The Wall Street Journal
Four years ago, the U.S. and its oldest ally in Asia were close to breaking up. The Philippines had declared it wanted to exit a cornerstone defense pact between the countries. Then-President Rodrigo Duterte favored a realignment toward Beijing. Today, the alliance is at its strongest in decades. The striking turnaround is the result of a U.S. charm offensive, a new leader in Manila, and forceful Chinese actions against the Philippines in the South China Sea.
MassLive
As the U.S. Air Force looks to up its game against high-tech global threats, a coalition of Bay State lawmakers says it wants Massachusetts to be on the front lines. They’re calling for the Air Force to locate its new Information Dominance Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, about 21 miles from Boston.
Air Force Times
The Air Force’s newest airmen are finally working out in the service’s upgraded physical training uniforms. The new workout gear began rolling out at basic military training earlier this month, an Air Force spokesperson told Air Force Times. They are anticipated to hit shelves at Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores in July, said AAFES spokesperson Chris Ward.
Defense News
The U.S. has transferred tens of thousands of its bombs and shells to Israel since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. But it hasn’t given Israel everything it wants. That’s because the U.S. military lacks the capacity to provide some of the weapons Israel requested, according to Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Breaking Defense
Two top leaders of the House Appropriations Committee expressed skepticism for a Pentagon proposal that would transfer the National Guard’s space units to the Space Force, with one ranking Democrat stating that the proposal was “dead on arrival.” Opposition from congressional appropriators, who control the Pentagon’s purse strings, could throw a wrench into the plan, which would involve the transfer of several hundred Guard members and consolidate space operations inside the Space Force.
SpaceNews
The Space Force is eyeing innovative in-orbit refueling technology, but a key question lingers: is it worth the cost, especially when the military is considering a shift towards cheaper, disposable satellites? The jury’s still out on the value proposition, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said at a House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee hearing April 30.
Military.com
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to hear a case involving 39 military chaplains who say they continue to face recrimination for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine for religious reasons. In an announcement April 29 of the cases the court has selected to hear next year, the justices denied the chaplains’ petition to review last year’s dismissal of the case by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
The War Zone
With the final U.S. Marine Corps orders for the MV-22 Osprey now very likely having been placed, the service is looking forward to getting the most out of the tiltrotor transport as it plans for a career that could see it serve into the 2060s and potentially beyond. Among a raft of enhancements to keep it viable until then, the V-22 Joint Program Office is looking at some radical potential ideas, including optionally piloted configurations.
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Inside Defense
Pentagon technology chief Heidi Shyu announced April 30 that four Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve projects are headed into production. Shyu, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said during a National Defense Industrial Association webinar that the four RDER programs were first approved last year.
Washington Technology
Science Applications International Corp. has secured another shot at a $457.5 million Air Force task order contract to modernize the service branch's enterprise and tactical architecture. The Air Force awarded the order to HII through the IAC-MAC vehicle, known in full as the Information Analysis Center Multiple Award Contract. HII inherited its place on the vehicle through its acquisition of Alion Science & Technology in 2021.
One More Thing
Task & Purpose
Ever since the American military was established, grooming standards have ebbed and flowed with changes in uniform and broader cultural norms over the years. Today, the common belief is that a clean-cut hairstyle, no facial hair, and a sharp-looking uniform are signs of discipline.
