Editor’s Note
The Daily Report will go on holiday break and not publish from Dec. 25 to Jan. 2.
US Strikes ISIS Targets in Retaliation for Killing American Troops in Syria
The U.S. began extensive air and artillery strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria on Dec. 19 in retaliation for the killing of three Americans on Dec. 13 by a gunman affiliated with ISIS, U.S. officials said.
SDA Hands Out $3.5B for 72 New Missile Tracking and Defense Satellites
The Space Force’s Space Development Agency announced $3.5 billion in contract awards to four companies to build a total of 72 missile warning and tracking satellites—the largest deal to date for its low-Earth orbit constellation.
Airmen Won’t Be Booted from Courses for Failed Fitness Tests During Shift to New PT
Airmen won’t be sent home from enlisted professional military education schools next year for failing the course’s mandatory fitness assessment.
SR-71 Makes Its First Flight
Company pilot Bob Gilliland makes the first flight of the Lockheed SR-71A “Blackbird” strategic reconnaissance aircraft from Palmdale, Calif. He takes the aircraft to an altitude exceeding 45,000 feet and a speed of more than 1,000 miles per hour on...
Radar Sweep
CCA Round 2: Air Force Picks 9 Vendors for Next Batch of Drone Wingmen
Breaking Defense
The U.S. Air Force has awarded nine companies contracts for an early stage of the second round of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, selecting a wide array of designs that will be evaluated for potential future prototyping, an Air Force spokesperson told Breaking Defense.
US Coast Guard Pursues Oil Tanker Linked to Venezuela
The New York Times
The U.S. Coast Guard on Dec. 20 tried to intercept an oil tanker linked to Venezuela that is now fleeing away from the Caribbean Sea, according to three U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive operation, days after President Trump said he would crack down on sanctioned vessels involved in the country’s oil trade.
Trump Nominates New SOUTHCOM Commander After Holsey’s Retirement
The Hill
President Trump nominated Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Francis L. Donovan to be the next leader of the U.S. Southern Command on Dec. 19, a week after Adm. Alvin Holsey formally retired from the post two years ahead of schedule.
E-3 Sentry Joins US Combat Aircraft Tracked Off Venezuelan Coast
The War Zone
As military and economic pressure builds on Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro, an E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft was tracked on FlightRadar24 flying close to the Venezuelan coast.
US Forces Returning to Ecuador for ‘Short-Term’ Counter-Drug Mission
Task & Purpose
The U.S. military is sending a contingent of Air Force personnel to Ecuador in support of “anti-drug trafficking” operations. The U.S. embassy in Quito announced the deployment in a statement on X on Dec. 17, saying that the American forces will operate out of the military base at Manta, with the Ecuadorian Air Force.
PODCAST: Even Aces Have Heroes: Major Bob Lodge’s Ultimate Sacrifice
The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
The air war over Vietnam in 1972 was incredibly intense, with campaigns like Linebacker I and II defining the fight. Join us as we chat with Ace Col. Chuck DeBellevue, USAF (Ret.) as he recounts the bravery and unique abilities of Maj. Bob Lodge, a fighter pilot from the famed 555th Fighter Squadron who made the ultimate sacrifice over North Vietnam. Lodge’s contributions were legendary—developing cutting edge tactics, harnessing new technologies, and personally taking the fight to the enemy in ways that were above and beyond. This conversation stands as a special tribute.
At the Pentagon, DOGE Mission to Cut Costs Includes Buying Drones
The Wall Street Journal
The Department of Government Efficiency’s mission at the Pentagon now includes not just cutting wasteful programs, but buying thousands of small drones for the U.S. military.
Pentagon Fails Financial Audit for 8th Year in a Row
Defense News
The Pentagon failed its financial audit for the eighth consecutive year, the Defense Department said Dec. 19, highlighting the ongoing systemic challenge the nation’s largest federal agency faces in fully accounting for its assets.
The Pentagon Wants a Common Network for Its Counter-Drone Systems
Defense One
An Army-led task force is looking for one command-and-control system that can run any of the counter-unmanned aerial systems equipment that government agencies can buy through their online marketplace.
Hegseth Directs DOD Leaders to Soon Issue Bonuses up to $25K to High-Performing Civilian Employees
DefenseScoop
Some members of the Defense Department’s civilian workforce may soon receive sizable monetary awards under an edict from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
MDA Adds 1,086 Firms to Its SHIELD Pool for Golden Dome-Related Tech
Breaking Defense
The Missile Defense Agency has qualified 1,086 more companies to compete for future awards under its Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense program to develop advanced technology to support a future “layered” missile defense architecture.
US Air Force Plane Has Been Missing in the Yukon for 75 Years. This Team Hopes New Technology Can Help
Military.com
Seventy-five years after a U.S. Air Force transport plane disappeared over the Yukon with 44 people aboard, a team of volunteers and investigators plans to use artificial intelligence and satellite technology to find it.
