Daily Report

Dec. 1, 2025

Boeing Gets $2.47 Billion Contract for 15 More KC-46s

Boeing received a $2.47 billion Air Force contract Nov. 25 for 15 more KC-46s, bringing to 183 the number of Pegasus tankers on contract to all customers, foreign and domestic. The new contract—for Lot 12 of the initially planned KC-46 buy—is to be completed by 2029.
space debris

Space Force Seeks Innovative New Battle Management, C2 Tools

For the last few years, through a little-known program called Kronos, the Space Force has been consolidating and modernizing its suite of legacy systems that provide operators with intelligence tools and command-and-control capabilities in an increasingly contested space environment. Now, USSF is reaching out to commercial firms to prototype and integrate new battle management tools on a faster and more continuous cadence to match the growing threats in orbit.

Radar Sweep

Gift link

Russia Gains the Upper Hand in the Drone Battle, Once Ukraine’s Forte

The Wall Street Journal

Russia’s growing prowess at hitting Ukrainian supply lines with drones is the most important shift in the war in 2025, Ukrainian front-line fighters and analysts studying the conflict say—more significant than Russian forces’ incremental gains in territory.

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Hegseth Order on First Caribbean Boat Strike, Officials Say: Kill Them All

The Washington Post

The longer the U.S. surveillance aircraft followed the boat, the more confident intelligence analysts watching from command centers became that the 11 people on board were ferrying drugs. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a spoken directive, according to two people with direct knowledge of the operation. “The order was to kill everybody,” one of them said.

US Army AH-64E Apache’s Counter-Drone Capability Rapidly Matures

The War Zone

The U.S. Army’s AH-64 Apache attack helicopter is continuing to develop its ability to detect and destroy enemy aerial drones. In a recent live-fire test, AH-64E versions of the helicopter used the latest Version 6 (V6) software package that further enhances the Apache’s qualifications as a drone-hunter, something that has previously been proven in exercises in the Middle East.

One More Thing

NORAD Launches Santa Tracker for Kids and Families Worldwide for 70th Year

Stars and Stripes

The North American Aerospace Defense Command is set to launch its Santa tracking program Dec. 1, giving kids and families a front-row seat to Santa Claus’s Christmas Eve journey. NORAD has tracked Santa for 70 years as he soars across the globe delivering presents in addition to monitoring and defending North American airspace every day.