China Boosts Defense Spending by 15 Percent: China announced at its annual National People’s Congress this past weekend that it would raise military spending this year by 15 percent—to $35.1 billion, according to the Wall Street Journal. Remember last year, the International Institute for Strategic Studies said that China actually spent twice what it publicly stated.
The Air Force has finished modifying and testing the new VC-25B Bridge aircraft that will serve as a temporary Air Force One, the service announced May 1. All that’s left now is to finish painting the jet before it starts flying this summer.