Senate confirms Bob Work

Retired Marine Col. Robert Work was confirmed by the Senate on April 30 as the new deputy secretary of defense. The 61-year-old Work, a former Navy undersecretary, will be closely watched by the defense industry. In July 2011, Work questioned whether the Navy's F-35C program, the variant of the plane designed for carriers, could be reduced in favor of more unmanned systems. He was Navy undersecretary from 2009-13. (Source: Military.com, 05/01/14) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 training center; Northrop Grumman builds portions of two unmanned systems, Fire Scout and Global Hawk, in Moss Point, Miss.