HTML Version <!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>Ramstein Flag Returns</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 DOD Can Recoup Its Investment in Ukrainian Drones</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/country-sites/northamerica.aspx?utm_source=Webpage&utm_medium=Ad&utm_campaign=AFA_Breaking_WS_25&utm_content=AFA_Force_ad4" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="90" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/02/Rolls-Royce_March2025_Daily-Report.jpg"></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;">March 25, 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 Matthew Cox and Chris Gordon</p></td></tr><tr class="view-in-browser"><td align="center"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20250325/?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="425" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/03/8682200-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/2025/03/8682200-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/03/8682200-450x281.jpg 450w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/03/8682200-720x450.jpg 720w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/03/8682200-768x480.jpg 768w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/03/8682200-675x422.jpg 675w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /><em style='display: block; font-size: 0.8em; margin-bottom: 0.6em'>Allied fighter jets participating in NATO exercise Ramstein Flag 24 fly in formation over the west coast of Greece, Oct. 4, 2024. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Emili Koonce</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/nato-excercise-ramstein-flag-2025/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">NATO to Focus on ‘Realistic Combat Scenarios’ in Ramstein Flag 2025</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;">NATO will start a major exercise at the end of the month to practice the ability of allied air forces to operate in a contested environment, officials said March 24.</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/8-percent-pentagon-budget-drill-experts/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">How to Prioritize DOD’s Budget: Experts Try It—and So Can You</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;">How would you implement Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s instruction for the Pentagon to find eight percent in budget cuts that can be reallocated to other priorities? Top defense analysts and experts had a wide array of answers during a recent think tank workshop.</p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://gdmissionsystems.com/encryption/unmanned?utm_source=afa.org&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=unmanned-campaign&utm_content=daily-report"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/02/GDMS_SNVC-AustereConditions680x265-0225.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/pentagon-diu-recoup-investment-ukrainian-drones/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">How DOD Could Recoup Its Investment in Ukraine’s Long-Range Drones</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;">For three years now, the Pentagon has dug into its arsenal and spent massive sums backing Ukraine against Russia’s invasion; now it may see a return on that investment by embracing the post-Soviet country’s battle-tested way of drone warfare.</p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://www.marvintest.com/landing/smartcan"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/02/MarvinTest_March25_eNewsletter.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;">This Day in 1968<br/>F-111s in Vietnam</h2><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;"> F-111s fly their first combat mission against military targets in North Vietnam. </p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://www.usaa.com/join?txid=OTH:TX1:5WHRNU5YHL"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/01/USAA_Feb2025_DR_RevAffinity_CS_BrandEvergreen_BlueBkgd_ENewsletter_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;">Trump Officials Texted War Plans to a Group Chat in a Secure App That Included a Journalist </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/war-plans-trump-hegseth-atlantic-230718a984911dd8663d59edbcb86f2a" 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;">Top national security officials for President Donald Trump, including his defense secretary, texted war plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in a secure messaging app that included the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic, the magazine reported in a story posted online March 24. The National Security Council said the text chain “appears to be authentic.” </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 Disputes He Texted War Plans </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/24/hegseth-disputes-he-texted-war-plans-00246825" 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 denied he mishandled classified information and insisted “nobody was texting war plans” in a Signal chat between top Trump administration officials made public March 24 by a journalist who was mistakenly added to the discussion. </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;">Senate Confirms Trump’s Pick to Lead Navy and Marine Corps </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://defensescoop.com/2025/03/24/john-phelan-navy-secretary-trump-nominee-confirmation-senate/" 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;">John Phelan is set to take the helm as secretary of the Navy after the Senate confirmed him for the job March 24 by a vote of 62-30. The SECNAV is the top civilian responsible for leading the Department of the Navy, which also includes the Marine Corps. Phelan, a businessman and co-founder of MSD Capital, was nominated for the post by President Donald Trump. </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;">Hill Air Force Base Closes Day Care Center Following Trump Administration Hiring Freeze </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/03/24/hill-air-force-base-closes-day-care-center-following-trump-administration-hiring-freeze.html" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Military.com</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">Hill Air Force Base in Utah has closed one of its two day care centers, harming quality of life for some service members, civilian employees, and their families following hiring freezes ordered by President Donald Trump's administration. </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;">PODCAST: Remotely Piloted Aircraft in Action: Insights from Air Force RPA Commanders </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/podcast/rpa-commanders/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">Heather “Lucky” Penney and Senior Fellow retired Brig. Gen. Houston "Slider" Cantwell chat with some of the nation’s top remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) commanders about on-going combat contributions and the Air Force’s future development path for this incredible mission. </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/2025/02/GA-TI_2502_CCA_THE_FUTURE_TILE_DIGITAL_300x250px_L16870.