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>CSO Nominee Talks China’s Space Capabilities</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: Wilsbach Touts Allied Airpower and SDA Launches 21 Satellites</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://givebutter.com/afa-80yearsDailyReport" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="90" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/07/America250-2_680x90.png"></a></td></tr><tr class="logo"><td align="center"><img style="margin: 0;" alt="airforcemag daily report logo" height="92" width="450" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/Image/AFM_Daily_Report.jpg"></td></tr><tr class="date"><td align="center"><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #1E4A85; font-weight: bold; margin: 0 0 .8em !important;">July 17, 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, Stephen Losey and Todd South</p></td></tr><tr class="view-in-browser"><td align="center"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20260717/?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="522" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/07/Schiess-microphone.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/2026/07/Schiess-microphone.jpg 2000w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/07/Schiess-microphone-450x346.jpg 450w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/07/Schiess-microphone-586x450.jpg 586w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/07/Schiess-microphone-768x590.jpg 768w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/07/Schiess-microphone-675x518.jpg 675w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /><em style='display: block; font-size: 0.8em; margin-bottom: 0.6em'>U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Schiess, U.S. Space Forces - Space commander takes part in a panel discussion at the Air, Space & Cyber Conference at National Harbor, Md. Sept. 23, 2025. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andy Morataya)</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/space-force-chief-nominee-china-breathtakingly-fast/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Space Force Chief Nominee: China Going ‘Breathtakingly Fast’ with Space Weapons</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;">China’s rapidly advancing capabilities in space are a major concern for the presumed next chief of U.S. Space Force, who will likely oversee rapid growth in manpower and equipment to counter the growing threat.</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/wilsbach-allied-airpower-global-air-chiefs/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Wilsbach Touts Allied Airpower: ‘Effects No Nation Can Generate Independently’</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;">Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said July 16 that the airpower contribution of allied nations is vital for deterring adversaries and endorsed deeper interoperability between the U.S. and its partners.</p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://www.rtx.com/?utm_medium=ad&utm_source=a_sf_daily_report&utm_campaign=rtx-brand&utm_content=perspective-f35"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/06/RTX_Perspective_F35_680x265.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/space-development-agency-launches-21-data-transport-satellites-on-spacex-rocket/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Space Development Agency Launches 21 Data Transport Satellites on SpaceX Rocket</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 Development Agency resumed its Tranche 1 launch effort July 16, sending 21 data transport satellites to continue building out a mesh network in low-Earth orbit.</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-16-pilot-distinguished-flying-cross-houthi-surface-to-air-missiles/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">F-16 Pilot Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross for Dodging Houthi Missiles</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 and Stephen Losey</p><p class="bodytext" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; margin: 0; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7;">An Air Force F-16 pilot was presented with one of the service’s highest aerial achievement awards for a mission in which he dodged multiple surface-to-air missiles during last year’s Operation Rough Rider against Houthi militants in Yemen.</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/2026/07/Marvin-Test_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/usaf-tankers-connectivity-link-16-beyond-line-of-sight/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">AMC Gains Momentum in Push to Equip Tankers with Better Connectivity</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;">The Air Force has started upgrading some of its KC-46 refuelers with new beyond-line-of-sight connectivity to help them have greater battlefield awareness, the latest step in a long-term plan to equip tanker and airlift fleets with tools that have long been reserved for fighter and bomber fleets.</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;">Royal Air Force’s CCA Program Will Be ‘Attack Dog’ for Crewed Fighters</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://aviationweek.com/defense/aircraft-propulsion/royal-air-forces-cca-program-will-be-attack-dog-crewed-fighters" 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;">The UK Royal Air Force’s new collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) program will act like a “guardian angel” and “attack dog” for crewed fighters, Defense Readiness Minister Luke Pollard says.