As deadline nears, Senate approves $674 billion defense budget bill

On the same subject

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  June 14, 2018 | International, Land

  No more Army adviser brigades or amphib ships? This proposed report could radically change how the services fight

  A Senate committee is asking for a report that could radically alter the “roles and missions” of the services — especially the Army and Marine Corps. Senate bill 2987 calls for the services to put together this report by February. However, the bill is still in draft form and would require House agreement to become law. The proposal for the report suggests the Marine Corps could take over all counterinsurgency missions from the Army, thereby eliminating the newly established and deployed Security Force Assistance Brigades. The bill's authors instead want the Army to beef up its presence in the “great power competition” against Russia and China by increasing the size and strength of its vehicle fleet. The service would also use more drones and fewer manned aircraft to support ground units in the multi-domain fight. The Senate Armed Services Committee's request also calls for the services to conduct or provide the following: An assessment whether the joint force would benefit from having one service dedicated primarily to low-intensity missions, thereby enabling the others to focus more exclusively on advanced peer competitors. A detailed description of, and accompanying justification for, the total amount of forces required to perform the security force assistance mission and the planned geographic employment of such forces. A re-validation of the Army plan to construct six Security Force Assistance Brigades, and an assessment of the impact, if any, of such plan on the capability of the Army to perform its primary roles under the National Defense Strategy. An assessment whether the security force assistance mission would be better performed by the Marine Corps, and an assessment of the end strength and force composition changes, if any, required for the Marine Corps to assume such a mission. The analysis isn't limited to ground forces either. The SASC wants an assessment of the feasibility of current plans and investments by the Navy and Marine Corps to operate and defend their sea bases in contested environments. One assessment may strike deeply into current Marine Corps and Navy projects — amphibious connectors and the ships that carry them. SASC is asking the Pentagon to conduct the following: An assessment whether amphibious forced entry operations against advanced peer competitors should remain an enduring mission for the joint force considering the stressing operational nature and significant resource requirements of such missions. An assessment whether a transition from large-deck amphibious ships to small aircraft carriers would result in a more lethal and survivable Marine Corps sea base that could accommodate larger numbers of more diverse strike aircraft. An assessment of the manner in which an acceleration of development and fielding of longer-range, unmanned, carrier-suitable strike aircraft could better meet operational requirements and alter the requirement for shorter range, manned tactical fighter aircraft. Special operations forces would join the Army's shift back to fighting big militaries, getting out of the counterinsurgency business as well, according to the Senate proposal. Senators are seeking: A detailed assessment whether the joint special operations enterprise is currently performing too many missions worldwide, and whether any such missions could be performed adequately and more economically by conventional units. A detailed assessment whether the global allocation of special operations forces, and especially the most capable units, is aligned to the pacing threats and priority missions of the National Defense Strategy. A detailed description of the changes required to align the joint special operations enterprise more effectively with the National Defense Strategy. Additional reviews include the space mission, requirements for the KC-46 tanker aircraft, and logistics in contested environments. If approved, the Senate Armed Services Committee wants the report by Feb. 1. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/06/13/no-more-army-adviser-brigades-or-amphib-ships-this-proposed-report-could-radically-change-how-the-services-fight/

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  March 20, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  DOD Releases Fiscal Year 2020 Budget Proposal

