Vayl Oxford, a national security executive policy adviser at the Energy Department‘s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, will assume the director role at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. The Defense Department said Thursday Secretary James Mattis also appointed Oxford to the Senior Executive Service in line with the assignment to head DTRA. Oxford most …

The Defense Department’s inspector general has launched an evaluation to assess whether the U.S. Air Force has exercised extreme discretion about the basic details of a potential $80 billion program to develop the new B-21 bomber aircraft, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. The DoD IG office needs to submit within six months …

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity has launched an effort to research and develop “quantum enhanced” computers. The Quantum Enhanced Optimization program aims to develop technology that can speed up the training of machine learning algorithms; support circuit fault diagnostics on larger circuits; and accelerate optimal scheduling of multiple machines on multiple tasks, the Office of …

The U.S. Navy has evaluated the launch-and-recovery functions of a Northrop Grumman-built MQ-8C Fire Scout helicopter and its interoperability with a littoral combat ship as part of an interface test. The Navy said Tuesday its MQ-8C unmanned autonomous helicopter has returned from the USS Montgomery after the helicopter completed more than 37 recovery missions over a seven-day …

The U.S. Navy has chosen Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida, as the East Coast Forward Operating Base for the Northrop Grumman-built MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system. The military service said Wednesday NS Mayport will serve as a permanent duty station of approximately 400 MQ-4C Triton UAS personnel as well as support the …

The U.S. Air Force has begun to test upgrades for Northrop Grumman-built B-2 stealth bombers that include new sensors, software, electronics and radar technology, Scout Warrior reported Monday. Kris Osborn writes the B-2 defensive management system has been updated to help  sustain the bomber’s stealth functions and increase defense against new threats. Capt. Michael Hertzog, …

The U.S. Navy plans to deploy a 150-kilowatt laser weapon system that can be mounted on destroyers and carriers to eliminate potential threats such as unmanned aerial systems, Scout reported Tuesday. Michael Fabey and Kris Osborn write Northrop Grumman currently works with the Office of Naval Research on the development of a …

NASA is seeking proposals for observations the James Webb Space Telescope will perform after its planned October 2018 launch, Space News reported Friday. Jeff Foust writes JWST officials said at a town hall meeting that one call for proposals is for astronomers that helped develop Webb telescope’s components while the other is for …

The U.S. Navy will deploy its Northrop Grumman-built E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft to Japan next month as part of the service branch’s rebalance effort in the Asia Pacific, USNI News reported Thursday. Sam LaGrone writes the E-2D assigned to Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron 125 Tigertails will head to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni from Naval Station …

The Federal Aviation Administration has authorized an unmanned aircraft system test site in North Dakota to oversee UAS operations that go beyond operators’ line of sight. Sen. John Hoeven’s (R-North Dakota) office said a release posted Wednesday that the Northern Plains UAS Test Site can now support efforts to develop, test and evaluate new …