To Replace Lost MQ-9s, USAF Eyes Next-Gen Reaper
The Air Force wants to rapidly replace about two dozen MQ-9A Reaper drones lost during Operation Epic Fury against Iran, top service officials told lawmakers May 12.
New Pentagon Missile Program Could Pair with Air Force’s Affordable Munitions Push
The Pentagon announced new long-term agreements with four defense companies May 13 to develop and produce large numbers of low-cost cruise missiles. And while the effort will focus mostly on the Army to start, it pairs with Air Force efforts to find more affordable munitions.
US Space Command, Allies Crafting Ops Plan for Orbital Warfare
U.S. Space Command is working with close allies to define a joint plan for how to protect and defend space assets from threats in orbit, according to Commander Gen. Stephen Whiting.
T-38 Crashes in Alabama, Two Pilots Eject Safely
A U.S. Air Force T-38 training jet crashed in Alabama on May 12, after its two pilots safely ejected.
Radar Sweep
Trump to Meet with Chinese Leader Xi in Beijing as Trade, Tariffs, and Taiwan Loom over Visit
CBS News
President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to meet in Beijing on May 14 local time, a high-stakes summit as the two countries aim to stabilize their trading relationship and grapple with uncertainty over the United States' war with Iran.
China Gains Major Edge on US amid Iran War, Intelligence Report Finds
The Washington Post
A confidential U.S. intelligence analysis details how China is exploiting the war in Iran to maximize its advantage over the United States across military, economic, diplomatic, and other fields, said two U.S. officials who have read the report.
Air Force Wants to Develop Follow-on to ARRW Hypersonic Missile
DefenseScoop
The Air Force is planning to kickstart two programs in fiscal 2027 aimed at developing more hypersonic missiles, including a follow-on to the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) and the new Air-Launched Ballistic Missile (ALBM) effort.
VIDEO: Why Loyal Wingman Drones May Be the Future of Global Airpower
Breaking Defense
The concept of a “loyal wingman” drone controlled by other aircraft arguably dates back to the 1940s—but the technology has never been closer to reality than now. What will it look like if drones can truly be teamed with fighter jets? That’s the question we tackle as Breaking Defense kicks off a new roundtable series looking at the past, present, and future of manned-unmanned teaming.
L3Harris Turns Handheld Radios into Counter-Drone Jammers
Breaking Defense
With small drones inflicting massive losses on both sides in Ukraine, defense electronics maker L3Harris is reprogramming its widely used Falcon IV handheld radios to generate a personal protective electronic-warfare “bubble” for the soldiers carrying them, company executives said.
AI Tool Has ‘Saved a Lot of Aircraft’ in Epic Fury, AFSOC Chief Says
Air Force Times
The head of Air Force Special Operations Command revealed that an AI-powered intelligence collection and transfer system has been in use since the “first day” of Operation Epic Fury to help large attack drones and manned aircraft avoid Iranian threats.
US Air Force Wants Northrop Jammer to Upgrade F-16s
Axios
The U.S. Air Force wants to buy 206 upgraded electronic-warfare packages for the F-16 over the next few years, budget documents show. The Lockheed Martin-made warplanes could be outfitted with Northrop Grumman's Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite as soon as early 2028.
Congress Confronts New Questions About US Stockpiles, Iran Firepower
The Hill
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s appearance before House and Senate appropriators on May 12 hasn’t settled the debate in Congress over two mounting questions about the Iran war: whether U.S. stockpiles are dangerously low and how much firepower Tehran maintains.
US Special Operations Leaders Frustrated by Inability to Modify Their Own Equipment
Military Times
U.S. special operations leaders expressed frustration May 12 about manufacturers’ proprietary agreements that block them from making quick upgrades to military equipment.
Pentagon Abruptly Cancels Deployment to Europe as Part of Trump’s Drawdown
The Wall Street Journal
The Pentagon abruptly canceled the deployment of an armored brigade to Poland, a major step toward President Trump’s plan to shrink the U.S. posture in Europe that caught some military officials by surprise.
‘Pretty Miraculous’: 920th Rescue Wing Plucks 11 Plane Crash Survivors from Sea
Florida Today
Fifteen personnel with the U.S. Air Force Reserve 920th Rescue Wing scrambled to the scene in a plane and helicopter and plucked 11 survivors from a bobbing life raft after an aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on May 12, about 80 miles off the Melbourne coastline.