The Americas

Commentary

Is America’s military headed down the same path as Russia’s?

Diplomacy that is not backed by military might will fail. It all comes down to credibility behind the words. The U.S. has lost its edge in that regard from both a military capability and capacity perspective.

Truck exhaust, IT woes and piles of rubble: Offutt faces uphill battle to rebuild

Rebuilding Offutt is expected to take about 10 years and more than $1 billion.

Troops sent to bolster NATO begin turnover as US mulls larger footprint in Europe

“The deployments are one-for-one unit replacements, which will leave our overall force posture in the region — approximately 100,000 — unchanged,” the Pentagon's spokesman said.

Modern Day Marine

New war-gaming center will plug into Marine units with a realistic experience

New tools will give access to lower echelons for their own wargaming.

US leads exercise in North Macedonia, NATO’s newest member

Nearly 10,000 soldiers from 19 nations are taking part in NATO’s planned “Swift Response” exercises as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues for a 12th week.

No foul play in moving Space Command to Alabama, Pentagon watchdog says

The Pentagon watchdog found that the Air Force followed the rules in picking Redstone Arsenal, but it questioned whether the service’s base-selection process leads to the best fit.

Colombia seeks Abrams tanks amid new ally status with US

The country’s increased focus upgrading and diversifying its conventional capabilities comes after decades of prioritizing equipment and training to fight terrorism, insurgencies and drug trafficking.

Army looks to take Stryker vehicles out of Alaska

“We are looking at potentially taking the Strykers out of Alaska,” the Army secretary told senators.

Former national security officials push to ease immigration for science experts

To help the U.S. better compete with China, a group of former national security officials is asking lawmakers to exempt immigrants with advanced science, technology, engineering and math degrees from green card caps.

First Navy submarine uses Portsmouth’s improved dry dock

The super flood basin is akin to a navigational lock that upgrades the shallowest of the shipyard’s dry docks, allowing submarines to enter independent of tides and without buoyancy.

Chasing pavement: Offutt’s massive runway renovation enters home stretch

The 18-month overhaul is expected to finish in September or October

Boeing expected to move headquarters from Chicago to DC area

Boeing plans to move its corporate headquarters from Chicago to the Washington, D.C., area.

Arctic Angels? The 11th Airborne Division may replace Army Alaska

“We’re not adding or subtracting force structure — it’s really more of a new sense of common identity for the soldiers up there," the Army secretary said.

Georgia lawmakers fight plan to close military pilot training center

President Joe Biden’s proposed budget for fiscal 2023 would eliminate funding for the Air Dominance Center at the Savannah Air National Guard Base.

Delay hits Brazil’s $1.7 billion frigate program

Construction of the first of four Tamandaré-class frigates for the Brazilian Navy is delayed, with the shipbuilding timeline slipping from last month to this September, and commissioning potentially being pushed from 2025 to 2026.

Biden visits Lockheed plant as weapons stockpile strained

President Joe Biden is visiting a Lockheed Martin plant in Alabama that manufactures Javelin antitank missiles.

Push to arm Ukraine putting strain on US weapons stockpile

Can the U.S. sustain the cadence of shipping vast amounts of arms to Ukraine while maintaining the healthy stockpile it may need should conflict erupt with North Korea, Iran or elsewhere?

US National Guard’s aging battle taxis find new use in Ukraine fight

At least five states are sending their aging M113 armored personnel carriers to Europe.

Colombia chooses South Korea’s TA-50, FA-50 as next jet trainers, officials say

Colombia is buying new aircraft to replace its Cessna A-37B Dragonfly twin-engine, light-attack jets, which were retired in June 2021.

Brazil orders more Gripen jets, mulls another large buy

A second large order of the Gripen is needed to achieve a minimum fleet of 70 new fighter jets, down from the original target of 100 aircraft under the F-X program.

Eyeing hypersonic threat, Canada nears ‘robust’ NORAD investment

Canada’s defense minister says she’s close to offering a “robust” plan to modernize continental defenses under NORAD, something the U.S. has been seeking to address the complex hypersonic missile threat.

Ukraine weapon switcheroos are flushing Soviet arms out of Europe

As some Eastern European nations send their Soviet-era kit to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s attack, the new weapons those nations stand to get in return from the United States and its allies could shape the continent’s arsenal for years to come.

Trump officials gave improper national security loans to trucking firm, lawmakers allege

The report accuses officials of overruling Pentagon recommendations to give $700 million in low-interest loans to YRC Worldwide Inc., now known as Yellow Corp.

Commentary

The US needs a new approach to producing weapons. Just look at Ukraine.

Thomas G. Mahnken argues it is imperative for the United States and its allies to both increase their munitions capacity and adopt innovative approaches to munitions production.

White House nominates Franchetti for vice chief of naval operations

If confirmed, Franchetti would become the second woman to serve as the Navy's second highest ranking officer.