Air Force Doubles Planned F-15EX Fleet to 267 Fighters
The Air Force is more than doubling the planned size of its new F-15EX Eagle II fleet, increasing the number of fighters it aims to buy from 129 to 267.
Munitions Used vs. Iran Will Take Years to Replace, Even with Huge Pentagon Weapons Budget
U.S. munitions have been expended at a high rate during Operation Epic Fury against Iran, prompting concerns that the Pentagon is eating into weapons stockpiles it needs to deter threats around the world. Yet the newly released $1.5 trillion defense budget request was developed before the war against Iran and won’t cover all of the growing shortfall.
Space Force Budget Cuts SDA’s Data Transport Funding
The new Space Force budget request omits funding for future tranches of the Space Development Agency’s data transport layer, teeing up a potential debate in Congress about the future of the organization and the service’s plan for managing both tactical and enterprise communication needs.
Space Force Selects Reservists to Become New Part-Time Guardians
Nearly 250 Air Force Reservists with space-related skills have been selected to be the Space Force’s first part-time Guardians, according to an April 22 announcement.
Radar Sweep
‘No Longer Theoretical’: Golden Dome Czar Touts First Steps amid Skepticism
Breaking Defense
The Pentagon’s Golden Dome project is slated to cost upwards of $185 billion, with $17 billion alone planned for fiscal year 2027. And with all that money comes attention—and a mandate to sell the ambitious idea to the taxpaying public, the program’s head acknowledged April 23.
Pentagon Uses GenAI.mil to Create 100K Agents
DefenseScoop
Defense officials recently used the Pentagon’s enterprise-wide generative artificial intelligence platform to create 100,000 agents amid a broader push by department leadership to speed up AI adoption, according to a senior member of the research and engineering directorate.
The Pentagon Replicated a Ukrainian-Style Drone Attack in Florida. Now It’s Changing Its Counter-Drone Strategy
Defense One
In a September exercise on a Florida airfield, members of the 10th Special Forces Group launched a drone assault that mirrored the “spiderweb” attack that Ukraine had recently staged against Russia. The defenders were counter-drone troops from across the U.S. military, trained for a week on tech that the Pentagon has spent billions to develop. U.S. counter-drone efforts haven’t been the same since.
Military Contractors No Longer Have ‘Immunity’ to Lawsuits Brought by Troops
Task & Purpose
An Army veteran attempting to wield South Carolina law to sue a military contractor won a major Supreme Court victory Wednesday, carving out a narrow legal lane for those seeking to hold wartime contractors to account.
US Navy Is Reviewing Cost of Future Ford-Class Carriers to Ensure They ‘Make Sense’
Defense News
Recently ousted Navy Secretary John Phelan told reporters Tuesday that the service is analyzing the cost and design of two aircraft carriers it is set to procure in the coming years.
Autonomous Weapons Will Be 'Key Part' of US Warfare: Joint Chiefs Chairman
Defense One
Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said April 23 that autonomous weapons are going to be a “key and essential part of everything we do” when asked about how such tools would fit into the future of warfare.
Department of Air Force Picks Bidders for Nuclear Microreactors, Assigns Locations
Breaking Defense
If you’re a service member living or working in Texas, Colorado, or Montana, new micro-reactors for nuclear power could be coming to a military base near you. A government team of the Defense Innovation Unit and the Department of the Air Force have selected three companies to “potentially develop and operate” nuclear micro-reactors at military installations, according to an Air Force press release.
Homes Destroyed, Widespread Damage Reported as Tornadoes Hit North Oklahoma: What We Know
KOCO 5
Emergency crews are conducting search and rescue operations after a tornado caused significant damage, including heavily impacting the Gray Ridge neighborhood and Vance Air Force Base.
US Military Intercepts 3 Iranian Oil Tankers
The Hill
The U.S. military said April 23 it had seized three tankers carrying oil from Iran, including one in the Indian Ocean overnight. American forces boarded the M/T Majestic X, which the Pentagon described as a “sanctioned, stateless vessel,” according to a post on social platform X.
Israel and Lebanon Extend Ceasefire for Three Weeks, Trump Says
The Washington Post
The 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, due to expire April 26, will be extended for three weeks, President Donald Trump said April 23 during the second round of peace talks at the White House.
Chinese Satellites Over Mideast Battlefield Put US on Edge
The Wall Street Journal
Since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks against Iran in late February, Chinese satellite imagery of the conflict zone has proliferated—potentially offering battlefield guidance to Tehran and other U.S. adversaries.
US Special Forces Soldier Who Won $409K Charged for Betting on Maduro's Removal Before Raid Was Reported
CBS News
A U.S. special forces soldier involved in the military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was arrested on April 23 after allegedly betting on Maduro's removal from office before news of the raid was made public, a law enforcement source and a senior military official told CBS News.