The Wall Street Journal
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to arrive in Israel on Oct. 12 as Israeli airstrikes continue on Gaza, triggering fears of a humanitarian crisis. The Israeli army said it regained full control of communities near the Gaza border.
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Reuters
Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States will spearhead a new international coalition to help Ukraine establish a future air force based on F-16 fighter jets, the Danish ministry of defense said on Oct. 11. The new coalition intends to build infrastructure around F-16s, including maintenance facilities to support the operation of the planes, the ministry said in a statement.
Defense News
The Belgian government said it will provide an undisclosed number of F-16 fighters to Ukraine from 2025, a decision some are calling a compromise between the political factions that make up the country’s ruling coalition. On Oct. 11, Belgium put an end to the wavering stance it had adopted in recent months on the issue of sending F-16s to Ukraine.
The War Zone
The U.S. military says it will soon deliver "new" air defense systems to Ukraine that fire AIM-9M Sidewinder heat-seeking missiles. What these systems are remains a mystery, but The War Zone has previously discussed the possibility of a surface-to-air Sidewinder capability for the Ukrainian forces. This followed the unexplained inclusion of AIM-9Ms, an older air-to-air version of the Sidewinder, in previous U.S. military aid packages earlier this year.
DefenseScoop
Next year’s big technology demonstration hosted by the Pentagon’s Joint Counter-small UAS Office (JCO) will pit contractors’ anti-drone capabilities up against as many as 50 unmanned aerial systems operating in swarms. General plans for the event were first announced in August, but officials shared more details on Oct. 11 at the annual AUSA conference.
Military.com
The secretary of defense said Oct. 11 that the Pentagon is able to continue providing aid to Ukraine in its war against Russian invasion and also support Israel after a Hamas attack Saturday sparked a new and bloody war there. “Absolutely, we can do both, and we will do both,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters at a press conference Oct. 11 in Germany, where he appeared with newly confirmed Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles “C.Q.” Brown to announce the 48th aid package to Ukraine.
SpaceNews
Strengthening ties with foreign allies has been a key priority for the U.S. Space Force, whose leaders stress that securing outer space requires global cooperation. To that end, the United States has signed numerous intelligence sharing and data exchange agreements with partner nations worldwide. But collaboration has not usually applied to the acquisition of satellites or other space systems. The Space Force is now working to advance collaboration with allies in development and acquisition programs, said Deanna Ryals, director of the Space Systems Command’s International Affairs Office in Los Angeles.
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Stars and Stripes
An infuser filled with a small amount of ketamine could relieve pain and even help save lives in future wars, say Air Force officials who have worked with the device. The infuser produced by the small California-based company Bexson Biomedical was transported by a drone under simulated battlefield conditions at a military exercise in Michigan this summer.
The Aviationist
On Oct. 11, Airbus announced the successful completion of a testing campaign with the Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) and F-15 fighter of the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), ahead of its certification in the first half of 2024. The testing campaign took place over the course of three weeks in August and included more than 500 automated wet and dry contacts with the air force’s full fleet of receiver aircraft.
One More Thing
Task & Purpose
Israel’s Iron Dome has saved thousands of lives in recent days. Since Hamas terrorists launched a full-scale invasion, thousands of rockets have been launched at Israel, with hundreds of those rockets intercepted in mid-air by the Iron Dome’s smart missiles. Referred to as “Kippat Barzel” in Hebrew, Israel’s Iron Dome is one of the most dominant aerial defense systems in the world. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the creator of the Iron Dome, boasts a 90 percent success rate in intercepting aerial threats.
