The Associated Press
A large pool of dark liquid festering on the floor. No fresh air. Computer displays that would overheat and ooze out a fishy-smelling gel that nauseated the crew. Asbestos readings 50 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency’s safety standards. These are just some of the past toxic risks that were in the underground capsules and silos where Air Force nuclear missile crews have worked since the 1960s. Now many of those service members have cancer.
DefenseScoop
Amid a global competition for cyber experts, one Air Force wing is looking at new and different ways to recruit and retain service members with the right know-how. Attracting and maintaining top talent is becoming even more critical as the Air Force must provide six additional cyber mission force teams on behalf of U.S. Cyber Command.
POLITICO
The U.S. Navy destroyed three boats carrying Houthi rebels in the Red Sea on Dec. 31 after fighters attempted to board a container ship in the second attack against the vessel this weekend. Helicopters from two destroyers, the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely, were dispatched after the Maersk Hangzhou issued a distress call at 6:30 a.m. Dec. 31, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on X, the ship's second request for help in 24 hours.
Defense News
The U.S. Air Force’s plan to create a fleet of drone wingmen to fly alongside piloted fighter jets will accelerate in 2024, as the service ramps up its experimentation with autonomous flight. These drones, which the Air Force calls collaborative combat aircraft, are intended to fly alongside F-35s and the future Next Generation Air Dominance platform.
Breaking Defense
Over the last six months, there has been no mistaking a louder and louder drumbeat in favor of growing the Space Force—from its mission set to its budget to its end strength. So, perhaps the key question for the service as it enters its fourth year will be: how much growth?
Defense One
Six Ukrainian pilots are learning to fly F-16s in Denmark, the third cohort to be trained on the fighter jet since July, when the U.S. decided to allow European allies to export the plane to Ukraine. The pilots first traveled to the United Kingdom to hone their English skills, according to a U.K. Defense Ministry press release.
SpaceNews
The Missile Defense Agency confirmed that a national security space mission that had been projected to launch in December 2023 is being delayed until the second quarter of 2024 due to technical issues with one of the spacecraft. MDA’s national security mission, designated USSF-124, includes six satellites designed to track hypersonic missiles. Four of the satellites are missile-tracking sensors made by L3Harris for the Space Development Agency’s Tracking Layer constellation. The other two satellites—one made by L3Harris and the other by Northrop Grumman—are part of MDA’s Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) program.
The New York Times
The Ministry of State Security, China’s main intelligence agency ... has built itself up through wider recruitment, including of American citizens. The agency has also sharpened itself through better training, a bigger budget, and the use of advanced technologies to try to fulfill the goal of Xi Jinping, China’s leader, for the nation to rival the United States as the world’s pre-eminent economic and military power.
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.
Task & Purpose
A major overhaul in how the military investigates and prosecutes sexual assaults and other serious crimes launches today as the Pentagon shifts decision-making from unit commanders to independent prosecutors to determine if an accusation should go to court martial. Starting Dec. 28, cases of military members accused of sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse and murder—regardless of where they occur—will be overseen by an independent office staffed by specially trained lawyers the Pentagon is calling “special trial counsels.”
Subscription Required
Inside Defense
Pratt & Whitney doesn't plan on giving up on its next-generation propulsion efforts after winning the Engine Core Upgrade contract to re-engine the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter fleet, Jill Albertelli, president of military engines, told Inside Defense.
One More Thing
Air Force Times
Runners take your mark, get set, and go! Starting Jan. 2, interested racers may register their intent to participate in the new Armed Forces Series Challenge, an undertaking that involves completing five service-led races: the Coast Guard Marathon, the Air Force Marathon, the Army Ten-Miler, the Marine Corps Marathon, and the Space Force T-Minus 10-Miler.
