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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>How USAF Rigged F-15s with Drone-Busting Rockets in a Week</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: Final EC-130H Retires and Setting Up a Forward Depot for Epic Fury</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.rolls-royce.com/products-and-services/defence/the-ae-engine-story.aspx?utm_source=campaign-monitor&utm_medium=advertising&utm_campaign=afaasc26_afadaily_em&utm_content=readiness_engine" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="90" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/08/RR_Sept26_GTP_10853_680x90-DailyReport_v02-OL.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;">Sept. 21, 2026</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, Chris Gordon, Richard P. Hallion and Todd South</p></td></tr><tr class="view-in-browser"><td align="center"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20260921/?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="422" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/09/250828-F-F3962-9000.jpg" class="attachment-680x9999 size-680x9999 wp-post-image" alt="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; margin: 0.8em 0 0.1em;" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/09/250828-F-F3962-9000.jpg 1500w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/09/250828-F-F3962-9000-450x279.jpg 450w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/09/250828-F-F3962-9000-725x450.jpg 725w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/09/250828-F-F3962-9000-768x477.jpg 768w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/09/250828-F-F3962-9000-675x419.jpg 675w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /><em style='display: block; font-size: 0.8em; margin-bottom: 0.6em'>An F-15E Strike Eagle equipped with APKWS rockets at a base in the Middle East in 2025. U.S. Central Command photo.</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/air-force-f-15s-drone-busting-rockets-middle-east/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">How the Air Force Rigged F-15s in the Middle East with Drone-Busting Rockets in a Week</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;">As the threat of Iranian-made drones grew, the Air Force rushed last year to equip F-15E Strike Eagles in the Middle East with a cheap, cost-effective way of defeating them. The service fielded the new capability in roughly a week.</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-retires-last-ec-130h-davis-monthan-transition/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Air Force Retires EC-130H, Embraces EA-37B, as Davis-Monthan Transitions</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 Todd South</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">The 55th Wing officially retired the EC-130H Compass Call aircraft in a ceremony Sept. 18 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., while the 355th Wing there retired its final A-10 Warthog, another major transition for the base.</p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://www.rise8.us/clp/guarantee?utm_source=afa&utm_medium=Partner&utm_campaign=51741075-AFA%20Cyber%202026&utm_content=newsletter-banner"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/08/Rise8_AFA26_news_alert_680x265_V2.png" 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/air-force-shipped-depot-to-europe-in-epic-fury-for-faster-repairs/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Air Force Set Up a Depot in UK During Epic Fury for Faster Battle Repairs</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;">Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.</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/pentagon-picks-2-companies-for-reconnaissance-satellite-demo/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Pentagon Picks 2 Companies for Reconnaissance Satellite Demo</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 and the Defense Innovation Unit have chosen two firms to demonstrate the ability of small satellites built with low-cost, commercial technology to track both friendly and adversary satellites in geosynchronous orbit. </p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://www.marvintest.com/landing/smartcan3"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/09/Marvin-Test_Sept26_AD2_680x265-B.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/airmen-guardians-covid-vaccine-mandate-rejoined/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Now Back in Uniform: At Least 134 Airmen, Guardians Who Refused COVID Vaccine</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 Greg Hadley</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">More than 130 Airmen and Guardians have returned to service after leaving the military rather than receive the COVID-19 vaccine. And more could follow, an Air Force official said.</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/f-117-see-stealth-in-the-light-of-history/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">The F-117: Now Washington Can See Stealth in the Light of History</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 Richard P. Hallion</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">The Smithsonian’s announcement that an F-117A Nighthawk, tail number 85-0818, is headed to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, or NASM, is welcome news. The acquisition of this Nighthawk fills a long-standing historical gap—indeed, need—in the collections of what is generally considered the world’s premier air and space museum. </p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://armynavy.usaaevents.com"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/05/USAA_June26_DR_680x265.