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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>Airpower’s Role in Iran Blockade</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: How the Services’ 2027 Budgets Stack Up and Chinese Reaction to the F-47</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.fodcheck.com/" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="90" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/12/FODS_Jan2026_Banner-Ad-Export-AFA-.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;">April 15, 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, Chris Gordon, Stephen Losey and Todd South</p></td></tr><tr class="view-in-browser"><td align="center"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20260415/?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="452" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/04/9599729-scaled.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/2026/04/9599729-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/04/9599729-450x299.jpg 450w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/04/9599729-676x450.jpg 676w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/04/9599729-768x511.jpg 768w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/04/9599729-900x600.jpg 900w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/04/9599729-675x449.jpg 675w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /><em style='display: block; font-size: 0.8em; margin-bottom: 0.6em'>A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft flies next to a U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft during Operation Epic Fury in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility April 5, 2026. U.S. Air Force 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/100-plus-aircraft-us-military-blockade-of-iran/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">100-Plus Aircraft Join US Military Blockade of Iran</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. military’s naval blockade of Iran is relying on a significant amount of airpower to surveil the seas and protect maritime assets.</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-space-force-other-services-2027-budget/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">How ’27 Budget Requests Compare: Air Force, Space Force vs. Army, Navy, DOD</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;">The Air Force is emphasizing operations and maintenance and research and development. The Army and Navy plan buying sprees. The Space Force budget is approaching—and may yet surpass—that of the the Marine Corps. And non-service “Defense-Wide” funding got the biggest bump of all. </p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://www.rtx.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=a-sf-daily-report&utm_campaign=rtx-brand&utm_content=connectprotect-c130"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/03/RTX_March18_680x265_0002_C130.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-industry-satellite-production-capacity/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Space Force Urges Industry to Invest in Satellite Production Capacity</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 is preparing for significant growth to its procurement budget in fiscal 2027, and the head of the service’s largest acquisition organization said April 14 he is asking companies to invest now in facilities and production capacity so they’re ready to execute when called upon.</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-budget-boost-operations-maintenance-flying-hours-2027/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Air Force Seeks Increase in Operations & Maintenance, Flying Hours in 2027</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 Stephen Losey</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">The Air Force is asking for a 21 percent increase in its Active-Duty operations and maintenance budget in fiscal 2027, which would help fund a big boost in spending on flying hours.</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/2026/03/MTS_March2026_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/chinese-media-outlets-f-47/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">What Are Chinese Media Outlets Saying About the F-47?</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;">Chinese media outlets are attempting to dismiss the U.S. Air Force’s planned sixth-generation fighter jet, the F-47, by criticizing the cost, downplaying the technology, and reporting that the U.S. won’t be able to effectively produce the air dominance platform.</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/bae-highly-maneuverable-refuelable-satellite-2027-delivery/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">BAE Unveils Highly Maneuverable, Refuelable Satellite, Eyes 2027 Delivery</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;">BAE Systems unveiled a new high-thrust, refuelable satellite designed to support dynamic space operations–a demand company officials say is coming not only from the Space Force, but from commercial and civil customers as well.</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;">Trump Says Iran War Is ’Very Close to Being Over’ as Peace Talks Are Expected to Resume</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/trump-says-iran-war-very-close-being-over-peace-talks-expect-resume" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">FOX Business</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">President Donald Trump said the U.S.