</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;">As GOP Debates Defense Spending, Air Force Chief Pushes for Supplemental, $1.5T Budget</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://breakingdefense.com/2026/07/as-gop-debates-defense-spending-air-force-chief-pushes-for-supplemental-1-5t-budget/" 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 war against Iran has strained the Air Force’s budget, and the US military needs “all three” Trump administration military spending proposals—a base budget of $1.1 trillion, a reconciliation boost of $350 billion, and a multibillion-dollar supplemental package—to keep its edge, the Air Force’s top officer told Breaking Defense.</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 Can’t Figure Out What Personnel It Needs for Its Missions, GAO Says</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2026/07/space-force-cant-figure-out-what-personnel-it-needs-its-missions-gao-says/414814/?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;">One-quarter of the jobs Space Force leaders say they need went unfilled in fiscal 2025, partly because the young service lacks a solid way to track and use troops, civilian workers, and contractors, the Government Accountability Office found.</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;">Navy Wants 1,000 Mile Combat Radius for Carrier Based Tactical Drone Fleets</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.twz.com/air/navy-wants-1000-mile-combat-radius-for-carrier-based-tactical-drone-fleets" 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. Navy is envisioning a future force of carrier-based uncrewed aircraft capable of attacking enemy forces at least 1,000 nautical miles away from the ship. They would also have to be able to do this without needing to refuel in midair, though tankers could further extend their reach.</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;">CMMC May Be Paused, but Cybersecurity Audits Likely to Return: Industry, Experts</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://breakingdefense.com/2026/07/cmmc-may-be-paused-but-cybersecurity-audits-likely-to-return-industry-experts/" 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;">Despite the pause of third-party audits in a Defense Department program for contractors, the Pentagon will likely have to return to some kind of review regime to ensure there are no unlocked virtual doors for adversary hackers to walk through, according to industry officials and experts.</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.ga-asi.com/us-air-force-awards-ga-asi-production-contract-for-fq-42a-cca" target="_blank"><img width="300" height="250" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/06/GenAtom_2606_FQ_42A_300x250px_L22616.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;">Pentagon’s Testosterone Program Builds on ‘Operator Syndrome’ Worries in Special Operations</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://taskandpurpose.com/news/pentagon-testosterone-treatment/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Task & Purpose</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">The Pentagon announced that service members will get access to testosterone replacement therapy. Experts say that treating health issues associated with hormonal deficiencies is more complex than giving troops access to straight testosterone, which comes with its own risks.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Trump’s $1.5T Defense Budget Is in Trouble</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/16/trump-1-5t-defense-budget-in-trouble-01001342" 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;">House Republicans’ latest plans to pay for the Iran war could kill President Donald Trump’s dreams of a $1.5 trillion defense budget. Party leaders are racing to pass a $60 billion bill to fill a hole in the Pentagon’s balance sheet left by the war in the Middle East, which has drained crucial stockpiles of missile interceptors and other munitions. To get that measure through Congress, Republicans plan to use the reconciliation process, allowing them to circumvent Democratic resistance in the Senate.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Trump Has Threatened to Bomb Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain. What Is Hidden There?</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/trump-has-threatened-to-bomb-irans-pickaxe-mountain-what-is-hidden-there-b1d96dfb?st=JNS8ja&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;">As President Trump dials up his rhetoric against Iran, he has a new target in his sights: Pickaxe Mountain, the site of a subterranean complex under construction near one of the country’s main nuclear installations.</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;">Hopes for US-Iran Diplomacy Still Alive as Fighting Intensifies over the Strait of Hormuz</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-trump-strait-hormuz-negotiations-476de0b0c341ead38126e617234d0939" 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;">Fighting between the U.S. and Iran has intensified over control of the Strait of Hormuz, but hopes for a possible diplomatic solution have shown stubborn signs of life.</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;">Aerospace and Defense Industry Undergoing Major Shift, Report Finds</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2026/7/16/wichita-kansas-named-best-place-for-aerospace-and-defense-manufacturing-report-finds" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">National Defense Magazine</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">Competitive advantage in the defense aerospace industry is no longer about technological superiority, but the ability to execute and scale, a new report found. Site selection firm Global Location Strategies released: “2026 Best Places for Aerospace and Defense,” analyzing data around defense spending, workforce, integrated ecosystems, and established hubs to determine where in the United States is the best place for aerospace companies to do business.