The cyberattacks from Iran widely anticipated as a response to the US targeted killing of one of their top generals have not materialized—at least not so far. Cyber is just one weapon in Tehran’s asymmetric arsenal, alongside its proxy terror networks and misinformation machine, and many experts believe the Iranian leadership was looking for something more spectacular by way of retaliation.

The House on Jan. 9 approved a war powers resolution with a vote of 224-194 that calls for limiting the White House’s ability to direct combat actions against Iran. The vote is the first congressional referendum on the military flareup between the US and Iran in the first week of 2020.

US and Canadian intelligence indicates that an Iranian surface-to-air missile brought down a Ukrainian civilian airliner the night of the Iranian ballistic missile attacks on US forces in the region, officials from both countries said Jan. 9. Iran was watching for a response from the US after the Jan. 7 [EST] missile attacks on American forces at Al Asad and Erbil, Iraq. The crash of Ukrainian International Airlines flight 752 shortly after takeoff near Tehran killed all 176 on board. American Space-Based Infrared System detected the firing of a Russian-made SA-15 short-range surface-to-air missile system at the aircraft, officials said.

The Air Force’s science advisers in 2020 will launch three studies on future communications, innovation in space, and the unintended consequences of using autonomous systems, the results of which will shape the service’s research investments. Service Secretary Barbara Barrett tasked the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board with those deep dives in the fall. The panel of around 60 members, appointed by the Defense Secretary, will formally kick off the research at its winter meeting, scheduled for Jan. 13-16 in California.

The State Department on Jan. 9 approved the possible sale of 12 F-35Bs to Singapore at a cost of about $2.75 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale, which is subject to approval on Capitol Hill. The sale would include up to 12—four initially, with an option of eight—aircraft and 13 F135 engines. The country has long been expected to purchase the strike fighter, with Lockheed Martin recently saying the purchase would help offset the loss of sales of the jet to Turkey.