Editor’s Note
The Daily Report will go on a holiday break and not publish from Dec. 25 to Jan. 2. We’ll be back in your inboxes Jan. 5, 2026. Happy Holidays!
Inside the Air Force Plan to Start Its Own Experimental One-Way Attack Drone Unit
The Air Force will stand up a new unit next year to shape how the service fights with one-way attack drones.
Wilsbach Wants Air Force Leaders to Get Back in the Cockpit
Three weeks after being sworn in as the new Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach climbed into the cockpit of an F-22 fighter on Nov. 24 and prepared to take off from Langley Air Force Base, Va. Now he wants the rest of the Air Force’s top leaders to likewise return to the skies.
Space Force’s Commercial Reserve Fleet Moves Out of Pilot Phase
The Space Force’s work to establish a pool of at-the-ready commercial satellite capacity during a crisis is moving out of the pilot phase as the service prepares to award its next batch of contracts in 2026.
Castle’s Medal of Honor Mission
While leading a formation of Boeing B-17s over Liege, Belgium, Brig. Gen. Frederick W. Castle’s aircraft loses an engine and he relinquishes the formation lead. His aircraft is immediately attacked by German fighters, but he refuses to drop his bomb...
Radar Sweep
US Strikes Another Alleged Drug-Smuggling Boat in Eastern Pacific
The Associated Press
The U.S. military said Dec. 22 that it had conducted another strike against a boat it said was smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person.
Swedish Air Chief Talks Next-Gen Warplane, Gripen’s Anti-Drone Role
Defense News
Maj. Gen. Jonas Wikman has served as commander of the Swedish Air Force since December 2022. ... In an interview ahead of the new year, the air chief shared the status of Sweden’s future fighter program, the new electronic-warfare capabilities fitted on the Gripen E, the biggest threat to Swedish security, his priorities, and his take on Canada’s interest in buying the Swedish-made aircraft.
Lockheed Martin Aircraft-Related Contract Upped by $10 Billion, Pentagon Says
Reuters
A previously awarded contract to Lockheed Martin related to C-130J aircraft delivery, development, and engineering worth $15 billion has been increased to $25 billion, the Pentagon said on Dec. 23. It relates to sales to Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, France, the Philippines, Norway, and Germany, according to the Pentagon.
Latest Air Force Capstone Tests AI, Joint Integration for Battle Management
DefenseScoop
The Air Force conducted an experiment in November that further demonstrated how artificial intelligence can speed up battle management—an event that included participants from three other U.S. military services and all Five Eyes partners.
Pentagon to Contract Fleet of Seaplanes for the Pacific
The War Zone
When a near-final draft of the annual National Defense Authorization Act dropped over two weeks ago, one of the oddest things that grabbed our attention was a pilot program for contractor-operated amphibious aircraft in the Pacific.
US Moves Troops and Additional Special Operations Aircraft into Caribbean
The Wall Street Journal
The U.S. moved large numbers of special-operations aircraft, troops and equipment into the Caribbean area this week, giving Washington additional options for possible military action in Venezuela, according to U.S. officials and open-source flight-tracking data.
Five Stories That Surprised the Space World: 2025 Review
Breaking Defense
Let’s face it folks, 2025 in general was a pretty wild year. ... And that unsettling zeitgeist seems to have permeated all the way up the heavens—bringing with it a lot of churn in the military space domain, including some potentially paradigm-shifting changes.
Big Upgrades on the Way to Tinker Air Force Base After NDAA Passes
KOCO
Tinker Air Force Base is set to receive $497 million for property acquisition and base construction following the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, which allocates more than $670 million to military installations in Oklahoma.
COMMENTARY: The Affordable Mass the Air Force Is Looking for Is Hiding in Plain Sight
War on the Rocks
“The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s LongShot program, which is developing air-launched vehicles that can carry and launch air-to-air missiles, will provide a credible and lethal solution to the problems of range and numbers. The Air Force should adopt a variant of LongShot as the second increment of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program and make every effort to accelerate the adoption of the capability into the combat Air Force,” writes Ben McNally, an analyst for JAB Innovative Solutions.
When Home Feels Half Empty: Military Families Navigate Holiday Deployments
Military.com
For military families with a service member deployed during the holidays, every festive moment carries weight. What brings joy to most families can amplify loneliness when someone you love is half a world away. The challenge isn't just missing them. It's figuring out how to celebrate when your family isn't whole.
