Golden Dome Details Begin to Emerge
The Golden Dome air and missile defense shield to protect the United States will have some “operational capability” in 2028, the program’s leader said Dec. 6 at the Reagan National Defense Forum.
AETC Gets Its Hands on 1st Production T-7 Trainer
Air Education & Training Command received its first T-7A Red Hawk when the long-awaited next-generation jet trainer landed at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph on Dec. 5.
New STRATCOM Boss Stresses Deterrence in ‘Tech-Saturated’ World
Navy Adm. Richard Correll succeeded Air Force Gen. Anthony J. Cotton as head of U.S. Strategic Command on Dec. 5, stressing the need for the combatant command to understand and embrace new technologies for its deterrence mission.
SDA Back on Track to Award Satellite Contracts After Funds Went to Troop Shutdown Pay
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
Time is Running out for Airmen, Guardians to Enroll for Health Care
Don’t forget--the deadlines for Airmen and Guardians to sign-up for 2026 health, dental and vision benefits are quickly approaching.
Radar Sweep
4 Killed in Latest Strike on Alleged Drug Boat off Latin America, Pentagon Says
CBS News
The U.S. military continued its assault on what it claims are drug-running boats off the coastal waters of Latin America with another strike Dec. 4 that the Pentagon said killed four people.
Alarm Over Hypersonic Missile Gap Fuels Startup Boom
The Wall Street Journal
The Pentagon is getting serious about hypersonic weapons, a technology that has eluded the U.S. military for decades. It is looking to startups, with no experience but billions of dollars backing them, to fill an increasingly glaring hole in the national arsenal.
Russia Unleashes Massive Drone and Missile Attack on Ukraine as Diplomatic Talks Continue
The Associated Press
Russia unleashed a major missile and drone barrage on Ukraine overnight into Dec. 5, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had a “substantive phone call” with American officials engaged in talks with a Ukrainian delegation in Florida, aimed at ending the nearly 4-year war.
Navy’s Caudle: F/A-XX Fighter Decision Needs to Come ‘Quickly’
Breaking Defense
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle said he wants the decision for the Navy’s next-generation fighter made “quickly” given the time it will take to build, test, and field any resulting aircraft.
No Decision Made on Second Round of Reconciliation for Defense: OMB Director
Breaking Defense
The director of the Office of Management and Budget defended the Trump administration’s use of the budget reconciliation process to boost defense funds without also giving money to Democrat priorities, and left open the door to using the mechanism again in the future.
See How a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan Could Unfold
The Wall Street Journal
Five miles off Taiwan’s coast, ZTD-05 amphibious vehicles roll out of ships and zip over the water amid a hail of artillery fire. The Chinese soldiers inside have their orders: Seize the beach, or die trying. Close by, China’s airborne troops are taking losses. They arrived before dawn in low-flying Y-20 aircraft to seize Taoyuan Airport. Taiwanese defenders downed several planes. The paratroopers that landed, scattered, are in a race to assault the airfield before Taiwan wrecks it. This hypothetical battle scenario imagines a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, as militaries, policymakers, and wargamers are doing.
Army Stands Up Western Hemisphere Command as New Strategies Highlight Domestic Operations
Defense One
The Army’s push to reduce headquarters and general officer positions made more progress Dec. 5 with the activation of U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command, which will replace Army Forces Command and eventually absorb U.S. Army North and U.S. Army South.
New US National Security Strategy Reveals Trump Administration’s Latest Stance on Taiwan
DefenseScoop
Beyond elevating efforts to expand U.S. influence and prowess in the Western Hemisphere, the new National Security Strategy makes it clear that deterring a conflict with China over Taiwan—via military might and existing partnerships—marks a near-term priority for the second Trump administration.
Hegseth Declares End of US 'Utopian Idealism' with New Military Strategy
POLITICO
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Dec. 6 launched a full-throated attack on post-Cold War U.S. foreign policy, castigating former presidents and generals by name while declaring the age of American “utopian idealism” over.
Boeing Marks Final Delivery of Converted QF-16 Target Drone to USAF
The Aviationist
The 127th and, under current plans, last F-16 to be converted into an optionally piloted QF-16 full-scale aerial target has been delivered to the U.S. Air Force.
PODCAST: Fighter Update, Vector 2025, and CSAF Priorities
The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
In this episode, our team explores the top defense issues in Washington, D.C. and beyond. Where do the defense bills stand? What’s up with the new Air Force fighter force structure report, plus Secretary of War Hegseth’s acquisition speech? We also explore Gen. Wilsbach’s new priorities, F-35s to Saudia Arabia, as well as Lt. Gen. White’s nomination for a new job as DRPM. The conversation also covers the Space Force, including Vector 2025, the creation of Combat Forces Command, and new developments regarding their test and validation requirements.
Destroyer USS Thomas Hudner Arrives in US Southern Command
USNI News
USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116) chopped into U.S. Southern Command within the last 24 hours, USNI News has learned. A Navy official confirmed Dec. 5 that Thomas Hudner has joined the Navy’s buildup of ships in SOUTHCOM.
Ukrainian F-16s Appear to Be Armed with Laser-Guided Rockets in New Photos
The War Zone
Laser-guided 70mm Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) rockets now appear to be part of the arsenal available for Ukraine’s F-16 Viper fighters. This is not an unexpected development given that rockets would offer the Ukrainian Air Force an extremely valuable, lower-cost option for engaging long-range kamikaze drones and subsonic cruise missiles.
‘The Honor of My Life’: Air Force Thunderbirds Welcome New Commander
Stars and Stripes
The Thunderbirds welcomed a new commander for the 2026 and 2027 air show seasons. Lt. Col. Alexander Prevendar assumed command of the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron from Col. Nathan Malafa at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., on Dec. 5, according to a service news release.
