Gen. Paul V. Hester, head of Pacific Air Forces, said US Forces Japan is working with the Japanese government on a plan to acquire more ballistic-missiles to defend against the North Korean threat, reports Stars and Stripes. Hester said during a Pacific bases tour that the US has a “variety of schematics” for missile defense, adding that America has defensive weapons it can place within the US and within other countries. “Right now, Japan is looking at this and deciding how much they want to invest in it,” said Hester.
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.