Cherry Point, N.C. — After a decade of continuous combat in Afghanistan and with budget cuts looming, the Marine Corps worry whether its air units can meet their missions at home and abroad. But one wing commander tells me that his unit and others will be able to fill that bill now and for years… Keep reading →

Washington: While the Army may worry that its Ground Combat Vehicles may cost too much and get killed, you won’t hear any such concerns from one of Capitol Hill’s top defense lawmakers, Sen. Car Levin. In an interview clearly intended to signal to his colleagues what’s what before they return here next week, Levin said… Keep reading →

CORRECTION Washington: As the Army floats plans to substantially cut its combat force, lawmakers are watching anxiously, eager to protect Army bases in their home states. “If the Army Chief of Staff supports the plan, member opposition would most likely focus on the impact to individual bases,” a source familiar with Army deliberations tells Breaking… Keep reading →

Washington: Less than a week after the Army awarded multimillion development deals for its Ground Combat Vehicle, an industry protest has brought the program to a grinding halt. The protest was filed with the Government Accountability Office today by the SAIC-Boeing team, which lost out on the large Army contract. Last Friday, the Army awarded… Keep reading →

Mt. Airy, N.C. – Behind the cornfields and gravel pits in the hills of this small North Carolina town sits an off-road test track. The two-mile trail, owned by defense firm Granite Tactical Systems, is where I put the company’s upgraded Humvee through its paces this week. A Granite-Textron team is pitching their advanced version… Keep reading →

Washington: The old saying, ‘if it doesn’t make dollars, it doesn’t make sense’ has become more or less the mantra among attendees at this year’s Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International trade show. Affordability and cost savings have been the buzz words among the companies at this year’s show, for everyone from the top-tier defense… Keep reading →

Mt. Airy, N.C. – The Army will officially kick off its multimillion program to revamp its Humvee fleet next week. So Breaking Defense headed here to get a look at what some of the competition is doing. The final request for proposals will likely hit the streets within weeks, with companies vying for the contract… Keep reading →

Mt. Airy, N.C. – Some have questioned the Army’s decision to pump millions into the aging Humvee, especially with defense spending expected to take a tumble over the next few years. Opponents argue the Humvee is simply an old warhorse that needs to be put down, replaced by more advanced systems already in the field,… Keep reading →

Washington: The Army’s Ground Combat Vehicle is not out of the woods yet, and could still be scrapped for a more affordable option if costs get out of control, the service’s top program official said today. If program costs exceed the $10.5 million price tag per vehicle the Army is expecting for the GCV, then… Keep reading →

Washington: Bigger might not necessarily be better when it comes to the future of Army unmanned aircraft, according to a senior service official. Army field commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan have gotten the most bang for their buck from the smaller-class of unmanned drones, like the Shadow and Puma, for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions,… Keep reading →