New Report: U.S. Should Stand Up a 10,000-Man Cyber Force

A new report calls on Congress to create a stand-alone military Cyber Force to Lead the Pentagon’s cyber capabilities, and an influential lawmaker endorsed the idea this week. Report authors retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery and Dr. Erica Lonergan from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs came to their conclusion after interviewing 76 active and retired military cyber professionals. Writing for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, they propose creating a Cyber Force modeled in part on the U.S. Space Force, and housing it inside the Department of the Army.
An aIr-to-air version of General Atomics "Gambit" family of Collaborative Combat Aircraft that wrap a mission planform around a common core of engine and avionics.

General Atomics Exec: CCA Will ‘Go Down in History’ for Putting Drones Front and Center

The Air Force has long embraced remotely piloted aircraft (RPA or drones) for over-the-horizon ISR and one-off strike missions and over two decades has come to see them as central in that role, General Atomics executive David Alexander said at a Hudson Institute event. But, until recently, it has seen air-to-air combat and ground support missions as roles for manned aircraft only, he argued. Now Alexander thinks that is changing, and the service is finally embracing uncrewed aircraft at the center of its core missions.

Air Force Sends Surveys to Thousands of Airmen, Guardians on Communications, Aircrew Life

The Department of Air Force is asking tens of thousands of Airmen and Guardians to fill out two separate surveys related to its communication efforts and enhancing aircrew retention, it announced March 25. The Aircrew Engagement Survey will close March 28, while the “Where Airmen and Guardians Get Information” survey will open in the coming week, according to two different releases.

Radar Sweep

FEATURE: How Drone Combat in Ukraine Is Changing Warfare

Reuters

The war in Ukraine has been characterized by drone deployment of unprecedented scale, with thousands of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used to track enemy forces, guide artillery, and bomb targets. Reuters analyzed more than 50 videos of drone attacks, collated research, and spoke to over a dozen manufacturers, soldiers, and officials about how the technology is transforming warfare.

Amid US-Israeli Strains, Pentagon Pushes for a New Approach in Gaza

The Washington Post

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urged Israel on March 26 to abandon plans for a major ground offensive against Hamas militants in southern Gaza, as the Biden administration attempts to curtail a spiraling humanitarian crisis at a moment of acute strain between the United States and its closest Middle Eastern ally.

Cancer Rate among Air Force Missileers Prompts Questions, Concerns

ABC News

It is a little-known mission within the United States Air Force that operates almost entirely underground, shrouded in secrecy – and is critical to national security. Those tasked with the job are known as missileers. Their work requires them to be on alert 24/7, and they are responsible for the maintenance, security and operation of the United States’ arsenal of Minuteman III nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles. ... Now, a mysterious threat has potentially emerged, which has prompted investigations by the Air Force and Department of Defense.

Raytheon Awarded Sole-Source Radar Upgrade for Taiwan

Breaking Defense

Raytheon Technologies has been awarded a sole-source contract to update Taiwan’s decade-old surveillance radar system, according to a U.S. government announcement. The upgrade will “increase the air surveillance capability for the system. This effort will further enhance the air surveillance mission software capabilities,” an Air Force spokesperson told Breaking Defense.

Another Airman Probed by FBI for Allegedly Leaking Intel on Discord

Air Force Times

The FBI in 2022 investigated an Air Force intelligence analyst for allegedly leaking classified information in an anti-government group on the messaging platform Discord, according to an affidavit that was recently unsealed in federal court. Former Staff Sgt. Jason Gray, who served as a cyber analyst with the 381st Intelligence Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, was accused of sharing a classified image that he “likely obtained” via his access to National Security Agency intelligence in a private channel under the username LazyAirmen#7460, according to the November 2022 affidavit obtained by Air Force Times.

