Local and state officials plan to fight a decision by the Air Force to permanently prohibit hikers, bicyclists, and horse riders from using a public road that crosses Vandenberg Air Force Base property to reach Point Sal Beach, reports the Santa Maria Times. The action apparently took effect in January, but local California officials found out “weeks” later. A statement from Vandenberg released last week noted “extreme safety concerns in the area.”
Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd III met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan and the Philippines to discuss bolstering defense ties on May 2. The discussion included plans for joint F-35 exercises with Japan and Australia in the coming years.