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;">The ‘Reveal and Conceal Game’: Air Force Wargamers See Value in Mid-Conflict Deterrence </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://breakingdefense.com/2025/03/the-reveal-and-conceal-game-air-force-wargamers-see-value-in-mid-conflict-deterrence/" 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;">In the not-so-distant future, fears building for years have come to pass, and war has broken out in the Indo-Pacific between the U.S. and China. Yet amid fierce fighting, the US military quickly introduces a new capability to the field ... and startled by the revelation, Beijing recalculates, backs down, and seeks an “off-ramp” with Washington to bring an end to the conflict. Just such a scenario is being explored by U.S. Air Force wargamers. </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’s Use of Commercial Telecoms Draw Scrutiny After Chinese Breaches </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2025/03/pentagons-use-commercial-telecoms-be-scrutinized-after-chinese-breaches/404009/?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;">The Pentagon’s inspector general is launching a three-pronged investigation into the department’s “failure to secure its unclassified telephone communications from foreign espionage,” a top IG official has informed lawmakers. </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;">Turkey Sees Opening for ‘Increased’ Strategic Engagement with Trump Admin: Official </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://breakingdefense.com/2025/03/turkey-sees-opening-for-increased-strategic-engagement-with-trump-admin-official/" 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;">Turkey sees potential for enhanced “bilateral relations” and “increased engagement” with the new Trump administration, the Turkish ambassador to the U.S. said. “Greater convergence and complementarity between Turkey and the United States can make a real difference in addressing” ongoing conflicts such as the war in Ukraine and in Gaza, Sedat Önal said March 21 at an event in Washington, D.C., put on by the Atlantic Council think tank. </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;">F-47 Fighter Reveal Draws New Attention to USAF Stealth Tanker Plans </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.twz.com/air/f-47-fighter-reveal-draws-new-attention-to-usaf-stealth-tanker-plans" 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’s selection of Boeing’s F-47 as the winner of its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) combat jet competition raises new questions about plans for new stealthy aerial refueling tankers. The service has said in the past that the two efforts are intrinsically linked, but also that it might not be possible to afford both aircraft. </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;">Kadena Should Receive Its First F-15EX Fighters Next Year, Wing Commander Says </h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.stripes.com/branches/air_force/2025-03-24/kadena-okinawa-f15ex-fighters-17244045.html" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Stars and Stripes</a> <em style="font-size: 0.8em;">(Subscription Required)</em></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 expected to begin deploying F-15EX Eagle II fighters to the home of the 18th Wing in spring 2026, according to the wing commander. </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;">How the Union Took to the Skies in the Civil War </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://taskandpurpose.com/history/civil-war-army-balloon-corps/" target="_blank">Task & Purpose</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 year: 1861. The problem: Pro-slavery states had broken away from the Union, rising up in armed revolt as the treasonous Confederate States of America, and so far were able to fight the Union Army. One solution: Balloons. Yes, balloons. </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/imdc2?utm_source=airandspaceforces&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=cobra-banner680x265&utm_term=cobra-dbm-campaign_{clickInvalid}&utm_campaign=saic-cobra-imdc-dbm" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="265" style="margin: 0.8em 0;" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/02/SAIC_Cobra_March25_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 March 25, 2025 View in your Web Browser: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20250325/?src=dr Edited by Greg Hadley with Matthew Cox and Chris Gordon -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.rolls-royce.com/country-sites/northamerica.aspx?utm_source=Webpage&utm_medium=Ad&utm_campaign=AFA_Breaking_WS_25&utm_content=AFA_Force_ad4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NATO to Focus on ‘Realistic Combat Scenarios’ in Ramstein Flag 2025 By Chris Gordon NATO will start a major exercise at the end of the month to practice the ability of allied air forces to operate in a contested environment, officials said March 24. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/nato-excercise-ramstein-flag-2025/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How to Prioritize DOD’s Budget: Experts Try It—and So Can You By Greg Hadley How would you implement Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s instruction for the Pentagon to find eight percent in budget cuts that can be reallocated to other priorities? Top defense analysts and experts had a wide array of answers during a recent think tank workshop. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/8-percent-pentagon-budget-drill-experts/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://gdmissionsystems.com/encryption/unmanned?utm_source=afa.org&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=unmanned-campaign&utm_content=daily-report -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How DOD Could Recoup Its Investment in Ukraine’s Long-Range Drones By Matthew Cox For three years now, the Pentagon has dug into its arsenal and spent massive sums backing Ukraine against Russia’s invasion; now it may see a return on that investment by embracing the post-Soviet country’s battle-tested way of drone warfare. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/pentagon-diu-recoup-investment-ukrainian-drones/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.marvintest.com/landing/smartcan -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Day in 1968<br/>F-111s in Vietnam F-111s fly their first combat mission against military targets in North Vietnam. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.usaa.com/join?txid=OTH:TX1:5WHRNU5YHL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Radar Sweep -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trump Officials Texted War Plans to a Group Chat in a Secure App That Included a Journalist Top national security officials for President Donald Trump, including his defense secretary, texted war plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in a secure messaging app that included the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic, the magazine reported in a story posted online March 24. The National Security Council said the text chain “appears to be authentic.” https://apnews.com/article/war-plans-trump-hegseth-atlantic-230718a984911dd8663d59edbcb86f2a -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hegseth Disputes He Texted War Plans Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denied he mishandled classified information and insisted “nobody was texting war plans” in a Signal chat between top Trump administration officials made public March 24 by a journalist who was mistakenly added to the discussion. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/24/hegseth-disputes-he-texted-war-plans-00246825 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Senate Confirms Trump’s Pick to Lead Navy and Marine Corps John Phelan is set to take the helm as secretary of the Navy after the Senate confirmed him for the job March 24 by a vote of 62-30. The SECNAV is the top civilian responsible for leading the Department of the Navy, which also includes the Marine Corps. Phelan, a businessman and co-founder of MSD Capital, was nominated for the post by President Donald Trump. https://defensescoop.com/2025/03/24/john-phelan-navy-secretary-trump-nominee-confirmation-senate/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hill Air Force Base Closes Day Care Center Following Trump Administration Hiring Freeze Hill Air Force Base in Utah has closed one of its two day care centers, harming quality of life for some service members, civilian employees, and their families following hiring freezes ordered by President Donald Trump's administration. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/03/24/hill-air-force-base-closes-day-care-center-following-trump-administration-hiring-freeze.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PODCAST: Remotely Piloted Aircraft in Action: Insights from Air Force RPA Commanders Heather “Lucky” Penney and Senior Fellow retired Brig. Gen. Houston "Slider" Cantwell chat with some of the nation’s top remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) commanders about on-going combat contributions and the Air Force’s future development path for this incredible mission. https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/podcast/rpa-commanders/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.uav.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The ‘Reveal and Conceal Game’: Air Force Wargamers See Value in Mid-Conflict Deterrence In the not-so-distant future, fears building for years have come to pass, and war has broken out in the Indo-Pacific between the U.S. and China. Yet amid fierce fighting, the US military quickly introduces a new capability to the field ... and startled by the revelation, Beijing recalculates, backs down, and seeks an “off-ramp” with Washington to bring an end to the conflict. Just such a scenario is being explored by U.S. Air Force wargamers. https://breakingdefense.com/2025/03/the-reveal-and-conceal-game-air-force-wargamers-see-value-in-mid-conflict-deterrence/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pentagon’s Use of Commercial Telecoms Draw Scrutiny After Chinese Breaches The Pentagon’s inspector general is launching a three-pronged investigation into the department’s “failure to secure its unclassified telephone communications from foreign espionage,” a top IG official has informed lawmakers. https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2025/03/pentagons-use-commercial-telecoms-be-scrutinized-after-chinese-breaches/404009/?oref=d1-featured-river-top -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Turkey Sees Opening for ‘Increased’ Strategic Engagement with Trump Admin: Official Turkey sees potential for enhanced “bilateral relations” and “increased engagement” with the new Trump administration, the Turkish ambassador to the U.S. said. “Greater convergence and complementarity between Turkey and the United States can make a real difference in addressing” ongoing conflicts such as the war in Ukraine and in Gaza, Sedat Önal said March 21 at an event in Washington, D.C., put on by the Atlantic Council think tank. https://breakingdefense.com/2025/03/turkey-sees-opening-for-increased-strategic-engagement-with-trump-admin-official/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F-47 Fighter Reveal Draws New Attention to USAF Stealth Tanker Plans The U.S. Air Force’s selection of Boeing’s F-47 as the winner of its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) combat jet competition raises new questions about plans for new stealthy aerial refueling tankers. The service has said in the past that the two efforts are intrinsically linked, but also that it might not be possible to afford both aircraft. https://www.twz.com/air/f-47-fighter-reveal-draws-new-attention-to-usaf-stealth-tanker-plans -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kadena Should Receive Its First F-15EX Fighters Next Year, Wing Commander Says The U.S. Air Force is expected to begin deploying F-15EX Eagle II fighters to the home of the 18th Wing in spring 2026, according to the wing commander. https://www.stripes.com/branches/air_force/2025-03-24/kadena-okinawa-f15ex-fighters-17244045.html (Subscription Required) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One More Thing... How the Union Took to the Skies in the Civil War The year: 1861. The problem: Pro-slavery states had broken away from the Union, rising up in armed revolt as the treasonous Confederate States of America, and so far were able to fight the Union Army. One solution: Balloons. Yes, balloons. https://taskandpurpose.com/history/civil-war-army-balloon-corps/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.saic.com/imdc2?utm_source=airandspaceforces&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_content=cobra-banner680x265&utm_term=cobra-dbm-campaign_{clickInvalid}&utm_campaign=saic-cobra-imdc-dbm -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 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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