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New questions have emerged about the future of the F/A-XX Next Generation Fighter program, the budget for which a draft Senate defense bill would slash.
F-22

Navy’s F/A-XX Next Generation Fighter Program Would Be Gutted Under Senate Defense Bill

Questions about the future of both F/A-XX and the U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance combat jet program are growing.

Italy has announced plans to equip the F-35B stealth fighters operated by its naval air arm with the Kongsberg Joint Strike Missile (JSM), among other weapons. Details of the armament for the Italian Navy’s short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35Bs comes as the aircraft take part for the first time in the large-scale Pitch Black drills in Australia, aboard the aircraft carrier Cavour.
F-35B

Italy’s Carrier-Capable F-35B Stealth Fighters To Get New Advanced Weapons

Italy has outlined plans to give its small fleet of carrier-capable F-35B stealth jets new air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.

An EA-18G Growler scored the types first ever air-to-air kill during a recently concluded deployment.
EA-18G

EA-18G Growler Scored Its First Air-To-Air Kill

The EA-18G Growler from VAQ-130 "Zappers" executed the air-to-air engagement as part of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower's combat deployment off Yemen.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group expended 770 missiles and other munitions at Houthi targets over the course of a recently concluded nine-month deployment.
Around The Globe

770 Weapons Expended By Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group On Historic Red Sea Deployment

We have a tally of how many Standard Missiles, Tomahawks, and air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons Ike's strike group launched at Houthi targets.

In a rare and impressive gathering, every airframe in the U.S. Coast Guard fleet converged at one location on 14 June 2024.
C-130

Every Coast Guard Aircraft Type Pictured Together In Rare ‘Family Photo’

The images offer a great look at the diverse fleet of crewed aircraft the USCG possesses to perform a wide range of missions.

Two legendary U.S. nuclear bombers, their first flights separated by almost half a century, took to the skies over Missouri at the weekend. The formation flights by the U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and the B-29 Doc — one of only two examples of the World War II-era bomber that are flying anywhere in the world — were, the service believes, the first time that these two legendary aircraft had flown together in this way.
B-2

B-2 Spirit Joined By B-29 Superfortress For Unprecedented Nuclear Bomber Heritage Flight

America’s first nuclear bomber and its most recent to enter service took to the air together over Missouri at the weekend.

The US Marine Corps is looking at new "buckshot-like" ammunition for its rifles, advanced optics, add-on jammers, and other new counter-drone capabilities for smaller units.
Drones

Shotgun Pellet-Like Rifle Ammo, Gun-Mounted Jammers On Marine Anti-Drone Wishlist

A push to make every Marine can be a counter-drone defender is pulling from very low-tech and very high-tech concepts.

Russia has, for the first time, published footage showing what it says is the carriage and launch of the guided, glide version of its huge FAB-3000 aerial bomb — a weapon that weighs over 6,600 pounds in its basic version. The weapon is among the more recently announced additions to the family of UMPK munitions, which add a pop-out wing kit and a guidance package to a range of existing freefall weapons, as you can read more about here.
Su-34

Russia’s Giant 6,000lb Glide Bomb Seen Launched From Su-34 For First Time

The FAB-3000 bomb is mated to a UMPK tail kit turning it into a standoff guided weapon capable of considerable destruction.

While former President Donald Trump's personal protection detail should be lauded for their actions during an assassination attempt, the fact that an armed man climbed a roof less than 450 feet away with a clear line of site is a failure of Secret Service planning, a former FBI agent told us.
Secret Service

Ex-FBI Agent’s Analysis Of Secret Service’s Actions Surrounding Trump Assassination Attempt

The highly-experienced retired FBI agent was baffled by the nearby unattended rooftops in clear line-of-sight of the former president.

Former President Donald Trump was injured in a shooting at rally in Butler County, Pennsylvania that is now being investigated as an assassination attempt.
Secret Service

Sniper Killed, Trump Injured After Deadly Shooting At Rally (Updated)

One shooter is dead along with one rally attendee after an attempt to assassinate the former President.

Mexican cartel members have been fighting in Ukraine to learn how to use FPV drones against their rivals.
Ukraine

Ukraine’s FPV Drone Obstacle Course Teaches How To Chase Vehicles, Fly Into Windows

Weaving through tank hatches and chasing down trucks is harder than it looks and realistic training is key.

Life in an underground shelter during World War II, Paris, March 1940
Bunker Talk

Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

Catch up with friends old and new.

The U.S., Canada and Finland announced a plan to create an icebreaker shipbuilding program to compete with China and Russia.
U.S. Coast Guard

Allied Pact Aims To Close Yawning Icebreaker Gap With Adversaries

The U.S., Canada and Finland have a new plan to boost production of icebreakers critical in the increasingly important Arctic region.

F-35 deliveries will resume with a limited TR-3 software load.
F-35

F-35 Deliveries Finally Cleared To Resume, New Jets Will Be Limited To Training

After a yearlong hiatus, production F-35 deliveries are resuming, but the long-awaited Block 4 upgrades will have to wait.

The Army says it hopes to begin fielding a new air and missile defense system based around an 155mm cannon firing hypervelocity projectiles by the end of the decade.
Cannons

Railgun Ammo-Firing Air Defense Artillery Cannon Plans Laid Out By Army

The Army plans to field a highly mobile 155mm cannon firing hyper-velocity projectiles to provide a lower-cost air and missile defense.

Retired Marine Col. Charles Del Pizzo offered his version of the 2023 mishap in which his F-35B stealth fighter kept flying for 12 minutes after he ejected.
F-35B

F-35B Pilot Seen Leaping From Jet In Japan

An F-35B pilot based out of MCAS Iwakuni in Japan had to get away from their jet as fast as possible as crash crews approached.

The US Air Force has revealed that development of a new relatively low-cost stand-off precision-guided munition is for Ukraine.
U.S. Air Force

Air Force’s Cheap And Fast To Produce Long-Range Missile Is Being Built For Ukraine

The Extended Range Attack Munition aims to give Ukraine a badly needed capability boost in its ability to strike over hundreds of miles.

Ukraine apparently carried out a long-range drone strike on the Russian Kapustin Yar nuclear missile test site.
Russia

Ukraine Situation Report: Russian Strategic Missile Testing Facility Attacked

The attack on the Kapustin Yar site 400 miles from the front lines appears to be another in a string of Ukrainian strikes on Russian strategic military assets.

The Senate Armed Services Committee has directed the US Navy to look at other missile-armed ship options in response to major delays with the Constellation class frigate program.
U.S. Navy

Navy To Explore Arming Other Ships With Missiles Amid Constellation Frigate Woes

Congress wants the Navy to look at turning large uncrewed vessels into crewed missile ships, arming cargo ships, or buying something new.

Russia says it will respond to the United States’ decision to dramatically increase its long-range fire capabilities in Europe starting in 2026. The United States will deploy to Germany a range of advanced ground-launched weapons, including the Typhon (firing both SM-6 and Tomahawk missiles) and “developmental hypersonic weapons” — a reference to the yet-to-be-fielded Dark Eagle.
Germany

U.S. Long-Range Missiles Headed To Germany As Arms Race Escalates

After a decades-long hiatus, American long-range missiles will return to Europe as the standoff between Moscow and NATO grows.