Pi Day News
NASA Pi Day Challenge Serves Up a Mathematical Marvel
Celebrate one of the world’s most famous numbers with a set of math problems involving real space missions, courtesy of the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Happy Pi Day: A Look at Pi’s Use in Aerospace Prototyping
Is there any holiday more delicious than National Pi Day on March 14th? The special day — chosen for matching the first few digits of pi, 3.14 — may be a fun opportunity to enjoy a cheesy pizza or warm apple pie, but it also presents the perfect occasion to learn more about the one-of-a-kind world of aerospace prototyping.
Reflections on Pi Day, March 14
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, has a special place in the annals of space exploration, having among its graduates 23 (and counting) astronauts, including Gus Grissom, Neil Armstrong, and a host of shuttle crew members, who have flown on more than 40 shuttle missions. Today, March 14, on which we celebrate the number π, whose decimal expansion begins 3.14159…
News
Does blocking this Air Force colonel’s promotion set a precedent?
As soon as Tuberville’s hold was lifted, Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt from Missouri stepped in, blocking Jonsson’s promotion because of a commentary he wrote for Air Force Times in 2020, in which he urged his fellow white colonels to acknowledge racial disparities in the service.
F-35 upgrade delays prompt US Air Force to scale back jet purchases
The ongoing delay in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s latest upgrades was one factor in the U.S. Air Force’s recent decision to purchase fewer jets in fiscal 2025.
Ukraine could deploy F-16s as soon as July, but only a few
Countries promised the fighter jets last year, but delivering them and training pilots have proved complex. Ukraine may start with as few as six, out of about 45 pledged.
Putin warns the West: Russia is ready for nuclear war
President Vladimir Putin warned the West on Wednesday Russia was technically ready for nuclear war and that if the U.S. sent troops to Ukraine, it would be considered a significant escalation of the conflict.
More troops would be eligible for new allowance under DOD proposal
More military families could become eligible for the Pentagon’s Basic Needs Allowance under a proposal included in the Defense Department’s fiscal year 2025 budget request on Monday.
New Jersey Air National Guard activates new refueling squadron to fly KC-46 Pegasus
The New Jersey Air National Guard has a new refueling unit to fly the KC-46 Pegasus tanker.
Air Force
Osprey pilot, flight engineer to earn posthumous awards for 2010 crash
Two Air Force special operations commandos will be posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross nearly 14 years after the CV-22 Osprey they were flying crashed in southeastern Afghanistan.
Alaska on-base school may be shuttered in May due to funding issues
A school on Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska may close its doors at the end of the school year due to budget shortfalls.
Air Force promotes largest number of senior master sergeants since 1991
Out of 15,151 eligible candidates, the Air Force selected 1,734 master sergeants for promotion to senior master sergeant this year, the highest total since 1991, when 2,208 master sergeants were selected for promotion, according to a spokesperson for the Air Force Personnel Center.
Air Force halves MH-139A Grey Wolf helo buy in FY25 budget request
“It’s just about the overall budget of the Air Force and what we’re able to afford and what we’re not able to afford,” explained Air Force acquisition chief Andrew Hunter of the decision to cut the birds.
Defense
Space Force mulls refueling as industry calls for funding, standards
In April 2007, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency demonstrated the ability to refuel a satellite in orbit — equipping a spacecraft with a robotic arm, docking it to another spacecraft and transferring nearly 32 pounds of hydrazine into its fuel tank.
Pentagon finally approves F-35 for full rate production after 5-year delay
The “Milestone C” decision is a crucial moment signifying the department’s confidence in the performance of the F-35 and maturity of Lockheed Martin’s production system, though the plane has been in service for years.
Air Force budget backs Raytheon hypersonic, no Lockheed missile funds
The U.S. Air Force’s proposed fiscal 2025 budget requests $517 million to keep developing its Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile — but the AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon’s future is looking dim.
Honeywell unveils new F-35 thermal management fix as Pentagon hunts for better cooling
“Now that we understand that 80 kilowatts is a must-have, it was the mission of: how do we get there, with the lowest impact to the overall airframe?” Honeywell Aerospace’s Matt Milas told Breaking Defense in an exclusive interview.
Veterans
VA plans to trim 10,000 jobs this year, mostly from medical sites
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs leaders plan to trim about 10,000 full-time jobs from agency offices in 2025 after last year’s hiring focus led to a larger than expected workforce, budget planners said Monday.
‘Trying to get our daddy home’: US has no immediate plans to rescue Americans, including Marine vet, trapped in Haiti
Defense officials said Tuesday that the U.S. does not plan to deploy troops to Haiti and has no immediate plans to rescue Americans trapped by gang violence in the country, including a former Marine who served in Vietnam.
Ten years after serving together in Iraq these battle buddies reunited
Shawn Dodd hadn’t seen his best friend, Jesse Burr, for more than a decade when he opened his front door to a stunning surprise.