Sweden’s Saab to Open New US-Based Munitions Factory

Breaking Defense

Swedish manufacturer Saab announced March 26 it will build a “new advanced manufacturing facility and center of innovation for weapon systems” in the U.S. “The innovative new site will support the en­gineering and production of missile weapon systems for the U.S. military, such as components for the Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) system, and close combat weapons,” the Stockholm-based firm said. “Final site selection and groundbreaking is planned for 2024, with production underway by 2026.”

Trilateral AUKUS Alliance Kicks off Prize Competition Focused on Electromagnetic Spectrum Capabilities

DefenseScoop

The Defense Innovation Unit launched a first-of-its-kind prize challenge focused on providing electromagnetic spectrum technologies to give U.S. forces and key international partners an edge over adversaries. The competition is intended to support the Australia, United Kingdom, and United States (AUKUS) military alliance, which was established in September of 2021 to bolster trilateral information sharing and technology development and better integrate the nations’ industrial bases.

Finland to Host NATO Tech Centers, Revamp Cybersecurity Strategy

Defense News

One of NATO’s newest members plans to build and jointly operate two research centers and an accelerator facility for the alliance as part of a program dubbed DIANA. The move comes as Finland also seeks to ramp up its defense strategy and capacity to deal with escalating cyberthreats.

After Deadly Crash, Some Ospreys Are Flying Again in Japan

Military.com

The Air Force is still not flying Osprey aircraft in Japan despite getting the green light to lift a monthslong flight hold following a deadly crash off the country's southern coast, but the Marine Corps has put its aircraft based there back in the skies. Rebecca Heyse, an Air Force Special Operations Command spokeswoman, told Military.com on March 26 that none of the service's units have resumed flying the Osprey yet.

Defense Secretary Meets with Israeli Counterpart as Tensions Grow

The Hill

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant at the Pentagon on March 26 as tensions soared this week between the U.S. and Israel over the war in Gaza, where more than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed. During the meeting, Austin discussed efforts to minimize casualties in Gaza and get more humanitarian aid into the coastal enclave, according to a senior U.S. defense official, who described it as “very productive.”

Greece Plans to Sell F-16s, Mirages to Rationalize Its Fighter Inventory

The War Zone

Greece looks poised to offload both its early-model F-16s and its French-made Mirage 2000 fighters, as part of a major overhaul of its armed forces, including the Hellenic Air Force. The F-16s and Mirages could be attractive on the secondhand market and it’s notable that the two types have also been repeatedly associated with potential transfers to Ukraine—which could be set to receive its first F-16s before the end of this year.

Air Force Special Operators Must Take Class Before Getting Shaving Waivers

Task & Purpose

Airmen with the 1st Special Operations Wing are required to take a class on how to shave before they can request a waiver for medical conditions exacerbated by shaving, said wing commander Col. Patrick Dierig. “The intent of the course is to improve the process for those members who need a legitimate shaving waiver,” Dierig said in a statement to Task & Purpose. “I intend to remove any unwarranted stigma with the waivers by improving the process.”

DOD Corrects Replicator Inaccuracy, Providing Rare Glimpse into Budget Decision Process

Inside Defense

Amid news of Congress allotting $200 million to the secretive Replicator program in a new spending deal, senior defense officials told Inside Defense in an exclusive interview that an inaccuracy was made in Replicator's published—and later corrected—fiscal year 2025 budget request, leading to an inside look at the Pentagon's internal decision-making process. Multiple senior defense officials who discussed the matter requested anonymity to talk about internal Pentagon deliberations, highlighting the sensitivity (and anxiety) that public discussion of the mostly classified Replicator program has caused in recent months.

One More Thing

Why the ‘Peanut Butter’ Shot Is the Most Dreaded Injection

We Are The Mighty

In the first few weeks of boot camp, every recruit will get in a line during their medical evaluations and get stuck in the arm with all sorts of needles and have thermometers shoved into some uncomfortable places. Welcome to the military! Out of all the medications recruits get injected with throughout their processing week, none of them are as feared as the almighty "peanut butter" shot. This tasty-sounding treat isn't reserved for one branch of the military—everyone gets one.