Early Bird Brief: June 13, 2024

Welcome to the Early Bird Brief's LinkedIn Edition, a tightly edited round-up of today's most important military and defense stories. To get the full EBB, with dozens of stories, subscribe here .

Today's Top 5:

Osprey fleet won’t return to full flight operations until 2025

(Military Times) The U.S. military doesn’t expect its fleet of more than 400 V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft to fully resume normal flight operations until at least the middle of 2025, a Navy admiral in charge of the joint program told a House Oversight subcommittee Wednesday. Read More

Junior enlisted would see only a small pay boost under Senate plan

(Military Times) Senate lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled plans for a small pay boost for junior enlisted troops next year, staking out a middle ground between House plans for a sizable salary hike for young servicemembers and White House opposition to any targeted military pay increase. Read More

Russian warships enter Cuban waters ahead of Caribbean exercise

(The Associated Press) A fleet of Russian warships reached Cuban waters on Wednesday ahead of planned military exercises in the Caribbean in what some see as a projection of strength as tensions grow over Western support for Ukraine. Read More

Artillery goes trucking to survive drones swarming the battlefield

(Defense News) French artillery engineers had a simple idea: Take a big gun, mount it on a truck, and you’ve got self-propelled artillery at relatively little cost. The wheeled guns have proved so effective on the Ukrainian battlefield that Western armies are taking a fresh look at the concept. Read More

Congressman accuses Army of political attacks over combat badge

(Military Times) Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, on Wednesday, accused Army officials of political attacks against him following questions about his continued wear of a Combat Infantry Badge that was revoked by military leaders last year. Read More

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