Editor’s Note
The Daily Report will not publish Monday, Jan. 20, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Inauguration Day.
Trump Picks NRO’s Meink as Next Air Force Secretary
President-elect Donald Trump has picked Dr. Troy E. Meink to become the next Secretary of the Air Force, he announced Jan. 16. Meink is currently the principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, a Department of Defense intelligence agency that works closely with the Space Force.
US, Korea, Japan Fly Together as Chinese Delegation Visits Japan
American B-1 bombers flew alongside Japanese and South Korean fighters on Jan. 15 in the three countries’ first flight together in 2025—while at the same time, Japan hosted a Chinese military delegation. The moves highlight the delicate moment in the strategic environment of the Indo-Pacific.
SDA Director Suspended Pending Investigation
Derek M. Tournear, director of the Space Development Agency, has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of an investigation, the Department of the Air Force announced late Jan. 16.
Lockheed Certifies F-35 to Use Sustainable Fuels. Will USAF Take Advantage?
Lockheed Martin has approved F-35s flying with a 50-50 blend of standard jet fuel and Synthetic Aviation Turbine Fuel, made from waste oils, coal, gas, and other carbon products. Norway flew two F-35s using a 40/60 mixture of standard and SAT fuels earlier this week.
Anduril Picks Ohio Site for ‘Arsenal’ Plant to Build CCAs and More
Anduril Industries plans to establish its first “Arsenal” factory of the future at a site near Columbus, Ohio. The new factory should employ some 4,000 people and make various autonomous air vehicles and other defense product at an expected high volume.
Radar Sweep
Biden Executive Order Aims to Shore Up US Cyber Defenses
The Associated Press
President Joe Biden issued an executive order on Jan. 16 aimed at strengthening the nation's cybersecurity and making it easier to go after foreign adversaries or hacking groups that try to compromise U.S. internet and telecommunication systems.
Calvelli Cautions Space Force, SDA to Focus on Program Results, Know That ‘Industry Lies’
Breaking Defense
Frank Calvelli was appointed as the Pentagon’s first-ever senior acquisition executive in charge of military space programs—a position first mandated by Congress in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act—on May 5, 2022. ... In an exclusive exit interview, Calvelli discussed his legacy, including his nine tenets, lessons learned and advice on acquisition reform to his successor and the Defense Department writ large.
Blue Origin’s Rocket Reaches Orbit on First Flight, Promising Competition for SpaceX
Defense One
The heavy-lift New Glenn rocket reached orbit during its maiden flight on Jan. 16, bringing Blue Origin, a private company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, one step closer to competing with launch titan SpaceX. The rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station early Jan. 16, following several weather-related delays and technical setbacks that had pushed the launch back several days.
SpaceX Loses Spacecraft After Catching Rocket Booster During Test Flight
ABC News
SpaceX conducted the seventh flight test of its Starship launch vehicle on Jan. 16, which the company called “the most capable” Starship yet—and the only fully reusable one. It was a mixed bag for the aerospace giant as they successfully caught the first stage booster upon its return to Earth, but lost communications with the Starship as it headed into space.
On the Way Out, Biden Officials Ask: How to Fix America’s War Machine?
Defense News
Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s top national security adviser, didn’t enter office in 2021 thinking about America’s defense industry. His first priorities were elsewhere: withdrawing from Afghanistan and writing a new national security strategy. “The [defense industrial base] was not top of the list for me walking in the door,” Sullivan said Jan. 15, using the government’s name for its supply of weapons. He’s telling his successors not to do the same thing.
Drones Expected to Remain a DOD Priority Under Trump, According to SecDef Nominee Hegseth
DefenseScoop
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to be Pentagon chief, made it clear to lawmakers this week that, if confirmed, he plans to prioritize the military’s adoption and integration of autonomous technologies in modern operations and enhance its ability to counter drones that continue to disrupt U.S. national security.
Sierra Space Satellite Passes Milestone in Space Force Program
SpaceNews
A navigation satellite designed by Sierra Space for the U.S. Space Force has cleared an early review, the company announced Jan. 16. Sierra Space, based in Colorado, is one of four companies selected for the Resilient Global Positioning System (R-GPS) program, aimed at bolstering the existing GPS satellite constellation with a fleet of smaller and more affordable satellites. The other competitors are Astranis, Axient, and L3Harris.
White House Loosens Missile Export Rules for US Allies
Inside Defense
The Biden administration has loosened some regulations of the Missile Technology Control Regime governing the export of missiles to U.S. allies, according to the White House. President Biden signed a national security memorandum on Jan. 3 that updates classified policy guidance implementation of the MTCR, in part, to support the trilateral AUKUS partnership between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
'Absurd Phenomenon’—The Manpower Issue Threatening to Weaken Ukraine’s Air Force
Kyiv Independent
Critically lacking manpower on the front lines where Russia continues to use its vast manpower advantage to make grinding advances, Ukraine has been scrambling specialists into the infantry in an effort to replenish losses. Criticized widely by soldiers and experts for a “wasteful” use of specialist troops that have spent years honing their skills, the short-term solution has frequently led to their death or injury, according to soldiers interviewed by the Kyiv Independent over 2024.
UK’s Starmer Visits Ukraine to Pledge Support amid Russian Air Raid
The Washington Post
The arrival of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Kyiv on the morning of Jan. 16 to sign a “100 year” security and trade agreement was accompanied by the sound of explosions as air defenses fended off an apparent Russian attack.
How California National Guard Helicopter Crews Are Fighting the LA Wildfires
Task & Purpose
As thick black smoke rises past their canopy, the crew of a California National Guard Chinook dives through a scrubby canyon, 500 feet over a line of flames. A cloud of water falls from a bucket slung beneath it, and a plume of white vapor signals to the crew that they’ve hit their mark.
Service Members Are No Longer Banned from Displaying the American Flag Horizontally at Major Events
Military.com
It might come as a surprise, but U.S. service members weren’t technically allowed to unfurl giant U.S. flags at major events, despite the practice’s status as a staple of many pregame ceremonies. Indeed, a February 2023 Defense Department memo reminded troops that the flag should never be carried flat or horizontally at any time. Now, the Pentagon is tossing that restriction.