Editor’s Note
The Daily Report will not publish Monday, Oct. 14 in observance of Columbus Day. We will back in your inboxes Tuesday, Oct. 15.
Kadena Adds New F-16 and F-22 Fighters, Some F-15s Remain
New F-22 and F-16 fighter jets arrived at Kadena Air Base, Japan, this past weekend, even as the key base continues to hold onto at least a few F-15C Eagles. The F-16s are from the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of Shaw Air Force Base, S.C. The F-22s are from the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
MacDill Escapes Disastrous Flooding from Hurricane Milton
MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., seems to have escaped a devastating storm surge predicted to coincide with Hurricane Milton’s landfall in the region on Oct. 9, but a recovery team is still assessing the damage caused by heavy rain and high winds. Most Air Force bases in Florida report no impact of the storm on their operations.
What Space Capabilities Do NATO Nations Have? The Alliance Wants to Know
NATO is asking all 32 of its member nations to detail their space capabilities so it can better plan for future operations, the first U.S. Space Force general officer assigned to the alliance said Oct. 10. On top of that, NATO is also working on a commercial space strategy of its own after the Pentagon and Space Force released their versions earlier this year—and the alliance may even one day get space assets of its own, suggested Maj. Gen. Devin R. Pepper.
Strike Eagle Returns to Service 4 Years After Landing Gear Collapse
Airmen at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho took an F-15E Strike Eagle through its final check flight four years after a landing gear collapse in 2020 left it earthbound.
Allvin Wants Airmen to Study Past Airpower Failures to Prepare for Wars of the Future
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin wants Airmen to read up on the history of airpower failures and military decision-making to better prepare for the next conflict and learn how to harness artificial intelligence effectively and ethically, among other new updates to his Leadership Library.
Radar Sweep
Taiwan Leader Urges Calm Amid Military Threats from Beijing
The Wall Street Journal
Five months ago, China greeted the inauguration of Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te, with combat drills that encircled the island and the threat of more to come. So when Lai gave a major speech Oct. 10, Beijing and Washington were listening to just how forcefully he would address Taiwan’s relationship with China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own. Lai reasserted his stance on Taiwan’s sovereignty, and that Beijing had no right to represent it, but his comments directed at China were also a call for calm.
NATO Will Start an Annual Nuclear Exercise as Russia Threatens Ukraine’s Western Backers
The Associated Press
NATO will hold a long-planned major nuclear exercise next week, the alliance’s chief said Oct. 10, a few weeks after President Vladimir Putin announced changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine to discourage Ukraine’s Western allies from supporting attacks on his country.
North Koreans Deployed Alongside Russian Troops in Ukraine, Sources Say
The Guardian
North Korean military engineers have been deployed to help Russia target Ukraine with ballistic missiles, and fighters operating in occupied areas of the country have already been killed, senior officials in Kyiv and Seoul said.
22 Killed in Deadliest Strike in Central Beirut Since Start of War
The Washington Post
Israeli strikes hit central Beirut on Oct. 10 in an attack local health officials said killed 22 people and injured 117, making it the deadliest attack on the city since Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched its first rocket attacks on northern Israel.
Electronic Warfare: The Invisible Battlespace
Air & Space Forces Magazine
While it cannot be seen by the human eye, electronic warfare and its importance to the modern fight is clear. Learn more about how the Department of the Air Force is upgrading its EW capabilities, from in space to in flight, on orbit and onboard fighters.
Prep Courses, Policy Tweaks Largely Drove the Military’s Recruiting Success in 2024
Military.com
After years of negative recruiting news and headlines, all the military branches managed to eke out wins this year and meet their recruiting goals—largely aided by new programs and policies that allowed them to sign up recruits who would have been disqualified in previous years.
US Space Force Taps Commercial Satellites for Hurricane Helene Disaster Relief
SpaceNews
The U.S. Space Force’s Tactical Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Tracking (TacSRT) program is providing satellite imagery and data analytics to support emergency operations across the southeastern United States following Hurricane Helene. TacSRT supplied U.S. Northern Command with detailed analyses of road closures, conditions and bridge statuses along key routes between Knoxville, Tenn., and Asheville, N.C., the service said Oct. 10.
DIA's AI-Powered Intel Repository Will Be Fully Operational About a Year Late
Defense One
An AI-powered replacement for the repository of intelligence on foreign militaries is headed for the Pentagon’s classified network, where it will help pioneer new security techniques and become fully operational about a year later than planned, officials said.
OPINION: To Deter Iran, US Must Rethink Military Basing in the Middle East
Defense News
“Geography is destiny, but when it comes to U.S. bases in the Middle East, it needn’t be. Our current basing structure detracts from our ability to deter Iran—the core threat—because it reduces our ability to fight effectively in a high-intensity scenario. We need to overcome the tyranny of geography,” writes retired Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., former head of U.S. Central Command.
Marines to Get New Bolt Kamikaze Drones from Anduril
DefenseScoop
Anduril plans to deliver its newly revealed loitering munitions, dubbed Bolt-M, to the Marine Corps in the coming months for the Organic Precision Fires-Light (OPF-L) program.
US Military Surveys Industry for ‘Low-Cost’ Missile Defense Tech
Aviation Week
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is hunting for cheaper ways to shoot down a wide range of missile types with a kinetic interceptor. A market survey released on Oct. 10 by the MDA calls for industry to submit ideas for “low-cost interceptors.”
ARRW Hypersonic Missile Program Gets New Funding Despite Signs of Cancellation
The War Zone
Lockheed Martin has received more than $13 million in additional funds for the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) hypersonic missile program. The deal could be part of work to wind down the effort, but is also the latest in a string of developments that have raised questions about its current status.
Air Force Trialing Autonomous Mobility Options, Starting with Legacy Tankers
Inside Defense
The Air Force Research Laboratory is beginning to chart a path toward unpiloted aerial refuelers and transport aircraft, Lt. Col. Jonathan Gilbert, AFWERX Prime division chief, said last week, creating potential future options the service can use to quickly automate its fleet. “When you start thinking of ways to better use the resources you have, one of them being people, automating an aircraft is going to make sense,” Gilbert told Inside Defense.
Secretive Space Plane X-37B to Test ‘First of a Kind’ Maneuvers for Shifting Orbits
Breaking Defense
The Space Force’s X-37B experimental spacecraft is about to begin taking a series of “novel maneuvers” to safely dispose of its service module that carries extra payloads, the service announced Oct. 10 in a rare public statement about the activities of the mysterious space plane.
VIDEO: ‘Redneck Air Force’ Helping Those in Rural Western NC Get Much-Needed Supplies
WRAL
A group of volunteer helicopter pilots is helping get aid to some of the most remote storm victims in North Carolina.