Daily Report

Oct. 28, 2024

Air Force F-16s from Germany Deploy to Middle East

As tensions spiral in the Middle East, U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons from Germany have flown to the region, U.S. Central Command said Oct. 25. The F-16s are from the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and represent some of the service’s most advanced models.

Northrop: USAF Weighs Buying More B-21 Bombers

The Air Force is working on a sweeping force structure review mandated by Congress and reconsidering its approach for the Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter. Key to both, however, could be another question: just how large will the service’s B-21 bomber fleet be? During an Oct. 24 earnings call, B-21 maker Northrop Grumman said the service is at least considering the size of the fleet as part of a broader review, though no decisions have been made. 

Radar Sweep

Israel’s First Open Attack on Iran Targets Missile Sites and Apparently Spares Oil and Nuclear Ones

The Associated Press

Israel attacked military targets in Iran with pre-dawn airstrikes Oct. 26 in retaliation for the barrage of ballistic missiles the Islamic Republic fired on Israel earlier this month. It was the first time Israel’s military has openly attacked Iran. The Israeli military said its aircraft targeted facilities that Iran used to make the missiles fired at Israel as well as surface-to-air missile sites.

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Measured Comments from Israel and Iran on New Round of Strikes

The New York Times

Iran’s leaders emphasized on Oct. 27 that they had a right to respond to Israel’s airstrikes a day earlier but appeared to take a measured tone, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the assault had achieved its objectives. Their comments came as Israeli and American negotiators headed to Qatar in an effort to revive long-stalled talks aimed at brokering a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. Earlier, Israel carried out more deadly attacks in northern Gaza and in southern Lebanon.

How Israel Pulled Off Its Largest-Ever Strike on Iran

The Wall Street Journal

Shortly before 2 a.m. on Oct. 26 in Israel, airmen and women wearing bomber jackets bearing the Star of David climbed into the cockpits of about 100 jet fighters, spy planes, and refueling aircraft at an Israeli military base. They were following commands from an underground bunker known as the pit.

Ukraine Is Striking Deeper Inside Russia—and Reshaping the War

The Wall Street Journal

Several times over the past three months, swarms of as many as 150 Ukrainian drones flew hundreds of miles into Russia, slamming into missile storage facilities, strategic fuel reservoirs, military airfields and defense plants. Once considered exceptional, these deep strikes now barely register in the news. Yet, Ukrainian officials and some of their Western backers increasingly see the pain that long-range attacks inflict as a game-changer that could force President Vladimir Putin into negotiating an acceptable peace.

Satellite Images Show Major Expansion at Russian Site with Secret Bioweapons Past

The Washington Post

A few months after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, satellite imagery captured unusual activity at a restricted military research facility nestled among the birch forests northeast of Moscow. The Russian site, called Sergiev Posad-6, had been quiet for decades, but it had a notorious Cold War past: It had once been a major research center for biological weapons, with a history of experiments with the viruses that cause smallpox, Ebola, and hemorrhagic fevers.

Join the Commercial Space Reserve: Get Longer Contracts, In-Depth Threat Briefs; Play Wargames

Breaking Defense

When the Space Force contracts commercial companies to provide “reserve” capabilities that could be “surged” in times of conflict—and possibly denied to non-US customers for a period of time—those joining can expect a number of peacetime benefits in exchange for their willingness to serve, according to the head of the Space Force’s Commercial Space Office (COMSO).

How to Wield Better Data in Defense

Air & Space Forces Magazine

Whether it’s perfecting supply chain logistics, sorting out the intricacies of a complex wargame, or planning key operational moves in a campaign, data holds the key to better decisions for the U.S. Air Force. Learn more about how industry and the military are better using data to improve outcomes.

Military Scales Back Missile Interceptor Plans for Guam

Task & Purpose

The U.S. military is reducing the number of missile defense sites it intends to put on Guam, cutting the previous proposal of 22 down to 16 locations. The revised plan calls for splitting the various systems across three bases on the island, with the goal of 360-degree defense from aerial munitions.

PODCAST: Credible Deterrence: It Demands Modern NC3

The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies

In this episode of the “Aerospace Advantage,” Heather “Lucky” Penney chats about a key component of the nuclear triad with Chris Adams, sector vice president and general manager for strategic space systems at Northrop Grumman, and Jen “Boots” Reeves, senior fellow for space studies at Mitchell Institute.

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Space RCO Fielding Remote Satellite Jammers to Counter China

Aviation Week

The Space Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) is ordering hundreds of off-the-shelf satellite jammers that can disrupt adversary capabilities from targeting U.S. or allied forces on the ground, the agency’s leader said Oct. 24.

One More Thing

The Air Force Is Letting Troops Play This Wargame on Its Secure Networks

Task & Purpose

The U.S. Air Force’s latest way to prepare for a global conflict? Video games. The Air Force is increasingly using video games as a cheap, detailed, and internal way to test potential war scenarios. And it’s increasingly using one game in particular: “Command.” And as of this past week, Airmen can play the game’s professional edition on the Air Force’s internal network.