Daily Report

March 30, 2026

34th Fighter Squadron ‘Rude Rams’ Win Coveted Raytheon Trophy

The 34th Fighter Squadron won the Raytheon Trophy for its air superiority performance in 2025 in two major Middle East operations and a series of responses in the Pacific. The F-35 Lightning II squadron received the honor following its role in Operation Rough Rider targeting Houthi rebel missile sites in Yemen, its penetrating offensive work escorting bombers during Operation Midnight Hammer to strike Iranian nuclear sites, and dozens of alert scrambles to counter aggression in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, according to a release.

Data Centers in Space Could Enable Golden Dome: Experts

The tech industry’s pursuit of space-based AI data centers could have positive implications for military space operations, potentially enabling faster communication speeds from multiple orbits for programs like Golden Dome, industry and defense officials said March 24. 

Radar Sweep

US Sailors, Marines Deployed amid Iran War Reach CENTCOM Region

The Hill

U.S. Sailors and Marines aboard the USS Tripoli arrived at the U.S. Central Command area in the Middle East on March 27. CENTCOM stated March 28 that the flagship delivered about 3,500 Sailors and Marines from the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, along with “transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault and tactical assets.”

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Trump Weighs Military Operation to Extract Iran’s Uranium

The Wall Street Journal

President Trump is weighing a military operation to extract nearly 1,000 pounds of uranium from Iran, according to U.S. officials, a complex and risky mission that would likely put American forces inside the country for days or longer.

PODCAST: Understanding the Threat Environment in Space

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

For decades, adversaries like China have pressed hard to erase the spacepower advantage of the United States. This includes weapons to attack our space systems and technologies on orbit to hold U.S. forces in all domains at risk. Bottom line, space is more contested today than ever before. Our Mitchell Institute team explores these realities with Chief Master Sergeant Ron Lerch, Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Deputy of Chief of Space Operations.

Russia Mapping US Assets to Help Iran, Zelenskyy Says

POLITICO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of helping Tehran target U.S. military assets in the Middle East, including with satellite images ahead of Iranian strikes on an American base in Saudi Arabia.

Hardened Underground Facilities Now Being Sought for Al Udeid Air Base

The War Zone

With its facilities in the Middle East frequently targeted by Iranian missiles and drones, U.S. Central Command is looking for better ways to protect its troops and capabilities. This week, the command and its subordinate units put out two calls for information from companies that can design and provide hardened infrastructure, including underground facilities, as well as shelters.

Space Command Wants to Move Nearly 200 People to New Alabama HQ This Year

Defense One

Space Command aims to move about 200 people from Colorado to its new headquarters in Alabama by year's end. “I'm happy at the progress that we're making, and that progress will continue over the next couple of years as we work to get a significant portion of our staff there, even while the permanent headquarters is being built,” Gen. Stephen Whiting, who leads U.S. Space Command, told senators during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing March 26.

Mitchell Institute Spacepower Security Forum

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

Register now for the April 1 Spacepower Security Forum featuring Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman, Lt. Gen. David Miller, Lt. Gen. Doug Schiess, and more. Don’t miss this unique and intimate gathering in Arlington, Va.