Reuters
Taiwan's biggest earthquake in at least 25 years killed nine people on April 3 and injured more than 900, while 50 workers travelling in minibuses to a hotel in a national park were missing. ... Taiwan's air force said six F-16 fighter jets had been slightly damaged at a major base in the city from which jets are often scrambled to see off incursions by China's air force, but the aircraft are expected to return to service very soon.
The Associated Press
Ukraine lowered its draft-eligible age for men from 27 to 25 on April 3, reflecting the strain that more than two years of war with Russia has put on its military and the need to infuse its depleted ranks with new conscripts. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed three bills into law aimed at strengthening the country’s beleaguered forces, which are trying to hold the front lines in fighting that has sapped Ukraine’s ranks and stores of weapons and ammunition.
Military.com
Air Force officials have submitted a legislative proposal to Congress that would sidestep governors in seven states and move Air National Guard units with space missions into the Space Force, angering National Guard supporters. The National Guard Association of the United States, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying organization that goes by NGAUS, said in a statement to Military.com that draft legislation approved March 15 by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall seeks to “bypass the long-standing requirement in federal law for the Pentagon to obtain a governor’s consent before transferring a National Guard unit to another branch of the military.”
POLITICO
The Biden administration has reached out to the United Nations to help distribute aid from a U.S. military-built pier to desperate civilians in Gaza—but the arrangement might be in peril after an Israeli drone strike that killed seven aid workers in the enclave on April 1.
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Inside Defense
The Air Force will write affordability into the requirements for its Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said last week. “We are really looking at the CCA differently than other weapon systems, and I think industry has responded to that,” Allvin said during an event hosted by Defense One. “Frankly, it’s quite encouraging.”
The War Zone
The 18th Aggressor Squadron (AGRS) based in Eielson AFB near Fairbanks, Alaska, has changed its designation to the 18th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS). This is a major switch and the first time the FIS designation has been applied to a USAF squadron since shortly after the end of the Cold War. The change is telling as it underscores the morphing security situation both in the Arctic and the Pacific, as well as the USAF's priorities in the region.
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Aviation Week
The U.S. Navy’s drastic cut to its next-generation fighter was a conscious decision to deal with congressionally imposed budget cuts and prioritizes near-term modernization over long-term plans.
Air Force Times
The 301st Fighter Wing doesn’t have to go far to get a glimpse of its future. Based at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, the Air Force Reserve wing has a strategic vantage point near Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Lightning II production line: It’s right across the street.
DefenseScoop
U.S. Central Command is using a new Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) product to help pass and digest data amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, according to a top officer. The Pentagon’s JADC2 warfighting concept aims to connect sensors and shooters from across the U.S. military under a more unified network to enable faster and more effective decision-making and employment of forces, with the aid of artificial intelligence and other enabling tools.
Defense News
The last three administrations have decided China is America’s top threat, and a rising one at that. But it’s less clear how much money it will cost to address it and who gets to decide—Congress, the Pentagon, or military leaders in the Pacific?
Breaking Defense
Though Iran’s support for its proxies in the Middle East continues, a top U.S. commander in the region said April 3 that Tehran is not courting a wider war. “I do continue to assess that the Iranians are not interested in a broader regional conflict,” Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, commander of U.S. Air Forces Central (AFCENT), said during a breakfast with reporters hosted by the Defense Writers Group.
SpaceNews
China launched its first Yaogan-42 satellite late April 2, adding to the country’s growing military satellite reconnaissance capabilities. A Long March 2D rocket lifted off from Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 6:56 p.m. Eastern (2256 UTC). The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced launch success within the hour. CASC’s statement also revealed the previously unknown payload to be Yaogan-42 (01) (“remote sensing-42 (01)”).
One More Thing
Military Times
A total solar eclipse will cross over North America on April 8, briefly shadowing cities and towns from Texas to Maine. And while this time Bonnie Tyler is not expected to serenade anyone with a pop ballad, those flocking around the country to catch a glimpse of the eclipse can expect that troops are ready to rise above the distant horizon to assist first responders, should the need arise. National Guard units and military installations from states in the path of totality—where the moon temporarily, completely covers the sun—are arranging plans ahead of a predicted tourism surge.
