Editor’s Note
The Daily Report will not publish Thursday, Nov. 28, or Friday, Nov. 29. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
New Report: China Cuts Pilot Training Time, Aims to Modernize by 2030
The Chinese air force is accelerating some of its fighter pilot training but likely won't fully modernize until 2030. Tradition and the tempo of graduating aviation academy classes constrains pilot production.
What CMSAF Flosi Learned From ‘Dying’ in an ACE Exercise
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Flosi learned the hard way that managing risk in a chaotic ACE environment is not always easy.
Busy BUFFs: B-52 Bombers Overfly Finland, Morocco, and More
B-52 Stratofortresses popped up from the Middle East to North Africa to the Arctic in recent days, as the U.S. Air Force flexed the reach of its bomber fleet.
Watchdog: Air Force Needs Timelines and Metrics for New Force Generation Model
The Government Accountability Office wants the Air Force to explain who will run bases when wings deploy under the service’s new force generation model along with several other unanswered questions, saying the concept is long on vision but short on details.
PACAF Boss Helps Deliver First US Aircraft to Vietnam in Decades
Pacific Air Forces commander Gen. Kevin B. Schneider and other Airmen delivered five T-6 Texan trainer aircraft to Vietnam last week—the first U.S. aircraft delivery to the country since the Vietnam War.
Radar Sweep
Israel and Hezbollah Agree to Cease-Fire, Halting Yearlong Conflict
The Washington Post
Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah have agreed to a cease-fire that took effect Nov. 27 at 4 a.m. local time, U.S., Israeli, and French officials said, bringing a tenuous halt to more than a year of hostilities that escalated sharply in recent weeks.
Europe Can’t Make Ukraine Enough Weapons—So It’s Paying Kyiv to Do It
The Wall Street Journal
Ukraine’s European allies, struggling to produce enough weapons for Kyiv’s war effort, are pioneering a new method: giving Ukrainians money to do it themselves. In the new approach, Europeans are financing Ukrainian government contracts with cash-strapped Ukrainian arms makers to produce equipment for the country’s armed forces, including long-range missiles and drones that can strike Russian territory.
US Responds to Attack on Troops with Strike in Syria
The Hill
U.S. forces on Nov. 26 struck Iranian-aligned militia groups in Syria in retaliation for the fighters attacking American bases. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on the social platform X that it struck a weapons storage facility and that a battle damage assessment was underway to determine the impact of the strike.
Ukraine’s Top Commander Wants New Counteroffensive, Says It’s the Only Path to Victory
The War Zone
Anew counteroffensive is the only way forward to success for Ukraine, the commander of its Armed Forces recently told a small group of milbloggers. “Victory is impossible if the Armed Forces work only in defense,” said Col.-Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, according to Ukrainian military journalist Kirill Sazonov’s recent post on Telegram. “We have to seize the initiative and counterattack. We have and we will. Where and who – you will see.”
Embraer Targets Prime Status in US Defense Market
Breaking Defense
Brazilian aerospace firm Embraer has been present in the American defense market for over a decade, with its commercial arm operating in the states even longer. But the company is now seeking to expand its U.S. reach by chasing the coveted status of being a major prime contractor for the Pentagon — and to do so, “all avenues” are at the firm’s disposal, including merger and acquisitions activity, executives recently told Breaking Defense.
As Europe Contemplates a Military Buildup, Space Companies Beg NATO to Change
Defense One
If NATO’s European members are to fully harness commercial-space offerings, the alliance must lower bureaucratic and financial barriers, industry executives say. Several execs spoke to Defense One about the findings of a recent survey by NATO’s Industrial Advisory Group, which sought input from industry to inform the alliance’s effort to develop a commercial-space strategy by next June’s summit.
Global War on Terrorism Medals Authorized for Houthi Operations
Military Times
Service members participating in operations against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are now authorized to receive the Global War on Terrorism Service and Expeditionary Medals, according to a Pentagon spokesperson.
Chinese Warplanes Track US Navy Aircraft Through the Sensitive Taiwan Strait
The Associated Press
China deployed military aircraft and ships to track and monitor a U.S. Navy plane transiting the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Nov. 26, Beijing said, as the two nations continue to spar over self-ruled Taiwan. The U.S. Navy’s 7th fleet said in a statement a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flew through the strait’s international space “in accordance with international law.”
Commerce Announces More Semiconductor Funding for Military Aircraft, Commercial Satellites
Breaking Defense
In an effort to bolster domestic manufacturing of chips for national security and the space industry, the Department of Commerce announced it is awarding BAE Systems Inc. and Rocket Lab a CHIPS Incentive Award worth up to a combined $59.4 million.
Overseas Troops to See Fewer Sweets, More Sweet Potatoes on Their Holiday Tables This Year
Military.com
They are chock-full of vitamins and minerals, high in fiber, and rich in compounds that are good for your heart and your eyesight. Like 'em or not, if you are a U.S. service member deployed overseas, you will see more sweet potatoes in your holiday offerings this season—a whopping 800 percent more than last year.