Aerospace & Defense
The latest coverage of the Defense Department, State Department and aerospace industry.
Many Americans rely on Chinese-made drones that lawmakers want to ban
Russell Hedrick, a North Carolina farmer, flies drones to spray fertilizers on his corn, soybean and wheat fields at a fraction of what it would cost him to use a conventional ground spreader.
China says Philippine plan to deploy midrange missiles would be ‘extremely irresponsible’
China said a plan by the Philippines to deploy midrange missiles would be a provocative move that stokes regional tensions.
U.S. tests new hypersonic missile, but still lags far behind China
The Pentagon successfully tested a new hypersonic missile last week, but American efforts to match China’s growing arsenal of hypersonic missiles still lag years behind.
Senate passes major NDAA bill, sending it to Biden
The Senate on Wednesday passed a defense bill that gives troops a big pay raise and prohibits the use of military insurance for gender-related treatments among minors, dispatching the legislation to President Biden’s desk before the holiday break.
Paul blocks bill to expand authority over drones; predicts state, local abuses of rights
An effort to push through new authority to detect and interdict drones was blocked in the Senate Wednesday after Sen. Rand Paul said it’s too soon to rush a solution that could end up trampling on Americans’ rights.
Beijing designs military for war with U.S., including missiles, cyber-enabled psychological weapons
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has added hundreds of new missiles and 100 more nuclear warheads as part of a military buildup designed for a future war with the United States, according to a Pentagon report made public Wednesday.
House Intelligence Committee gets classified briefing on mystery drones
The House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday got a classified briefing from federal officials about the spate of drone sightings on the East Coast.
Final verdict: Feds say New Jersey drones are mix of police, hobbyists and commercial UAVs
Federal authorities on Monday delivered their most thorough verdict yet about the drone sightings in New Jersey in recent weeks, saying some are law enforcement, some are commercial flights, some are hobbyists and many are actually airplanes, helicopters or even stars mistaken for drones.
Senate advances must-pass defense legislation in year-end flourish
The Senate teed up a “very busy week” by voting Monday to advance a major annual defense bill, overcoming rifts over spending levels and transgender policy to keep the must-pass bill on track for President Biden’s signature.
Feds insist drones aren’t dangerous but can’t say who’s flying them
New Jersey leaders are not buying the Biden administration’s explanation that most of the drones reported swarming the state’s coastline in recent weeks are regular aircraft, saying that’s a demeaning answer given what residents have seen with their own eyes.
‘More questions than answers’: Mounting N.J. drone crisis reaches White House; Biden begged to help
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is pleading directly with President Biden for federal aid in determining why his residents see unexplained aircraft dotting the sky night after night.
Russia targets Ukrainian infrastructure with a massive attack of cruise missiles and drones
Russia launched a massive aerial attack against Ukraine on Friday, firing 93 missiles and almost 200 drones, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, describing it as one of the heaviest bombardments of the country’s energy sector since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago.
U.S. Air Force runways in Asia are highly vulnerable to Chinese missile strikes, study concludes
Chinese missile attacks on Air Force runways at bases in the Indo-Pacific region would severely limit U.S. military power in a future regional conflict, according to a report by military researchers made public Thursday.
Feds say New Jersey drones are actually airplanes
Two federal agencies said Thursday that most of the drone sightings reported in New Jersey in recent weeks are actually manned aircraft that people on the ground are mistaking for mysterious unmanned aerial vehicles.
NATO chief warns alliance not ready for future threats from Russia, China
NATO countries need to ramp up their defense spending and “shift to a wartime mindset” because the alliance is not ready to meet future military threats from adversaries like Russia and China, newly installed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Thursday.
Schumer, other senators from N.Y. and N.J. request federal briefing on drone sightings
Democratic senators from New York and New Jersey are demanding a briefing on the source of the drones that have spooked and mystified residents of their states.
Navy cuts boot camp length as more sailors fill the fleet
The Navy is cutting seven days out of its Basic Military Training program, from 10 weeks to nine, as improved recruiting numbers mean the sea service needs to push more sailors through boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois.
South Korea’s Yoon speaks out, slams opposition obstruction, slackness on national security
Disempowered and disgraced South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol broke cover on Thursday morning to deliver an impassioned televised defense of his shock declaration of martial law last week.
Antony Blinken defends Afghanistan withdrawal, says things didn’t turn out too bad
Secretary of State Antony Blinken personally apologized Wednesday to the families of 13 U.S. troops killed by a suicide bomber during America’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, but said the withdrawal itself has not turned out as badly as his critics had feared.
