Sent to Russia to join with Moscow’s troops in Kursk, the North Koreans essentially operate as a separate fighting force, the Ukrainian soldiers and American officials said—distinct in language, training, and military culture.
President Donald Trump’s national security adviser on Jan. 22 sidelined about 160 National Security Council aides, sending them home while the administration reviews staffing and tries to align it with Trump’s agenda. The career government employees, commonly referred to as detailees, were summoned Jan. 22 for an all-staff call and told they will be expected to be available to the council’s senior directors but would not need to report to the White House.
The Air Force has begun questioning industry about existing and maturing advanced propulsion capabilities to support future aircraft requirements, according to two recently released requests for information.
Senate Republicans are ramping up efforts to restrict foreign government investment in U.S. real estate near American military bases, calling it a looming risk for troops’ safety and national security.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense will provide its combat units with 2.5 billion hryvnia (US$60 million) of direct funding per month to procure their own drones, in a move to allow commanders in the field to buy the equipment they need rather than rely on centralized purchasing.
In this episode of the Aerospace Advantage, Doug Birkey chats with Gen. Kevin Chilton, USAF (Ret.); Lt. Gen. David Deptula, USAF (Ret.); Jennifer “Boots” Reeves; and Charles Galbreath about key considerations President Trump’s defense team, especially the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Air Force, should be thinking about when it comes to spacepower.
Several familiar faces who steered some of the Pentagon’s major technology and cybersecurity efforts over the last few years are operating in senior-level executive roles in acting capacities, as officials wait to see who the Trump administration will appoint to permanently lead key offices, multiple sources told DefenseScoop.
The Philippines has decided to double the size of its FA-50 light fighter fleet, reportedly buying another 12 from South Korea, in a move that analysts told Breaking Defense won’t get China off Manila’s back but could complicate Beijing’s plans.
In a modern, connected military, software is crucial to every step of every operation, from planning to coordination and logistics to target engagement. But as threats and requirements change, software needs to change too. If requirements change faster than developers can deploy new code, the entire system can break down.
While the Department of the Air Force has not revealed the impetus behind its unusual Jan. 16 announcement that Space Development Agency chief Derek Tournear has been placed on administrative leave, Breaking Defense has learned that the move is related to an ongoing bid protest by Viasat over a recent SDA contract award.
The U.S. Space Force’s Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO) has announced contracting opportunities worth approximately $2.3 billion for commercial satellite services over the coming year. The procurement forecast, released in December, outlines major initiatives for fiscal years 2025 and 2026, with the centerpiece being a nearly $900 million program focused on maneuverable satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO).
On Dec. 8, 2024, four F-35Bs from VMFA-214 “Black Sheep” squadron, along with two F-35Bs from VMX-1, flew out of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma in Arizona accompanied by two Air Force C-17s from the 97th Airlift Squadron. The destination was an airfield on San Clemente Island (SCI), a U.S. military-controlled outpost used for training, test, and weapons development, located roughly 65 miles off the San Diego coast. Before the C-17s landed, VMFA-214’s F-35Bs faced a host of ‘red air’ adversaries, including 5th generation fighters, before the C-17s could safely ingress. In other words, they would have to fight their way in.
A United States pilot who disappeared while conducting a spy mission during the Vietnam War has finally been accounted for, military officials said Jan. 21. U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Donald W. Downing was assigned to the 557th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, 7th Air Force in September 1967, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said in a news release. Downing, 33, was piloting one of two aircraft in a nighttime armed reconnaissance mission over what was then known as the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on Sept. 5, 1967.
