Daily Report

April 20, 2026

Radar Sweep

How the MV-75 Cheyenne II Is Pushing the Army to Rethink Its Aviation Lineup

Defense One

When Army leaders talk about their new tiltrotor platform, the first thing they tout are its speed, range, and load capacity, all eclipsing the UH-60 Black Hawk whose missions it’s destined to take over. But bringing the MV-75 Cheyenne II online will also force changes upon the service’s aviation community—including, perhaps, an entirely new aircraft just to refuel it.

Marines Seize Iranian Cargo Ship, Trump Says

Task & Purpose

U.S. Marines took custody of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to get past the U.S. naval blockade, President Donald Trump announced April 19. In a post on social media, Trump announced that the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Spruance disabled the Iranian-flagged vessel Touska, a ship under U.S. Treasury sanctions, and fired a direct hit on it.

Qatari 747-8i Gifted to Trump for Interim Air Force One Is Undergoing Test Flights

The War Zone

The U.S. Air Force has begun test flights on an extremely lavish 747-8i Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) that Qatar donated to the U.S. last year for use by President Donald Trump. The jet, now dubbed VC-25B Bridge Aircraft, is set to serve in the Air Force One role while the White House awaits the extremely delayed delivery from Boeing of two fully-outfitted VC-25B Air Force One aircraft.

A Depleted Space Force Races to Prepare for Trump’s Spending Spree

POLITICO

President Donald Trump wants to double the Space Force’s budget in just one year—a stunning move to build out the military’s orbital arsenal. But the president’s dream faces a decidedly earth-bound reality: The agency doesn’t yet have the personnel to spend that kind of money effectively. And even if they did, the nation’s existing supply chain would be hard-pressed to meet demand.

Gift link

Why Iran’s ‘Mosquito Fleet’ Remains a Potent Threat in the Strait of Hormuz

The New York Times

Iranian warships sunk by U.S. and Israeli attacks litter naval harbors along the Persian Gulf coast, but what is sometimes called a “mosquito fleet” lurks in the shadows. It is a flotilla of small, fast, agile boats designed to harass shipping, and it forms the heart of the naval forces deployed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a force separate from Iran’s regular navy.