  On March 11, 2019, President Donald J. Trump sent Congress a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Budget request of $750 billion for national security, $718.3 billion of which is for the Department of Defense (DoD). The FY 2020 Budget maintains momentum from the sustained funding increases enacted in FY 2017, FY 2018, and FY 2019 to repair damaged readiness, and the Budget marks a key next step in how we operationalize the 2018 National Defense Strategy. Deterring or defeating great power aggression is a fundamentally different challenge than the regional conflicts involving rogue states and violent extremist organizations we faced over the last 25 years. The FY 2020 Budget is a major milestone in meeting this challenge and resourcing the more lethal, agile, and innovative Joint Force America needs to compete, deter, and win in any high-end potential fight of the future by: investing in the emerging space and cyber warfighting domains; modernizing capabilities in the air, maritime, and land warfighting domains; innovating more rapidly to strengthen our competitive advantage; and sustaining our forces and building on our readiness gains. This budget is about projecting power through competitiveness, innovation, and readiness. It fully recognizes that future wars will be waged not just in the air, on the land, and at sea, but also in space and cyberspace, increasing the complexity of warfare. It modernizes capabilities across all warfighting domains to enhance lethality, including the largest ship building request in 20 years and the largest research and development request in 70 years, focusing on technologies needed for a high-end fight. This budget sustains our forces by funding a 3.1 percent military pay raise, the largest in a decade. Congressional approval of the FY 2020 Budget will help us meet current operational commitments and outpace the threats posed by China and Russia through maintaining our competitive advantage, even as DoD spending remains near a record low as a share of the U.S. economy. Specifically, the Department's FY 2020 budget builds the Joint Force's capacity and lethality by investing in: Cyber ($9.6 billion) Supports offensive and defensive cyberspace operations - $3.7 billion Reduces risk to DoD networks, systems, and information by investing in more cybersecurity capabilities - $5.4 billion Modernizes DoD's general purpose cloud environment - $61.9 million Space ($14.1 billion) Resources the initial establishment of the United States Space Force - $72.4 million 4 National Security Space Launch (aka EELV) - $1.7 billion 1 Global Positioning System III and Projects - $1.8 billion Space Based Overhead Persistent Infrared Systems - $1.6 billion Air Domain ($57.7B) 78 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters - $11.2 billion 12 KC-46 Tanker Replacements - $2.3 billion 24 F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets - $2.0 billion 48 AH-64E Attack Helicopters - $1.0 billion 6 VH-92 Presidential Helicopters - $0.8 billion 6 P-8A Aircraft - $1.5 billion 6 CH-53K King Stallion - $1.5 billion 8 F-15EX - $1.1 billion Maritime Domain: $34.7 billion and the largest budget request in more than 20 years for shipbuilding COLUMBIA Class Ballistic Missile Submarine - $2.2 billion 1 CVN-78 FORD Class Aircraft Carrier - $2.6 billion 3 Virginia Class Submarines - $10.2 billion 3 DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Destroyers - $5.8 billion 1 Frigate (FFG(X)) - $1.3 billion 2 Fleet Replenishment Oilers (T-AO) - $1.1 billion 2 Towing, Salvage, and Rescue Ship (T-ATS) - $0.2 billion 2 large unmanned surface vehicles - $447 million Ground Systems ($14.6 billion) 4,090 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles - $1.6 billion 165 M-1 Abrams Tank Modifications - $2.2 billion 56 Amphibious Combat Vehicles - $0.4 billion 131 Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles - $0.6 billion Multi-domain and nuclear triad ($31 billion) B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber - $3.0 billion Columbia Class Submarine - $2.2 billion Long-Range Stand-Off Missile - $0.7 billion Ground Based Strategic Deterrent - $0.6 billon The FY 2020 Budget funds preferred munitions at the maximum production rate. 40,388 Joint Direct Attack Munitions - $1.1 billion 10,193 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System - $1.4 billion 125 Standard Missile-6 - $0.7 billion 1,925 Small Diameter Bomb II - $0.4 billion 9,000 Hellfire Missiles - $0.7 billion 430 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile - $0.6 billion 48 Long Range Anti-Ship Missile - $0.2 billion Highlighting the enduring importance of missile defeat and defense, the FY 2020 Budget funds the sustainment of the surge in missile defense investment we undertook in FY 2018 and FY 2019, while also investing in Missile Defense Review efforts at $13.6 billion. The missile defeat and defense investments for FY 2020 include: 37 AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense (SM-3) with Install - $1.7 billion Support for Missile Defense Review (e.g., Land-Launched Conventional Prompt Strike, Extended Range Weapon, Space-based Discrimination Sensor Study) - $1.5 billion Ground Based Midcourse Defense - $1.7 billion 37 THAAD Ballistic Missile Defense - $0.8 billion 147 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancements - $0.7 billion The FY 2020 Budget continues the Department's emphasis on innovation and technology, which will enhance our competitive advantage. The Budget highlights emerging technology projects including: Unmanned / Autonomous projects to enhance freedom of maneuver and lethality in contested environments - $3.7 billion Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning investments to expand military advantage through the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) and Advanced Image Recognition - $927 million Hypersonics weapons development to complicate adversaries' detection and defense - $2.6 billion Directed Energy investment to support implementation of directed energy for base defense; enable testing and procurement of multiple types of lasers; and increase research and development for high-power density applications - $235 million The FY 2020 Budget increases the readiness, lethality, and agility of the Joint force by increasing our military end strength. Funds readiness to executable levels across services - $124.8 billion Total military end strength will increase from FY 2019 projected levels by approximately 7,700 in FY 2020 Active end strength will increase by approximately 6,200 from FY 2019 projected levels to FY 2020, with the largest increase in the Air Force Reserve Component end strength will increase by approximately 1,500 from FY 2019 projected levels to FY 2020, with the largest increase in the Army Guard and Reserve The FY 2020 Budget provides the largest military pay raise in 10 years and robust support to our most valued asset—our military members—and their families. The Budget: Provides a competitive compensation package Includes a 3.1 percent military pay raise Continues to modernize and transform our Military Health System Continues family support programs with investment of nearly $8 billion for: Spousal/community support Child care for over 180,000 children Youth programs serving over 1 million dependents DoD Dependent Schools educating over 76,000 students Commissary operations at 236 stores Facilities investment is a continuing area of emphasis. This funding: Supports the National Defense Strategy by investing in key operational and training facilities Enables timely maintenance of critical infrastructure Improves Quality-of-Life for Service Members and their families Provides funding for Marine Corps and Air Force hurricane-related facility repairs at Camp Lejeune and Tyndall Air Force Base The FY 2020 Budget contains critical funding for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) and an emergency budget request, totaling $173.8 billion, which is subject to the same congressional oversight requirements as the base budget. These pieces of the request are vital to our budget as a whole and our ability to support the National Defense Strategy. The FY 2020 OCO/Emergency request contains four categories: Direct War Requirements: Combat or combat support costs that are not expected to continue once combat operations end - $25.4 billion OCO for Enduring Requirements: Enduring in-theater and CONUS costs that will remain after combat operations end - $41.3 billion OCO for Base Requirements: Funding for base budget requirements in support of the National Defense Strategy, financed in the OCO budget due to the limits on base budget defense resources under the budget caps in current law - $97.9 billion Emergency Requirements: Funding for military construction for emergencies, to include border security and reconstruction efforts to rebuild facilities damaged by Hurricanes Florence and Michael - $9.2 billion Long-term strategic competitions with China and Russia are the principal priorities for the Department, and require both increased and sustained investment, because of the magnitude of the threats they pose to U.S. security and prosperity today, and the potential for those threats to increase in the future. 2018 National Defense Strategy The entire budget proposal and additional material are available at: http://www.defense.gov/cj. https://dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1782623/dod-releases-fiscal-year-2020-budget-proposal/source/GovDelivery/

