Defense

  • The Navy is scrapping a plan to overhaul one of its 11 aircraft carriers. The Defense Department says doing that frees up money to spend on the Littoral Combat Ship program. Everett Pyatt is leader of the Project for Defense Management and Acquisition Leadership Program at the McCain Institute and a former assistant secretary of the Navy. He's writing in Real Clear Defense about the Navy's budget plans.

    May 07, 2014
  • Iran says it will target U.S. aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf if a war breaks out. An Iranian military official says the country could sink a U.S. aircraft carrier like the USS Nimitz and that the country is practicing on a replica. A spokesman from the Pentagon says they have no doubt Iran could sink the replica it has built, but Col. Steve Warren says sinking a U.S. aircraft carrier is another matter entirely and he has no confidence in Iran's capability to sink one.

    May 07, 2014
  • Ed Swallow, vice president, Business Development, Federal and Defense Technologies at Northrop Grumman, provide tips on what your company can do to increase its chances of winning government contracts. May 5, 2014

    May 05, 2014
  • Imagine cleaning out your closets and finding something more than 100 years old that you never knew existed. That's exactly what happened to the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington, D.C. Hidden on a closet shelf were two boxes filled with artifacts from the Spanish-American War. Federal News Radio Web Manager Julia Ziegler and Web Editor Michael O'Connell told Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp about the glass plate photos found in the boxes. Read Federal News Radio's related article and view photos.

    May 02, 2014
  • A National Guard sergeant was one of 24 individuals who pleaded guilty in a defrauding scheme that cost the Army National Guard more than $30,000 in loses.

    May 01, 2014
  • Preparing for an office renovation, archivists at the Naval History and Heritage Command discover two wooden boxes filled with glass plate photos of the Spanish-American War.

    May 01, 2014
  • The military has doubled-down on efforts to prevent sexual assault. They've labeled this month "Sexual Assault Awareness Month." It's a topic Sgt. Maj. of the Army Ray Chandler brings up whenever he visits soldiers. He says "Take back your Army" from those who commit sexual assault. Chandler told Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp some of the most recent statistics about sexual assault in the Army.

    April 30, 2014
  • A few hours change in sleep patterns might not seem like a big deal. But for members of the Navy's silent service, it could have major implications. The Navy has given commanders the green light to change submariners' sleep schedules, so that they more closely resemble life above the ocean's service. Now, sailors' work days will begin every 24 hours, instead of every 18 hours. Lt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for the submarine force, told Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp what prompted the changes.

    April 30, 2014
  • The Air Force could be facing a perfect storm of personnel issues when it comes to scientific talent. It's hard to attract young scientists to government work over a higher paid industry job. Dr. Mica Endsley, chief scientist of the Air Force, tells In Depth with Francis Rose that as many senior officials seek early retirement, the Air Force is looking at a gap in its pipeline of future leaders in the science and engineering fields.

    April 29, 2014
  • The Army broke ground last week on what will become the Defense Department's largest solar energy project ever. The Fort Huachuca, Ariz., solar project will provide the Army with renewable energy at no additional cost to the government. As Federal News Radio DoD Reporter Jared Serbu reports, the Army sets aside dozens of acres of southern Arizona land for the solar panels. In exchange for the land, a local utility company will build and operate them. Read Federal News Radio's related article.

    April 29, 2014
  • The Fort Huachuca, Ariz., solar project will provide the Army with renewable energy at no additional cost to the government. The solar panels are expected to provide 18 megawatts of electricity, enough to light a small-sized city.

    April 29, 2014
  • Need a syringe or an oil cap? Press "print." The Navy has installed a 3-D printer on an assault ship for just those types of emergencies.The pilot test is aboard the USS Essex, an amphibious assault ship. Lt. Ben Kohlmann, a member of the Chief of Naval Operation's Rapid Innovation Cell, is one of the officers responsible for putting the printer in the sailors' hands. He told Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp how the 3-D printer got on board.

    April 28, 2014
  • The Army breaks ground Friday on a giant solar array at sunny Fort Huachuca in Arizona. Once built, it will provide about a quarter of the energy needed to power the mid-sized base. It will be the largest solar project in the military's portfolio for a while. Amanda Simpson, executive director for the U.S. Army's Energy Initiatives Task Force, described the scope of the project to Federal Drive hosts Tom Temin and Emily Kopp.

    April 25, 2014
  • Petty Officer Mark A. Mayo will be posthumously awarded the Navy Marine Corps Medal on Friday at Arlington National Cemetery. Mayo, 24, was killed during a shooting incident at Naval Station Norfolk Monday, Mar. 24, where he was assigned to Naval Security Forces. The Navy and Marine Corps Medal is the highest non-combat decoration awarded for heroism by the United States Department of the Navy to the members of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. Vice Admiral Mark Ferguson, vice chief of naval operations, will present the award to Mayo's family in a private ceremony prior to the burial.

    April 24, 2014

On DoD

On DoD

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Each week, Defense Reporter Jared Serbu speaks with the managers of the federal government's largest department. Subscribe on PodcastOne or Apple Podcasts.