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;">First German F-35 Rolls Off the Line</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://breakingdefense.com/2026/09/first-german-f-35-rolls-off-the-line/" 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;">German and U.S. officials celebrated the rollout of Berlin’s first F-35 in a ceremony Sept. 18, with both sides praising the moment as a sign of the close defense alignment between the two partners.</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 to Prototype New Software to Fuse Commercial, Military Space Tracking Data</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://breakingdefense.com/2026/09/space-force-to-prototype-new-software-to-fuse-commercial-military-space-tracking-data/" 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;">The Space Force is planning to develop new prototype software designed to automate the integration of commercial and military space tracking data to provide more timely and more accurate information. Col. Barry Croker, who heads up the service’s Mission Delta 2, said Sept. 17 that the plan is to launch the prototype “software environment” later this fall and to build a “minimum viable product” that can be up and running quickly.</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;">Pentagon Unveils Top Performers in Latest ‘Gauntlet’ for Drone Dominance Program</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://defensescoop.com/2026/09/18/drone-dominance-program-gauntlet-2-results/" 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 Defense Department last week announced the winners of the second “Gauntlet” competition under its Drone Dominance Program, the Pentagon’s signature effort to ramp up the U.S. military’s arsenal of small unmanned aerial systems.</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;">Cape Canaveral Is Building Up Its Counter-Drone Defenses, Space Force Says</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.defenseone.com/defense-systems/2026/09/cape-canaveral-building-its-counter-drone-defenses-space-force-says/416096/?oref=d1-featured-river-top" 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;">Cape Canaveral Space Force Station will get new defenses against small drones in coming weeks, part of a “whole-of-government” effort to better protect the nation’s spaceports as the White House pushes for hundreds more launches per year.</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;">Will Airmen Trust AI? The Air Force’s Future Plans Depend on It</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2026/09/will-airmen-trust-ai-air-forces-future-plans-depend-it/416098/?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;">As Air Force leaders prepare to hand AI more decision-making power in the years ahead, they're also working to get airmen comfortable with that. “A little bit scary, but we need to lean into it,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber conference last week. “Autonomy is one of, if not the key technology enabling cost-effective combat power.”</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;">Pentagon Updates Guidance on Low Testosterone Testing for Males</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/09/18/pentagon-updates-guidance-on-low-testosterone-testing-for-males/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Military Times</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">The Department of Defense on Sept. 17 released clinical guidelines for testing and treating low testosterone in male service members. The initiative, first announced in a July memo by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is part of the agency’s Warfighter Performance Optimization program, which Hegseth announced in May.</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://www.uav.com/" target="_blank"><img width="300" height="250" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/08/GA_2608_FQ-42A_FORCE_MULTIPLIED_Digital_300x250px_L23463.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;">New Details About Secretive RQ-170 Sentinel Drone Squadron Shared with New Award</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.twz.com/air/new-details-about-secretive-rq-170-sentinel-drone-squadron-shared-with-new-award" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The War Zone</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">An annual award has gone to one of the U.S. Air Force’s most secretive drone squadrons, offering a very rare window into its activities. The 30th Reconnaissance Squadron is one of two units known to operate the stealthy RQ-170 Sentinel, and it is unusual to hear anything about its operational exploits. Much about the RQ-170 itself remains highly classified 17 years after its existence was first officially acknowledged.</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;">Top USAF Officer in Europe Outlines Opportunities amid Modernization</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://aviationweek.com/defense/supply-chain/top-usaf-officer-europe-outlines-opportunities-amid-modernization" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Aviation Week</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">A shift by some European nations to more domestically produced aircraft and weapons does not necessarily signify a move away from the U.S. Instead, it shows they are doing what American leadership has requested: Ramp up the industrial base, the top U.S. Air Force officer in the region argues.