Here are the programs that made the biggest news over the past week:
Republicans protect F-35A — A Democrat-introduced amendment that would have cut six F-35As and $588.5 million from the budget was shot down by the Republican-controlled House Armed Services Committee in its markup of the fiscal 2016 defense authorization bill, we reported. The money would have been transferred to the National Guard, and would have dropped the Air Force’s procurement of F-35As from 44 to 38 aircraft in this year’s budget. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said the F-35 production ramp was already too aggressive, but Republicans countered that the ramp was necessary to meet operational requirements and drive out cost. Read more F-35 analysis >>>
Aegis Ashore to go online in Romania soon — Quietly, the Pentagon’s Aegis Ashore installation effort is moving forward, with a report from Seapower Magazine that the site that will be constructed in Romania could begin operations later this year based on comments from the commander of U.S. European Command. Air Force Gen Phillip M. Breedlove said at the Pentagon that while the site was “slightly” behind schedule, it wasn’t exceeding its budget and should be online soon. The second site will be built in Poland, and both will be a critical part of the missile defense plan for Europe. Read more Aegis Ashore analysis >>>
Italian town fights MUOS — The Navy’s Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) will serve as a critical part of its surveillance operations, but a small Sicilian village is creating major headaches for the sea service, the Daily Beast reports. The Navy is building the Naval Radio Transmitter Facility in Niscemi which will collect the massive data from MUOS satellites, and locals are winning legal challenges based on allegations that the high-powered ground station is causing health problems. Additional ground stations are planned for Australia, Hawaii, and Virginia, but this one may stay tied up in the courts for a bit longer. Read more MUOS analysis >>>