New Swiss defense chief orders second opinion on huge air-defense revamp

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  October 19, 2020 | International, Naval

  2019 was a landmark year for Connecticut’s defense industry

  Julia Bergman Military contractors in Connecticut had their most lucrative year in more than a decade in 2019, receiving $37.1 billion in defense contracts last year. That's according to the State of Connecticut Office of Military Affairs, which has tracked contracts received by the state's defense industry since 2007 and releases an annual report on the outlook for the industry. In reality, the value of defense contracts awarded in 2019 to Connecticut companies or companies doing business in the state was likely higher than $37.1 billion, as the report only relies on prime contracts worth $7 million or more. The previous high was in 2014, when the report recorded $27.1 billion in contracts. The growth in 2019 was spurred by the $22.2 billion contract the U.S. Navy awarded to Electric Boat last December for the construction of nine Virginia-class attack submarines — the largest shipbuilding contract ever awarded by the Navy. The contract includes the option to purchase a 10th submarine, which would increase its value to $24.1 billion. In addition to the record-breaking contract, Congress passed a defense budget that resulted in $30 billion for Connecticut-based defense programs this fiscal year, including the purchase of helicopters, jet engines and submarines all manufactured in the state. Defense contractors, deemed essential businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, have continued to fare well, similar to what happend during the 2008-09 recession, said Bob Ross, executive director of the Office of Military Affairs. At the time, Connecticut firms with both defense and commercial arms saw their commercial business lag but were kept busy by their military contracts. "We're seeing some of that again," Ross said. "For example, commercial aviation has been struck by the (coronavirus) pandemic, but the military aviation side has kept going." In the past three years, the growth in defense contracts has mainly been related to submarine construction at EB and jet engine manufacturing at Pratt & Whitney. "Suppliers have been busier than ever, particularly for submarines," the report says. "Such high level of defense production will likely be the case for many years to come, as Connecticut continues to produce and maintain the world's most sophisticated nuclear submarines, state of-the-art military jet engines, and a variety of military rotary wingaircraft used worldwide." https://www.theday.com/military-news/20201016/2019-was-landmark-year-for-connecticuts-defense-industry

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  July 15, 2019 | International, Other Defence

  Digital Modernization to Benefit Warfighters, DOD CIO Says

  BY DAVID VERGUN Information technology is the backbone of today's modern battlefield and even more important in a constantly evolving security climate. That's why digital modernization is more important than ever. To usher in digital modernization, the DOD chief information officer has launched its first Digital Modernization Strategy, underpinned by four modernization pillars: cloud; artificial intelligence; command, control and communications, known as C3; and cybersecurity. First, DOD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy said, an enterprise cloud will be created that will enable information sharing across the entire military and most importantly, to the warfighters on the tactical edge. Also, the enterprise cloud will deliver the next generation of applications that the warfighters will need to succeed. Second, for the enterprise cloud to effectively and efficiently enable information sharing on a vast scale, it will be powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning. To develop and deliver AI to the enterprise cloud, DOD needed to create the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, known as the JAIC, Deasy said. The JAIC "will be used by all the services, which will be the way in which we start to create new AI solutions at scale – that can be used across the department," he added. Third, is the ability to communicate to the warfighter with C3, Deasy said, which is "how do we ensure that we can get the end results from our cloud, from our AI solutions out to the tactical edge, out to the warfighter." Fourth, to prevent the department's technology from being compromised, it must be protected by defensive and offensive cyber capability, he said, noting that the Defense Department must be resilient when dealing with inevitable attacks from adversaries. "The Digital Modernization Strategy is all about the warfighter," Deasy said. "In everything we're building we're always challenging ourselves and asking: Are we doing this in the most thoughtful way that's going to enable the warfighter to be successful?" https://www.defense.gov/explore/story/Article/1903843/digital-modernization-to-benefit-warfighters-dod-cio-says/

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  October 18, 2021 | International, Land

  First Live Hypersonic Missile Rounds To Be Delivered to Army Unit Next Year

  The service remains on pace to field an offensive hypersonic unit by fiscal 2023, general says.