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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"><head><title>Hegseth Visits SPACECOM’s Future HQ in Alabama</title><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no"><meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=9; IE=8; IE=7; IE=EDGE" /><style type="text/css">body { margin: 0 !important; } #overall-container table { max-width: 680px !important; } @media only screen and (max-width: 480px) { body { width:100% !important; min-width:100% !important; } table, td { max-width: 100% !important; } table#email-container { width: 100% !important; } img { max-width: 100% !important; height: auto !important; } .bodytext, h2.article-title { margin: 0.8em !important; } .article-hr { margin: 1.0em 0.5em !important; } .footer-small p, .footer-small a { font-size: 0.4em !important; } .wp-post-image { margin: 0.3em 0 !important; } .editors-note { padding: 0.5em 0.8em !important; } }</style></head><body><div style="display: none; font-size: 1px; color: #333333; line-height: 1px; max-height: 0px; max-width: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden;">PLUS: B-52 Makes First Flight with New Radar and Space Force Accepts New Jammers</div><table id="overall-container" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><table id="email-container" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 680px;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://www.afa.org/afa-warfare-symposium/" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="90" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/11/WS26_680x90.png"></a></td></tr><tr class="logo"><td align="center"><img style="margin: 0;" alt="airforcemag daily report logo" height="92" width="450" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/Image/AFM_Daily_Report.jpg"></td></tr><tr class="date"><td align="center"><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #1E4A85; font-weight: bold; margin: 0 0 .8em !important;">Dec. 15, 2025</p></td></tr><tr class="date"><td align="center"><p class="article-author" style="font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #666666; font-weight: normal; margin: 0 0 0.8em;">Edited by Greg Hadley with Courtney Albon, Matthew Cox and Chris Gordon</p></td></tr><tr class="view-in-browser"><td align="center"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20251215/?src=dr" style="background: #3F6EB2; border-radius: 9px; color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; padding: 0.8em 2em; display: inline-block; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: .7em; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em;" target="_blank">View In Browser</a></td></tr><tr class="featured-image"><td align="center"><img width="680" height="454" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Hegseth-Huntsville-21-of-24-scaled.jpg" class="attachment-680x9999 size-680x9999 wp-post-image" alt="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; margin: 0.8em 0 0.1em;" decoding="async" srcset="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Hegseth-Huntsville-21-of-24-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Hegseth-Huntsville-21-of-24-450x300.jpg 450w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Hegseth-Huntsville-21-of-24-675x450.jpg 675w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Hegseth-Huntsville-21-of-24-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/12/Hegseth-Huntsville-21-of-24-900x600.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /><em style='display: block; font-size: 0.8em; margin-bottom: 0.6em'>Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, U.S. Space Command head Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, and others unveil a sign for SPACECOM at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala., Dec. 12, 2025. Photo by Chris Gordon/Air & Space Forces Magazine</em></td></tr><tr class="article"><td><h2 class="article-title" style="font-size: 1.1em; text-align: center; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0.8em 0; line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/hegseth-visit-alabama-redstone-arsenal-future-home-space-command/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Hegseth Visits Alabama to Cement Redstone Arsenal as Future Home of Space Command</a></h2><p class="article-author" style="font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #666666; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.8em 0;">By Chris Gordon</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the site of U.S. Space Command’s future home Dec. 12 and endorsed the move to establish the headquarters in Alabama after years of political back and forth.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr class="article-hr" style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #aaaaaa; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr class="article"><td><h2 class="article-title" style="font-size: 1.1em; text-align: center; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0.8em 0; line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-b-52-completes-first-test-flight-of-radar-modernization-program/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">New B-52 Radar Makes First Flight</a></h2><p class="article-author" style="font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #666666; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.8em 0;">By Matthew Cox</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">A B-52 equipped with the new Stratofortress radar flew Dec. 8, a key first step in modernizing the Cold War bomber.