The Associated Press
Sweden’s prime minister announced that Sweden will join Finland in seeking NATO membership in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a historic shift that comes after more than 200 years of military nonalignment in the Nordic country. The move, which is likely to upset the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin, came after neighboring Finland announced that it, too, would seek to join the 30-country military alliance.
Politico
President Joe Biden’s pick to be the next Coast Guard commandant, Adm. Linda Fagan, was confirmed, clearing the way for her to become the first woman to be the top officer in one of the military services. Fagan has been the Coast Guard’s No. 2 officer since June 2021. She was the first woman to become a four-star admiral in the service upon taking over as vice commandant.
Defense News
Aerojet Rocketdyne has reprimanded its executive chairman, Warren Lichtenstein, over a series of comments he made criticizing the company’s chief executive and hunting for a replacement as well as about its failed merger with Lockheed Martin. In a memorandum, the non-management committee of Aerojet’s board of directors ordered Lichtenstein to follow the company’s code of conduct in the future and not to make unauthorized comments to outside parties about the company’s management or strategic direction.
Breaking Defense
It was only a few years ago when the Air Force developed a goal of having 386 operational squadrons. But that number already feels like a relic of the past, with service leaders having clearly moved away from it. In this new op-ed, Doug Birkey of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies argues that the service should respect the research that went into that number and not abandon it.
Breaking Defense
Pentagon leaders have narrowed the potential nominees to become the next Space Force Chief of Space Operations to two names, with the decision now in the hands of the White House, multiple sources tell Breaking Defense. The pick of the two candidates—Lt. Gen. John E. Shaw and Lt. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting—would become the second Space Force head, following Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond’s planned retirement in the fall.
SpaceNews
An international race back to the moon is already underway, with the United States, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates all at various stages of planning future lunar missions. Growing activity in outer space beyond Earth orbit—known as xGEO or cislunar space—could turn this region into a contested domain as countries seek access to lunar resources and stake out areas of jurisdiction. As a result, the U.S. military will likely have to pay more attention to what’s happening in xGEO, said Lt. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, commander of the U.S. Space Force’s Space Operations Command.
Military.com via The Arizona Daily Star
The Air Force has for now dropped plans to retire most of the A-10 ground-attack jets that form a major mission at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., after the plan was rebuffed by Congress last year. But the Air Force is again moving to retire some A-10s, and recently revealed documents show that more than half of the A-10s in service aren't deployable overseas because the Air Force is starving the aging fleet of critical maintenance and upgrades.
Air Force release
The official portrait of former Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett, who also previously served as the U.S. ambassador to Finland, was unveiled in the Pentagon Auditorium during a tribute to the stateswomen who led the Department of the Air Force from 2019 to 2021. Current Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall, who hosted the event, touched on Barrett’s legacy of guiding the Department of the Air Force through numerous challenges and achievements.
Task & Purpose
Air Force pilot recruiting brochures probably don’t mention the possibility of having to bail out of an aircraft, but it is one of many outcomes that aircrew members train for. That was why Airmen with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron were dragged through the ocean by a jet ski on the beach of the Caribbean island of St. Croix. While not the most glamorous experience, it is part of how Airmen prepare for one of the scariest moments in their lives: jumping out of an aircraft over the open ocean.
The Drive
Russian Ka-52 Hokum attack helicopters fighting in the war in Ukraine are suffering from a major vibration issue that could, according to at least one expert The War Zone consulted, decrease reliability and, potentially, be unsafe. At best, according to assessments we’ve received, the vibration is likely to reduce the efficiency of the weapons these helicopters carry and may also restrict weapon life. In turn, this could have an effect on the capability of the Ka-52, one of the most widely used Russian helicopters of the conflict so far.
One More Thing
CBS News
Just off the side of the road sat a grand white house called Sharswood. Silently holding secrets from the past, waiting for a new owner to uncover them. Sounds like the opening line of a southern gothic novel, but this story is about a real family, and a real house, this country's history, and a man who found himself at the center of far more than he had bargained for. The man is Fred Miller, a 56-year-old Air Force veteran who was looking to buy property in his Virginia hometown for his large extended family's frequent get-togethers.
