SDA Awards Contracts for 36 Golden Dome Missile Tracking Satellites
The Space Development Agency announced contracts worth $1.75 billion to build 36 satellites in support of the Pentagon's Golden Dome missile defense shield.
Wilsbach: Active Airmen Must Have Body Composition Scores by July 31
Active-Duty Airmen must ensure they have a waist-to-height ratio assessment in their official record within the next two weeks, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said in a July 13 letter to the force focused on physical fitness and appearance standards.
Software Sold Separately: What the Air Force’s New Approach for CCAs Means
The Air Force’s “software sold separately” plan to buy critical autonomy software decoupled from the physical air vehicle for its nascent Collaborative Combat Aircraft fleet could help the drones evolve quickly, foster competition, and avoid vendor lock-in, experts and service officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, 33-Year USAF Vet, Dies
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of the most influential Airmen to ever serve in Congress, died July 12 after a sudden cardiac event. He was 71.
Radar Sweep
US Launches New Iran Strikes, as Trump Weighs Attacking Nuclear Site
The Wall Street Journal
The U.S. launched its third consecutive night of strikes on Iran following President Trump’s announcements of a multiday wave of attacks and a fresh blockade on Iranian trade in the Strait of Hormuz.
US Industrial Base Is Becoming Stronger for Wartime Production, Study Finds
Defense News
As recent conflicts consume weapons at a ferocious rate, America’s defense industrial base is becoming more prepared to sustain a major war, according to a new report.
The Pentagon Says Drones Are Not a ‘Silver Bullet’ in Its New Handbook on Fighting Them
Task & Purpose
Unmanned aerial systems or drones have become the driving force behind military strategy. They’ve offered cheap alternatives to costly weapons systems, drained interceptor stockpiles and proven to be a powerful force multiplier on the battlefield. But the Department of Defense’s lead task force on drones says they aren’t a “silver bullet” when it comes to war. And now it put out what it called a “practical handbook” on how drones are used in warfare and how they can be deterred.
US Military Uses Corsair Maritime Drones to Attack Iran
DefenseScoop
U.S. Central Command used Corsair unmanned surface vessels to attack Iranian targets on July 12, according to CENTCOM. The Navy previously used the Corsair to rescue downed Army AH-64 Apache helicopter pilots near the Strait of Hormuz last month. However, the July 12 operation marked the first use of a maritime drone by the U.S. military in an assault on Iranian assets, the command said in a post on social media.
New Jets, Drones Will Transform Fort Hood into Army’s Aerial Intel Hub
The War Zone
The U.S. Army has announced that its future fleet of ME-11B High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES) aircraft will be based at Fort Hood in Texas. The service says it will also establish a first-of-its-kind operational drone battalion at this base as part of a larger consolidation of aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets.
Reditus Readies First Launch of Its Reentry Vehicle/Hypersonic Target
Breaking Defense
Atlanta-bases startup Reditus Space announced it has completed construction of its reusable reentry vehicle for microgravity research, which also is being developed for Defense Department use as a hypersonics test bed—and, potentially, target vehicle.
Pentagon Halts Phase 2 of Cybersecurity Certification Program, Launches 60-Day ‘Reform’ Review
Defense One
The Defense Department has essentially ended the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program by suspending its second phase requirements. The Pentagon will keep in place Phase 1, which requires self-assessments for how companies protect controlled unclassified information in their systems. But the department said July 13 it is suspending Phase 2, which was to begin on Nov. 10 and requires third-party certifications.
Hegseth Announces Joint Task Force to Identify and Prosecute Leakers
The Hill
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on July 13 that the Pentagon and the Justice Department have created a joint task force to identify and prosecute leakers as part of the department’s effort to clamp down on disclosure of sensitive information.
Which Air Force One Is Going to Trump Library? Son's Comments Raise Questions
USA Today
President Donald Trump has been saying for more than a year that the Boeing 747 jet donated by Qatar to use as Air Force One eventually will be the centerpiece of his presidential library. ... Yet Eric Trump, the president's son who is overseeing the library's planning, suggested in a new interview that the library will feature a different plane.
Air Force’s C-5M Super Galaxy Aids in Removal, Destruction of $5 Billion Worth of Illegal Drugs
Military Times
A U.S. Air Force airlift wing executed the largest-recorded aerial transport of around 50 metric tons of lethal narcotics for destruction. 433rd Airlift Wing Reserve Airmen, alongside Drug Enforcement Administration personnel, used the force’s largest and heaviest aircraft to remove 23 pallets with an estimated value of $5 billion over the course of three days in Operation Burnout,