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Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Expected to Depart Amid Tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll Expected to Depart Amid Tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll is reportedly expected to leave his position by the end of the year. This anticipated departure comes amidst growing tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Army is currently operating without a Senate-confirmed permanent chief of staff, as Hegseth removed General Randy George from that role in April without public explanation. General Christopher LaNeve, the Army's vice chief of staff, is currently serving as acting chief of staff. During his tenure, Driscoll, alongside General George, championed the integration of new technologies and lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine. Private companies committed over $25 billion to projects linked to Army bases under Driscoll's leadership. President Trump has publicly commended Driscoll's work.
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China Explores Laser Weapons for Sixth-Generation Fighter Jets to Counter Missiles

China Explores Laser Weapons for Sixth-Generation Fighter Jets to Counter Missiles

China is investigating the integration of laser weapons into its sixth-generation fighter jets, potentially enabling them to defend against incoming missiles. This development was hinted at during the 14th China International Defence Electronics Exhibition in Beijing, held from September 15 to 17. The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Beijing Precision Engineering Institute for Aircraft Industry showcased details of a 'fighter aircraft laser-weapon tracking and aiming system.' According to social media posts, the display indicated that the system weighs less than 380kg (838lbs). While some key performance figures, such as transmission power and dynamic tracking accuracy, were partially obscured or redacted, the listed transmission power of '*00kW' suggests a capability of at least 100kW. This public display offers the strongest indication yet of China's progress in developing airborne laser systems for advanced fighter aircraft.
ReutersReuters
Lockheed Martin reveals new secret missile, fast tracks production

Lockheed Martin reveals new secret missile, fast tracks production

By Mike Stone WASHINGTON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - Lockheed Martin unveiled on Thursday details of a next-generation air-to-air missile developed to counter threats from China and a new agreement with the Defense Department to boost production as the Pentagon rebuilds munitions stockpiles. 
Savannah Morning NewsSavannah Morning News
WWII veteran Walter Okrongley gets French honor

WWII veteran Walter Okrongley gets French honor

WWII veteran Walter D. Okrongley receives France's Legion of Honor at a ceremony in Pooler this Monday.
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Lockheed Martin's Legion Sensor System Enhances Situational Awareness for U.S. Air Force with New Data Link

Lockheed Martin's Legion Sensor System Enhances Situational Awareness for U.S. Air Force with New Data Link

Lockheed Martin's Legion sensor system recently completed a successful flight test in Tucson, Arizona, demonstrating a new dedicated data link between pods. This advancement, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Test Center (AATC), allows pilots to establish near-instantaneous engagement solutions for multiple airborne targets. The tests involved two F-16s equipped with Legion sensor systems, enhanced with a pre-production version of HiveLink, a data link developed by L3Harris. During the flights from Morris Air National Guard Base, the pods successfully connected via HiveLink, significantly increasing track accuracy by leveraging shared data. This capability is designed to provide faster and more accurate situational awareness, particularly in radar-denied and contested environments. The Legion system, which builds on Lockheed Martin’s legacy IRST systems with over 300,000 flight hours on F-14 and F-15 platforms, features an open-architecture design that enable...
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Bipartisan Lawmakers Advocate for Posthumous Medal of Honor for SFC Alwyn Cashe

Bipartisan Lawmakers Advocate for Posthumous Medal of Honor for SFC Alwyn Cashe

A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including retired Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), former Green Beret Michael Waltz (R-FL), and Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), formally requested the upgrade of Sergeant First Class Alwyn Cashe's Silver Star to the Medal of Honor. This request was made on October 17, 2019, the fourteenth anniversary of the incident where Cashe, despite being soaked in fuel and on fire, repeatedly re-entered a burning Bradley Fighting Vehicle to rescue his soldiers in Iraq. Cashe later died from his burns on November 8, 2005. The effort to upgrade his medal faced a significant hurdle: a federal law requiring the Medal of Honor to be awarded within five years of the act. Defense Secretary Mark Esper supported the upgrade in August 2020, contingent on Congress waiving this five-year bar. Representative Murphy subsequently introduced HR 8276, a waiver bill, which passed the House unanimously on September 22, 2020. President Trump signed the waiver into law in December 2020 as part of the annual defense...
Rolling StoneRolling Stone
The Military’s Bogus AI ‘Almost Started a War’ With China: Report

