Daily Report

May 16, 2025

Radar Sweep

Army Halves Spy Plane Fleet Before First Takeoff

Defense News

The U.S. Army is planning to buy half the spy planes it had previously planned to procure, according to an executive order outlining initial plans of an Army secretary-directed transformation initiative.

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Russian Fighter Plane Breaches Estonian Airspace Amid Drill by NATO Countries

Stars and Stripes

A Russian warplane violated Estonian airspace this week, prompting NATO to scramble its air policing fighters in response, defense officials from the Baltic country said. The incident involving a Su-35 fighter occurred as U.S. and allied troops carry out large-scale military drills in Estonia.

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Defense Intel Chiefs Expect Challenges Amid Personnel Cuts, New Border Missions

Inside Defense

Top U.S. defense intelligence officials told House lawmakers May 15 that they expect to be impacted by the 5 percent to 8 percent civilian personnel cut mandated by the Trump administration amid the stress of a new mission to help seal the southern border from the flow of illegal migrants, but they struck chords of optimism, pledging to do more with less.

Space Force Testing Space-Based Sensors to Track Airborne Targets

Breaking Defense

The Space Force is collaborating with the Air Force and U.S. Northern Command to demonstrate space-based sensors for tracking airborne targets, with an eye to seeing if that capability could work with Air Moving Target Indicator (AMTI) systems currently carried by crewed aircraft, a senior Space Force official said May 15.

Price Tag for Trump’s Military Festival Could Reach $45 Million

The Washington Post

A massive military parade and festivities planned in Washington next month will cost an estimated $25 million to $45 million and will involve dozens of warplanes, hundreds of Army vehicles and thousands of soldiers from across the country sleeping in downtown government office buildings, an Army spokesperson said May 15.

As Peru Seeks New Fighter Jets, Global Firms Jockey for Position

Breaking Defense

When a high-profile delegation of Peruvian government officials, including the minister of defense, made a visit to their counterparts in Washington, DC, last week, they added another stop to the trip to see a Lockheed Martin facility. Peru is in the market for a new fleet of fighter jets, and international firms have been jockeying to win the contract

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US Army Leader: Aviation Cuts Hurt, But Are Necessary

Aviation Week

The U.S. Army’s broad restructuring of its aviation component will be painful as many units will be inactivated, but that pain is needed now to transform the service, a top officer argues.

One More Thing

One Trillion Dollars?! Nine Charts to Help Demystify the Pentagon’s Budget

The War Horse

The War Horse consulted with 10 experts and insiders—from congressional aides and budget researchers to former DOD money stewards and think-tank defense analysts across the political spectrum. We asked them to help us demystify the Pentagon budget so every American taxpayer can feel empowered to start following the billions.