Members of the Hawaii Air National Guard’s 154th Wing last month returned home to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam from the Philippines after a week of exchange with Philippine airmen on air defense and command and control issues, according to a wing release. The airmen from the 109th Air Operation Group and the 169th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron traveled to Col. Jesus Villamor Air Base in Pasay City for meetings with their Philippine counterparts from Aug. 19 to Aug. 23, states the Aug. 30 release. The guests and hosts took turns giving briefings and sharing expertise on topics like C2, identification, surveillance, tactics, weapons, and the role of the air operations center. This trip took place under the auspices of the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program. (Manila report by SMSgt. Kristen Stanley) (See also US Eyes Increased Rotational Presence in Philippines.)
The Pentagon's research labs are ramping up their search for munitions that can be mass-produced—an effort likely to be buoyed by billions of dollars in the department's new fiscal 2027 budget request and tens of billions in the upcoming years. While the topline information shared about the President’s defense budget…