</p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://www.williamsrdm.com/"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/10/WilliamsRDM_Daily-Report_Nov-Dec_2025_680x265.jpg" style="margin: 1.1em 0;"></a></td></tr><tr class="article"><td><h2 class="article-title" style="font-size: 1.1em; text-align: center; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0.8em 0; line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/space-force-accepts-meadowlands-satcom-jammers/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Space Force Accepts Meadowlands SATCOM Jammers </a></h2><p class="article-author" style="font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #666666; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.8em 0;">By Courtney Albon</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">The Space Force has accepted its first Meadowlands satellite communications jammer from prime contractor L3Harris and is poised to start using the system in operations next year. </p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://gdmissionsystems.com/encryption/unmanned?utm_source=www.afa.org&utm_medium=banner-enl&utm_campaign=taclane-campaign&utm_content=brand-awareness"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/11/AFA_GDMS_Social3_web-ads_2025-10-16_680x265.jpg" style="margin: 1.1em 0;"></a></td></tr><tr class="article"><td><h2 class="article-title" style="font-size: 1.1em; text-align: center; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0.8em 0; line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/us-troops-killed-isis-syria/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">US Troops, Interpreter Killed by ISIS Gunman in Syria as Trump Vows ‘Serious Retaliation’</a></h2><p class="article-author" style="font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #666666; font-weight: normal; margin: 0.8em 0;">By Chris Gordon</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">The U.S. sent Air Force F-16s over central Syria in a show of force following the Dec. 13 killing of two U.S. Army Soldiers and one American civilian interpreter by a gunman linked to the Islamic State group.</p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://www.usaa.com/military?txid=OTH:TX1:MBATHE7NE5"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/11/USAA_Dec2025_InsuranceCapability_A2792_680x265px_01.jpg" style="margin: 1.1em 0;"></a></td></tr><tr class="row-spacer" height="25"><td> </td></tr><tr><td align="center" class="radar-sweep" style="background-color: #F4F5F9;"><table id="radar-sweep" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" valign="top" width="90%"></tbody><tr class="row-spacer" height="24"><td> </td></tr><tr class="title""><td align="center"><h3 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.3em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold;">Radar Sweep</h3></td></tr><tr class="row-spacer" height=12><td> </td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">JetBlue Flight Near Venezuela Avoids ‘Midair Collision’ with US Air Force Tanker</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-jetblue-military-tanker-collision-baa2ab38062c5143ba6ce8164219ece2" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Associated Press</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">A JetBlue flight from the small Caribbean nation of Curaçao halted its ascent to avoid colliding with a U.S. Air Force refueling tanker on Dec. 12, and the pilot blamed the military plane for crossing his path.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">US Forces Raid Ship, Seize Cargo Headed to Iran from China</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-forces-raid-ship-seize-cargo-headed-to-iran-from-china-35a1e2ac?st=3rYFGN&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Wall Street Journal</a> <em style="font-size: 0.8em;">(Gift Link)</em></p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">A U.S. special operations team boarded a ship in the Indian Ocean last month and seized military-related articles headed to Iran from China, U.S. officials said, a rare interdiction operation at sea aimed at blocking Tehran from rebuilding its military arsenal.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Admiral’s Top Military Lawyer to Be Summoned in House Boat Strike Inquiry</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://wapo.st/48Phsj5" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a> <em style="font-size: 0.8em;">(Gift Link)</em></p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">A top House Republican plans to summon the senior military lawyer present during a controversial U.S. strike that killed the survivors of an initial attack on their alleged drug smuggling boat in the waters off Venezuela.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Israel Says It Killed Senior Hamas Commander, Despite Cease-Fire</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/13/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-commander-gaza-strike.html?unlocked_article_code=1.808.xy9p.3_VANO2WLF3R&smid=url-share" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The New York Times</a> <em style="font-size: 0.8em;">(Gift Link)</em></p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">The Israeli military said it killed one of Hamas’s top commanders in Gaza in a targeted strike on a car on Dec. 13, in what would be the most high-profile assassination of a senior figure in the militant group since the cease-fire began two months ago.