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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>F-22 Pilot Controls Drone in Flight</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: F-35s for Saudi Arabia and New Low-Cost Missile Program</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.rtx.com?utm_medium=ad&utm_source=a-sf-daily-report&utm_campaign=rtx-brand&utm_content=connectprotect-newsletter" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="90" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/10/RTX_PAS_ConnectingProtecting_HeadlineOnly_JPEG_680x90_FA_ps-1-1.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;">Nov. 18, 2025</p></td></tr><tr class="date"><td align="center"><p class="article-author" style="font-size: 0.8em; text-align: center; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #666666; font-weight: normal; margin: 0 0 0.8em;">Edited by Greg Hadley with Courtney Albon, Matthew Cox and Chris Gordon</p></td></tr><tr class="view-in-browser"><td align="center"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20251118/?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="486" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/11/9373686-scaled.jpg" class="attachment-680x9999 size-680x9999 wp-post-image" alt="" style="width: 100%; height: auto; margin: 0.8em 0 0.1em;" decoding="async" srcset="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/11/9373686-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/11/9373686-450x321.jpg 450w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/11/9373686-630x450.jpg 630w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/11/9373686-768x549.jpg 768w, https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/11/9373686-675x482.jpg 675w" sizes="(max-width: 680px) 100vw, 680px" /><em style='display: block; font-size: 0.8em; margin-bottom: 0.6em'>An F-22 Raptor performs an aerial demonstration at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, Sept. 21, 2025. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Lauren Cobin</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/f-22-pilot-control-cca-surrogate-drone/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">F-22 Pilot Controls ‘CCA Surrogate’ Drone from Cockpit</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;">An F-22 pilot controlled an MQ-20 drone from the fighter’s cockpit last month, General Atomics announced Nov. 17—a preview of the Air Force’s vision for Collaborative Combat Aircraft.</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/trump-us-f-35-saudi-arabia/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Trump Says US Will Sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia</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;">President Donald Trump said he plans to sell F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, announcing his decision Nov. 17, a day before he meets the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House.</p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://www.williamsrdm.com/"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/10/WilliamsRDM_Daily-Report_Nov-Dec_2025_680x265.jpg" style="margin: 1.1em 0;"></a></td></tr><tr class="article"><td><h2 class="article-title" style="font-size: 1.1em; text-align: center; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0.8em 0; line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-industry-offerings-low-cost-missiles/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Air Force Set to Evaluate New Industry Offerings for Low-Cost 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 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 is poised to begin evaluating a new class of low-cost missiles needed to defeat the rapid growth of aerial threats it’s likely to face in the next conflict.</p></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://gdmissionsystems.com/encryption/unmanned?utm_source=www.afa.org&utm_medium=banner-enl&utm_campaign=taclane-campaign&utm_content=brand-awareness"><img width="680" height="265" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/11/AFA_GDMS_Social3_web-ads_2025-10-16_680x265.jpg" style="margin: 1.1em 0;"></a></td></tr><tr class="article"><td><h2 class="article-title" style="font-size: 1.1em; text-align: center; margin: 0; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0.8em 0; line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/pentagon-new-manufacturing-tech-space-supply-chain/?src=dr" style="text-decoration: none; color: #222222;">Pentagon Eyes New Manufacturing Tech to Bolster Strained Space Supply Chain</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;">Amid growing concern about supply chain issues, the Pentagon’s commercial innovation hub is seeking companies with advanced manufacturing expertise to help bolster the space industrial base.</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/2025/07/USAA_July25_783_Affinity_CS_Eligbility_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;">UN Security Council Approves Trump Plan for Gaza Security Force</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/17/gaza-security-force-un-resolution-passes" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Axios</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">The UN Security Council on Nov. 17 approved a U.S.-led resolution to establish an international stabilization force to deploy to Gaza for at least two years.</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 Program’s Accelerated Pace Made Possible by NGAD X-Plane Efforts</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.twz.com/air/f-47-programs-accelerated-pace-made-possible-by-ngad-x-plane-efforts" 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;">With the first example of Boeing’s F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter for the U.S. Air Force now in production, a company official has highlighted how its prototyping effort allowed the program to move forward at a rapid pace.