-Iran war is "very close" to an end as hostilities ease amid a two-week ceasefire agreement. "I think it’s close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over," Trump told FOX Business anchor Maria Bartiromo in an interview that will air on April 15.</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;">1:5 Kill Ratio: Ukraine Inflicts Heavy Russian Losses Using Drones, Says Finnish President</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://breakingdefense.com/2026/04/15-kill-ratio-ukraine-inflicts-heavy-russian-losses-using-drones-says-finnish-president/" 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;">Ukraine currently has a military advantage over Russia, according to Finnish President Alexander Stubb, with Moscow experiencing personnel losses at a rate five times higher than Kyiv’s, largely due to Ukraine’s steadily improving drone kill rates.</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;">Another US Strike on Suspected Drug Boat in the Eastern Pacific Kills 4</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-drug-trafficking-trump-military-2d340b73b2649c9b5287da3d4b5d8a8e" 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;">The U.S. military launched a strike on another boat accused of carrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on April 14, killing four people in the fourth such attack announced in the past few days.</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;">Put Nuclear Reactors in Space Within a Few Years, White House Tells Pentagon</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2026/04/put-nuclear-reactors-space-within-few-years-white-house-tells-pentagon/412847/?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;">Launch nuclear reactors to orbit as soon as 2028 and to the Moon as soon as 2030—that’s the White House’s new order to the Pentagon and NASA.</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;">Amid Focus on Strait of Hormuz, Experts Sound Warning on Yemen’s Houthis and Red Sea</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.defensenews.com/news/pentagon-congress/2026/04/14/amid-focus-on-strait-of-hormuz-experts-sound-warning-on-yemens-houthis-and-red-sea/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Defense News</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">The world’s attention is fixed on the Strait of Hormuz now that the U.S. Navy is blockading the crucial shipping channel at President Donald Trump’s behest. But some foreign policy experts warn that the strait is not the only potential choke point that Iran and its proxies could leverage.</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.rise8.us/dow-acquisition-handbook?utm_campaign=34314362-IDIQ%5E3&utm_source=AFA&utm_medium=email_daily_report&utm_term=pos5&utm_content=handbook" target="_blank"><img width="300" height="250" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Rise8_April26_AFA_IDIQ_300x250_B.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;">Angry Kitten Jamming Pod Testing on HC-130J Focuses on Receiving Threat Updates via Satellite</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.twz.com/air/angry-kitten-jamming-pod-testing-on-hc-130j-focuses-on-receiving-threat-updates-via-satellite" 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;">The U.S. Air Force is continuing to expand on the capabilities of the Angry Kitten electronic warfare pod, which just recently made its combat debut on the F-16 fighter in the latest conflict with Iran.</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 Again Skipping Ukraine Meeting, Will Send Top Lieutenant Instead</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/14/hegseth-again-skipping-ukraine-meeting-will-send-top-lieutenant-instead-00870901" 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;">Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will again skip the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting this week, making the U.S. one of the few countries that won’t send a top civilian defense official to the critical gathering of Ukrainian allies.</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;">Europe Is Accelerating a NATO Fallback Plan in Case Trump Pulls Out</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/europe-nato-trump-plans-3a423233?st=6H1M3p&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 fallback plan to ensure Europe can defend itself using NATO’s existing military structures if the U.S. departs is gaining traction after getting buy-in from Germany, a long-term opponent of a go-it-alone approach.</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 Finalize Acquisition Portfolio Structure over Next Two Months</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://breakingdefense.com/2026/04/space-force-to-finalize-acquisition-portfolio-structure-over-next-two-months/" 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 intends to wrap up the reorganization of its acquisition structure within the next two months, establishing the final three of nine new Portfolio Acquisition Executive offices in the “June-ish time frame,” according to the head of Space Systems Command.</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;">Lebanese, Israeli Diplomats Hold Rare Face-to-Face Meeting in Washington</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://wapo.st/4dMNaBU" 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;">Senior diplomats from Lebanon and Israel met in Washington on April 14, a rare face-to-face encounter as their host, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sought to make peace between the two states.