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Ukraine Offers to Drop NATO Membership Demands</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.ft.com/content/c98d24a4-0df3-43dd-a008-56feb0266f45" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Financial Times</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is ready to give up on demands for NATO membership in exchange for security guarantees from the U.S. and Europe, in a move aimed at advancing peace talks in Berlin.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">GAO: Services Aren’t Sharing Information on Longtime Osprey Problems</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.airforcetimes.com/air/2025/12/12/gao-services-arent-sharing-information-on-longtime-osprey-problems/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Air Force Times</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">The Defense Department should improve information sharing among different services and offices to improve the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft’s safety and reduce dangerous or fatal accidents, the Government Accountability Office said Dec. 12.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">US Sets New Air Force One Delivery Date for Mid-2028</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-12/us-sets-new-air-force-one-delivery-date-for-mid-2028?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2NTc2NzM0OSwiZXhwIjoxNzY2MzcyMTQ5LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUNzZCU1JLSzNOWUEwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJGRkMxQzFEREIwMTg0RDYwQTU0OTBENUY5QUQ2RUVERiJ9.LMpeQ5ivH6D6nXKIToN-woLiwciWd5qGobYyaRcHewM" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a> <em style="font-size: 0.8em;">(Gift Link)</em></p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">The Air Force pushed back the estimated delivery date for the first of two new Air Force One jets by another year to mid-2028, giving Boeing Co. even less wiggle room to meet President Donald Trump’s demand to get plane by the end of his term.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://shopafa.org/" target="_blank"><img width="300" height="250" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/11/Holiday-Ad-2025-300-x-250-px.png"></a></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Swiss to Reduce F-35 Fighter Jet Order from US as Costs Rise</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/swiss-reduce-f-35-fighter-jet-order-us-costs-rise-2025-12-12/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Reuters</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">Switzerland said on Dec. 12 it would reduce the number of Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jets it is buying from the United States so it can stick to the original budget plan after the cost of the order rose.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">There’s a Divide Within the Space Force. Congress Is Forcing the Service to Address It</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2025/12/theres-divide-within-space-force-congress-forcing-service-address-it/410119/?oref=d1-homepage-top-story" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Defense One</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">A year ago, the leaders of the House Armed Services Committee put the Space Force on notice. The service, they said, was putting too much focus on its operators and not enough on its acquisitions corps—an imbalance that might ultimately harm the U.S. military's ability to preserve its edge in space.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Marine Corps Continues Pathway for Troops to Switch Their MOS and Become Drone Operators</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://defensescoop.com/2025/12/11/marine-corps-drone-operator-mos-retention-program/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">DefenseScoop</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">The Marine Corps is continuing to build its small unmanned aircraft system operator roster as it ramps up drone implementation across the force, according to a service message and official.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">France, Spain Reassert Faith in Europe’s Next-Gen Future Fighter, but Germany Stays Mum</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://breakingdefense.com/2025/12/france-spain-reassert-faith-in-europes-next-gen-future-fighter-but-germany-stays-mum/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Breaking Defense</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">Coming out of the latest meeting on the troubled Future Combat Air System, France and Spain signaled their renewed commitment to the next-gen program, though key stakeholder Germany declined to join them with a public comment.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Trump Enlists 5 Allies to Counter China on Rare Earths and Tech</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/11/trump-enlists-5-allies-to-counter-china-on-rare-earths-and-tech-00688068?utm.com" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">POLITICO</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">The Trump administration is forming a coalition to counter China’s dominant control of critical minerals and emerging power as a center of AI and other tech sectors.