A 296-Day Sprint: How the Air Force Brought Back Warrant Officers In Record Time
The first Air Force warrant officers in 66 years will join the force on Dec. 6 after an all-out sprint to stand up the program in just 296 days.
US Launches Self-Defense Airstrikes, A-10s Fly over Syria amid Escalating Civil War
The U.S. carried out airstrikes on Dec. 3 to defend U.S. forces in eastern Syria, the Pentagon said. The operation destroyed three truck-mounted rocket launchers, mortars, an armored personnel carrier, and a T-64 tank. The strikes were intended to defend American forces at their outpost and not to intervene in the civil war in Syria, where a rebel group has seized Aleppo and is attacking Syrian forces loyal to President Bashar Al Assad.
B-1 Bombers to Relocate from Ellsworth to Grand Forks Starting This Week
The Air Force will move 17 B-1 bombers and more than 800 Airmen to Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., for the next 10 months starting this week, so that Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., can undergo construction to host the new B-21 Raider.
Years After USAF and Navy Were Told to Up Fighter Readiness, One Fleet Has Done It: F/A-18
The Navy is keeping its fleet of F/A-18 Super Hornets at 80 percent readiness, six years after former Defense Secretary James Mattis ordered both the Air Force and Navy to raise their fighters’ readiness levels. The Air Force, meanwhile, has abandoned that goal and its fighters’ mission capable rates are still lagging.
Radar Sweep
Trump's Pick for Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, Is in Peril in the Senate
NBC News
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, Pete Hegseth, is in peril as Senate Republicans grow increasingly concerned over allegations of drinking and reports about his treatment of women.
Trump Picks Billionaire Investor as Pentagon Deputy
POLITICO
President-elect Donald Trump has selected Stephen Feinberg to be his deputy Defense secretary, two people familiar with the decision told POLITICO, potentially putting a secretive billionaire financier with no experience in the agency into the Pentagon’s No. 2 job.
South Korea Lifts President’s Martial Law Decree After Lawmakers Reject Military Rule
The Associated Press
The president of South Korea early Dec. 4 lifted the martial law he imposed on the country hours earlier, bending to political pressure after a tense night in which troops surrounded parliament and lawmakers voted to reject military rule.
Beijing Sharpens Tone over US Missile Launcher in the Philippines
Defense News
China rebuked anew the presence of a U.S. Typhon missile system in the Philippines, the latest in a series of verbal rows between Manila and Beijing over the deployment of the medium-range weapon in the Philippines.
‘It’s Not a War Zone’: Pentagon Ponders Policy Shifts to Protect Homeland Bases from Drones
Breaking Defense
When industry representatives gathered with military officials in the Colorado mountains to test different counter-drone tactics, another enemy lurked in the background, threatening to hamstring efforts to take on the increasing threat of small drones: red tape.
Lockheed Martin Challenges Narrative on GPS Vulnerability
SpaceNews
Lockheed Martin is challenging the prevailing narrative that military users of the Global Positioning System (GPS) are dangerously vulnerable to service disruptions and is emphasizing the advanced security features set to debut with the upcoming GPS IIIF satellites.
Anduril Wins $100M Deal from CDAO to Scale ‘Edge Data Mesh’ Capabilities
DefenseScoop
The Pentagon’s Chief Digital and AI Office has awarded Anduril a $100 million other transaction agreement to scale its “edge data integration services capabilities” for the U.S. military, the Defense Department announced Dec. 3 in its daily list of major contract awards.
How to Wield Better Data in Defense
Air & Space Forces Magazine
Whether it’s perfecting supply chain logistics, sorting out the intricacies of a complex wargame, or planning key operational moves in a campaign, data holds the key to better decisions for the U.S. Air Force. Learn more about how industry and the military are better using data to improve outcomes.
How an AI-Powered Dashboard Gets Air Force Reservists Deployment-Ready
Air Force Times
When a Guard or Reserve unit gets called up to deploy, seemingly small personnel issues—like out-of-date dental exams—can throw planning into jeopardy. And with military personnel management systems often still run on disparate digital spreadsheets, finding troops who aren’t deployment-ready and notifying them in time to fix the problem can quickly become a crisis of urgency.
Lockheed Braces for New Administration as Musk Targets F-35
Defense One
F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin is preparing for defense-spending changes under the incoming Trump administration, the company’s top financial officer said Dec. 3. “I would expect, over time, that there will be different priorities in this administration,” Lockheed CFO Jay Malave said at the UBS Global Industrials & Transportation Conference.
Northrop Grumman Activates Arctic SATCOM Constellation for Space Force, Norway
DefenseScoop
Northrop Grumman announced Dec. 3 that it has handed over mission operations and completed activation of Space Norway’s Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission (ASBM) constellation, expanding access to satellite communications in the High North for both the U.S. Space Force and Norway.
Maryland Seeks DC’s Air National Guard Squadron in RFK Deal
The Washington Post
Maryland’s leaders have proposed a set of conditions that could greatly affect the Washington Commanders football team’s stadium search. Among them: If D.C. gives their state one of its Air National Guard squadrons, they may support a bill allowing the District to redevelop the RFK Stadium site, according to three people with knowledge of the negotiations.
The Best Gifts for the Military Motorhead in Your Life
Military.com
Need gift ideas for people in the military? Want to know what to buy the car enthusiast in your life? We have ideas. Some of these are useful items that will take the stress out of maintaining a car in the on-base auto skills center. Others are a great way to escape the daily grind and imagine a carefree life behind the wheel. All of them are catnip to car people.