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You may know absolutely nothing about metal manufacturing, working in a foundry, or what a forging shop does, but if you enjoy the benefits of tools, cars, buildings, and everything else that makes modern life possible, you should know there’s a huge problem hiding in plain sight. The work is high-skill, the tech is getting more complex, and the workforce pipeline is not exactly overflowing.

Summary and Key Points: The F-111 Aardvark was retired in 1998 primarily due to a “maintenance crisis” and the aging architecture of its 1960s-era variable-geometry wings.

-Despite being the most successful strike aircraft of Operation Desert Storm, its high upkeep and specialized low-level mission set were deemed redundant as the F-15E Strike Eagle matured.

-The move was a “strategic disaster” for long-range, unrefueled penetration; the Air Force lost the ability to fly Mach 1.2 at just 200 feet for 2,500 miles without tanker support.

Summary and Key Points: The F-47 (Next-Generation Air Dominance) program is the U.S. Air Force’s $100 billion gamble to reclaim the “Backyard” of the Indo-Pacific.

-Awarded to Boeing, the platform aims for a 1,000nm combat radius to outpace the F-35 and F-22.

F-47 Lockheed Photo. Image Credit: Lockheed Handout.

-While President Trump recently cast doubt on the designation at Davos, the project remains the only viable counter to China’s J-36 and J-50 stealth prototypes, which have been flying since late 2024.

Summary and Key Points: The USS Florida recently concluded a historic 727-day deployment, circumnavigating 60,000 nautical miles across the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific. As one of only four Ohio-class SSGNs, the submarine provides an unparalleled conventional strike capacity of 154 Tomahawk missiles and serves as a critical hub for special operations.

-Despite its proven endurance and the strategic “message” sent to adversaries like China, the Florida is slated for decommissioning in 2026.

SILVERDALE, Wash. (Oct.

Summary and Key Points: The U.S. Army’s pivot to the M1E3 Abrams is a radical acknowledgement that the era of the 70-ton “iron giant” is over.

-By stripping the legendary tank down to a 60-ton expeditionary frame, the Army is replacing traditional bulk with a hybrid-electric engine and an AI-driven C-UAS shield.

A U.S. Army M1A3 Abrams Tank from the 1-12 Cavalry Squadron, 1st Cavalry Division waiting to be guided onto a loading vehicle and secured for transport at the Port of Agadir, June 3, 2022, Agadir, Morocco. African Lion 2022 is U.S.

The military keeps trying to get rid of both of them, but the A-10 Thunderbolt II and the Littoral Combat Ship keep finding ways to stick around — particularly in the Middle East.
The Navy’s 5th Fleet and U.S. Central Command posted photos of the USS Santa Barbara carrying out a live-fire training exercise in the waters of the Persian Gulf. Circling overhead was a single Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II, better known as a “Warthog.” The close-air support plane was there for aerial coordination as the sailors on the Santa Barbara took part in a “killer tomato” exercise.

Arriving as a harbinger of New American Imperialism, the arrival of the US delegation will set the stage at the Munich Security Conference.

Picture a firing range where the goal is not just to hit the target, but to hit it faster, calmer, and with less overthinking. Now picture someone pitching the U.S. Army on a training method inspired by “Star Wars,” complete with “the Force,” and the idea of using a weapon blindfolded. 
In April 1988, the Washington Post printed an article titled, “The Pentagon’s Twilight Zone.” Its subject was something just like that: the real-life Project Jedi, where soldiers were taught to use the Force, yes, that Force, when shooting a .45-caliber pistol.

Mike Cherney, WSJ
Pentagon plans to deploy submarines to an expanding facility in allies’ strategy to deter Beijing

LaGrone, USNI News
Naval analysts have long warned that the one-size-fits-all model of carrier strike group deployment is reaching its limits