</p></td></tr><tr><td><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="dark-block" style="margin: 1em 0; background: #F4F5F9;" valign="top" width="100%"><tbody><tr class="row-spacer" height="25"><td style="background: #1f2a39; border-color: #1f2a39; border-top-right-radius: 9px; border-top-left-radius: 9px;"> </td></tr><tr><td style="background: #1f2a39;" align="center"><table width="90%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td align="left"><h3 style="font-size: 1em; color: #dddddd; margin: 0; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0.8em; font-weight: normal">One More Thing</h3><h2 style="font-size: 1em; color: #eeeeee; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: 0.01em;">The Davis Wing, the B-24 Liberator, and the Self-Made Bet That Paid Off</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://warontherocks.com/cogs-of-war/the-davis-wing-the-b-24-liberator-and-the-self-made-bet-that-paid-off/" target="_blank">War on the Rocks</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 most produced American military aircraft of World War II was not a small fighter, a trainer, or a simple utility airplane—it was a complex four-engine heavy bomber called the B-24 Liberator. Over the course of five years, American industry produced a staggering 18,482 of these bombers, and they served in every theater of the war. The B-24 was a workhorse with strategic impact, but it would not have had its utility—or possibly even existed—were it not for its wing.</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://asc26.expotracker.net/Index.aspx" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="265" style="margin: 0.8em 0;" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2026/07/ASC26_680x265.png"></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 July 17, 2026 View in your Web Browser: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20260717/?src=dr Edited by Greg Hadley with Courtney Albon, Matthew Cox, Chris Gordon, Stephen Losey and Todd South -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://givebutter.com/afa-80yearsDailyReport -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Space Force Chief Nominee: China Going ‘Breathtakingly Fast’ with Space Weapons By Todd South China’s rapidly advancing capabilities in space are a major concern for the presumed next chief of U.S. Space Force, who will likely oversee rapid growth in manpower and equipment to counter the growing threat. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/space-force-chief-nominee-china-breathtakingly-fast/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wilsbach Touts Allied Airpower: ‘Effects No Nation Can Generate Independently’ By Chris Gordon Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said July 16 that the airpower contribution of allied nations is vital for deterring adversaries and endorsed deeper interoperability between the U.S. and its partners. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/wilsbach-allied-airpower-global-air-chiefs/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.rtx.com/?utm_medium=ad&utm_source=a_sf_daily_report&utm_campaign=rtx-brand&utm_content=perspective-f35 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Space Development Agency Launches 21 Data Transport Satellites on SpaceX Rocket By Courtney Albon The Space Development Agency resumed its Tranche 1 launch effort July 16, sending 21 data transport satellites to continue building out a mesh network in low-Earth orbit. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/space-development-agency-launches-21-data-transport-satellites-on-spacex-rocket/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F-16 Pilot Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross for Dodging Houthi Missiles By Chris Gordon and Stephen Losey An Air Force F-16 pilot was presented with one of the service’s highest aerial achievement awards for a mission in which he dodged multiple surface-to-air missiles during last year’s Operation Rough Rider against Houthi militants in Yemen. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/f-16-pilot-distinguished-flying-cross-houthi-surface-to-air-missiles/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.marvintest.com/landing/smartcan3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AMC Gains Momentum in Push to Equip Tankers with Better Connectivity By Matthew Cox The Air Force has started upgrading some of its KC-46 refuelers with new beyond-line-of-sight connectivity to help them have greater battlefield awareness, the latest step in a long-term plan to equip tanker and airlift fleets with tools that have long been reserved for fighter and bomber fleets. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/usaf-tankers-connectivity-link-16-beyond-line-of-sight/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://armynavy.usaaevents.