The Military’s Bogus AI ‘Almost Started a War’ With China: Report

Troops were about to board a Chinese ship before the Pentagon realized they had false intel, according to CNN
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General Atomics Prepared to Meet U.S. Air Force Autonomous Aircraft Production Goals

General Atomics Prepared to Meet U.S. Air Force Autonomous Aircraft Production Goals

General Atomics has declared its readiness to meet the U.S. Air Force's ambitious production targets for autonomous aircraft. Mike Shortsleeve, Vice President of Strategic Development at General Atomics, stated at AFA's Air, Space and Cyber conference in National Harbor, Maryland, that the company's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) line is fully tooled and operational. The Air Force aims to deploy 1,000 new autonomous aircraft by 2032, with an equal split between Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) and CCAs. The initial target includes 100 MMAs by 2029. Shortsleeve highlighted the company's past experience with MQ-9 Reaper production, where they built an aircraft every three days at peak, as a testament to their capability to achieve these new goals. General Atomics is proposing its Wildfire design for the MMA competition, demonstrating confidence in its skilled workforce and existing infrastructure to scale production effectively.
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USAF Considers Restarting C-17 Production Amidst Future Airlift Vision Assessment

USAF Considers Restarting C-17 Production Amidst Future Airlift Vision Assessment

The U.S. Air Force is evaluating the feasibility of resuming production of the C-17 Globemaster III cargo plane as part of its evolving plans for next-generation airlift capabilities. This assessment comes as the service also explores various concepts for future aerial refueling, including stealthy and uncrewed tankers. Lt. Gen. Daniel Tulley, head of Air Mobility Command (AMC), confirmed that all options are on the table for replacing the C-17 and C-5M Galaxy, with a target for a single Next-Generation Airlift (NGAL) platform by the mid-2040s. The C-17 production line was closed by Boeing in 2015. The Air Force is investigating whether the machinery and dies for C-17 production have been stored and what the associated costs would be to restart the line. This inquiry is part of an Analysis of Alternatives, which will also consider potential technological upgrades to a new C-17 variant, such as enhanced self-defense and network connectivity, to meet modern operational requirements.
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Mississippi State University Co-Hosts Inaugural Magnolia Crucible Forum with FBI and National Guard on National Security

Mississippi State University Co-Hosts Inaugural Magnolia Crucible Forum with FBI and National Guard on National Security

Mississippi State University (MSU) recently co-hosted the inaugural Magnolia Crucible forum alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Mississippi National Guard. This two-day event, held at Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center, focused on national security and military readiness. The forum and exercise brought together military personnel, law enforcement officials, academic experts, and industry partners. Its primary objective was to test and integrate emerging unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and counter-UAS technologies. Key attendees included Jeffery Gonzales, Mississippi Cyber Initiative cyber range engineer; Shelly Hollis, MSU Center for Cyber Education director; George Trawick, MSU Center for Cyber Innovation director; Jim Martin, MSU associate vice president of Corporate Engagement and Economic Development; Brian Locke, MSU assistant police chief; Bryan Farrell, MSU Raspet Flight Research Laboratory director; Brigadier General Jamie Hankins, Mississippi National Guard Joint Staf...
AP NewsAP News
US troops must prepare to fight around the moon, Trump's top military adviser says

US troops must prepare to fight around the moon, Trump's top military adviser says

The U.S. military is preparing for combat in space, including areas around the moon
ReutersReuters
Explainer-How Yemen's Houthis went from a small mountain militia to a big regional threat

Explainer-How Yemen's Houthis went from a small mountain militia to a big regional threat

LONDON, Sept 17 (Reuters) - A lightning advance by Yemen's Houthi group has brought the vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait under its control, making the once ragged highland militia a regional player with global clout.