Daily Report

April 25, 2024
air force force-sizing slife

Slife: Air Superiority, Base Defense Must Adapt to Modern War

Small one-way attack drones widely used on the frontlines of Ukraine and against U.S. outposts in the Middle East have fundamentally altered the definition of air superiority, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. James C. “Jim” Slife said April 24. "Our traditional conception of what things like air superiority means have changed,” Slife said at a panel discussion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

‘More EW Than We Have Ever Seen Before’ in Ukraine, Space Force Official Says

The Space Force must invest in high-level training based on the lessons learned from an unprecedented level of electronic warfare (EW) used by both Russia and Ukraine in the conflict there, one of the service’s top EW leaders said on April 24. “What we have seen in the Ukraine-Russia conflict is more EW than we have ever seen before,” Col. Nicole Petrucci, the commander of Space Delta 3, said during an AFA Warfighters in Action event. “We’ve actually been studying this very carefully."
kc-46

Boeing Takes $222 Million Loss on T-7, KC-46

Boeing lost $222 million on two key Air Force programs in the first quarter of fiscal year 2024: $128 million on the KC-46 aerial refueling tanker and $94 million on the T-7 trainer, where the total losses already exceed more than $7 billion and $1 billion, respectively.

Radar Sweep

WATCH: Aerospace Nation: Air Marshal Johnny Stringer, Deputy Commander of NATO’s Allied Air Command

Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies hosted Air Marshal Johnny Stringer, Deputy Commander of NATO Allied Air Command, for an Aerospace Nation event on April 24. The event highlighted NATO's crucial mission in the face of global security challenges and the vital role of airpower in deterrence and power projection. Air Marshal Stringer provided valuable insights into the rapid evolution of allied NATO airpower. The conversation underscored the importance of collaboration among NATO member nations in safeguarding collective security interests and. Marshal Stringer also highlighted the shifting nature of the technology and threat environment. Lt. Gen. Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.), Dean of the Mitchell Institute, expressed gratitude for Air Marshal Stringer's participation, stating, "Air Marshal Stringer's leadership and candor are an invaluable asset to NATO. We greatly valued Marshal Stringer taking the time to come speak with us today."

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Blinken Will Urge China to Stop Sending Military Supplies to Russia

The Washington Post

Amid growing U.S. worries that Russia’s war on Ukraine is being made possible by Chinese support for Moscow’s defense industry, Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in China on April 24 on a three-day mission to push leaders to cut ties with the Kremlin.

Inside the Fight for Top Trump National Security Roles

POLITICO

A furious sweepstakes for senior national security posts in a new Donald Trump administration is well underway, with everyone from MAGA acolytes to mainstream Republicans vying to serve the former president in a second term.

US Space Force Renews Call for ‘Reserve’ of Commercial Satellite Providers

SpaceNews

The U.S. Space Force in early 2023 floated the idea of establishing a “commercial space reserve” that would allow the military to quickly tap private satellite operators during a conflict. Gen. Michael Guetlein, vice chief of space operations, said the Space Force is figuring out how to establish such a commercial reserve, which will require intricate negotiations with satellite operators to hash out binding agreements.

No Final Decision on Withdrawing US Troops from Niger and Chad

The Associated Press

There has been no final decision on whether or not all U.S. troops will leave Niger and Chad, two African countries that are integral to the military’s efforts to counter violent extremist organizations across the Sahel region, a top U.S. military official told The Associated Press on April 24.

Pentagon Disputes Report of Firefight Following Abbey Gate Bombing

Air Force Times

Military officials are disputing allegations that they withheld details about additional attacks on U.S. forces following the deadly August 2021 bombing in Afghanistan and insisting that the tragedy was the result of a lone insurgent, not a coordinated assault. The pushback comes in response to a CNN report released April 24, which appears to show multiple rounds of gunfire following the explosion at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Aug. 26, 2021.

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US Says Iranian Group Used ‘Spearphishing’ Tactics to Hack Defense Contractors

Stars and Stripes

The U.S. is accusing four Iranians of hacking defense contractors and targeting military veteran job seekers, an indictment unsealed April 23 said. The indictment charges four hackers said to be part of a multiyear cyberwar campaign by Iran’s military against more than a dozen U.S. companies, as well as the State and Treasury departments.