News
Three airmen who survived Tower 22 attack receive Purple Heart
Three service members received the Purple Heart earlier this month for injuries sustained during a Jan. 28 drone attack in Jordan, according to the Air Force
How many drones does the Army need? A lot more.
The Army is buying hundreds of small drones as it starts to equip its infantry with warfare’s latest must-have weapon, but that’s not nearly enough. The experience of current units suggests the service will need to buy thousands per year just to meet training objectives, let alone go to war.
US forces bomb ‘multiple’ ISIS camps in Syria
American forces hit multiple ISIS camps across Syria on Oct. 11, in one of the larger military operations against the group in recent months, U.S. Central Command announced today.
Lawyer for news organizations presses Guantanamo judge to make public a plea deal for 9/11 accused
A lawyer for news organizations urged the U.S. military commission at Guantanamo Bay to unseal the plea deal struck with accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two others, saying the public has a constitutional right and compelling need to follow one of the “most-disputed, debated, argued-about prosecutions that have happened in this country.”
Trump requests military aircraft and vehicles amid Iran threat
Donald Trump’s campaign requested military aircraft for Trump to fly in during the final weeks of the campaign, expanded flight restrictions over his residences and rallies, ballistic glass pre-positioned in seven battleground states for the campaign’s use and an array of military vehicles to transport Trump, according to emails reviewed by The Washington Post and people familiar with the matter.
The US Navy is burning through missiles in the Middle East that it would need in a war with China
US Navy warships have twice been called upon to defend Israel from massive Iranian ballistic missile attacks and have used SM-3 interceptors to defeat the incoming threats.
US Navy postpones retirement of the EP-3E spyplane amid ongoing operational commitments
A homecoming ceremony planned for the return of two U.S. Navy EP-3E electronic reconnaissance aircraft and their crews has been postponed due to ongoing operational commitments, likely related to escalating crisis in the Middle East, Seapower Magazine reported. The crews, part of Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1), were scheduled to return to their home base at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island, Washington. The ceremony was meant to commemorate the final operational deployments of the squadron and the venerable EP-3E, marking the end of an era for the Navy’s manned reconnaissance aircraft.
Air Force
Water likely tainted by ‘forever chemicals’ flowed off Air Force base in Tokyo
Local authorities in cities surrounding this base in western Tokyo were not told for more than a month that thousands of gallons of water, likely tainted with toxic chemicals, spilled off the installation this summer.
MacDill ends evacuation order after moderate hurricane damage
Airmen assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing will start returning to MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, this weekend after the base survived Hurricane Milton largely intact. But personnel assigned to the headquarters of U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command, both located at MacDill, may have to wait a while before they can return to their usual offices.
US airman found not guilty of murder in stabbing death of man in Germany
A court-martial jury on Friday found Airman 1st Class Grant Harrison not guilty of unpremeditated murder after witnesses gave conflicting testimony about a confrontation between two airmen and Michael Ovsjannikov, who was stabbed to death near his home.
Space Force
Why Space Force chose commercial firms to build its new ground system
The Space Force wants to transition the first of its space domain awareness satellite programs to a new cloud-based ground system as soon as next spring — and rather than work with a traditional defense contractor, it’s formed a consortium of small, commercial firms to help it modernize satellite operations.
Defense
Northrop puts its airborne intelligence node to the test
Northrop Grumman recently completed testing of its airborne deep-sensing architecture in an Army prototyping event aimed at helping solve gaps with long-range precision fires.
Boeing to cut 10% of workers as defense unit loses $2B in 3 months
Boeing’s defense business continued bleeding in the third quarter of 2024 as troubled programs, fixed-price contracts, and an inability to reach a deal with thousands of striking machinists dragged down the company.
Anduril and Impulse Space to collaborate on AI-driven satellite mobility
The defense tech firm Anduril Industries announced a strategic partnership with California-based startup Impulse Space to develop advanced in-space maneuvering capabilities.
Veterans
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Senator seeks to overhaul VA suicide prevention algorithm favoring men
The Department of Veterans Affairs would be forced to overhaul an artificial intelligence program that helps direct suicide prevention outreach under a bill introduced late last month by Sen. John Tester.
Smaller but more diverse group of veterans running for Congress this year
At a time when diversity in the military has become a political punching bag, the share of veterans running for Congress who identify as minorities ticked up this year compared to the last election.