Editor’s Note

The Daily Report will not publish Monday, Jan. 15, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We’ll be back in your inboxes Tuesday, Jan. 16.

With E-4 ‘Doomsday’ Planes in High Demand, USAF Turns to VR Training on Digital Replica

By Unshin Lee Harpley
The Air Force’s E-4B 'Doomsday' fleet—designed to give senior U.S. leaders a flying command post to control forces in the case of a national emergency or crisis—consists of just four aircraft, with one always on alert. That doesn't leave a lot of time for maintainers and operators to train on the airframe. To solve that issue, the 595th Command & Control Group is building out extensive virtual training software. That required a complete 3-D scan of the E-4B’s interior and exterior, along with a storyboard detailing user engagement in the VR environment.

Radar Sweep

Inside Biden’s Decision to Strike the Houthis

POLITICO

President Joe Biden was still on his holiday getaway in St. Croix when he spoke with his national security team on the first morning of 2024. The Iran-backed Houthis had launched yet another attack on international shipping in the Red Sea, and the president was ready to discuss the possibility of a military response. The president’s guidance was twofold. On the diplomatic front, he directed his team to push harder for a United Nations resolution to condemn the attacks. On the military side, he ordered the Pentagon to develop options to strike back at the Houthis.

EVENT: A Celebration of Character & Courage: Vietnam War 50th

AFA

Join the Air & Space Forces Association and 40 supporting organizations at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024, at 4 p.m. for a special commemoration of the service, courage, and legacy of Vietnam War Veterans and Gold Star Families, and a renewal of American commitment to account for those heroes who remain missing 50 years after the war’s end.

Pentagon Watchdog Raps ‘Delinquent’ Tracking of Over $1B in High-Tech Weapons to Ukraine

Breaking Defense

The U.S. has failed to properly track more than $1 billion-worth of high-tech weapons systems sent to Ukraine, though inventory processes are getting better, according to a new report from the Pentagon’s inspector general. “While the DOD has improved execution of EEUM [enhanced end-use monitoring] since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, the DOD did not comply with the EEUM program requirements for defense article accountability in a hostile environment,” says the partially redacted report, published Jan. 10.

Attacks on US Troops in Iraq and Syria Climb to 130

Military Times

U.S. troops deployed to Iraq and Syria have come under attack from Iran-backed militias 130 times since Oct. 17 as of Jan. 11, according to the Pentagon, totaling 53 attacks in Iraq and 77 in Syria. The drone, rocket, mortar, and missile attacks have injured 66 U.S. troops, but Pentagon officials said that no troops have been injured since Dec. 7.

Pentagon Inspector General to Investigate Defense Secretary’s Failure to Notify Key Officials of Hospitalization

Military.com

The Defense Department inspector general will investigate the events surrounding the hospitalization of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the subsequent lack of notification of Congress and the White House, the office announced Jan. 11. The watchdog probe will “examine the roles, processes, procedures, responsibilities, and actions related to the Secretary of Defense's hospitalization in December 2023 and January 2024,” Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the top Pentagon spokesman, told reporters at a public briefing.

Space Force to Award Multiple Contracts for ‘Digital Spaceport’ Up to $1.9 Million Each

SpaceNews

SpaceWERX, the technology arm of the U.S. Space Force, is looking to award a new round of Small Business Innovation Research contracts worth up to $1.9 million each for IT infrastructure upgrades at the Eastern and Western launch ranges. The project known as Digital Spaceport of the Future was announced earlier this month. SpaceWERX officials on Jan. 10 said launch ranges are in dire need of IT upgrades and are seeking proposals from the private sector by February 7.

Pentagon’s UAP Investigation Hub Works to Reach Full Operational Capability

DefenseScoop

The Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) is on track to reach full operational capability (FOC) by Sept. 30—or the end of fiscal year 2024, DefenseScoop confirmed. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks formally established the office in July 2022 as the Defense Department’s newest one-stop hub for investigating official reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) that could threaten U.S. national security.

One More Thing

F-15A ‘Baz’ Upgraded Cockpit Seen in Rare Israeli Air Force Photo

The War Zone

As the war in Gaza continues, Israel has released a carefully selected stream of photos and videos showing some of its most capable assets in action. One interesting recently published photo provides a very rare view inside the cockpit of an F-15A ‘Baz’ fighter, shedding some light on the extent of the upgrades that these aircraft have been put through by the Israeli Air Force (IAF).