Inside a crowded convention center in South Korea last month, Japan’s new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, beamed as she met China’s leader, Xi Jinping, for the first time. Mr. Xi smiled back, a rare display of warmth between the rival countries. Only a few weeks later, the relationship has come undone. Mr. Xi has unleashed a wave of reprisals against Japan over a recent comment by Ms. Takaichi about defending Taiwan, a self-governed democracy that Beijing considers part of its territory.
Israel's military on Nov. 22 said it launched airstrikes against Hamas terrorists in Gaza in the latest test of the ceasefire that began on Oct. 10. Health officials in Gaza reported at least 14 people killed and another 45 wounded, including children.
Top U.S. and Ukrainian officials said Nov. 23 they’d made progress toward ending the Russia-Ukraine war but provided scant details after discussing the American proposal to achieve peace that has sparked concerns among many of Washington’s European allies that the plan is too conciliatory to Moscow.
Air traffic above the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven was suspended for several hours on Nov. 22 after unidentified drones were spotted near the airport. Drones were first observed late on Nov. 21 over the nearby Volkel air force base. Weapons were deployed to try to shoot them down but the devices got away.
The Space Force plans to issue a request to industry on Dec. 7 for prototype kinetic energy space-based interceptors for midcourse missile defense, Space Systems Command announced.
U.S. Strategic Command, which oversees America’s nuclear arsenal, is getting a new commander following confirmation of Vice Adm. Richard Correll by the Senate. Correll, who was approved by voice vote along with several other military nominees, will also be promoted to four-star.
Today, the U.S. Air Force is at a key inflection point when it comes to jet propulsion. Most of the service’s aircraft are flying with engines designed during the Cold War. Newer types are now multiple decades old. This is why the Air Force has invested in multiple programs to pursue new engines. Heather Penney and Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, USAF (Ret.) talk with Lt. Gen. Steve Shepro, USAF (Ret.) of Pratt & Whitney to learn more about where military aircraft propulsion stands today and where it’s headed in the future.
The United States and the Philippines have announced the creation of a joint task force aimed at further deterring what U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called Beijing’s “coercion” in the South China Sea.
Israeli experts and politicians are reacting to news that the US may sell the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to Saudi Arabia with a mix of concern and pragmatism, with the general consensus seeming to be a cautious “wait and see.”
Pentagon neglect played a key role in China gaining global dominance of the small drone industry, but now the U.S. Army wants to buy 1 million drones over the next two to three years and ramp up domestic production tenfold. DARPA, meanwhile, wants to restart the clock on drone development and tap into the American culture of garage inventors, as well as universities and businesses small and large, “to revolutionize vertical lift aviation.”
Ukraine’s allies are still trying to figure out how seriously to take the U.S. threat to halt intelligence-sharing with Kyiv if it does not agree to a proposed peace plan—but some said Nov. 22 they’re thinking through how to patch shortfalls.
An Airman assigned to Malmstrom Air Force Base was awarded the Air Medal for heroism during a rescue operation in the Beartooth Mountains in August. Maj. Collin Urbanowicz, an aeromedial physician assistant with the 341st Operational Medical Squadron, was presented with the award in a surprise ceremony on Nov. 20 at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