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">Top US Admiral Says He’s Watching China’s Rapid Naval Buildup Closely</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/japan-us-admiral-china-south-korea-69eb982440c8ee70a0cf8638b6a5acfd" 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 top U.S. admiral on Nov. 17 called China ‘s shipbuilding capability “impressive” as Beijing moves ahead with a rapid buildup of the world’s largest navy, and said America’s cooperation with Asian allies South Korea and Japan is essential for its own shipbuilding capability.</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 Says He Would Be ‘OK’ Launching Strikes in Mexico to Fight Drug Smuggling</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-says-ok-launching-us-strikes-mexico-drug-smuggling-rcna244484" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">NBC News</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 opened the door Nov. 17 to launching U.S. strikes in Mexico, a move that would be a dramatic escalation of his administration’s fight against drug cartels.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">France Wants to Build Jet Fighters for Ukraine. Neither Has the Cash.</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/france-wants-to-build-jet-fighters-for-ukraine-neither-has-the-cash-53df113d?st=sV1APR&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;">France is touting a plan to reinforce Ukraine’s air power over the next decade with new jet fighters and missile-defense systems, but a major question remains unsettled: Who will pay for it?</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.afa.org/afa-warfare-symposium/" target="_blank"><img width="300" height="250" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/10/WS2026_300x250.jpg"></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;">US to Designate Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as Terrorist Group</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/5608939-rubio-venezuela-cartel-de-los-soles-terrorist-fto-maduro/" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">The Hill</a> </p><p class="bodytext-radar" style="font-size: 1em; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: #555555; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0;">The United States will designate Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Sunday, amid heightened tensions between the two countries. In a statement, Rubio said the group is run by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whose government the U.S. has called “illegitimate.” </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;">Marines Send Reaper Drone Unit to South China Sea</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marines-drones-south-china-sea/" 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 Marine Corps sent a unit of MQ-9A Reaper drones to the Philippines to support reconnaissance operations in the South China Sea. The Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1, based out of Arizona under the command of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, deployed multiple MQ-9A Reapers this month. </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;">From Lasers to Logistics: Pentagon CTO Announces Top Six Tech Priorities</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://breakingdefense.com/2025/11/from-lasers-to-logistics-pentagon-cto-announces-top-six-tech-priorities/" 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;">Pentagon research chief Emil Michael formally announced a previously promised purge of tech priorities. By slashing a Biden-era list of “critical technology areas” in half, Michael aims to focus resources on key R&D projects and accelerate them into “sprints” that produce usable technology in three years or less.</p></td></tr><tr><td><hr style="border: none; border-top: 1px solid #dddddd; margin: 1.6em 0;"></td></tr><tr><td align="left"><h2 style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 1.1em; color: #222222; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;">US Arms Deal Still Up in the Air After Hegseth Visit to Vietnam</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2025/11/17/us-arms-deal-still-up-in-the-air-after-hegseth-visit-to-vietnam/" 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;">Despite U.S. interest in deeper military ties with Vietnam, the Nov. 2 visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, during which he met Communist Party leader To Lam and Defense Minister Phan Van Giang, did not yield an expected announcement on arms sales.</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 Vulnerable to Malicious Use of Publicly Available Info, GAO Finds</h2><p><a class="radar-link" href="https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2025-11-17/dod-digital-info-malicious-actors-19800094.html" style="color: #214a86; font-size: 1em; font-weight: bold; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Stars and Stripes</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 missions and personnel are increasingly vulnerable to “malicious actors” who can disrupt operations by aggregating digital information from data brokers, websites and other sources, a government watchdog concluded in a report issued Nov. 17.