China Halts Nuclear Arms Control Talks with US: Why and What’s Next
The Air Force’s Zero Trust Strategy Is Out—and Acknowledges Big Hurdles.
Weaker Conventional Military Led Russia to ‘Asymmetric’ Space Nuke: DOD Officials
Radar Sweep
Biden Drops Out of 2024 Race
President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 race for the White House on July 21, ending his bid for reelection after a disastrous debate with Donald Trump that raised doubts about the incumbent’s fitness for office. ... Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, nominated by Biden in late 2020, praised Biden as “an extraordinary guardian of America’s national security” in a statement.
PODCAST: Ready to Fight All Night: High-Tempo Airpower Generation
In episode 193 of the Aerospace Advantage, Heather Penney discusses how to maximize airpower sorties with Mitchell Institute Fellow Lt. Col. Gary “Plugger” Glojek and Lt. Col. Matthew “Doubled” Jensen, the director of the experimental operations unit responsible for advancing Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) sortie generation and employment concepts.
Joint Chiefs Chair: ‘That’d Be Great’ If Trump Ends Ukraine War Quickly
Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. C.Q. Brown said on July 19 that it would “be great” if former President Donald Trump fulfilled his campaign promise to end Russia’s war in Ukraine in 24 hours and also highlighted the risks if the U.S. and its allies cut off support for Kyiv.
Israel Intercepts Missile from Yemen After Airstrikes on Houthi Port
Israeli forces intercepted a surface-to-surface missile fired from Yemen, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on social media July 21. ... Although it was not immediately clear who launched the missile, a Houthi military spokesman had promised retaliation for Israel’s airstrikes July 20 on Hodeida, a port city in Yemen controlled by the rebel group. Spokesman Yahya Saree said the Israeli raids struck the port, a power station, and a fuel tank.
US Launches Effort to Stop Russia from Arming Houthis with Antiship Missiles
U.S. intelligence agencies are warning that Russia might arm Houthi militants in Yemen with advanced antiship missiles in retaliation for the Biden administration’s support for Ukrainian strikes inside Russia with U.S. weapons.
Lockheed Won’t Get Paid in Full Yet for Upgraded F-35s, Even as Deliveries Resume
The Pentagon is withholding money from Lockheed Martin because the full upgrade for the latest version of the F-35 fighter jet isn’t ready, even though deliveries have restarted. ... “There are still withholds. Since not everything that we contracted for has been delivered, the payment is also not complete. We will not pay for that which we have not received,” Andrew Hunter, the service’s acquisition chief, told reporters at the Royal International Air Tattoo on July 20.
Air Force Brought in Hard-Nosed Negotiator to Close E-7 Deal with Boeing
The U.S. Air Force has reached a deal with Boeing for the new E-7 Wedgetail radar plane, more than a year into negotiations. But they had to bring in a former Pentagon official known for driving hard bargains to do it.
Boeing Undertakes VC-25B Improvements, New Schedule to Outline Delays
Boeing is fighting through extensive issues on building the next-generation Air Force One with a new schedule to be finalized soon, and the company’s boss says it is investing in ways to improve the overall program. First flight of the 747-8i-based VC-25B has slipped to 2026, despite a re-baselined schedule originally expecting delivery that same year.
Air Force Could Reopen Competition for Sentinel ICBM Ground Infrastructure, Hunter Says
As the Air Force considers how to restructure the procurement of its massively over-budget nuclear ICBM replacement, one option on the table could involve stripping away portions of Northrop Grumman’s current contract and opening them back up for wider competition, the service’s top acquisition official said.
Defense Innovation Board Taking Closer Look at Escalating Military Drone Challenges
Defense Innovation Board experts might soon conduct new studies delving into complex military drone topics, two officials confirmed following a closed-door meeting this week in which uncrewed systems-related challenges dominated much of the discussion.
National Guard Chief Warns of ‘Unintended Consequences’ of Transferring Air Guard Units to Space Force
Gen. Daniel Hokanson, the outgoing chief of the National Guard Bureau, said a proposal to transfer certain Air National Guard units into the Space Force could take away key resources from states and may lead to serious repercussions if passed.
How the Sixth-Generation Fighter Jet Will Upend Air Warfare
The next generation of fighter aircraft could bring greater speed, range and ability to penetrate deep into enemy airspace—and it might even feature a revolutionary new type of engine, experts and retired U.S. Air Force officer say. The aviation world has seen five generations of fighters, ranging from the subsonic F-86 Sabre after World War II to the current, stealthy F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Now, militaries around the world are working on jets they believe will represent technological leaps significant enough to qualify as sixth-generation aircraft.
World's Youngest Air Force Papua New Guinea Takes to Skies Among Top Guns
One of the world's youngest air forces is taking part in war games alongside cutting-edge stealth fighter jets as the Pacific Island nation of Papua New Guinea boosts defense ties with Australia and the United States. Papua New Guinea's trainee pilots have queued for take-off with U.S. F-22 Raptor and Australian Joint Strike Fighter jets in northern Australia this week in the 20-nation Pitch Black war games.