</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;">House Passes Aviation Safety Bill in Response to Deadly Midair Collision near DC</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.cbsnews.com/news/house-passes-alert-act-aviation-safety-bill/" target="_blank">CBS News</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;">The House on April 14 passed its version of an aviation safety bill, months after it rejected separate legislation that cleared the Senate with unanimous support and angered families of the victims of a deadly midair crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. </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.saic.com/perspectives/data-centricity-for-decision-advantage-in-space?utm_source=airandspaceforces&utm_content=speed-to-decision-is-the-ultimate-advantage-ad--680x265&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=afa-ss-geo-fy27-afsi-bg" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="265" style="margin: 0.8em 0;" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/04/SAIC-8-sizes-Paid-Media-v4_680x265.jpg"></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center" style="padding: 1.1em 0 1em; 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Plaintext Version
Air & Space Forces Magazine Daily Report for April 15, 2026 View in your Web Browser: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20260415/?src=dr Edited by Greg Hadley with Courtney Albon, Chris Gordon, Stephen Losey and Todd South -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.fodcheck.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 100-Plus Aircraft Join US Military Blockade of Iran By Chris Gordon The U.S. military’s naval blockade of Iran is relying on a significant amount of airpower to surveil the seas and protect maritime assets. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/100-plus-aircraft-us-military-blockade-of-iran/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How ’27 Budget Requests Compare: Air Force, Space Force vs. Army, Navy, DOD By Greg Hadley The Air Force is emphasizing operations and maintenance and research and development. The Army and Navy plan buying sprees. The Space Force budget is approaching—and may yet surpass—that of the the Marine Corps. And non-service “Defense-Wide” funding got the biggest bump of all. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-space-force-other-services-2027-budget/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.rtx.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=a-sf-daily-report&utm_campaign=rtx-brand&utm_content=connectprotect-c130 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Space Force Urges Industry to Invest in Satellite Production Capacity By Courtney Albon The Space Force is preparing for significant growth to its procurement budget in fiscal 2027, and the head of the service’s largest acquisition organization said April 14 he is asking companies to invest now in facilities and production capacity so they’re ready to execute when called upon. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/space-force-industry-satellite-production-capacity/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air Force Seeks Increase in Operations & Maintenance, Flying Hours in 2027 By Stephen Losey The Air Force is asking for a 21 percent increase in its Active-Duty operations and maintenance budget in fiscal 2027, which would help fund a big boost in spending on flying hours. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-budget-boost-operations-maintenance-flying-hours-2027/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.marvintest.com/landing/smartcan3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What Are Chinese Media Outlets Saying About the F-47? By Todd South Chinese media outlets are attempting to dismiss the U.S. Air Force’s planned sixth-generation fighter jet, the F-47, by criticizing the cost, downplaying the technology, and reporting that the U.S. won’t be able to effectively produce the air dominance platform. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/chinese-media-outlets-f-47/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BAE Unveils Highly Maneuverable, Refuelable Satellite, Eyes 2027 Delivery By Courtney Albon BAE Systems unveiled a new high-thrust, refuelable satellite designed to support dynamic space operations–a demand company officials say is coming not only from the Space Force, but from commercial and civil customers as well. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/bae-highly-maneuverable-refuelable-satellite-2027-delivery/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.usaa.com/military?txid=OTH:TX1:MBATHE7NE5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Radar Sweep -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trump Says Iran War Is ’Very Close to Being Over’ as Peace Talks Are Expected to Resume President Donald Trump said the U.S.