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Congress Wants to Screen Drone Operators for PTSD, Depression</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://taskandpurpose.com/military-life/ndaa-drone-operators-mental-health/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Task & Purpose</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">Congress wants the Department of Defense to study psychological effects of working with uncrewed weapons. Nestled inside the large National Defense Authorization bill currently making its way through the legislature is a section calling for a “comprehensive study” on how working with uncrewed aerial systems impacts troops’ mental health. </p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Space Force Officials Fear Program Delays from Small Business Fund Fight</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://breakingdefense.com/2025/12/space-force-officials-fear-program-delays-from-small-business-fund-fight/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Breaking Defense</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">Senior Space Force acquisition officials are worried about the impact of losing the ability to award Small Business Innovation Research grants as Congress wrestles with reauthorization of Pentagon rights to use the program.</p></td></tr><tr><td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="dark-block" style="margin: 1em 0; background: #F4F5F9;" valign="top" width="100%"><tbody><tr class="row-spacer" height="25"><td style="background: #1f2a39; border-color: #1f2a39; border-top-right-radius: 9px; border-top-left-radius: 9px;"> </td></tr><tr><td style="background: #1f2a39;" align="center"><table width="90%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td align="left"><h3 style="font-size: 1em; color: #dddddd; margin: 0; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.8em; font-weight: normal">One More Thing</h3><h2 style="font-size: 1em; color: #eeeeee; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: 0.01em;">The General the Military Tried to Silence: Billy Mitchell and America’s First Modern National Security Whistleblower</h2><p class="bodytext-radar"><a style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 1em; color: #dddddd; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 0.03em; text-decoration: underline #bbbbbb solid;" href="https://www.military.com/feature/2025/12/08/general-military-tried-silence-billy-mitchell-and-americas-first-modern-national-security.html" target="_blank">Military.com</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #eeeeee; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.01em;">By the early 1920s, Brig. Gen. William “Billy” Mitchell was one of the most senior aviation officers in the U.S. Army and its most aggressive internal critic. Drawing on his experience commanding Allied air power during World War I, Mitchell warned future wars would be decided in the air, and the U.S. military’s fixation on battleships left the country dangerously exposed.</p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr class="row-spacer" height="25"><td style="background: #1f2a39; border-color: #1f2a39; border-bottom-left-radius: 9px; border-bottom-right-radius: 9px;"> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/podcast/" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="265" style="margin: 0.8em 0;" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/05/Mitchell-Podcast_680x265.jpg"></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center" style="padding: 1.1em 0 1em; text-align: center; background: #2d3d44;"><table width="100%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 border=0><tbody><tr class="footer-logo"><td align="center"><img width="171" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em;" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/Image/ASF_mag_logo_white.png"></td></tr><tr class="footer-nav"><td align="center" style="color: #cccccc; font-size: 0.9em;"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/?src=dr" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Daily Report</a> | <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/contact-us/?src=dr" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Contact Us</a> | <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/advertise/?src=dr" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Advertise</a> | <a href="https://www.afa.org/join/?src=dr" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Join AFA</a> | <a href="https://www.afa.org/?src=dr" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Air & Space Forces Association</a> | <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/reprint-permission/?src=dr" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Reprints</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><p style="margin: 0.8em 0 0;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ASForcesMag" target="_blank"><img src="https://cdn2.iconfinder.com/data/icons/social-icons-33/128/Facebook-512.png" width="33"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ASForcesMag" target="_blank"><img src="https://cdn0.iconfinder.com/data/icons/social-network-7/50/4-512.png" width="35"></a></p></td></tr><tr class="footer-small"><td align="center"><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #555555; font-size: 0.6em; margin: 0.8em 0">Published by the Air & Space Forces Association.<br/><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/?src=dr" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #214a86; font-size: 1em;" target="_blank">airandspaceforces.com</a> material is under copyright by the Air & Space Forces Association. 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Plaintext Version
