With Afghanistan slated to be the U.S. military's last major ground war for some time -- at least according to Pentagon prognostications -- Army officials are eying a prominent role in the fight against weapons of mass destruction as the ground service's next big thing, according to officials.1045 words

The deployments to Afghanistan of two key Army intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance systems -- a giant, hybrid airship that can stay aloft for nearly a month and a vertical-takeoff-and-landing unmanned aerial vehicle -- have been delayed again, according to documents and sources. 908 words

CARLISLE BARRACKS, PA -- Officials from the Army's top think tank have identified seabasing as a way to project the service into a relevant role in the Defense Department's pivot to the Asia-Pacific region, but the futurists acknowledge transforming the ground force into a maritime player in an era of constrained resources might prove challenging.1153 words

The military services are expected to squabble this summer over a slate of bills associated with a new technology wish list recently advanced by the joint Air-Sea Battle Office, a fight that could test the Pentagon's new focus on overcoming the defenses of sophisticated adversaries, according to defense officials.519 words

The Army has fielded the first Kiowa Warrior helicopter refurbished under the Wartime Replacement Aircraft program to one of its squadrons, the service announced last week. The Bell-built aircraft, delivered during a June 7 ceremony at Corpus Christi Army Depot, TX, was completed seven weeks ahead of schedule, according to the announcement. The WRA program is meant to "increase Army fleet density" of the Kiowa. Production of the helicopter ended in 1999. Fleet attrition "continues to be a serious problem," the statement reads, with an average of six helicopters lost per year.92 words

The Army's new tentative date to pick up to three contractors to proceed in the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle competition the service is pursuing with the Marine Corps is Aug. 24, although the schedule is still subject to change, according to several industry teams anxiously awaiting a decision.361 words

As the Senate Armed Services Committee last week signaled it would go along with an Army compromise to lean on foreign sales to keep Abrams tank production humming, an Ohio senator urged the ground service to budget more money for the manufacturing plant, which is located in his home state.1173 words

The Defense Department plans to award a fourth "small" contract through the Vertical Lift Consortium and anticipates utilizing the two-year-old nonprofit corporation -- comprised of large, small and non-traditional aircraft companies as well as academic institutions -- to support future rotorcraft development efforts, the Pentagon reported to Congress last month.495 words

The Pentagon should develop a strategy for the use of integrated platform design teams and agile prototyping to advance rotorcraft capabilities, the Senate Armed Services Committee says in its report on the fiscal year 2013 defense authorization bill.747 words

Senate Armed Services Committee members signaled last week that they want to see greater competition in government contracts for military vehicle and aircraft training, potentially opening the aperture for increased industry opportunities, according to the panel's report on the fiscal year 2013 defense authorization bill.603 words

Senate authorizers want the Army to develop a plan for its manned airborne intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft that addresses what platforms should be kept or eliminated and which could be shared with the other services, according to a report accompanying the Senate Armed Services Committee's fiscal year 2013 defense authorization bill.644 words

The Senate Armed Services Committee is directing the Defense Department to identify redundancies between JIEDDO and other military departments and agencies, according to the panel's report on the fiscal year 2013 defense authorization bill.784 words

Calling the Army's investment in ground robotics "inadequate" and poorly focused, Senate authorizers said last week that they want the service to submit overdue guidance for the capability area by the end of the year.354 words

The Senate Armed Services Committee once again has voiced concerns about the survivability of the Fast Adaptable Next-Generation Ground Vehicle being developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, according to the committee's report on the fiscal year 2013 defense policy bill.315 words

A newly released Government Accountability Office decision sheds light on the Army's evaluation of a contract for a new helicopter-protection system, disclosing that losing bidder ITT's offering was considered technically more risky than the solution proposed by winning bidders BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman.338 words

The Army and Lockheed Martin late last month launched an interceptor designed to counter rockets, artillery shells and mortar rounds, paving the way for tests against actual targets in the second half of this year, according to a June 7 Lockheed Martin statement.610 words

Senate authorizers are supporting the Defense Contract Audit Agency's call for greater access to defense contractors' internal audit reports and supporting materials.401 words

Expressing concern about the base realignment and closure process, Senate authorizers want the Government Accountability Office to review the systems and processes used by the Pentagon to determine which bases or facilities constitute "excess capacity."545 words

The Joint Staff warns in a critical assessment of the last decade of war that the Pentagon must craft a strategy for intelligence gathering and pursue major improvements in interagency coordination to avoid repeating mistakes made since the 9/11 attacks, according to a copy of the 40-page "for official use only" draft report obtained by Inside the Pentagon. 3190 words

The Army is preparing to deploy the final wave of a business system designed to manage billions of dollars in its general ledger and is poised to begin related efforts to assess audit preparedness at nine locations, according to Army officials.1265 words