</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;">This Intrepid Pilot Went from Zero to Ace in 13 Minutes</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.wearethemighty.com/history/intrepid-pilot-went-from-zero-to-ace-in-13-minutes/" target="_blank">We Are The Mighty</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;">Navy Lt. J.G. Alfred Lerch had a relatively short career for a naval aviator, earning his naval wings in 1944 and serving aboard the USS Intrepid in 1945 with, as he described it, only one “really good crack at” the Imperial Japanese Navy. But in that good crack, on April 16, 1945, Alfred Lerch went from zero enemy downs to seven in just 13 minutes, making him one of the fastest fighter aces of all time.</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/multicloud?utm_source=airandspaceforces&utm_medium=display&utm_content=oct-enews-680x265&utm_term=cloud-one-next_{clickInvalid}&utm_campaign=c1-f26-afcc-dbm-4" target="_blank"><img width="680" height="265" style="margin: 0.8em 0;" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/app/uploads/2025/09/SAIC_Oct25_680x265.jpg"></a></td></tr><tr><td align="center" style="padding: 1.1em 0 1em; text-align: center; background: #2d3d44;"><table width="100%" cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 border=0><tbody><tr class="footer-logo"><td align="center"><img width="171" style="margin-bottom: 0.8em;" src="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/Image/ASF_mag_logo_white.png"></td></tr><tr class="footer-nav"><td align="center" style="color: #cccccc; font-size: 0.9em;"><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/?src=dr" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Daily Report</a> | <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/contact-us/?src=dr" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Contact Us</a> | <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/advertise/?src=dr" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Advertise</a> | <a href="https://www.afa.org/join/?src=dr" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Join AFA</a> | <a href="https://www.afa.org/?src=dr" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Air & Space Forces Association</a> | <a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/reprint-permission/?src=dr" style="font-size: 0.9em; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Reprints</a></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><p style="margin: 0.8em 0 0;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ASForcesMag" target="_blank"><img src="https://cdn2.iconfinder.com/data/icons/social-icons-33/128/Facebook-512.png" width="33"></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ASForcesMag" target="_blank"><img src="https://cdn0.iconfinder.com/data/icons/social-network-7/50/4-512.png" width="35"></a></p></td></tr><tr class="footer-small"><td align="center"><p style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #555555; font-size: 0.6em; margin: 0.8em 0">Published by the Air & Space Forces Association.<br/><a href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/?src=dr" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #214a86; font-size: 1em;" target="_blank">airandspaceforces.com</a> material is under copyright by the Air & Space Forces Association. 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Air & Space Forces Magazine Daily Report for Nov. 18, 2025 View in your Web Browser: https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20251118/?src=dr Edited by Greg Hadley with Courtney Albon, Matthew Cox and Chris Gordon -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.rtx.com?utm_medium=ad&utm_source=a-sf-daily-report&utm_campaign=rtx-brand&utm_content=connectprotect-newsletter -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F-22 Pilot Controls ‘CCA Surrogate’ Drone from Cockpit By Greg Hadley An F-22 pilot controlled an MQ-20 drone from the fighter’s cockpit last month, General Atomics announced Nov. 17—a preview of the Air Force’s vision for Collaborative Combat Aircraft. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/f-22-pilot-control-cca-surrogate-drone/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trump Says US Will Sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia By Chris Gordon President Donald Trump said he plans to sell F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, announcing his decision Nov. 17, a day before he meets the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/trump-us-f-35-saudi-arabia/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.williamsrdm.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air Force Set to Evaluate New Industry Offerings for Low-Cost Missiles By Matthew Cox The Air Force is poised to begin evaluating a new class of low-cost missiles needed to defeat the rapid growth of aerial threats it’s likely to face in the next conflict. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-industry-offerings-low-cost-missiles/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://gdmissionsystems.com/encryption/unmanned?utm_source=www.afa.org&utm_medium=banner-enl&utm_campaign=taclane-campaign&utm_content=brand-awareness -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pentagon Eyes New Manufacturing Tech to Bolster Strained Space Supply Chain By Courtney Albon Amid growing concern about supply chain issues, the Pentagon’s commercial innovation hub is seeking companies with advanced manufacturing expertise to help bolster the space industrial base. https://www.airandspaceforces.com/pentagon-new-manufacturing-tech-space-supply-chain/?src=dr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.usaa.com/join?txid=OTH:TX1:5WHRNU5YHL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Radar Sweep -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UN Security Council Approves Trump Plan for Gaza Security Force The UN Security Council on Nov. 17 approved a U.S.