Latest news with #TrainingandDoctrineCommand
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Dead on arrival: Army pulls plug on M10 Booker light tank
The Army has spent well over a billion dollars on a light tank the service is now terminating, just as the program was slated to enter into full-rate production. The M10 Booker was going to be the first new combat vehicle to enter the force in four decades. The service noted its plans to cancel the M10 Booker procurement in a memo issued at the start of last month and on June 11 officially announced the program's end. 'In response to current world events and in support of the strategic objectives outlined in the Army Transformation Initiative, the U.S. Army has issued a termination for convenience of the current low-rate initial production of the M10 Booker combat vehicle and will not enter into full-rate production as originally planned,' the Army said in a statement. The Army set out to fill a lethality gap in its infantry formations, and following analysis spearheaded by Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, who led the Army's future-focused efforts within Training and Doctrine Command, the service decided it needed what it called a Mobile Protected Firepower vehicle. The new light tank would offer greater survivability and lethality against enemy machine guns and light armor, but could also be air-dropped from a C-130 aircraft. Ultimately, the requirements became heavily focused on a vehicle that could be survivable in varied terrain, requiring a tracked ride, and also more lethal, which did not translate to a vehicle that could be air dropped. 'This concept of sunk cost fallacy, it is a thing that human beings generally struggle with, which is if you've invested a lot in the past, and we do this in our personal lives, you get anchored to things that are suboptimal for the future,' Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll told Defense News in a June 9 interview at the Pentagon. The Booker was 'intended to be a light tank that served all of these new purposes,' he said. 'It ended up medium. I don't think the manufacturer liked it all that much, and we, the Army as a customer, kind of helped create this Frankenstein that came to be.' Historically, the Army would have continued to acquire it, despite not being all that excited about it, Driscoll said. 'We would have just made it work.' But, the service is now trying to accept it 'got it wrong,' Driscoll said. The Army had originally planned to spend over $4 billion on the program, according to a review of past service budget documents. The service would have bought between 362 and 504 systems. Original predictions for research and development costs early in the program fell in the ballpark of $1 billion, but as the Army decided to award a low-rate production contract earlier than planned to General Dynamics Land Systems following a rapid prototyping competition with BAE Systems where both delivered a number of vehicles for assessment with soldiers, the total R&D cost ended up somewhere between $349 million and $460 million, according to budget documents. The Army has so far spent at least $1 billion to build M10 Bookers. Booker turrets are built at GDLS' Lima, Ohio, plant and hulls are built in Saginaw, Michigan. Final assembly is performed at Anniston Army Depot in Alabama. The cost assessment does not include the possibility of additional costs that would have been associated with a side effort under consideration to procure a new recovery vehicle appropriate for the M10 Booker. According to the latest budget documents, the Army ordered 84 vehicles between fiscal year 2022 and FY24. Another 33 vehicles were planned to be ordered in FY25. The low-rate initial production order total was 96 vehicles. An Army spokesperson said the service will not stop low-rate production abruptly. 'There are a number of M10 Bookers currently in final stages of production that will be accepted by the Army,' the spokesperson said in a statement to Defense News. The Army has 26 Booker production vehicles on hand, the spokesperson said. 'The final number of M10 Bookers will be determined once those that are in final stages of completion are accepted by the Army.' The service is known for its slow-paced acquisition efforts, but the Mobile Protected Firepower program went at a risky, fast pace. This meant industry brought designs to the table that were mature – both GDLS and BAE Systems based their designs off of fielded chassis. Initial prototypes from both competitors were delivered in 14 months from contract award so that soldiers could spend more time assessing the options in robust evaluations. 'The Army will request to reallocate the remaining funds in fiscal 20205 to accelerate fielding of war-winning capabilities and anticipates additional significant savings to be fully realized within the next 18-24 months,' the Army statement noted. 'The ongoing contract termination process will ultimately determine the disposition of the remaining assets,' the Army added.
