Lockheed Martin awarded $928 million to help US catch up in hypersonic missile race

Lockheed Martin awarded $928 million to help US catch up in hypersonic missile race

Every so often, a new kind of weapon comes along that fundamentally shifts the way humans conduct warfare: bows extended the range of the battlefield, airplanes created air support, and the atomic bomb made “total war” too terrible to conduct with the regularity of conventional warfare. Increasingly, hypersonic missile platforms are beginning to look like […]

US to push NATO to stand up more than 30 battalions in Europe to counter Russia

US to push NATO to stand up more than 30 battalions in Europe to counter Russia

In every meeting of NATO officials, there comes the inevitable conversations about burden sharing and the exchange of fiscal platitudes furnished by member states that continue to fall short of their financial obligations to the alliance. The U.S. representative, often Defense Secretary James Mattis but occasionally even the American president himself, will remind the organization […]

Secretary of Defense Mattis meets with Danish Minister of Defence

Secretary of Defense Mattis meets with Danish Minister of Defence

On May 25, U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met with Danish Minister of Defence Claus Hjort Frederiksen at the pentagon. The meeting was primarily intended to discuss the ongoing NATO presence throughout the world — including in Afghanistan as well as the global effort against ISIS. They reaffirmed one another’s commitment to the military-defense relationship between […]

Repairs on the USS Gerald R. Ford engines and elevators to cost another $120 million

Repairs on the USS Gerald R. Ford engines and elevators to cost another $120 million

Last week, SOFREP reported on a previously undisclosed breakdown of the Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, that took place in during sea trials in January of this year. The issue, determined to be a manufacturing defect in the GE sourced main thrust bearings, resulted in two separate breakdowns, the second of […]

New Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calls on NATO allies to increase defense spending

New Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calls on NATO allies to increase defense spending

Mike Pompeo, the newly confirmed Secretary of State for the United States, found himself singing a familiar tune to NATO allies in Brussels this past week: calling on America’s allies to meet their financial obligations to the alliance and cut their financial reliance on America’s defense apparatus. Each NATO member nation is required to devote […]

Summarizing the News: What’s the deal with the F-35 lately?

Summarizing the News: What’s the deal with the F-35 lately?

In today’s media climate, even the most ardent follower of the news could be forgiven for falling behind on the complex issues of the day. Between work, family, friends, and the other obligations that make up everyday life, it’s a miracle anyone has time to devote some thought and concern to the plight of civilians […]

No need for a space force? Air Force Chief of staff makes case to keep space operations

No need for a space force? Air Force Chief of staff makes case to keep space operations

Recently, President Trump renewed the call for the establishment of a new branch of the U.S. military dedicated specifically to space defense. This “space force” already passed a vote in Congress as a part of their fiscal year 2018 defense budget, but was removed when that measure was reconciled with the Senate’s own budget legislation. […]

Navy plans to extend destroyer lifespans to hit 355 ships by 2036

Navy plans to extend destroyer lifespans to hit 355 ships by 2036

When President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act in December, he did more than secure a funding increase for the American Defense Department, he made the establishment of a 355 vessel U.S. Navy a part of formal national policy. That provision, however, came with a significant caveat: no one seems to know how […]

The Navy can’t afford a 355 ship fleet, but lawmakers are warning them not say to say so

The Navy can’t afford a 355 ship fleet, but lawmakers are warning them not say to say so

When President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Bill back in December, he not only put the largest defense budget in history into action, he also made the building of a “355 ship Navy” part of the formal national policy. That provision, championed by Senate Seapower Subcommittee Chairman Roger Wicker and Rep. Rob Wittman, mandated […]