B-52s Fly Near Venezuela as US Boosts Military Presence
Three U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers flew off the coast of Venezuela Oct. 15 in a show of force, as the U.S. expands its military presence in the Caribbean.
Air Force May Test New Counter-Drone Weapons Next Year: Industry Reps
This year’s Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting buzzed with talk of countering the rapidly evolving drone threat facing the entire U.S. military, including the Air Force. Leaders and defense industry officials discussed the need for new approaches to procurement and employment of a new class of these weapons.
Could Modified Pave Hawks Help the Air Force Support Agile Combat Employment?
Sikorsky is pitching a modified "U-Hawk" version of older UH-60 Black Hawk series helicopters as autonomous resupply aircraft with additional capabilities as missile or drone swarm launchers.
First Operational Test Launch of Minuteman I
The first LGM-30A Minuteman I operational test launch is carried out at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., by a crew from Malmstrom AFB, Mont. The shot is a partial success. The re-entry vehicle overshoots the target.
Radar Sweep
Trump Says He Will Again Meet With Putin To Discuss End of Ukraine War
POLITICO
President Donald Trump said he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed during a lengthy phone call Oct. 16 to meet in Budapest to continue discussions about ending the war in Ukraine.
Head of the US Military’s Southern Command Is Stepping Down, Officials Say
The New York Times
The military commander overseeing the Pentagon’s escalating attacks against boats in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration says are smuggling drugs said on Thursday that he was stepping down. The officer, Adm. Alvin Holsey, is leaving his job as head of the U.S. Southern Command, which oversees all operations in Central and South America, even as the Pentagon has rapidly built up some 10,000 forces in the region in what it says is a major counterdrug and counterterrorism mission.
DOD Decides Against Privatizing Service Members’ Household Goods Moves
Air Force Times
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth decided to reverse course on the idea to privatize the process that moves service members’ household goods. Instead, he directed officials to improve the current program, which will remain in place for at least three years.
Netherlands Joins US for Drone Wingmen Development
Breaking Defense
The U.S. and the Netherlands signed a pact today for the European nation to participate in the development of the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.
FE Warren Security Forces Commander Holds All-Hands Meetings After Four Deaths
Task & Purpose
The leadership of the 90th Security Forces Group at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., has recently held all-call meetings after an Airman was found dead last week, becoming the fourth death of a 90th group member since July.
Computer ‘Glitch’ Delays Higher-Ed Payments for Veterans’ Dependents and Survivors
Stars and Stripes
Computer problems are delaying monthly checks for college tuition and housing allowances paid to the dependents of fully disabled veterans and the survivors of service members who died in the line of duty.
Venezuela Mobilizes Troops and Militias as US Military Looms Offshore
The Wall Street Journal
Venezuela is moving troops into position on the Caribbean coast and mobilizing what President Nicolás Maduro asserts is a millions-strong militia in a display of defiance against the biggest American military buildup in the Caribbean since the 1980s.
Hegseth Orders Troops to Watch His Speech Decrying a ‘Woke’ Military
NPR
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is ordering troops to watch or read his speech last month at Quantico, Va., when he declared the "woke" military is gone, decried "fat generals" and ordered women in the military to meet the "highest male standards" for physical fitness.
In a First, US Strike in Caribbean Leaves Survivors, US Official Says
Reuters
The U.S. military carried out a new strike on Thursday against a suspected drug vessel in the Caribbean, and in what is believed to be the first such case, there were survivors among the crew.
Lockheed “Progressing Toward” Flight Test of Extreme-Range Missile
Axios
Lockheed Martin is "progressing toward" flight testing an extreme-range cruise missile amid "significant customer interest," a company executive told Axios.
‘Space Armor’ to Challenge Traditional Metal Shielding on Satellites
SpaceNews
Atomic-6, a composite materials manufacturer based in Marietta, Ga., believes it has found a lighter, more resilient alternative to traditional satellite shielding. Following successful lab tests of its “Space Armor” shielding that protects spacecraft from debris impact, the company is preparing to demonstrate it in orbit and start producing it for the U.S. Space Force and other organizations.
Buffalo Chicken, Thai, and Cuban Food Coming to the MRE Lineup in 2026
Defense News
New options are coming to troops’ rations, and some less popular items will disappear from the menu.
