from a gun system that was never activated because it was too expensive. Once the system is complete, the Zumwalt will provide a platform for conducting fast, precision strikes from greater distances, adding to the usefulness of the warship. It was a costly blunder but the Navy could take victory from the jaws of defeat here, and get some utility out of them by making them into a hypersonic platform, said Bryan Clark, a defense analyst at the Hudson Institute. The US has had several types of hypersonic weapons in development for the past two decades, but recent tests by both Russia and China have added pressure to the US military to hasten their production. Hypersonic weapons travel beyon

Why Trump's Pentagon pick Pete Hegseth seen as potential 'insider threat'

Fox News personality and Army National Guard veteran Pete Heseth has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump as Defence Secretary, his association with military extremism raises concerns

Trump likely to name a loyalist as Pentagon chief after tumultuous 1st term

President-elect Donald Trump's choice for defence secretary is still up in the air, but it is a sure bet he will look to reshape the Pentagon and pick a loyalist. During his tumultuous first term, five men held the job as Pentagon chief only to resign, be fired or serve briefly as a stopgap. While he has yet to announce a decision, the names of potential Pentagon chiefs stretch from the well-known such as Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee to an array of former administration loyalists, including retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who held national security posts during Trump's first term. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had been floated, but Trump said on social media Saturday that Pompeo would not be joining the new administration. Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida had also been mentioned, but he's now been tapped to be Trump's national security adviser. Some decisions may linger for days as candidates jostle for attention and officials wait for the

Pentagon allows US contractors to repair weapons in Ukraine during war

The Pentagon is easing restrictions to allow a small number of private American defense contractors to work inside Ukraine, helping repair and maintain equipment, U.S. officials said Friday. The contractors will be far away from the front lines during Russia's invasion and will not be taking part in combat, the officials said. The department is soliciting bids now, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal decisions. Ukraine has been receiving billions of dollars worth of American weapons and equipment over the past two years, including a number of sophisticated systems. For much of that time, U.S. and allied troops have been providing real-time maintenance advice using phones and tablets to communicate in encrypted chatrooms with Ukrainian forces. Officials said the Pentagon is allowing the contractors to go because some equipment including F-16 fighter jets and air defense systems requires high-tech expertise to repair. Using the contractors, th

Boeing cleaned up on Air Force parts, including soap dispensers: Pentagon

Boeing overcharged the Air Force nearly USD 1 million for spare parts on C-17 cargo planes, including an 8,000 per cent markup for simple lavatory soap dispensers, according to the Pentagon's inspector general. The Defense Department's auditor reviewed prices paid for 46 spare parts on the C-17 from 2018 to 2022 and found that 12 were overpriced and nine seemed reasonably priced. It couldn't determine the fairness of prices on the other 25 items. The Office of the Inspector General said it reviewed the soap dispenser prices after getting a hotline tip. Boeing disputed the findings. We are reviewing the report, which appears to be based on an inapt comparison of the prices paid for parts that meet aircraft and contract specifications and designs versus basic commercial items that would not be qualified or approved for use on the C-17," Boeing said in a statement. We will continue to work with the OIG and the US Air Force to provide a detailed written response to the report in the .

Pentagon chief warns Iran of 'serious consequences' if it attacks Israel

Israel and the US have promised to retaliate against Tehran as fears of a wider war intensify

US to sell anti-submarine warfare sonobuoys to India: Pentagon to Congress

The US has decided to sell High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare (HAASW) sonobuoys worth USD 52.8 million to India, a move that would enhance New Delhi's capacity to conduct anti-submarine warfare operations. Sonobuoys are air-launched, expendable, electro-mechanical sensors designed to relay underwater sounds to remote processors. These are effective and affordable antisubmarine warfare (ASW) that are capable of being used by airborne ASW warfighters. The proposed sale will improve India's capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing its capacity to conduct anti-submarine warfare operations from its MH-60R helicopters. India will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said in a notification to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week. As per the Arms Export Control Act, Congress has 30 calendar days to review the sale. According to the Congressional notification, India had requested to buy ...

Pentagon signs agreement with MoD for supply of defence equipment

India and US also ink 'Memorandum of Agreement regarding the Assignment of Liaison Officers'

US relationship with India remains one of great importance: Pentagon

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to host his Indian counterpart, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, at the Pentagon on August 23. The relationship with India remains one of great importance. It's one of great importance to the Indo-Pacific as well. There's a visit coming up and when we have more to share on that, we certainly will, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters at a news conference here on Thursday. During the meet, the two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of bilateral and regional issues, as well as ways to strengthen ties between the world's two largest democracies. Sabrina Singh did not share details of the meeting, saying I'm not going to get ahead of the secretary or any meetings that he's doing. As always, we will have a readout of his meeting. I just don't have more to provide on the front end, but we will on the back end, as we always do, she added. The Pentagon official underscored that India and the US share a very strong .

