May 21, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

House progressives demand Pentagon cuts, citing pandemic

WASHINGTON ― More than two dozen Democrats are demanding that House Armed Services Committee leaders cut defense spending in the 2021 defense policy bill, saying the money would be better spent combating the coronavirus pandemic.

A May 19 letter, mostly from Congressional Progressive Caucus members, marked a prelude to what could be complicated efforts to pass the National Defense Authorization Act in the Democrat-led House. The panel is expected in the coming weeks to introduce and mark up a draft, in line with the $740 billion top line set by the 2019 budget deal.

But 29 Democrats ― led by House Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Mark Pocan of Wisconsin and Rep. Barbara Lee, a senior appropriator and California progressive ― said the defense spending should be lower than last year's $738 billion top line.

With Americans dying from COVID-19 by the thousands, tax dollars would be better spent on an expansion of testing, contact tracing, treatment and vaccine development, they said.

“Congress must remain focused on responding to the coronavirus pandemic and distributing needed aid domestically,” the lawmakers wrote. “In order to do so, appropriators must have access to increased levels of non-defense spending which could be constrained by any increase to defense spending.”

“Right now, the coronavirus is our greatest adversary. It has killed more than 90,000 Americans, far surpassing the number of casualties during the Vietnam War,” the letter read. “America needs a coronavirus cure, not more war. We need more testing, not more bombs."

How the loss of support from 29 House Democrats will factor into passage of the NDAA remains to be seen. In a note accompanying the letter, the organizers noted that if Republicans held back support ― which they did last year ― only 19 Democrats would need to vote “no” this year for the bill to fail.

Last year, House Republicans resisted an early version of the 2020 bill written by House Democrats, but even after many of their priorities were stripped out in negotiations with the Republican-controlled Senate, the compromise bill still passed the House without them, 377-48. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi found common ground with the White House on an eleventh hour paid parental leave provision that attracted most Democrats.

This year, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., has spoken in favor of working to protect the defense-industrial base through stimulus funding. But with a stimulus bill caught in a partisan deadlock, it's unclear whether lawmakers will see the NDAA as a potential vehicle for defense industry aid.

If so, that could be a sticking point. Last month, Smith told reporters that public health needs were more pressing and that within the Pentagon's existing $738 billion budget, defense officials "have a lot of money and ought to spend that money to meet those needs” before Congress considers more.

HASC ranking member Mac Thornberry, who led early Republican opposition to last year's bill, has said he is hopeful this year's bill will be more bipartisan.

Thornberry, R-Texas, also opposed the idea of cutting defense to fund health care needs.

“I bristle a bit at the notion, ‘well, of course [the Department of Defense has] got to get their budget cut,' " he said, “because the world's not going to be safer on the other side of COVID.”

https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2020/05/19/house-progressives-demand-pentagon-cuts-citing-pandemic/

