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Summary and Key Points: USS Gerald R. Ford supercarrier is operating in the Middle East during rising U.S.-Iran tensions, with its deployment extended twice and nearing a post-Vietnam carrier endurance record.

-Yet the ship still lacks the modifications required to operate the Navy’s F-35C, a capability only a handful of Nimitz-class carriers currently have.

Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier in Test Run. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Sept. 21, 2024) The world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur did not become one of the United States military’s greatest generals by making miscalculations.
He made a huge one during the Korean War, though. Believing the North Korean army was disorganized and lacking sufficient supplies, MacArthur promised his forces in October 1950 that they would be home by Christmas.
Related: A guide to the Battle of Chosin Reservoir
At that point, the Korean War was only four months old. In his role as supreme commander of United Nations Command forces, a confident MacArthur doubled down on his initial proclamation in a talk with Maj. Gen.

The Air Force says a new policy will streamline access to health care for reservists and Air National Guardsmen who are hurt on duty. But airmen and veterans with firsthand experience say the new policy does little to address the actual roadblocks that many encounter trying to collect health care and longer-term benefits.
“It’s not fixing the problem,” said Cody Kirlin, a former F-15 fighter pilot who retired from the Louisiana Air National Guard earlier this month after a four-year benefits battle with the Air Force.
The new guidance was released on Feb.

Summary and Key Points: Harrison Kass, a national security analyst and former US Air Force pilot selectee, evaluates the 1967 crash of ASPEN 28, an SR-71 Blackbird (serial number 61-7965).

-During a night training sortie over Nevada, a catastrophic Inertial Navigation System (INS) platform tumble provided false attitude data, leading to an unrecoverable descending turn at Mach 2.

YF-12A. A similar plane to the A-12 Oxcart and SR-71. Credit: NSJ.

SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane Back in 2022. Image Credit: National Security Journal/Harry J. Kazianis.

Summary and Key Points: Steve Balestrieri, a former US Army Special Forces officer and national security columnist, analyzes the F-22 stealth “Raptor 2.0” upgrades unveiled at the 2026 AFA Symposium.

-To counter China’s A2/AD reach in the First Island Chain, the USAF is integrating Low Drag Tank and Pylon (LDTP) systems and Infrared Search and Track (IRST) pods onto the F-22.

F-22 Raptor In the Air. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

F-22 Raptor Fighter for US Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Summary and Key Points: Steve Balestrieri, a former US Army Special Forces officer and national security columnist, evaluates the status of China’s Xian H-20 stealth bomber.

-While the PLAAF suggests an imminent debut, AFGSC commander General Stephen Davis characterizes China as a “regional bombing force” still struggling with the engineering complexities of high-end low-observability.

H-20 Bomber Mock Up. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The New Medium Helicopter programme will fill a capability gap created when the British Army’s Puma helicopters were axed in 2025.

The Problem: Will Anyone Buy China’s New J-35A Fighter? Summary and Key Points
-As the land-based counterpart to the PLAN’s carrier-borne J-35, the aircraft is positioned as a low-cost, 5th-generation alternative to the Lockheed Martin F-35.

J-35A Fighter from China. Image Credit: PLAAF

J-35A Fighter in the Clouds. Image Credit: Chinese Weibo.

-This report analyzes CATIC’s marketing strategy at the World Defence Show in Saudi Arabia and Southeast Asia, examining the trade-offs between Chinese logistics and the U.S.

The U.S. military at the southern border used a laser system to shoot down a “seemingly threatening” uncrewed aerial system near the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas on Thursday, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to close the airspace around Fort Hancock. The drone turned out to belong to Customs and Border Protection, according to multiple reports, marking an apparent friendly fire laser incident by the federal government. It’s the second time this month that the use of a military laser at the border prompted an emergency closure of the airspace.

What does it take to rebuild the foundation of American military power? Michael Cadenazzi, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy, joined Ryan at a live event a few weeks back for a fascinating discussion on the state of the defense industrial base (from new VC-backed entrants to the primes), the race for critical minerals, supply chain vulnerabilities, the unsexy realities of implementation, the role of allies, and the challenges of scaling production. He is also looking for your ideas. Special thanks to Altana for hosting the event at which this episode was recorded.