Air & Space Forces Magazine Daily Report for Dec. 15, 2025 View in your Web Browser: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20251215/?src=dr Edited by Greg Hadley with Courtney Albon, Matthew Cox and Chris Gordon -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.afa.org/afa-warfare-symposium/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hegseth Visits Alabama to Cement Redstone Arsenal as Future Home of Space Command By Chris Gordon Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the site of U.S. Space Command’s future home Dec. 12 and endorsed the move to establish the headquarters in Alabama after years of political back and forth. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/hegseth-visit-alabama-redstone-arsenal-future-home-space-command/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New B-52 Radar Makes First Flight By Matthew Cox A B-52 equipped with the new Stratofortress radar flew Dec. 8, a key first step in modernizing the Cold War bomber. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-b-52-completes-first-test-flight-of-radar-modernization-program/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.williamsrdm.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Space Force Accepts Meadowlands SATCOM Jammers By Courtney Albon The Space Force has accepted its first Meadowlands satellite communications jammer from prime contractor L3Harris and is poised to start using the system in operations next year. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/space-force-accepts-meadowlands-satcom-jammers/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://gdmissionsystems.com/encryption/unmanned?utm_source=www.afa.org&utm_medium=banner-enl&utm_campaign=taclane-campaign&utm_content=brand-awareness -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US Troops, Interpreter Killed by ISIS Gunman in Syria as Trump Vows ‘Serious Retaliation’ By Chris Gordon The U.S. sent Air Force F-16s over central Syria in a show of force following the Dec. 13 killing of two U.S. Army Soldiers and one American civilian interpreter by a gunman linked to the Islamic State group. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/us-troops-killed-isis-syria/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.usaa.com/military?txid=OTH:TX1:MBATHE7NE5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Radar Sweep -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JetBlue Flight Near Venezuela Avoids ‘Midair Collision’ with US Air Force Tanker A JetBlue flight from the small Caribbean nation of Curaçao halted its ascent to avoid colliding with a U.S. Air Force refueling tanker on Dec. 12, and the pilot blamed the military plane for crossing his path. https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-jetblue-military-tanker-collision-baa2ab38062c5143ba6ce8164219ece2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US Forces Raid Ship, Seize Cargo Headed to Iran from China A U.S. special operations team boarded a ship in the Indian Ocean last month and seized military-related articles headed to Iran from China, U.S. officials said, a rare interdiction operation at sea aimed at blocking Tehran from rebuilding its military arsenal. https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-forces-raid-ship-seize-cargo-headed-to-iran-from-china-35a1e2ac?st=3rYFGN&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink (Gift Link) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Admiral’s Top Military Lawyer to Be Summoned in House Boat Strike Inquiry A top House Republican plans to summon the senior military lawyer present during a controversial U.S. strike that killed the survivors of an initial attack on their alleged drug smuggling boat in the waters off Venezuela. https://wapo.st/48Phsj5 (Gift Link) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Israel Says It Killed Senior Hamas Commander, Despite Cease-Fire The Israeli military said it killed one of Hamas’s top commanders in Gaza in a targeted strike on a car on Dec. 13, in what would be the most high-profile assassination of a senior figure in the militant group since the cease-fire began two months ago. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/13/world/middleeast/israel-hamas-commander-gaza-strike.html?unlocked_article_code=1.808.xy9p.3_VANO2WLF3R&smid=url-share (Gift Link) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ukraine Offers to Drop NATO Membership Demands Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is ready to give up on demands for NATO membership in exchange for security guarantees from the U.S. and Europe, in a move aimed at advancing peace talks in Berlin. https://www.ft.com/content/c98d24a4-0df3-43dd-a008-56feb0266f45 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- GAO: Services Aren’t Sharing Information on Longtime Osprey Problems The Defense Department should improve information sharing among different services and offices to improve the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft’s safety and reduce dangerous or fatal accidents, the Government Accountability Office said Dec. 12. https://www.airforcetimes.com/air/2025/12/12/gao-services-arent-sharing-information-on-longtime-osprey-problems/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US Sets New Air Force One Delivery Date for Mid-2028 The Air Force pushed back the estimated delivery date for the first of two new Air Force One jets by another year to mid-2028, giving Boeing Co. even less wiggle room to meet President Donald Trump’s demand to get plane by the end of his term. