Air Force Will Swap in F-15EX and F-35 Fighters on Japan
The U.S. Air Force will shift and upgrade its fighter presence in Japan, placing F-15EXs at Kadena Air Base and F-35s at Misawa Air Base, the Pentagon announced July 3.
AFSOC Gets a New Commander, Resumes Osprey Flights in Japan
Lt. Gen. Michael Conley succeeded Lt. Gen. Tony D. Bauernfeind as the head of Air Force Special Operations Command in a ceremony at Hurlburt Field, Fla., on July 2, while halfway around the world, an AFSOC CV-22 Osprey took flight at Yokota Air Base, Japan, for the first time since last November.
CSO Sports New Mess Dress Look, But Space Force Says Design Not Finalized
About a month after the top Guardian was spotted wearing a unique black mess dress uniform to an event in Los Angeles, Calif., a Department of the Air Force spokesperson said the service is still working on its official mess dress design.
Former USAF European Commanders: Let Ukraine Take the Fight to Russia
The U.S. should remove the limits it imposes on what targets Ukraine can attack with American weapons, former Air Force generals said, and let Ukraine take the fight to air bases and staging areas inside Russia. Ukraine also needs to dump its Soviet-style doctrine of using airpower merely as an adjunct to ground forces.
KC-10 Tankers Get Their Final Inspections at Travis Before Retirement
The 60th Air Mobility Wing, the last active-duty wing to operate the KC-10, conducted its final inspection on their Extender fleet ahead of the aircraft’s retirement in September.
Radar Sweep
US Sees Promising ‘Breakthrough’ in Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire Talks
NBC News
A “breakthrough” has been made in efforts to negotiate a framework agreement for a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas that might end months of fighting in Gaza and lead to the release of hostages, a senior Biden administration official said July 4.
Taiwan Says China Seized Fishing Boat Under New Protocol
The Hill
Taiwanese officials said July 3 that China seized one of their fishing boats this week under a new protocol that allows the Chinese coast guard to take vessels that operate under its maritime borders. Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said China has stepped up its patrols since a regulation went into effect in June authorizing it to seize vessels for up to 60 days in waters considered by Beijing to be under its domain.
USAF Uncrewed Aircraft Flights at RAF Fairford to Begin in Weeks
Aviation Week
The U.S. Air Force (USAF) is expected to begin flight operations with a high-altitude uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) from RAF Fairford, England, in the coming weeks, sources tell Aviation Week. Sources indicate that USAF is expected to begin flights with the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk.
XQ-58 Valkyrie Can Now Take Off from Runways Thanks to New Launch Trolly System
The War Zone
The stealthy XQ-58 Valkyrie drone now has a new way of getting into the air via a traditional runway with the help of a wheeled trolley. The new launch method allows the XQ-58 to take off with more fuel and/or larger payloads while still retaining its valuable ability to be readily employed in a completely runway-independent mode if desired.
Kratos’ Erinyes Test Vehicle Logs Hypersonic Speeds on First Flight
Defense News
A hypersonic test bed built by Kratos took its first flight last month, launching experiments for the Missile Defense Agency and hitting speeds above Mach 5. MDA announced the successful flight of its first Hypersonic Testbed, HTB-1, June 14, which took off from Wallops Island in Virginia.
Europe Seeks to Solve the ‘Patriot Puzzle’ in Ukraine
The New York Times
A European plan to give Ukraine another Patriot air defense system to protect its battered cities from Russian airstrikes is coming together, piece by piece. The radar and three missile launchers are being supplied by the Netherlands. Some interceptor missiles are coming from a four-country coalition led by Germany. A mobile fire control center has been promised, though officials won’t say yet from where or by whom.
Blue Origin, Stoke Space Selected by US Space Force to Compete for Small Satellite Missions
SpaceNews
The U.S. Space Force has added Blue Origin and Stoke Space Technologies to its roster of launch providers eligible to compete for short-turnaround small-satellite missions under the Orbital Services Program-4 (OSP-4) contract.
Air Force Requests More Money for Drone Wingmen Effort
Breaking Defense
The Air Force is seeking to funnel additional dollars into its drone wingmen effort in fiscal year 2024, asking lawmakers for special permission to shift an additional $150 million into the effort on top of the $392 million that Capitol Hill previously appropriated, according to documents reviewed by Breaking Defense.
Air Force Releases Strategy for Zero-Trust Implementation
DefenseScoop
As the entire Pentagon moves to adopt zero trust by the end of fiscal 2027, the Department of the Air Force has outlined its plans to implement the cybersecurity framework by leveraging cloud-based and identity, credential, and access management (ICAM) solutions.
AF Delays Procurement of Homeland Defense Over-the-Horizon Radar to 'Future' Budget
Inside Defense
The Defense Department has scrapped plans to launch the Homeland Defense Over the Horizon Radar program this fiscal year, postponing the projected start to at least fiscal year 2026, delaying plans to improve long-range sensor coverage of the United States and Canada from aircraft, cruise missiles, maneuvering hypersonic weapons, and ships.
Italian Air Force Precision Team Flies Over Grand Canyon, Vegas Strip
The Associated Press
An Italian Air force precision demonstration team made a colorful green, white, and red flight over the Las Vegas Strip on July 3 as part of a North American tour that then headed to Los Angeles and Huntington Beach, Calif., for the U.S. Independence Day holiday.