-Iran war is "very close" to an end as hostilities ease amid a two-week ceasefire agreement. "I think it’s close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over," Trump told FOX Business anchor Maria Bartiromo in an interview that will air on April 15. https://www.foxbusiness.com/media/trump-says-iran-war-very-close-being-over-peace-talks-expect-resume -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1:5 Kill Ratio: Ukraine Inflicts Heavy Russian Losses Using Drones, Says Finnish President Ukraine currently has a military advantage over Russia, according to Finnish President Alexander Stubb, with Moscow experiencing personnel losses at a rate five times higher than Kyiv’s, largely due to Ukraine’s steadily improving drone kill rates. https://breakingdefense.com/2026/04/15-kill-ratio-ukraine-inflicts-heavy-russian-losses-using-drones-says-finnish-president/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another US Strike on Suspected Drug Boat in the Eastern Pacific Kills 4 The U.S. military launched a strike on another boat accused of carrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean on April 14, killing four people in the fourth such attack announced in the past few days. https://apnews.com/article/boat-strikes-drug-trafficking-trump-military-2d340b73b2649c9b5287da3d4b5d8a8e -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Put Nuclear Reactors in Space Within a Few Years, White House Tells Pentagon Launch nuclear reactors to orbit as soon as 2028 and to the Moon as soon as 2030—that’s the White House’s new order to the Pentagon and NASA. https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2026/04/put-nuclear-reactors-space-within-few-years-white-house-tells-pentagon/412847/?oref=d1-featured-river-top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amid Focus on Strait of Hormuz, Experts Sound Warning on Yemen’s Houthis and Red Sea The world’s attention is fixed on the Strait of Hormuz now that the U.S. Navy is blockading the crucial shipping channel at President Donald Trump’s behest. But some foreign policy experts warn that the strait is not the only potential choke point that Iran and its proxies could leverage. https://www.defensenews.com/news/pentagon-congress/2026/04/14/amid-focus-on-strait-of-hormuz-experts-sound-warning-on-yemens-houthis-and-red-sea/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.rise8.us/dow-acquisition-handbook?utm_campaign=34314362-IDIQ%5E3&utm_source=AFA&utm_medium=email_daily_report&utm_term=pos5&utm_content=handbook -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Angry Kitten Jamming Pod Testing on HC-130J Focuses on Receiving Threat Updates via Satellite The U.S. Air Force is continuing to expand on the capabilities of the Angry Kitten electronic warfare pod, which just recently made its combat debut on the F-16 fighter in the latest conflict with Iran. https://www.twz.com/air/angry-kitten-jamming-pod-testing-on-hc-130j-focuses-on-receiving-threat-updates-via-satellite -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hegseth Again Skipping Ukraine Meeting, Will Send Top Lieutenant Instead Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will again skip the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting this week, making the U.S. one of the few countries that won’t send a top civilian defense official to the critical gathering of Ukrainian allies. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/14/hegseth-again-skipping-ukraine-meeting-will-send-top-lieutenant-instead-00870901 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Europe Is Accelerating a NATO Fallback Plan in Case Trump Pulls Out A fallback plan to ensure Europe can defend itself using NATO’s existing military structures if the U.S. departs is gaining traction after getting buy-in from Germany, a long-term opponent of a go-it-alone approach. https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/europe-nato-trump-plans-3a423233?st=6H1M3p&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink (Gift Link) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Space Force to Finalize Acquisition Portfolio Structure over Next Two Months The Space Force intends to wrap up the reorganization of its acquisition structure within the next two months, establishing the final three of nine new Portfolio Acquisition Executive offices in the “June-ish time frame,” according to the head of Space Systems Command. https://breakingdefense.com/2026/04/space-force-to-finalize-acquisition-portfolio-structure-over-next-two-months/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lebanese, Israeli Diplomats Hold Rare Face-to-Face Meeting in Washington Senior diplomats from Lebanon and Israel met in Washington on April 14, a rare face-to-face encounter as their host, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sought to make peace between the two states. https://wapo.st/4dMNaBU (Gift Link) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One More Thing... House Passes Aviation Safety Bill in Response to Deadly Midair Collision near DC The House on April 14 passed its version of an aviation safety bill, months after it rejected separate legislation that cleared the Senate with unanimous support and angered families of the victims of a deadly midair crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/house-passes-alert-act-aviation-safety-bill/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.saic.com/perspectives/data-centricity-for-decision-advantage-in-space?utm_source=airandspaceforces&utm_content=speed-to-decision-is-the-ultimate-advantage-ad--680x265&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=afa-ss-geo-fy27-afsi-bg -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 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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