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Radar Sweep -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Royal Air Force’s CCA Program Will Be ‘Attack Dog’ for Crewed Fighters The UK Royal Air Force’s new collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) program will act like a “guardian angel” and “attack dog” for crewed fighters, Defense Readiness Minister Luke Pollard says. https://aviationweek.com/defense/aircraft-propulsion/royal-air-forces-cca-program-will-be-attack-dog-crewed-fighters -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As GOP Debates Defense Spending, Air Force Chief Pushes for Supplemental, $1.5T Budget The war against Iran has strained the Air Force’s budget, and the US military needs “all three” Trump administration military spending proposals—a base budget of $1.1 trillion, a reconciliation boost of $350 billion, and a multibillion-dollar supplemental package—to keep its edge, the Air Force’s top officer told Breaking Defense. https://breakingdefense.com/2026/07/as-gop-debates-defense-spending-air-force-chief-pushes-for-supplemental-1-5t-budget/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Space Force Can’t Figure Out What Personnel It Needs for Its Missions, GAO Says One-quarter of the jobs Space Force leaders say they need went unfilled in fiscal 2025, partly because the young service lacks a solid way to track and use troops, civilian workers, and contractors, the Government Accountability Office found. https://www.defenseone.com/threats/2026/07/space-force-cant-figure-out-what-personnel-it-needs-its-missions-gao-says/414814/?oref=d1-homepage-top-story -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Navy Wants 1,000 Mile Combat Radius for Carrier Based Tactical Drone Fleets The U.S. Navy is envisioning a future force of carrier-based uncrewed aircraft capable of attacking enemy forces at least 1,000 nautical miles away from the ship. They would also have to be able to do this without needing to refuel in midair, though tankers could further extend their reach. https://www.twz.com/air/navy-wants-1000-mile-combat-radius-for-carrier-based-tactical-drone-fleets -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CMMC May Be Paused, but Cybersecurity Audits Likely to Return: Industry, Experts Despite the pause of third-party audits in a Defense Department program for contractors, the Pentagon will likely have to return to some kind of review regime to ensure there are no unlocked virtual doors for adversary hackers to walk through, according to industry officials and experts. https://breakingdefense.com/2026/07/cmmc-may-be-paused-but-cybersecurity-audits-likely-to-return-industry-experts/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.ga-asi.com/us-air-force-awards-ga-asi-production-contract-for-fq-42a-cca -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pentagon’s Testosterone Program Builds on ‘Operator Syndrome’ Worries in Special Operations The Pentagon announced that service members will get access to testosterone replacement therapy. Experts say that treating health issues associated with hormonal deficiencies is more complex than giving troops access to straight testosterone, which comes with its own risks. https://taskandpurpose.com/news/pentagon-testosterone-treatment/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trump’s $1.5T Defense Budget Is in Trouble House Republicans’ latest plans to pay for the Iran war could kill President Donald Trump’s dreams of a $1.5 trillion defense budget. Party leaders are racing to pass a $60 billion bill to fill a hole in the Pentagon’s balance sheet left by the war in the Middle East, which has drained crucial stockpiles of missile interceptors and other munitions. To get that measure through Congress, Republicans plan to use the reconciliation process, allowing them to circumvent Democratic resistance in the Senate. https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/16/trump-1-5t-defense-budget-in-trouble-01001342 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trump Has Threatened to Bomb Iran’s Pickaxe Mountain. What Is Hidden There? As President Trump dials up his rhetoric against Iran, he has a new target in his sights: Pickaxe Mountain, the site of a subterranean complex under construction near one of the country’s main nuclear installations. https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/trump-has-threatened-to-bomb-irans-pickaxe-mountain-what-is-hidden-there-b1d96dfb?st=JNS8ja&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink (Gift Link) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hopes for US-Iran Diplomacy Still Alive as Fighting Intensifies over the Strait of Hormuz Fighting between the U.S. and Iran has intensified over control of the Strait of Hormuz, but hopes for a possible diplomatic solution have shown stubborn signs of life. https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-trump-strait-hormuz-negotiations-476de0b0c341ead38126e617234d0939 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aerospace and Defense Industry Undergoing Major Shift, Report Finds Competitive advantage in the defense aerospace industry is no longer about technological superiority, but the ability to execute and scale, a new report found. Site selection firm Global Location Strategies released: “2026 Best Places for Aerospace and Defense,” analyzing data around defense spending, workforce, integrated ecosystems, and established hubs to determine where in the United States is the best place for aerospace companies to do business. https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2026/7/16/wichita-kansas-named-best-place-for-aerospace-and-defense-manufacturing-report-finds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One More Thing... The Davis Wing, the B-24 Liberator, and the Self-Made Bet That Paid Off The most produced American military aircraft of World War II was not a small fighter, a trainer, or a simple utility airplane—it was a complex four-engine heavy bomber called the B-24 Liberator. Over the course of five years, American industry produced a staggering 18,482 of these bombers, and they served in every theater of the war. The B-24 was a workhorse with strategic impact, but it would not have had its utility—or possibly even existed—were it not for its wing. https://warontherocks.com/cogs-of-war/the-davis-wing-the-b-24-liberator-and-the-self-made-bet-that-paid-off/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://asc26.expotracker.net/Index.aspx -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 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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