Radar Sweep
National Guard Members from Texas Are in Illinois in Trump’s Latest Move to Send Troops to Cities
National Guard members from Texas were getting settled at an Army Reserve center in Illinois on Oct. 7, the most visible sign yet of the Trump administration’s plan to send troops to the Chicago area despite a lawsuit and vigorous opposition from Democratic elected leaders.
Pentagon's Hegseth OKs US Navy Next-Generation Fighter, Sources Say
After months of delay, the Pentagon will select as soon as this week the defense company to design and build the Navy's next stealth fighter, a U.S. official and two people familiar with the decision said, in what will be a multibillion-dollar effort for a jet seen as central to U.S. efforts to counter China.
White House Memo Says Furloughed Federal Workers Aren't Entitled to Back Pay
Furloughed federal workers aren't guaranteed compensation for their forced time off during the government shutdown, according to a draft White House memo described to Axios by three sources.
US Military Kills Senior al Qaeda-Affiliated Attack Planner
The United States military killed a senior al Qaeda-affiliated attack planner last week in Syria, U.S. Central Command announced on Oct. 7. CENTCOM said its forces conducted a strike on Oct. 2 that killed Muhammad Abd-al-Wahhab al-Ahmad, who the U.S. military says was a member of Ansar al-Islam, an al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group.
OPINION: The Right Way to Use Open Source in Defense
“The U.S. defense community has built a culture of dependency on software ecosystems filled with unvetted foreign contributors. When the very systems that protect our warfighters rely on code touched by engineers in adversarial nations, we are putting national security in jeopardy,” writes Nicolas Chaillan, CEO and Founder of Ask Sage and former Chief Software Officer for the Air Force.
Bangladesh Air Force Gets Nod to Spend Billions on Multirole Fighters
Two air forces fly the Chinese-manufactured J-10 fighter—China and Pakistan—but a third nation could soon become an operator of this 4.5-generation jet. Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, Bangladesh’s top air force officer, announced last month that his country’s interim government had given an in-principle approval for the purchase of “multirole combat and attack aircraft” plus new surface-to-air missiles and long-range radars.
Defense to ‘Anchor’ Exploding Satellite Market over Next Decade: NovaSpace
The number of satellites projected to be launched over the next decade will dwarf the number of those now on orbit—but even though the bulk of those new birds will be owned by commercial and civil government entities, it is the defense sector that will “anchor” the market through 2034, according to a new analysis.
Hegseth Directs New Task Force to Come Up with ‘Barracks Investment Plan’
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the establishment of a Pentagon-run barracks initiative on Oct. 7, giving a new Barracks Task Force 30 days to come up with an “investment plan” to improve troop housing.
Thales Anti-Drone Rockets Now Being Used in Ukraine
AEuropean-made rocket tailored to destroying Shahed-series long-range one-way attack drones is being used in Ukraine. The 70-millimeter (2.75-inch) laser-guided rocket from Thales is broadly similar to the U.S.-made Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II, but has an FZ123 airburst warhead that disperses a cloud of thousands of steel pellets.
Soaring Valor, Honoring WWII Veterans, Makes Final Trip
After 10 years, 30 chartered flights, and more than 1,500 honorable passengers, Soaring Valor logged its final flight. The program, a partnership involving American Airlines, the Gary Sinise Foundation, and the National WWII Museum, ended on Sept. 5 with its final run, flying veterans from Charlotte, N.C., to the museum in New Orleans. With most WWII veterans surpassing age 100, it was likely becoming more difficult for the program to find passengers.