Editor’s Note
The Daily Report will not publish Friday, July 3, in observance of Independence Day. We’ll be back in your inboxes Monday, July 6. Happy 250th, America!
Thunderbirds Arrive in DC for July 4: ‘You Can Just Feel the Energy’
On July 4, thousands of people will brave 100-degree weather in downtown Washington, D.C., for America’s 250th anniversary. And high above them, the pilots of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be hot too—not that it will stop their red, white, and blue F-16s.
Trump Takes Flight in New ‘Bridge’ Air Force One
The new “Bridge” Air Force One donated by Qatar made its official debut July 1, carrying President Donald Trump to North Dakota.
Satellites Maneuver Around Each Other on Rapid Timelines for Victus Haze Mission
Now that the Space Force has launched satellite into orbit on less than 17 hours’ notice, the companies operating the satellites involved in the mission involved say their space domain awareness and maneuver operations are progressing faster than expected.
F-15EX Makes Another Visit to Kadena as Base Preps for Permanent Aircraft
An F-15EX fighter touched down at Kadena Air Base, Japan, this week—thought still not on a permanent basis. The Eagle II is on a “visit” to the crucial Pacific base on Okinawa, according to a July 1 release.
Radar Sweep
Hegseth Creates Autonomy Czar to Manage Almost All Drone Efforts
Breaking Defense
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has signed a new memo creating a Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for autonomy, as part of a high-level effort to keep pace with adversaries’ drone programs.
UK Defense Plan to Unlock Fresh GCAP Contract Before Farnborough Airshow
Defense News
The trination industrial consortium behind the GCAP fighter program is set to get its next major contract before the Farnborough airshow this month, after the U.K. came up with essential funding on the day that cash flow for the jet was due to run out.
After ‘Hemorrhaging Talent,’ the Army Created a Path for NCOs to Become Software Warrant Officers, Graduating First Batch
DefenseScoop
By fall 2025, the Army approved an NCO-to-software-warrant track and therefore a path for Soldiers ... to stay in the field, which allows the Army to bring enlisted backgrounds to tech problems that face the enlisted-heavy force, officials said.
B-52 Stratofortress Bombers Leave England After Iran War Deployment
The War Zone
U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers departed from RAF Fairford in the U.K. on July 1, marking the end of a deployment to support the war against Iran. The flights come as the U.S. and Iran are still working toward a peace deal amid a shaky ceasefire occasionally marred by flare-ups of tit-for-tat attacks. However, there has been no mass bombardment of Iran since the April 8 ceasefire.
Vance Warns US Could Resume War: ‘That’s Kind of up to the Iranians’
The Hill
Vice President Vance on July 1 appeared open to the idea that the United States could resume its war against Iran should the ongoing 60-day ceasefire end without a peace agreement in place.
Troop Casualties in Ukraine War Top 2 Million, Study Finds
The New York Times
More than two million Russian and Ukrainian troops have been killed or wounded in the four years that Russia has been waging war against its neighbor, according to a new study, a bleak milestone as Russia’s assault grinds on.
US Helicopter Goes Down in Arabian Sea, Crew Member Missing, Navy Says
CBS News
Three members of a four-person MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter crew were rescued at sea after an "emergency water landing" in the Arabian Sea early July 1, according to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.
Air Force Brings World War II Tail Insignia Out of Retirement for ‘Doomsday Plane’
Task & Purpose
The tail insignia for the Air Force’s E-4B Nightwatch airborne command post—unofficially nicknamed the “Doomsday Plane”—pays tribute to a legendary World War II bomber unit that was awarded three presidential citations.