ARLINGTON, Va. — The Marine Corps’ new Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) is on track, both for performance and cost, with the first two platoons of replacements for the aging Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) prioritized for duty with forward-deployed Marine Expeditionary Units,…
USMC Seeks to Jettison Some Weapons Platforms to Invest in Mobility, High Tech
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Marine Corps plans to shrink its force and divest itself of heavy weapons platforms such as tanks and towed artillery to pay for new investments in cyber space, artificial intelligence and high mobility, according to new…
Berger Says Supporting a Widely Distributed Maritime Force Will Be a Challenge
ARLINGTON, Va. — The biggest problem facing U.S. Navy and Marine Corps plans to deter great power competitors is how to supply a widely distributed maritime force in a contested environment, the commandant of the Marine Corps says. With his Force…
Navy’s No. 2 Civilian Says Balanced Planning Needed to Confront Current and Future Threats
ARLINGTON, Va. — While Pentagon planners and lawmakers puzzle over which platforms to retire and which to keep in service in the coming decades, it’s important to balance competing priorities of readiness to meet current threats as well as preparing for…
CNO Says LCS Will Still Have a Role After Propulsion Issue is Fixed
ARLINGTON, Va. — Despite serious propulsion problems with the newest Freedom-class littoral combat ships (LCS), Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday says he is “very bullish” about the small surface combatant. “We’ve got 33 of them. We’ve got to wring…
Gilday: Unmanned Systems, Hypersonic and Laser Weapons Will Maximize Navy’s Range and Security in the Pacific
ARLINGTON, Va. — Unmanned aircraft, surface and under-sea vessels will help maximize the U.S. Navy’s future range across the Pacific Ocean, while ships and submarines armed with hypersonic or directed energy weapons could protect them in contested areas, the chief of…
GAO Report: Massive Sustainment Costs Creating F-35 Affordability Issues
ARLINGTON, Va. — Sustaining the troubled Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II strike fighter over its expected 66-year service life will cost more than the total purchase price of thousands of the aircraft, the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons platform, a government watchdog…
Pentagon IT Challenge: Introducing New Technology, While Still Using Legacy Systems
ARLINGTON, Va. — As the U.S. Defense Department races to develop a 21st century systems of systems linking all services, commanders, platforms and personnel, two top Pentagon officials say the challenge won’t be just acquiring new technology, but getting rid of…
EUCOM Commander Seeks More Destroyers, F-35s to Deter Russian Belligerence
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Air Force general heading U.S. European Command says more Navy destroyers and Air Force strike fighters are what he needs to both deter and monitor Russia’s aggressive behavior from Arctic waters to the Black Sea. “I see…
China and International Crime Cartels Threaten U.S. Influence in the Americas, Commanders Say
ARLINGTON, Va. — The chaos created by transnational organized crime groups in Central and South America is creating opportunities for China and Russia to undermine United States influence in the Western Hemisphere, top U.S. military commanders say. “Two of the most…
