Pentagon

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US, Euro Alliance Landed Air Force Deal for Airbus

$40B contact took years of careful planning

(Newser) - Years of careful strategy and an alliance between executives was the key to Airbus nailing a $40 billion deal to build Air Force planes, reports the Wall Street Journal. The Pentagon’s decision last week is “a transformational shift in the way weapons systems are acquired. It’s an...

US to Stall Troop Cuts Over Iraqi Elections

But Baghdad vetoed plan for the ballots earlier this week

(Newser) - US troop cuts in Iraq will stall after July to ensure security for local elections, a Washington official said yesterday. "You can actually increase your own risk if you pull out too many simultaneously," the official said. "This is not a stall tactic." But Baghdad officials...

Air Force Picks Foreign Bid to Build Tankers

Northrop Grumman and Airbus will build $40B fleet in France

(Newser) - The Air Force shocked observers yesterday by handing a $40 billion contract to build aerial refueling tankers to a foreign company, the Los Angeles Times reports. Northrop Grumman and Airbus—which plan to build the 179 tankers in France—beat out Washington state's Boeing. Outraged lawmakers from Washington state called...

Army to Shorten Combat Tours
Army to Shorten Combat Tours
Feb 27, 2008 7:40 AM CST

Army to Shorten Combat Tours

Three years between deployments

(Newser) - The Pentagon aims to trim tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan from 15 months to a year with an eventual three years between deployments, the Army's top general told the Senate Committee on Armed Services yesterday. The change will be made after the military reduces troop levels this summer,...

Marines Demand Probe Into Armor Delay

Blast resistant vehicles 'could have cut deaths in half'

(Newser) - The US Marine Corps has asked the Department of Defense to investigate delays obtaining vehicles with blast-resistant armor for combat units in Iraq. An internal USMC memo claims the money needed for the vehicles, which could have cut deaths from roadside bombings by 50%, was diverted to other projects, reports...

Pentagon, Army Captain Differ on Obama Tale

Army doubts, captain confirms weapons, troop shortages

(Newser) - Pentagon officials moved quickly yesterday to rebut Barack Obama's tale of an Army captain whose platoon, deployed in Afghanistan, was stripped of men and so lacking in equipment that they resorted to using captured Taliban weapons. "I find that account pretty hard to imagine," an Army spokesman said...

Probe Looms for US Billions to Pakistan

LIttle accounting for use of mammoth payments

(Newser) - The electoral defeat of President Pervez Musharraf may prompt Congress to scrutinize the Coalition Support Funds—billions of dollars paid by the US to Pakistan to foot the bill for military action against al-Qaeda near the border with Afghanistan. US officials approve some $80 million a month despite only vague...

Navy Ship Prepares to Shoot Down Spy Satellite

Attempt will be made Thursday from ship

(Newser) - The US Navy will attempt to shoot down a rogue American spy satellite Thursday, just days before it re-enters the earth's atmosphere, reports CNN. Officials plan to bring down the satellite from an Aegis cruiser at sea while it is still 150 miles above the earth, leaving enough time for...

US Readies Major 9/11 Trial of Gitmo detainees

Case could bring closure for White House, or revive criticisms

(Newser) - US military prosecutors are finalizing plans for a major trial against Guantanamo’s 9/11 suspects, sources tell the New York Times. Among those likely to be charged is Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who has claimed full responsibility for the attacks. “The thinking was 9/11 is the heart and soul of...

US Wants More NATO Troops for Afghan War

US calls on NATO allies for reinforcements

(Newser) - The US will pressure its NATO allies to commit more troops to Afghanistan, Reuters reports, but won't send more Americans, beyond the 3,200-Marine surge ordered last month. The need for increased manpower in the 6-year-old conflict resurfaced this week when Canada's prime minister threatened to withdraw his nation's 2,...

US Seeks Iraqi Authority to Continue War

Agreement would not need ratification

(Newser) - The White House is negotiating with Iraq what critics say is a treaty in all but name and could tie the hands of a future administration, reports the New York Times. The US is insisting on being granted continued authority to conduct the war and calling for legal protection for...

Petraeus Could Be Tapped to Head NATO

Pentagon mulls Iraq commander's next assignment

(Newser) - Iraq’s top commander could be at the helm of NATO by the start of next year, the New York Times reports. While no final decisions have been made, the Pentagon is considering nominating Gen. Petraeus in September, installing him before the election dust settles in a new, highly prestigious,...

Judges Say Guantanamo Four Can't Sue

80 protesters arrested on 6th anniversary of first detainees

(Newser) - Four British citizens who spent over two years at Guantanamo Bay before being released without charge have been told they can't sue Pentagon officials, Reuters reports. The men brought the lawsuit over alleged torture, abuse, and violations of their religious rights. The US appeals court ruling yesterday said the defendants,...

US May Send 3,000 Marines to Afghanistan

Pentagon considers more troops to ward off Taliban offensive

(Newser) - Afghanistan may receive its own troop surge this April, the AP reports. To fend off a resurgent Taliban, the Pentagon will consider deploying another 3,000 Marines for 7 months. Military commanders say they actually need another 7,500 troops to fend off the expected offensive, and defense chief Robert...

Protect or Prevent? Iraq Tanks Raise Heavy Issues

New armored vehicles will save soldiers, but may endanger strategy

(Newser) - A new heavily armored vehicle will better protect US soldiers in Iraq from roadside bombs, but possibly at the risk of jeopardizing the overall counter-insurgency strategy, the Los Angeles Times reports. The new equipment has ignited debate over whether it is better to protect soldiers from attack, or stop the...

Iran Still Sliding Iraq Arms: US
Iran Still Sliding Iraq Arms: US
Dec 17, 2007 6:41 PM CST

Iran Still Sliding Iraq Arms: US

Pentagon report says weapons, training still flowing across border

(Newser) - Stability in Iraq may be increasing, but the flow of arms and insurgents across its border with Iran has slowed little, reports the Wall Street Journal. A Pentagon report, to be presented to Congress tomorrow, will frame Iraq's overall security in a positive light, but again call into question how...

Battle Over War Funds Escalates
 Battle Over War Funds Escalates
Nov 30, 2007 3:50 AM CST

Battle Over War Funds Escalates

President warns of Christmas layoffs

(Newser) - The dispute between the White House and Congress over $196 billion in funding for the war in Iraq escalated as President Bush warned of imminent layoffs, the Washington Post reports. "The missions of this department are too important to be disrupted or delayed," Bush said after a series...

Injury Tally Misses Brain Trauma
Injury Tally Misses Brain Trauma
Nov 23, 2007 4:37 PM CST

Injury Tally Misses Brain Trauma

20K troops omitted from casualty list

(Newser) - More than 20,000 service members not classified as wounded in combat have signs of brain injury, according to an examination of records by USA Today. The actual number of troops with brain trauma suffered in Iraq or Afghanistan was more than five times the official tally, meaning that the...

Pentagon, Congress Play Chicken Over Iraq Funds

Layoffs threatened; Dems unmoved

(Newser) - The Pentagon is threatening as many as 200,000 civilian layoffs by Christmas if war funding isn't approved by Congress, but Dems say there will be no funding until Bush sets withdrawal dates for Iraq. "Both sides are playing a big game of chicken here," a Congressional budget...

Petraeus Comes Home to Pick New Generals

Army needs his help finding innovative leaders—like him

(Newser) - David Petraeus is returning to Washington this week to help select the next generation of generals, an unusual move highlighting the Army’s desperation to inject Petraeus-style unconventional thinkers into its leadership, the Washington Post reports. “It's unprecedented for the commander of an active theater to be brought back...

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