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Israeli PM says new intelligence chief to take office in June
Israeli PM says new intelligence chief to take office in June JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 23 the newly named head of the domestic intelligence service would take office without delay next month, following a bitter row over the removal of his predecessor. "The Prime Minister is responsible for the security of the state, even more so during a multi-front war," Mr Netanyahu said in a statement, following the appointment of Major General David Zini, head of the military's Training and Doctrine Command as head of the Shin Bet intelligence service. Maj Gen Zini will replace Mr Ronen Bar, who said he would resign on June 15 following a bitter dispute with Mr Netanyahu who tried to sack him in March before the decision was blocked by a Supreme Court temporary injunction. In April, the Supreme Court ruled that the dismissal was illegal but Mr Bar said he would step down to allow an orderly handover. Mr Netanyahu said when he announced the dismissal in March that he had lost confidence in Mr Bar over Shin Bet's failure to prevent the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The move drew a furious reaction from critics who said the real reason for Mr Bar's dismissal was an investigation by police and Shin Bet into possible financial ties between a number of close aides of the prime minister and Qatar. The affair sparked large demonstrations in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem by protesters who said Mr Netanyahu was undermining democracy by trying to sack Mr Bar while the so-called "Qatargate" investigation was underway. Earlier in May, the Supreme Court ruled that Mr Bar's dismissal was done in violation of the law, and that Mr Netanyahu had a conflict of interest over the Qatargate investigation. Mr Bar had always accepted responsibility for Shin Bet's failure in forestalling the Oct 7 attacks and had said he would leave his post early. Mr Netanyahu said any delay in appointing a new head of the agency, which conducts counterterrorism investigations, was a "security requirement of the highest order, any delay harms the security of the state and the security of our soldiers". Military The standoff over the head of Shin Bet followed more than two years of hostility between Mr Netanyahu supporters and elements of the security and defence establishment that was worsened by blame over the failures that allowed Hamas' Oct 7 attack. On May 23, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that Maj Gen Zini would be leaving the military in the coming days and that any discourse between serving soldiers and the government had to be approved by the chief of the general staff, indicating the appointment had been made without its knowledge. Israel's domestic security agency chief Ronen Bar (right) greets leaders of the Druze community during a Holocaust memorial service on April 23. PHOTO: AFP The issue has been one of the most prominent battlegrounds between the government and an array of anti-Netanyahu groups who have attacked him over issues ranging from plans to curb the power of the judiciary to the failure to agree a hostage deal in Gaza. Maj Gen Zini's appointment was condemned by opposition parties and by the attorney-general, Gali Baharav-Miara, who said Mr Netanyahu was acting against legal guidance and that there were serious conflict of interest concerns. Ms Baharav-Miara has herself clashed repeatedly with Mr Netanyahu over the legality of some of his policies and the Cabinet has approved a no-confidence motion. In a sign of how poisoned the political atmosphere has become in Israel, Defence Minister Israel Katz said he had barred opposition politician Yair Golan, a former deputy head of the Israeli military who now leads the small left-wing Democrats party, from serving in the reserves. Mr Golan, who single-handedly rescued people from the Hamas attack on Israel after driving to the scene on Oct 7, 2023, warned this week that Israel risked becoming a "pariah state" over the war in Gaza, and said "a sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby". Mr Katz said the comments amounted to a "blood libel" and would expose Israeli soldiers to being arrested by international courts when travelling abroad. "I have decided to instruct the IDF not to call Yair Golan up for reserve duty anymore and to prohibit him from wearing the IDF uniform and entering IDF bases," Mr Katz said in a statement. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Epoch Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Army to Cut 1,000 Jobs as Hegseth Orders Major Overhaul