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-12/us-sets-new-air-force-one-delivery-date-for-mid-2028?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2NTc2NzM0OSwiZXhwIjoxNzY2MzcyMTQ5LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUNzZCU1JLSzNOWUEwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJGRkMxQzFEREIwMTg0RDYwQTU0OTBENUY5QUQ2RUVERiJ9.LMpeQ5ivH6D6nXKIToN-woLiwciWd5qGobYyaRcHewM (Gift Link) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://shopafa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Swiss to Reduce F-35 Fighter Jet Order from US as Costs Rise Switzerland said on Dec. 12 it would reduce the number of Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jets it is buying from the United States so it can stick to the original budget plan after the cost of the order rose. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/swiss-reduce-f-35-fighter-jet-order-us-costs-rise-2025-12-12/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There’s a Divide Within the Space Force. Congress Is Forcing the Service to Address It A year ago, the leaders of the House Armed Services Committee put the Space Force on notice. The service, they said, was putting too much focus on its operators and not enough on its acquisitions corps—an imbalance that might ultimately harm the U.S. military's ability to preserve its edge in space. https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2025/12/theres-divide-within-space-force-congress-forcing-service-address-it/410119/?oref=d1-homepage-top-story -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marine Corps Continues Pathway for Troops to Switch Their MOS and Become Drone Operators The Marine Corps is continuing to build its small unmanned aircraft system operator roster as it ramps up drone implementation across the force, according to a service message and official. https://defensescoop.com/2025/12/11/marine-corps-drone-operator-mos-retention-program/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- France, Spain Reassert Faith in Europe’s Next-Gen Future Fighter, but Germany Stays Mum Coming out of the latest meeting on the troubled Future Combat Air System, France and Spain signaled their renewed commitment to the next-gen program, though key stakeholder Germany declined to join them with a public comment. https://breakingdefense.com/2025/12/france-spain-reassert-faith-in-europes-next-gen-future-fighter-but-germany-stays-mum/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trump Enlists 5 Allies to Counter China on Rare Earths and Tech The Trump administration is forming a coalition to counter China’s dominant control of critical minerals and emerging power as a center of AI and other tech sectors. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/11/trump-enlists-5-allies-to-counter-china-on-rare-earths-and-tech-00688068?utm.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Congress Wants to Screen Drone Operators for PTSD, Depression Congress wants the Department of Defense to study psychological effects of working with uncrewed weapons. Nestled inside the large National Defense Authorization bill currently making its way through the legislature is a section calling for a “comprehensive study” on how working with uncrewed aerial systems impacts troops’ mental health. https://taskandpurpose.com/military-life/ndaa-drone-operators-mental-health/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Space Force Officials Fear Program Delays from Small Business Fund Fight Senior Space Force acquisition officials are worried about the impact of losing the ability to award Small Business Innovation Research grants as Congress wrestles with reauthorization of Pentagon rights to use the program. https://breakingdefense.com/2025/12/space-force-officials-fear-program-delays-from-small-business-fund-fight/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One More Thing... The General the Military Tried to Silence: Billy Mitchell and America’s First Modern National Security Whistleblower By the early 1920s, Brig. Gen. William “Billy” Mitchell was one of the most senior aviation officers in the U.S. Army and its most aggressive internal critic. Drawing on his experience commanding Allied air power during World War I, Mitchell warned future wars would be decided in the air, and the U.S. military’s fixation on battleships left the country dangerously exposed. https://www.military.com/feature/2025/12/08/general-military-tried-silence-billy-mitchell-and-americas-first-modern-national-security.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/podcast/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - Daily Report: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/ - Contact Us: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/contact-us/ - Advertise With Us: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/advertise/ - Purchase/Reprint: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/reprint-permission/ - Air & Space Forces Assoc.: https://www.afa.org - Join AFA: https://www.afa.org/join/ - A&SF Mag on Facebook: https://facebook.com/ASForcesMag - A&SF Mag on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ASForcesMag -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Published by the Air & Space Forces Association All airandspaceforces.com material is under copyright of the Air & Space Forces Association. 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