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Carter Johnston, Naval News
An urgent requirement for JDAM LR comes amid the depletion of various long-range strike capabilities currently fielded by the U.S. Air Force and U.S.

LaGrone, USNI N.

China controls 99 percent of the world’s primary gallium, a critical mineral and semiconductor crucial for building the microchips of the future. In 2023, it placed export controls on gallium to retaliate against American restrictions on the export of advanced chips to China. In December 2024, China escalated to an outright ban on gallium exports to the United States. The U.S. National Defense Stockpile had zero gallium reserves when that ban landed.The United States has been here before. The United States pioneered and scaled modern silicon semiconductor infrastructure.

Recent experiments placing large language models in simulated nuclear crises have produced alarming headlines. “Bloodthirsty” AI systems escalate conflicts, threaten nuclear strikes, and behave erratically under simulated pressure.

The Russian Aerospace Forces deployed Su-35 long range air superiority fighters to escort a pair of Tu-22M3 strategic bombers for a flight over the Baltic Sea on April 20. The Tu-22M3 is one of the longest ranged combat aircraft in the world, with the Su-35 being unable to accompany the aircraft throughout the duration of its flight, instead taking turns with Su-30SM fighters to perform escort duties.

South Korea’s security is no longer confined to the peninsula. That is the real lesson from the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. And if decision-makers in Seoul didn’t understand this before, they surely understand this now.The U.S.-South Korean alliance was built to deter North Korea, defend South Korea, and stabilize Northeast Asia. That mission remains indispensable, but a serious disruption in the Strait of Hormuz now hits South Korea directly through energy imports, shipping, industrial production, and economic confidence.

Belgian Chief of General Staff Frederic Vansina has stressed that European states need to urgently strengthen their defences, and have an approximately four year window to build up a sufficient capability to deter Russia without U.S. support. He stressed the necessity of European militarisation over the next four years, adding that Ukraine was “buying time for us,” and “that’s why we support them so strongly.” By 2030, he stated, “the war in Ukraine, we hope, will be over. Russia will be there with its army of 650,000 to 700,000 seasoned troops.

Swedish Air Force Gripen fighters were scrambled on April 20 to intercept Russian Su-30SM fighters, which were escorting Tu-22M3 strategic bombers over international waters in the Baltic Sea at the time. The mission was carried out under Sweden’s Quick Reaction Alert system in coordination with NATO allies. The Gripens remained in close proximity, and maintained visual contact with both the bombers and their escorts throughout the encounter.

Multiple Russian government sources have issued explicit warnings regarding European production and supplies of unmanned attack aircraft to Ukraine, in several cases indicating that these facilities could become targets.

The Space Force has terminated its contract with RTX for the Global Positioning System’s Next-Generation Operational Control System (OCX) after years of technical issues and delays, the service announced Monday.
The decision was made by Tom Ainsworth, acting service acquisition executive at the Department of the Air Force, according to a Space Force press release. OCX’s cancellation comes after a government-led testing program revealed significant issues with the system that are unresolvable, according to the service.