The Army will scrap 1,000 jobs after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered it to undergo a 'comprehensive transformation' that will see it divest from 'outdated' and 'redundant' programs and downsize or close some headquarters, according to an April 30 memo. Hegseth wrote in the 'Deterring war, and if required, winning on the rapidly evolving battlefield, requires Soldiers who are physically and mentally resilient, rigorously trained, and equipped with the best technology available,' Hegseth wrote. 'To build a leaner, more lethal force, the Army must transform at an accelerated pace by divesting outdated, redundant, and inefficient programs, as well as restructuring headquarters and acquisition systems. 'Simultaneously, the Army must prioritize investments in accordance with the Administration's strategy, ensuring existing resources are prioritized to improve long-range precision fires, air and missile defense including through the Golden Dome for America, cyber, electronic warfare, and counter-space capabilities.' In a May 1 Related Stories 5/1/2025 4/29/2025 He also announced that the Army plans to eliminate 1,000 staff positions from its headquarters. 'Our Army must transform now to a leaner, more lethal force by infusing technology, cutting obsolete systems, and reducing overhead to defeat any adversary on an ever-changing battlefield,' Driscoll wrote. 'Our continuous transformation is underpinned by strong, agile leaders who act on their initiative.' Hegseth said in his memo that the Army must prioritize investments that align with the Trump administration's strategy and ensure existing resources are used to improve things such as long-range precision fires, air and missile defense, and cyber and electronic warfare, as well as counter-space capabilities. Existing resources should also go toward building the 'Golden Dome for America,' he said, referring to a new missile defense system inspired by Israel's Iron Dome that has been championed by President Donald Trump. Contracts, Outdated Weapons Systems to Be Scrapped On that basis, Hegseth said he is directing Driscoll to implement a 'comprehensive transformation strategy,' under which it will streamline its force structure, eliminate wasteful spending, reform the acquisition process, modernize 'inefficient' defense contracts, and overcome what he said were 'parochial interests' to rebuild the Army. Eliminating wasteful contracts and excess travel funding, slashing spending on outdated weapons systems and 'unnecessary climate-related initiatives,' and revising civilian hiring and firing policies were among the changes Hegseth ordered. He said the Army must also downsize, consolidate, or close redundant headquarters. That includes merging Army Futures Command and Training and Doctrine Command into one entity and merging Forces Command, Army North, and Army South into a single headquarters 'focused on homeland defense and partnership with our Western Hemisphere allies.' In addition, he called for the Army to consolidate and realign headquarters and units within Army Material Command, including Joint Munitions Command and Sustainment Command, to 'optimize operational efficiency and streamline support capabilities.' Hegseth also directed Driscoll to reduce and restructure manned attack helicopter formations and expand 'inexpensive drone swarms capable of overwhelming adversaries.' The letter comes as the Trump administration continues its push to eliminate waste and fraud within multiple departments and agencies operating under the federal government. Col. Dave Butler, an Army spokesman, said that the potential savings under Hegseth's transformation strategy would amount to nearly $40 billion over five years. It's unclear, however, whether the House and Senate will greenlight the cuts, given that lawmakers have for years resisted efforts by the Army and Pentagon to scrap a wide range of programs. 'As the Army prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, our Nation requires her Army to move further, faster, and fight harder than any other force on Earth,' Hegseth concluded his letter. 'President Trump and I will not let this Nation down.'
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
County, Army joining together to help transitioning soldiers
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — One of the Army's top leaders will be in El Paso next week to help kick off a new partnership with El Paso County to help transitioning soldiers. Gen. Gary Brito, commander of Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), will take take part in a signing cermony on Tuesday, April 8 to kick off the partnership with the County. The agreement is under the Army's Partnership for Your Success (PaYS) Program. County Judge Ricardo Samaniego will join Brito at the signing ceremony. 'This agreement strengthens El Paso County's commitment to supporting military veterans by ensuring job interview opportunities for soldiers transitioning into civilian life,' the County says. The PaYS Program is a 'strategic partnership between the U.S. Army and public/private sector employers that guarantees soldiers an interview and potential employment following their service. El Paso County's participation reinforces its role as a veteran-friendly community and helps open career pathways for America's service members,' the County said in its news release. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