-led resolution to establish an international stabilization force to deploy to Gaza for at least two years. https://www.axios.com/2025/11/17/gaza-security-force-un-resolution-passes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F-47 Program’s Accelerated Pace Made Possible by NGAD X-Plane Efforts With the first example of Boeing’s F-47 sixth-generation stealth fighter for the U.S. Air Force now in production, a company official has highlighted how its prototyping effort allowed the program to move forward at a rapid pace. https://www.twz.com/air/f-47-programs-accelerated-pace-made-possible-by-ngad-x-plane-efforts -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Top US Admiral Says He’s Watching China’s Rapid Naval Buildup Closely The top U.S. admiral on Nov. 17 called China ‘s shipbuilding capability “impressive” as Beijing moves ahead with a rapid buildup of the world’s largest navy, and said America’s cooperation with Asian allies South Korea and Japan is essential for its own shipbuilding capability. https://apnews.com/article/japan-us-admiral-china-south-korea-69eb982440c8ee70a0cf8638b6a5acfd -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trump Says He Would Be ‘OK’ Launching Strikes in Mexico to Fight Drug Smuggling President Donald Trump opened the door Nov. 17 to launching U.S. strikes in Mexico, a move that would be a dramatic escalation of his administration’s fight against drug cartels. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-says-ok-launching-us-strikes-mexico-drug-smuggling-rcna244484 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- France Wants to Build Jet Fighters for Ukraine. Neither Has the Cash. France is touting a plan to reinforce Ukraine’s air power over the next decade with new jet fighters and missile-defense systems, but a major question remains unsettled: Who will pay for it? https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/france-wants-to-build-jet-fighters-for-ukraine-neither-has-the-cash-53df113d?st=sV1APR&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink (Gift Link) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.afa.org/afa-warfare-symposium/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US to Designate Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as Terrorist Group The United States will designate Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Sunday, amid heightened tensions between the two countries. In a statement, Rubio said the group is run by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whose government the U.S. has called “illegitimate.” https://thehill.com/policy/international/5608939-rubio-venezuela-cartel-de-los-soles-terrorist-fto-maduro/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Marines Send Reaper Drone Unit to South China Sea The Marine Corps sent a unit of MQ-9A Reaper drones to the Philippines to support reconnaissance operations in the South China Sea. The Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron 1, based out of Arizona under the command of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, deployed multiple MQ-9A Reapers this month. https://taskandpurpose.com/news/marines-drones-south-china-sea/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From Lasers to Logistics: Pentagon CTO Announces Top Six Tech Priorities Pentagon research chief Emil Michael formally announced a previously promised purge of tech priorities. By slashing a Biden-era list of “critical technology areas” in half, Michael aims to focus resources on key R&D projects and accelerate them into “sprints” that produce usable technology in three years or less. https://breakingdefense.com/2025/11/from-lasers-to-logistics-pentagon-cto-announces-top-six-tech-priorities/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- US Arms Deal Still Up in the Air After Hegseth Visit to Vietnam Despite U.S. interest in deeper military ties with Vietnam, the Nov. 2 visit by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, during which he met Communist Party leader To Lam and Defense Minister Phan Van Giang, did not yield an expected announcement on arms sales. https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2025/11/17/us-arms-deal-still-up-in-the-air-after-hegseth-visit-to-vietnam/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pentagon Vulnerable to Malicious Use of Publicly Available Info, GAO Finds The Pentagon’s missions and personnel are increasingly vulnerable to “malicious actors” who can disrupt operations by aggregating digital information from data brokers, websites and other sources, a government watchdog concluded in a report issued Nov. 17. https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2025-11-17/dod-digital-info-malicious-actors-19800094.html (Subscription Required) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One More Thing... This Intrepid Pilot Went from Zero to Ace in 13 Minutes Navy Lt. J.G. Alfred Lerch had a relatively short career for a naval aviator, earning his naval wings in 1944 and serving aboard the USS Intrepid in 1945 with, as he described it, only one “really good crack at” the Imperial Japanese Navy. But in that good crack, on April 16, 1945, Alfred Lerch went from zero enemy downs to seven in just 13 minutes, making him one of the fastest fighter aces of all time. https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/intrepid-pilot-went-from-zero-to-ace-in-13-minutes/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [ Advertisement ] https://www.saic.com/multicloud?utm_source=airandspaceforces&utm_medium=display&utm_content=oct-enews-680x265&utm_term=cloud-one-next_{clickInvalid}&utm_campaign=c1-f26-afcc-dbm-4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 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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