Space Force Proposes Canceling Polar Missile Warning Program
The Space Force is proposing to cancel a $3.4 billion program intended to provide missile warning and tracking coverage of the northern polar region as part of its 2027 budget request.
New Laser Defense, VIP Transport Mission in the Works for HH-60W
The Air Force is requesting more than $200 million in its 2027 budget for its new combat search and rescue helicopter, including for capabilities to protect against shoulder-fired rockets and transport VIPs around Washington D.C.
How the 2027 Budget Will Change the Air Force Tanker Fleet
The Air Force is planning to retire more tankers than it buys in its fiscal 2027 budget, but an increase in deliveries of new KC-46s next year will cover the gap to ensure the service satisfies a congressional mandate to build up the overall refueling fleet, an Air Force spokesperson said.
WORLD: Air Warfare Symposium 2026: Readiness Informed Metrics
When Air Combat Command began developing a simplified aircraft readiness metric two years ago, the aim was to turn voluminous data points into a single number that could enable commands at every echelon to know exactly how many planes they could get off the ground on any given day. Now, with Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, the former ACC commander, as Air Force Chief of Staff, that system is spreading to other major commands.
Radar Sweep
Pentagon Formally Requests Name Change to War Department, Setting Up Fight with Dems
Breaking Defense
The Pentagon has requested that Congress formally change the name of the Defense Department to the Department of War in a new legislative proposal, a move that is likely to rile Democrats as lawmakers begin hashing out the fiscal 2027 defense policy bill.
SOCOM Adding AI, Autonomy ‘at Every Level,’ Commander Says
Defense One
AI and autonomy are being integrated into special operations “at every level,” the leader of U.S. Special Operations Command told lawmakers on April 28—an indication that SOCOM, like smaller organizations everywhere, is well-poised to take advantage of disruptive technologies.
Pentagon’s FY ’27 Budget Seeks 85 F-35s, but Most Ride on Reconciliation
Defense News
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2027 budget request seeks 85 F-35 Lightning II fighters across the joint force, up from 47 in fiscal 2026. ... The headline number depends on Congress passing a separate funding bill. Only 32 of the 85 requested aircraft are funded through the base discretionary budget. The remaining 53 are tied to a $350 billion mandatory funding request that the administration plans to pursue through a second reconciliation bill, alongside the $1.15 trillion base topline.
UAS Is ‘the New’ IED: Hung Cao Urges Industry to Innovate Faster Against Modern Drone Threats
DefenseScoop
The Navy’s new acting secretary, Hung Cao, urged industry officials to speed up the delivery of high-quality counter-drone systems and other AI-enabled military assets to protect and better equip Sailors and Marines who are deployed overseas.
Ukraine Says It Shot Down 33,000 Russian Drones in March, a Monthly Record
The Associated Press
Ukraine used interceptor systems to shoot down more than 33,000 Russian drones of various types in March, a record monthly figure since Moscow launched its all-out invasion more than four years ago, Ukraine’s defense minister claimed.
Pentagon Considers Doubling Monthly Combat Pay for Troops
Task & Purpose
According to budget documents released by the Air Force, troops deployed to war zones could see their special pay doubled next year if a new Pentagon proposal is approved by Congress.
Navy Still Pushing to Field New AARGM-ER Radar-Busting Missile This Year Despite ‘Strategic Pause’
The War Zone
The U.S. Navy says it is still aiming to see the AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) enter operational service this year. This is despite the announcement of a planned “strategic pause” in purchases of the missiles in the 2027 Fiscal Year. AARGM-ER is set to give Navy carrier air wings a critical boost in their ability to neutralize ever-more capable hostile integrated defense networks.
Google to Provide AI Models to Pentagon for Classified Work
The Hill
Google has signed a deal with the Pentagon to provide its artificial intelligence models for classified work, despite concerns raised by hundreds of employees this week over the terms.
Trump Tells Aides to Prepare for Extended Blockade of Iran
The Wall Street Journal
President Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, U.S. officials said, targeting the regime’s coffers in a high-risk bid to compel a nuclear capitulation Tehran has long refused.
Why Is the Pentagon Holding Up Ukraine Funds?
The Washington Post
"The Ukraine aid we passed months ago is now collecting dust at the Pentagon. When Senate appropriators have sought an explanation from the department’s policy shop, led by Undersecretary Elbridge Colby, they’ve been stonewalled. Our colleagues on armed services have also expressed growing frustration with the Defense Department’s inability to communicate,” writes Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
Wichita Aviation Legend, ‘Rosie the Riveter,’ Dies at 101
KAKE
B-29 Superfortress and World War II-era “Rosie the Riveter” Connie Palacioz died April 26. She was 101. Connie was 17 years old when she went to work for The Boeing Company in Wichita and served as a riveter on the B-26 production line from 1943 to 1945—the factory that built 1,644 B-29 Superfortress bombers, according to a press release from Doc's Friends.