Hackers leak documents from US Pentagon's IT provider Leidos, probe begins

Leidos recently learned of the issue and believes the documents were stolen in a previously disclosed breach of a Diligent Corp. system it used, said the person, who asked not to be identified

Pentagon expresses concern at growing China, Russia cooperation in Arctic

China has its eye on mineral resources and new shipping routes as ice packs recede with rising temperatures

More investments required in Arctic to keep up with Russia, China: Pentagon

The US Defense Department must invest more to upgrade sensors, communications and space-based technologies in the Arctic to keep pace with China and Russia who are increasingly operating there, including in joint military exercises, a new Pentagon strategy says. Saying that now is a critical time for the Arctic, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks told reporters Monday that climate change, increased activity by adversaries and degrading US infrastructure are forcing the department to rethink how to keep the Arctic secure and ensure troops are well-equipped and protected. The Arctic strategy is short on specifics, but broadly pushes for greater spending on high-tech sensor and radar systems, a range of military equipment, and continued investment in Pituffik Space Base, the US Space Force base in the northwest corner of Greenland. And it relies on growing partnerships with Canada and a number of NATO allies in the north. Defense Department leaders have, for more than the past ...

US will continue to view India as its strategic partner: Pentagon

The United States will continue to view India as a strategic partner and have robust dialogue with the country, the Pentagon said on Tuesday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his historic visit to Russia, to which the Joe Biden administration has expressed its concerns. "India and Russia have had a relationship for a very long time. From a US perspective, India is a strategic partner with whom we continue to engage in with full and frank dialogue to include their relationship with Russia. As it relates to the NATO summit being this week, of course, like you, the world is focused on that," Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder told reporters at a news conference here. "But I do not think anybody will be surprised if (Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin tries to represent this visit in a way that seeks to somehow show that he is not isolated from the rest of the world. And the fact of the matter is, President Putin's war of choice has isolated Russia from the rest of

Ukraine's defence minister to hold discussions with Austin: Pentagon

President Joe Biden's administration has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion in military aid since 2022

US, Russia defense chiefs speak amid rising tensions over Crimea attack

Belousov warned Austin of the dangers of continued US arms supplies to Ukraine in the 28-month-old war

Blue Origin, SpaceX, ULA picked for Pentagon rocket launch contracts

The US Space Force, which manages the launch procurement program, said Blue Origin received $5 million to provide an assessment of how it will meet the Pentagon's launch requirements

US to sell F-16 parts worth $300 mn to Taiwan amid China threats

The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that the US Department of State had cleared two possible sales to Taiwan of F-16 parts and supporting equipment, valued at a total of USD 300 million for Taiwan.

Pentagon chief extends deployment of aircraft carrier, ships in Red sea

The US Navy aircraft carrier strike group that for months has launched crucial strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen to protect military and commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden will remain in the region for at least another month, according to US officials. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin signed the order last week to extend the four ships' deployment for a second time, rather than bring the carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, and its three warships home. The other ships in the strike group are the USS Philippine Sea, a cruiser, and two destroyers, the USS Gravely and the USS Mason. All together they include about 6,000 sailors. The decision means the sailors and the carrier's Air Wing won't be home until the middle of the summer, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision not made public. The officials declined to provide exact dates. A normal ship deployment lasts for about seven months, and the ships left their homepo

US pauses bomb shipment to Israel on concerns over Rafah invasion

The US paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that the country was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the US, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday. The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (225-kilogram) bombs, according to the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The focus of US concern was the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban setting like Rafa where more than 1 million civilians are sheltering after evacuating other parts of Gaza amid Israel's war on Hamas, which came after the militant group's deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Austin confirmed the weapons delay, telling the Senate Appropriations Defence subcommittee that the US paused one shipment of high payload munitions. We're going to continue to do what's necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself

As military chiefs meet, Pentagon stresses on protecting civilians in Gaza

US defence leaders pressed their Israeli counterparts Tuesday to ensure that any military operation in the southern city of Rafah unfold in phases to protect civilians and secure the delivery of aid, a senior Pentagon official said. Israel's defence minister was receptive, the official said, but it's not clear what impact the meeting will have on Israeli plans for Gaza or on growing tensions between the two nations. US leaders have consistently warned against a ground invasion of Rafah and pressed for an alternative, more precise operation. The senior defence official described the 90-minute meeting at the Pentagon as very productive and "really quite meaty", but demurred when asked if Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin sought to condition future US military aid to Israel on an improvement of the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Austin said the US will continue to stand up for Israel's right to defend itself in accordance with the law of armed conflict and international humanitarian law,