</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;">Ukrainian Drones and Missiles Target Moscow, Oil Refinery in Deadly Attack: Officials</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://abcnews.com/International/ukrainian-drones-target-moscow-oil-refinery-deadly-attack/story?id=136595832" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">ABC News</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">Plumes of smoke rose over Moscow on the morning of Sept. 20 after a Ukrainian drone and missile attack on the city in which a major oil refinery was among the targets, according to the Russian capital's mayor. Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in posts to Telegram that 450 Ukrainian drones were shot down while heading toward the capital overnight from Sept. 19 into Sept. 20, describing the latest attack as "unprecedented."</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;">Hegseth Is Trump’s Untouchable Warrior—but His Support in Congress Is Slipping</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/hegseth-is-trumps-untouchable-warriorbut-his-support-in-congress-is-slipping-a2ccdb21?st=S2qijU&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;">Pete Hegseth has notched a number of firsts since coming to the Pentagon. The former Army National Guard major has rebranded his agency as the Department of War, waged a culture war against past diversity efforts, and ousted a growing number of senior military leaders. This week, Hegseth narrowly dodged another distinction: He came within a whisker of becoming the first civilian defense chief to face an impeachment vote in the House of Representatives since Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached in 1876. </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;">More US Troops Have Died amid Iran War Than Pentagon Has Disclosed Publicly</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://wapo.st/4y5uxQN" 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;">More American service members have died in the Middle East during the ongoing Iran war than the Pentagon has disclosed publicly, according to six U.S. officials familiar with the Defense Department’s internal casualty accounting data.</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;">Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels Warn Against Joining Saudi Arabia in Yemen’s Growing Civil War</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-iran-saudi-arabia-red-sea-93dfe17125c63897b232f6461d81d85c" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">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 senior official with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels is warning countries against joining Saudi Arabia in Yemen’s revived civil war, telling The Associated Press on Sept. 20 that his group has assured the Trump administration that it won’t attack U.S. vessels in the Red Sea.</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;">Shahed-136 Clone Found by Florida Fisherman, Eglin AFB Admits It Lost a Drone</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.twz.com/air/shahed-136-clone-found-by-florida-fisherman-eglin-afb-admits-it-lost-a-drone" target="_blank">The War Zone</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;">A Florida fishing charter boat made a very unusual catch Sept. 19 while operating near Eglin Air Force Base. Located in the western end of the Florida Panhandle, Eglin is home of the U.S. Air Force weapons test wing. Hot Spots Charters pulled a delta-wing aerial drone out of the water during an excursion, according to local charter captain Charlie Green. The recovered drone closely resembles a clone of the Iranian Shahed-136 one-way attack weapon, specifically the U.S. military’s Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System that took center stage during its first combat use in Operation Epic Fury.</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.rtx.com/news?path=/news/campaigns/afa/&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=airandspaceforces&utm_campaign=rtx-brand&utm_content=perspective-F35-bank_AFA" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="265" style="margin: 0.8em 0;" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/08/RTX_Perspective_F35_Banking_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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Air & Space Forces Magazine Daily Report for Sept. 21, 2026 View in your Web Browser: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20260921/?src=dr Edited by Greg Hadley with Courtney Albon, Matthew Cox, Chris Gordon, Richard P. Hallion and Todd South -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.rolls-royce.com/products-and-services/defence/the-ae-engine-story.aspx?utm_source=campaign-monitor&utm_medium=advertising&utm_campaign=afaasc26_afadaily_em&utm_content=readiness_engine -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How the Air Force Rigged F-15s in the Middle East with Drone-Busting Rockets in a Week By Chris Gordon As the threat of Iranian-made drones grew, the Air Force rushed last year to equip F-15E Strike Eagles in the Middle East with a cheap, cost-effective way of defeating them. The service fielded the new capability in roughly a week. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-f-15s-drone-busting-rockets-middle-east/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air Force Retires EC-130H, Embraces EA-37B, as Davis-Monthan Transitions By Todd South The 55th Wing officially retired the EC-130H Compass Call aircraft in a ceremony Sept. 18 at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., while the 355th Wing there retired its final A-10 Warthog, another major transition for the base. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-retires-last-ec-130h-davis-monthan-transition/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.rise8.us/clp/guarantee?utm_source=afa&utm_medium=Partner&utm_campaign=51741075-AFA%20Cyber%202026&utm_content=newsletter-banner -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air Force Set Up a Depot in UK During Epic Fury for Faster Battle Repairs By Matthew Cox Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-shipped-depot-to-europe-in-epic-fury-for-faster-repairs/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pentagon Picks 2 Companies for Reconnaissance Satellite Demo By Courtney Albon The Space Force and the Defense Innovation Unit have chosen two firms to demonstrate the ability of small satellites built with low-cost, commercial technology to track both friendly and adversary satellites in geosynchronous orbit. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/pentagon-picks-2-companies-for-reconnaissance-satellite-demo/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.marvintest.com/landing/smartcan3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now Back in Uniform: At Least 134 Airmen, Guardians Who Refused COVID Vaccine By Greg Hadley More than 130 Airmen and Guardians have returned to service after leaving the military rather than receive the COVID-19 vaccine. And more could follow, an Air Force official said. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/airmen-guardians-covid-vaccine-mandate-rejoined/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The F-117: Now Washington Can See Stealth in the Light of History By Richard P. Hallion The Smithsonian’s announcement that an F-117A Nighthawk, tail number 85-0818, is headed to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, or NASM, is welcome news. The acquisition of this Nighthawk fills a long-standing historical gap—indeed, need—in the collections of what is generally considered the world’s premier air and space museum. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/f-117-see-stealth-in-the-light-of-history/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://armynavy.usaaevents.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Radar Sweep -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- First German F-35 Rolls Off the Line German and U.S. officials celebrated the rollout of Berlin’s first F-35 in a ceremony Sept. 18, with both sides praising the moment as a sign of the close defense alignment between the two partners. https://breakingdefense.com/2026/09/first-german-f-35-rolls-off-the-line/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Space Force to Prototype New Software to Fuse Commercial, Military Space Tracking Data The Space Force is planning to develop new prototype software designed to automate the integration of commercial and military space tracking data to provide more timely and more accurate information. Col. Barry Croker, who heads up the service’s Mission Delta 2, said Sept. 17 that the plan is to launch the prototype “software environment” later this fall and to build a “minimum viable product” that can be up and running quickly. https://breakingdefense.com/2026/09/space-force-to-prototype-new-software-to-fuse-commercial-military-space-tracking-data/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pentagon Unveils Top Performers in Latest ‘Gauntlet’ for Drone Dominance Program The Defense Department last week announced the winners of the second “Gauntlet” competition under its Drone Dominance Program, the Pentagon’s signature effort to ramp up the U.S. military’s arsenal of small unmanned aerial systems. https://defensescoop.com/2026/09/18/drone-dominance-program-gauntlet-2-results/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cape Canaveral Is Building Up Its Counter-Drone Defenses, Space Force Says Cape Canaveral Space Force Station will get new defenses against small drones in coming weeks, part of a “whole-of-government” effort to better protect the nation’s spaceports as the White House pushes for hundreds more launches per year. https://www.defenseone.com/defense-systems/2026/09/cape-canaveral-building-its-counter-drone-defenses-space-force-says/416096/?oref=d1-featured-river-top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Will Airmen Trust AI? The Air Force’s Future Plans Depend on It As Air Force leaders prepare to hand AI more decision-making power in the years ahead, they're also working to get airmen comfortable with that. “A little bit scary, but we need to lean into it,” Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber conference last week. “Autonomy is one of, if not the key technology enabling cost-effective combat power.” https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2026/09/will-airmen-trust-ai-air-forces-future-plans-depend-it/416098/?oref=d1-homepage-top-story -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pentagon Updates Guidance on Low Testosterone Testing for Males The Department of Defense on Sept. 17 released clinical guidelines for testing and treating low testosterone in male service members. The initiative, first announced in a July memo by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is part of the agency’s Warfighter Performance Optimization program, which Hegseth announced in May. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/09/18/pentagon-updates-guidance-on-low-testosterone-testing-for-males/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.uav.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- New Details About Secretive RQ-170 Sentinel Drone Squadron Shared with New Award An annual award has gone to one of the U.S. Air Force’s most secretive drone squadrons, offering a very rare window into its activities. The 30th Reconnaissance Squadron is one of two units known to operate the stealthy RQ-170 Sentinel, and it is unusual to hear anything about its operational exploits. Much about the RQ-170 itself remains highly classified 17 years after its existence was first officially acknowledged. https://www.twz.com/air/new-details-about-secretive-rq-170-sentinel-drone-squadron-shared-with-new-award -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Top USAF Officer in Europe Outlines Opportunities amid Modernization A shift by some European nations to more domestically produced aircraft and weapons does not necessarily signify a move away from the U.S. Instead, it shows they are doing what American leadership has requested: Ramp up the industrial base, the top U.S. Air Force officer in the region argues. https://aviationweek.com/defense/supply-chain/top-usaf-officer-europe-outlines-opportunities-amid-modernization -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ukrainian Drones and Missiles Target Moscow, Oil Refinery in Deadly Attack: Officials Plumes of smoke rose over Moscow on the morning of Sept. 20 after a Ukrainian drone and missile attack on the city in which a major oil refinery was among the targets, according to the Russian capital's mayor. Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said in posts to Telegram that 450 Ukrainian drones were shot down while heading toward the capital overnight from Sept. 19 into Sept. 20, describing the latest attack as "unprecedented." https://abcnews.com/International/ukrainian-drones-target-moscow-oil-refinery-deadly-attack/story?id=136595832 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hegseth Is Trump’s Untouchable Warrior—but His Support in Congress Is Slipping Pete Hegseth has notched a number of firsts since coming to the Pentagon. The former Army National Guard major has rebranded his agency as the Department of War, waged a culture war against past diversity efforts, and ousted a growing number of senior military leaders. This week, Hegseth narrowly dodged another distinction: He came within a whisker of becoming the first civilian defense chief to face an impeachment vote in the House of Representatives since Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached in 1876. https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/hegseth-is-trumps-untouchable-warriorbut-his-support-in-congress-is-slipping-a2ccdb21?st=S2qijU&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink (Gift Link) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More US Troops Have Died amid Iran War Than Pentagon Has Disclosed Publicly More American service members have died in the Middle East during the ongoing Iran war than the Pentagon has disclosed publicly, according to six U.S. officials familiar with the Defense Department’s internal casualty accounting data. https://wapo.st/4y5uxQN (Gift Link) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels Warn Against Joining Saudi Arabia in Yemen’s Growing Civil War A senior official with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels is warning countries against joining Saudi Arabia in Yemen’s revived civil war, telling The Associated Press on Sept. 20 that his group has assured the Trump administration that it won’t attack U.S. vessels in the Red Sea. https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-iran-saudi-arabia-red-sea-93dfe17125c63897b232f6461d81d85c -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One More Thing... Shahed-136 Clone Found by Florida Fisherman, Eglin AFB Admits It Lost a Drone A Florida fishing charter boat made a very unusual catch Sept. 19 while operating near Eglin Air Force Base. Located in the western end of the Florida Panhandle, Eglin is home of the U.S. Air Force weapons test wing. Hot Spots Charters pulled a delta-wing aerial drone out of the water during an excursion, according to local charter captain Charlie Green. The recovered drone closely resembles a clone of the Iranian Shahed-136 one-way attack weapon, specifically the U.S. military’s Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System that took center stage during its first combat use in Operation Epic Fury. https://www.twz.com/air/shahed-136-clone-found-by-florida-fisherman-eglin-afb-admits-it-lost-a-drone -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.rtx.com/news?path=/news/campaigns/afa/&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=airandspaceforces&utm_campaign=rtx-brand&utm_content=perspective-F35-bank_AFA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 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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