New USAF Vice Chief, TJAG, ANG Director Nominated

Trump Orders Blockade of ‘Sanctioned Oil Tankers’ Into Venezuela, Ramping up Pressure on Maduro

Associated Press

President Donald Trump said Dec. 16 he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro in a move that seemed designed to put a tighter chokehold on the South American country’s economy.

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Trump Makes Pick to Lead NSA Spy Agency After Months of Leadership Limbo

The Washington Post

President Donald Trump has nominated a career Special Forces officer and current deputy commander of Indo-Pacific Command to be the next head of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command.

Hegseth Says He Won’t Release Video of Sept. 2 ‘Double Tap’ US Strike That Killed 2 Survivors

CBS News

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Dec. 16 on Capitol Hill that the Pentagon will not release the full video of the "double tap" strike that killed two survivors of a U.S. attack on Sept. 2.

Pentagon Launches New Phase of Probe Into Sen. Mark Kelly Over ‘Illegal Orders’ Video

CNN

The Pentagon has launched a new “official command” phase of its investigation into whether Sen. Mark Kelly will be punished for his involvement in a video that reminded members of the military they have a duty to refuse illegal orders, with a decision likely to be made in about 30 days.

Space Force Acquisition Reform: ‘Cleanup’ Rather Than Remodel

Breaking Defense

The Space Force is nearing the “end game” on its acquisition reform plans, with a focus on a “cleanup” of how missions fit into the new Pentagon-mandated “portfolio” management structure, according to Maj. Gen. Stephen Purdy.

Medical Shaving Waivers Will Be Invalid Under Air Force Grooming Policy

Task & Purpose

All medical shaving waivers issued to Airmen and Space Force Guardians before March will be invalidated at the end of January 2026, according to a new policy released by the service’s Surgeon General.

USS Nimitz Comes Home for the Last Time

Stars and Stripes

For the 30th time in half a century, the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz is coming home. It was commissioned on May 3, 1975—three days after the fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese. Since then, the Nimitz and its nine sister ships of its class have been the cornerstone of American military power projection worldwide.

The Army Is Hoping for a Big New Drone by 2028

DefenseScoop

For years, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle has occupied the skies for division-sized formations, but it requires a runway to launch. As battlefields become more complex, autonomized, and rife with contested airspace, the Army wants a more advanced drone that isn’t tied to a runway and can finish the mission even if it loses connection with its operator.

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Northrop Building Classified Payload For Future OPIR Polar Sats

Aviation Week

Northrop Grumman is supplying an extra, classified payload to be integrated onto the U.S. Space Force’s next-generation overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) polar-based satellites.

US Air Force to Buy 2 More 747-8s for Presidential Fleet Support

Reuters

The U.S. Air Force said Dec. 16 it was acquiring two Boeing 747-8 jumbo jets for $400 million to establish a training and sustainment program for its future presidential airlift fleet.

One More Thing

15 Years Ago: Last Operational British Harrier Flights

The Aviationist

Sixteen Harriers took off from RAF Cottesmore for a farewell formation flight marking the end to 41 years of British Harrier operations.

Lamontagne Nominated for Vice Chief, Guardsman for Top JAG, New ANG Director Picked

Space Force Wants Lower-Cost, Commercial Capabilities for Silent Barker Replacement

US, France Conduct Joint Space Domain Awareness Operation

Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence

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