On the same subject

November 12, 2020 | International, Aerospace

Airbus remporte une commande de 38 avions de combat Eurofighter par l’Allemagne
[ACTUALISÉ] L'Allemagne a validé le 5 novembre un contrat à 5 milliards d'euros pour renouveler sa flotte d'avions de combat Eurofighter Typhoon. Airbus et ses partenaires saluent une décision positive pour l'Europe de la Défense. Bonne nouvelle pour l'Europe de la Défense. La commission budgétaire du Parlement allemand a approuvé jeudi 5 novembre un contrat de 5,4 milliards d'euros pour l'achat de 38 avions de combat Eurofighter Typhoon. Cette grosse commande profitera notamment à Airbus qui détient 46 % du consortium européen derrière l'appareil. Mercredi 11 novembre, le constructeur aéronautique européen a confirmé la signature du contrat. L'accord arrive à point nommé pour Airbus puisque l'entreprise fait face à la paralysie du transport aérien en pleine crise sanitaire. Des livraisons à partir de 2025 Les 38 avions seront livrés entre 2025 et 2030. Ils permettront de renouveler la flotte de la Luftwaffe, l'armée de l'air allemande. Cette dernière souhaite remplacer ses Eurofighter de première génération par des “Eurofighter Tranche 4” qui sont dotés de systèmes de détection plus modernes. Avec ce contrat, l'Allemagne devient aussi le pays qui a passé le plus grand nombre de commandes dans le cadre du programme Eurofighter. L'accord porte plus précisément sur 30 appareils monoplaces et huit biplaces dont la durée de vie utile doit largement dépasser 2060. "Trois des avions seront équipés d'installations d'essai supplémentaires en tant qu'avions d'essai instrumentées pour le développement ultérieur du programme Eurofighter", précise Airbus. Le ministère allemand de la Défense prévoit d'acquérir au total sur le long terme jusqu'à 93 Eurofighter et 45 F-18 auprès de Boeing. Les décisions concernant l'achat des appareils restants devraient être prises après les élections législatives de 2021. 100 000 emplois derrière l'Eurofighter “La décision du Parlement allemand d'acheter 38 Eurofighter, connue sous le nom de projet Quadriga, est un message très fort. Pas seulement pour l'armée de l'air allemande mais aussi pour l'Europe, notamment pour les industriels européens de la défense. Plus de 100 000 emplois repose sur des programmes comme celui-ci”, s'est réjouit Dirk Hoke, patron d'Airbus Defence and Space, sur Twitter. Outre les sites d'Airbus en Allemagne et en Espagne, la construction de l'Eurofighter mobilise l'entreprise britannique BAE Systems et le groupe italien Leonardo. En préférant l'Eurofighter au F-35 américain, l'Allemagne confirme son engagement pour l'Europe de la Défense. Ce choix confortera aussi le bon déroulement du système de combat aérien du futur (SCAF) en développement. La France et l'Allemagne collaborent dans ce projet pour remplacer le Rafale de Dassault Aviation à l'horizon 2040. Les industriels du programme pourraient bientôt décrocher de nouveaux contrats. "Outre une commande d'Eurofighter attendue de l'Espagne pour remplacer les anciens F-18, des décisions d'achat en Suisse et en Finlande sont imminentes en 2021", indique Airbus. Avec Reuters https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/airbus-remporte-une-commande-de-38-avions-de-combat-eurofighter-par-l-allemagne.N1025109
June 26, 2018 | International, Aerospace

The Countries Where F-35 Sales Are Taking Off
Since the first F-35 rolled off Lockheed Martin's production line in 2006, the fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter has taken the world by storm. U.S. F-35s deployed to Europe and the Pacific in 2017, and Israel has reportedly already used its jets in combat in the Middle East. Soon, the Arab world might get its first F-35 — the United Arab Emirates is in talks with the United States about buying the aircraft. To date, the program's reach has expanded to 12 nations around the globe, and all signs point to the F-35 continuing to dominate the Western fighter market for decades to come. But tensions between historically close NATO allies could threaten the fate of one partner nation's F-35 fleet: Turkey. Here's the breakdown of the global F-35 fleet. https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/06/22/the-countries-where-f-35-sales-are-taking-off/
October 19, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense – October 16, 2020
U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND Barbaricum LLC, Washington, D.C. (H92401-21-D-0001); iGov Technologies Inc., Reston, Virginia (H92401-21-D-0002); and NexTech Solutions LLC, Orange Park, Florida (H92401-21-D-0003), were awarded three indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts with a maximum combined ceiling of $780,000,000 under the Targeted Requirement Execution multiple award contract for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance related equipment solutions as well as related incidental development and/or other services in the following four categories: system integration, hardware and modifications, specialized communications solutions, and networks and signal processing capabilities. Fiscal 2020 procurement funds in the amount of $2,500 are being obligated for each contract at the time of award. The majority of the work will be performed at the contractors' facilities and is expected to be completed by October 2025. The contracts were competitively awarded using Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 15 procedures. U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. ARMY Navistar Defense, Melrose Park, Illinois, was awarded a $44,817,631 modification (P00013) to contract W56HZV-15-D-0037 for technical support services for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected MaxxPro family of vehicles. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2023. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity is the contracting activity. NAVY BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Armament Systems Division, Louisville, Kentucky, is being awarded a $33,673,319 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00174-19-C-0004 for two overhauled/upgraded MK45 Mod 4 gun mounts, and their associated components, to include Mk63 Mod 1 weather shields, Mod 4 manufacture kits, and Mod 0 gun barrels. Work will be performed in Louisville, Kentucky, and is expected to be completed by October 2025. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $33,673,319 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $25,053,891 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-20-C-2120 for additional fiscal 2021 development studies and design efforts for Virginia-class submarines. Work will be performed in McLeansville, North Carolina, and is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $15,000,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2385079/

All news