The Associated Press
The fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was back on track Nov. 26 as the militants freed 17 more hostages, including 14 Israelis and the first American, in a third exchange under a four-day truce that the U.S. said it hoped would be extended. In turn, Israel released 39 Palestinian prisoners. Most hostages were handed over directly to Israel, waving to a cheering crowd as they arrived at an air force base. Others left through Egypt.
POLITICO
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer plans to hold a vote on President Joe Biden’s request for billions in assistance for Ukraine and Israel as soon as the week of Dec. 4, aiming to create some urgency amid tough negotiations. The announcement by Schumer on Nov. 26 puts pressure on lawmakers to come up with a border security deal that can pair with much-needed assistance for the two U.S. allies.
Breaking Defense
The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin have stalled on reaching an agreement for a new sustainment approach for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, prompting military officials to instead explore options for continuing the jet’s traditional maintenance structure “at least” through the end of next year, a top defense official tells Breaking Defense.
The War Zone
Germany and France are leading a new ground-based air defense coalition designed to bolster Ukraine’s ability to defend against Russian missile and drone threats. The 20-nation coalition was announced Wednesday as part of the 17th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), an organization of some 50 nations gathering to provide Kyiv with what it needs to keep fighting Russia.
The Associated Press
Artificial intelligence employed by the U.S. military has piloted pint-sized surveillance drones in special operations forces’ missions and helped Ukraine in its war against Russia. It tracks soldiers’ fitness, predicts when Air Force planes need maintenance, and helps keep tabs on rivals in space. Now, the Pentagon is intent on fielding multiple thousands of relatively inexpensive, expendable AI-enabled autonomous vehicles by 2026 to keep pace with China. The ambitious initiative, dubbed Replicator ... is expected to accelerate hard decisions on what AI tech is mature and trustworthy enough to deploy— including on weaponized systems.
SpaceNews
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has received an eight-year extension to a contract it has held since 2002 for technical services in support of U.S. military communications satellites’ ground systems. The company, based in San Diego, Calif., was awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract worth up to $579 million, the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command said Nov. 22.
Defense News
The Canadian military’s acquisition of medium altitude armed drones is being delayed to allow for more development work to enable the aircraft to operate in the Arctic region. The Remotely Piloted Aircraft System project was to deliver a fleet of drones for the Royal Canadian Air Force that would be operational by 2025. That date has now shifted and the delivery of the first aircraft is expected in 2028.
DefenseScoop
The Space Force announced Nov. 22 that it will allocate money in 2024 towards three ideas for new capabilities that were proposed by employees of the service’s acquisition arm—including an interface that enables data-sharing between the Space Force and international allies.
DefenseScoop
The Pentagon recently initiated a process to formally update the policies governing how its components protect and secure biometric data and devices, after a recent oversight review revealed records-keeping and information security gaps that could be placing sensitive national security information at risk of exposure to malicious actors.
Defense One
There's a major obstacle to the Pentagon’s new effort to manufacture thousands of small drones: China dominates the market for consumer-drone parts, which is awkward since the point is to deter China. One potential solution could be rapid manufacturing in the field, according to one of the military’s top young tech minds.
Breaking Defense
A new electronic warfare (EW) suite developed by L3Harris for F-16 fighter jets is set to clear an upcoming developmental milestone in December, paving the way for the system to eventually head to production in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to an L3Harris official. The EW system, known as Viper Shield, is planned to go on Lockheed Martin-made block 70/72 F-16s for customers of foreign military sales.
One More Thing
Air Force Times
Ah, super glue—the greatest-of-all-time fast-acting adhesive for all of your stuck-together needs. Chances are, you have a tube of this in that kitchen drawer, you know, the one with all the takeout menus, rubber bands, and random keys to who knows what doors (you should probably clean that out by the way), because it’s an undeniable necessity. But before it occupied space in our junk drawers, and our hearts, it was accidentally developed for the U.S. military.
