Air Force May Need to Extend the KC-135 Service Life: AMC Boss
The Air Force may need to extend the life of the KC-135 Stratotanker again if the pace of aerial tanker modernization remains static, Gen. John A. Lamontagne said.
Saltzman: US Can Overcome Hurdles to Develop Space-Based Interceptors
Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman offered a vote of confidence in the ability of America’s defense base to produce space-based missile interceptors.
Hegseth Endorses Air Force and Space Force Missions During Meeting with Senior Leaders
As the Pentagon weighs shifting billions of dollars in funding, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the Trump administration plans to step up spending on offensive and defense space operations.
DARPA Eyes Quantum Sensors That Are Easier to Buy, Tougher in the Field
Earlier this year, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, launched its new Robust Quantum Sensors program. It seeks to solve fundamental engineering challenges that have hampered the transition of quantum sensing from the laboratory to the battlefield, as well as a more esoteric problem: how to get innovative new technology like quantum sensors funded by the Defense Department’s massive and sometimes byzantine acquisition system.
Trump Appoints 5 New Members to USAFA Board of Visitors
The U.S. Air Force Academy’s Board of Visitors—an oversight committee that monitors a wide swath of issues including morale, discipline, curriculum, and fiscal matters—is getting a shakeup as President Donald Trump announced five new appointments.
Radar Sweep
Musk to Receive Top-Secret Briefing on US War Plans for China
The Wall Street Journal
Elon Musk is scheduled to receive a briefing March 21 on the U.S. military’s top-secret war plans for China, according to two U.S. officials, giving the wealthy businessman and presidential adviser insight into one of the Pentagon’s most closely guarded operational blueprints.
Zelenskyy and Putin Have Agreed to a Limited Ceasefire, but Implementation Is Work in Progress
The Associated Press
Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire after President Donald Trump spoke with the countries’ leaders this week, though it remains to be seen when it might take effect and what possible targets would be off limits to attack.
Israel Expands Gaza Ground Offensive as Hamas Fires Rockets at Tel Aviv
The New York Times
The Israeli military expanded its ground operations across the Gaza Strip on March 20 as Hamas fired rockets at central Israel for the first time in months, in what looked increasingly like a slide back toward full-scale war.
Hegseth Touts $580M in Pentagon Cuts
The Hill
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on March 20 announced the Pentagon is canceling more than $580 million in grants and contracts deemed “wasteful spending.” In a new memo, Hegseth asserts the programs are “inconsistent with the priorities” of the department and don’t align with President Trump’s priorities. The cuts are part of the Trump administration’s work with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which is currently auditing federal departments.
Pentagon CIO Calls for More Offensive Cyber Capability
DefenseScoop
The status quo will no longer be accepted as the Trump administration moves to combat adversaries in the digital world, the Defense Department’s acting chief information officer said March 20.
GOP Leaders Warn Trump Not to Abandon NATO Post, Pacific Buildup Plans
Defense News
Key Republican defense leaders in Congress issued a rare rebuke March 19 of President Donald Trump’s ongoing military reform efforts, voicing concerns about rumored changes to force posture overseas and department leadership reorganization.
Saltzman: Space Force in ‘Pretty Good Spot’ Regarding DOD Funding Shift
Breaking Defense
Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said today he believes the Space Force’s own priorities are well aligned with those of the Trump administration, as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth considers an 8 percent funding realignment across the services for fiscal year 2026.
Interview: USAF Chief
Defense One
As the Pentagon begins a major reshaping of the nation’s defense budget, the Air Force chief sees an opportunity to secure additional funding—highlighting its role in the new defense secretary’s priority missions.
US Space Force Budget Trimmed in Full-Year Continuing Resolution
SpaceNews
The U.S. Space Force will operate with $28.7 billion in funding for fiscal year 2025, $800 million less than its requested budget of $29.5 billion, according to the full-year continuing resolution (CR) spending bill passed by Congress last week. The funding details were released by Republican lawmakers as part of “congressional intent” guidelines for the Department of Defense’s $892.5 billion allocation within the CR, which runs through Sept. 30, 2025.
Kratos Reveals Secret Hypersonic Drone Program
Aviation Week
Kratos is developing a hypersonic drone, adding to a growing portfolio of high-speed vehicles, CEO Eric DeMarco told Aviation Week in a March 18 interview. All further details of the project—including the design, performance and schedule—cannot yet be released, DeMarco said.
Air Force CIO to Retire After 31 Years of Federal Service
Federal News Network
Venice Goodwine, the Department of the Air Force’s chief information officer, is retiring after 31 years of federal service. Goodwine will leave in mid-May, allowing time for a transition to a new department CIO.
WWII Airstrip in Central California Sold. It Was ‘The Country Club of Training Bases’
The Fresno Bee
An airstrip once used to develop U.S. pilots during World War II in Central California has been sold. ... Eagle Field dates back to 1942 when construction of the airstrip got underway a few months after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 and the United States entering WWII.