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A homeless U.S. Army veteran shows a folded up five dollar bill prior to entering a convenience store in the Chinatown District of Honolulu, Hawaii, Aug. 15, 2016. (Tech. Sgt. Brandon Shapiro/U.S. Air Force).

The official end of the national COVID-19 health emergency Thursday means the end of a slew of programs that benefit veterans, ranging from cash assistance to stave off homelessness to remote doctor visits.
The cutbacks come as the federal Public Health Emergency over COVID-19 declared in March 2020, comes to an end.

The Bundestag’s budget committee approved the procurement of 50 more Puma IFVs on 10 May. (Bundeswehr/Marco Dorow)
The budget committee of the Bundestag, the German parliament, approved the procurement of 50 more Puma infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) on 10 May, with an option for an additional 179 IFVs, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on its website on 11 May.

Australian Army soldiers from the 16th Regiment and the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery received training on the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System. The system includes the Raytheon AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel X-band 3D air-defence radar, the Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Fire Distribution Centre (FDC), and the Kongsberg Mk II canister launcher with provision for the AMRAAM and the AIM-9X interceptors.

The Hill
The Pentagon’s top two officials on Thursday warned lawmakers a default on the nation’s debt would put troops’ pay in danger and benefit China.

A computer-generated image of the OPV that is being built by Hyundai Heavy Industries for the Philippine Navy. Hanwha Systems has secured a contract to provide its combat management system (CMS) and tactical datalink (TDL) for the OPV. (Hyundai Heavy Industries)
South Korea’s Hanwha Systems has secured a contract worth USD34.5 million to supply its combat management system (CMS) and tactical datalink (TDL) for the Philippine Navy’s new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), being built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

On 11 May the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) released a mid-life update on the Counter Battery Radar (COBRA) programme.
Germany and France are involved in a cooperative long-range battlefield radar programme known as COBRA. The COBRA radar systems have been in service for over a decade, having been introduced in 2005 and completed deliveries in 2007. ESG has been awarded an in-service support contract (ISS) that was first established in 2013 and has since been renewed at the close of 2022.

In keeping with its focus on long-range strike capability, Australia hopes to upgrade its Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fleet to the Block 4 standard. This is to integrate the JSM with the aircraft. This missile has a maximum range of 300 n mile. (Commonwealth of Australia)
Australia’s rejection of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider for acquisition has prompted it to focus on improving its long-range strike capabilities using existing aircraft.
Janes assesses that this decision was made based on factors of long-range deterrence, plus acquisition and sustainment costs.

At first glance, ancient warfare may seem primitive. It’s easy to imagine these warfighters as basic, but the truth is, they were anything but. In fact, ancient warriors of the past wielded a diverse and lethal array of weapons designed to maximize their effectiveness on the battlefield. From the formidable Roman gladius and pilum to the accurate Greek slinger’s deadly projectiles, military forces employed tools suited for their particular tactics and strategies.

In the mid-2000s, as the Global War on Terror escalated, U.S. Special Operations Command sought to replace the M4 carbine with a more robust weapon. The solicitation was dubbed the Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle program. SOCOM wanted a light SCAR-L and heavy SCAR-H chambered in 5.56x45mm and 7.62x51mm, respectively. In the end, only the MK16 SCAR-H was adopted.
The Mk17 SCAR-H has been more successful than its lighter counterpart (U.S. Army)
The SCAR competition was close, with companies like Colt and Robinson Arms submitting rifles for consideration.

Military memes are the lifeblood of the modern military apparatus. How? How else is higher going to get the actual hard truth about the state of morale in their branch? Back during the first half of Global War On Terror leadership was tough but fair. They focused on mission accomplishment and troop welfare almost equally. Somewhere towards the back end of the war the hard-chargers started to retire. I saw with my very eyes the thick skinned combat Marine Corps turn paper thin in garrison years later. The recruitment boom is over and they’re feeling it.