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  August 7, 2019 | International, Land

  Elbit Systems Demonstrates an Innovative Armored Fighting Vehicle Operated by a Helmet Mounted Display

  Haifa, Israel, August 04, 2019 – Elbit Systems has concluded extensive testing and carried out a series of successful capability demonstrations of its innovative Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV), as part of the CARMEL Future Combat Vehicle project of the Israeli Ministry of Defense. The innovative AFV introduces a step change in the operational capability of combat vehicles. This is underpinned by applying autonomous capabilities and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accelerate decision making and facilitate target engagement with dramatically increased rapidity and accuracy. Using a Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) a crew of two warriors operates the AFV under closed hatches, further enhancing capabilities and survivability. The AFV successfully demonstrated its capacity to function as an independent high fire-power strike cell, as a networked station for multi-spectral sensing and information fusion, as well as a base platform for operating additional unmanned systems. The capabilities were exhibited by a technology demonstrator integrating a range of the Company's systems, among them: UT30 unmanned turret, Iron Vision HMD, a land robotic suite, TORCH Command & Control (C2) system, E-LynX software defined radios, SupervisIR terrain dominance system, MAY acoustic situational awareness system, AI applications, THOR Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) and Pioneer fighting Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV). The AFV is capable of performing key combat tasks with high level of autonomy – off road driving, rapid target acquisition and prioritization, as well as fast, high precision fire missions, in day and night. The AFV is networked allowing it to carry out missions ordered by Headquarters and other fighting platforms as well as to transmit missions and intelligence to other forces. Additionally, the AFV is capable of operating other unmanned platforms such as a VTOL to feed intelligence into the crew's operational picture or a fighting UGV to perform high risk missions. Using the Iron Vision ‘See-Through' HMD, a crew of two is capable of operating the AFV entirely under closed hatches. The system transmits real-time, high resolution video to the crew's helmet mounted display, providing them with a 360° view of the surroundings, together with relevant symbology and C4I data. In addition, Iron Vision enables the crew to acquire targets, conduct line-of-sight (LOS) driving and navigation and enslave the AFV's weapons systems to their LOS. About Elbit Systems Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international high technology company engaged in a wide range of defense, homeland security and commercial programs throughout the world. The Company, which includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas of aerospace, land, and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (“C4ISR”), unmanned aircraft systems, advanced electro-optics, electro-optic space systems, EW suites, signal intelligence systems, data links and communications systems, radios and cyber-based systems and munitions. The Company also focuses on the upgrading of existing platforms, developing new technologies for defense, homeland security and commercial applications and providing a range of support services, including training and simulation systems. For additional information visit: elbitsystems.com, follow us on: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or visit our official YouTube Channel. This press release contains forward‑looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) regarding Elbit Systems Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries (collectively the Company), to the extent such statements do not relate to historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. Forward‑looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results, performance and trends may differ materially from these forward‑looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: scope and length of customer contracts; governmental regulations and approvals; changes in governmental budgeting priorities; general market, political and economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates or sells, including Israel and the United States among others; differences in anticipated and actual program performance, including the ability to perform under long-term fixed-price contracts; and the outcome of legal and/or regulatory proceedings. The factors listed above are not all-inclusive, and further information is contained in Elbit Systems Ltd.'s latest annual report on Form 20-F, which is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward‑looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements. Elbit Systems Ltd., its logo, brand, product, service and process names appearing in this Press Release are the trademarks or service marks of Elbit Systems Ltd. or its affiliated companies. All other brand, product, service and process names appearing are the trademarks of their respective holders. Reference to or use of a product, service or process other than those of Elbit Systems Ltd. does not imply recommendation, approval, affiliation or sponsorship of that product, service or process by Elbit Systems Ltd. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as conferring by implication, estoppel or otherwise any license or right under any patent, copyright, trademark or other intellectual property right of Elbit Systems Ltd. or any third party, except as expressly granted herein. https://www.epicos.com/article/455197/elbit-systems-demonstrates-innovative-armored-fighting-vehicle-operated-helmet