The Associated Press
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the commander of the country’s air force Aug. 31, four days after an F-16 warplane that Ukraine received from its Western partners crashed during a Russian bombardment and killed the pilot. The order to dismiss Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk was published on the presidential website.
The Wall Street Journal
Ukraine struck a major oil refinery in Moscow and other targets across Russia in one of its largest aerial barrages since the start of Russia’s invasion, expanding a campaign of drone attacks on energy facilities and further highlighting the vulnerability of strategic infrastructure deep inside Russia.
Air & Space Forces Magazine
From solar and nuclear power to more efficient systems and microgrids, the Air Force is putting more and more effort into ensuring its bases and systems have steady supplies of power that are still cost effective. Keep up with all the latest news on how the service is managing its vast energy enterprise.
CBS News
Thousands of angry and grieving Israelis surged into the streets Aug. 31 after six Hamas-held hostages were found dead in Gaza. They chanted “Now! Now!” as they demanded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a cease-fire with Hamas to bring the remaining captives home. The mass demonstration erupted after the Israeli military announced they had recovered the bodies in a tunnel under the Gaza city of Rafah on Aug. 30.
The Washington Post
A dramatic military raid in western Iraq this week left at least 14 Islamic State fighters dead and seven American troops wounded, according to defense officials, who disclosed the injuries Sept. 1 and said all were in stable condition. U.S. Central Command, which coordinates American military activity throughout the Middle East, said the operation was conducted Aug. 29, in the early morning hours, and designed to “disrupt and degrade” the terrorist group’s ability to plan and launch attacks in Iraq and beyond.
Military.com
Host and reporter Drew F. Lawrence interviews family members and experts about the safety of the Osprey—and whether it is fair to blame crews when it crashes.
SpaceNews
General Dynamics Mission Systems, a unit of defense contractor General Dynamics, has been awarded a $491 million contract extension by the Space Development Agency for satellite ground systems, the Pentagon announced Aug. 30. The modification nearly doubles the company’s existing contract with the Space Development Agency (SDA) to approximately $900 million through 2029.
POLITICO
When it comes to marketing an air defense system, the best advert is seeing it in action. Russia’s latest bombardment of Ukraine on Aug. 26 with at least 127 missiles and 109 drones focused attention back on the ground-based air defense platforms donated to Kyiv by its Western allies—and especially the U.S.-made MIM-104 Patriot.
DefenseScoop
Naval Air Systems Command has launched a new effort to integrate an artificial intelligence-enabled pilot with one of its aerial targets, laying the foundation for the service’s plans to introduce autonomous flight capabilities into its aviation fleet.
The Hill
Three years after the deadly and chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, many evacuees and allies remain in limbo. Thousands airlifted out of the country are stuck in an immigration backlog that leaves them without a permanent way to remain in the U.S. Those who worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan, which is now under the rule of the Taliban, face significant obstacles and a crushing timeline for securing a visa to the U.S.
The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
In the “Aerospace Advantage”, host Heather “Lucky” Penney chats with long-time F-35 pilot and 188th Wing commander Col .Jay Spohn, Josh Niedzwiecki of BAE, and 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing commander Col. Larry Fenner Jr. about this key aspect of warfighting. For too long, individuals regarded electronic attack as a bolt-on effect—an afterthought. Traditional forms of kinetic combat airpower—things like missiles and bombs—dominated capability development, integration, and execution efforts. However, given the nature of the modern threat environment, it is clear that electronic attack will be crucial for both projecting power and helping ensure the survival of the force.
Defense One
Europe needs a “systemic overhaul” of its defense spending to increase production and reduce its dependence on the United States, the European Commission president said Aug. 30. “It will take time and massive investment to restructure our defense industries. Our aim must be to build continent-size defense output,” Ursula von der Leyen said at the GLOBSEC Security Forum, offering few details.
Breaking Defense
The U.S. State Department announced a $200 million settlement with defense contractor RTX over charges their workers jeopardized military secrets while traveling abroad. The settlement comes as a result of RTX’s voluntary disclosures, involving 750 violations of the Arms Export Control Act and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) between August 2017 and September 2023.
One More Thing
The War Zone
The AC-130 was one of the most heavily tasked aerial assets during the Global War on Terror. ... But now, as the strategic focus moves away from counter-terror and counter-insurgency operations to potential peer-state conflicts, particularly one in the Pacific against China, where the enemy sits beneath a highly complex air defense umbrella far beyond the range of its guns, the AC-130 is at an existential crossroads.
