Public Domain

The Air Force Academy’s top official worried the Supreme Court’s decision that race-based admissions were unconstitutional would set back the service’s “warfighting imperative” of building a racially diverse military, according to emails obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
On June 30, 2023, Lt. Gen.

USAF
The U.S. Air Force is seeking modified underwing pylons for its B-52H bombers to help ensure they will be able to carry as many hypersonic cruise missiles as possible in the future. The service says this is a particularly important requirement in the context of being prepared for a potential future high-end conflict in the Pacific against China.
A contracting notice discussing the Air Force’s B-52 pylon plans in relation to the development of a new conventionally-armed air-breathing hypersonic cruise missile was released back at the end of November.

The Self Defense Test Ship, ex-USS
Paul F Foster
(EDD 964), will be overhauled.
(US Navy)

BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair business has been awarded a USD22 million firm-fixed-price contract to overhaul the US Navy’s (USN’s) Self Defense Test Ship (SDTS) ex-USS
Paul F Foster
(EDD 964).

Awarded on 15 December by Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Port Hueneme Division (PHD), the fiscal year (FY) 2024 Selected Restricted Availability (SRA) will see the SDTS subject to pier-side maintenance, repair, and alterations.

Continuously attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea, the Houthis are creating a major challenge to US power, forcing Washington to find a response.

When Iranian-backed militia groups repeatedly attacked US forces in Syria and Iraq recently, President Joe Biden’s administration responded strongly with force. On December 25, the Pentagon announced that it had deployed “necessary and proportionate” airstrikes against three facilities used by the Kataib Hezbollah armed group in Iraq, killing many gunmen.

The Space Force recently held its first-ever Red Skies exercise focused on training guardians how to respond to potential adversary attacks against U.S. space-based assets, the service announced Dec. 22.
Space Training and Readiness Command (STARCOM) hosted the inaugural event Dec. 11-15. Red Skies is envisioned as an annual training experience that emphasizes “orbital warfare” disciplines, according to the Space Force.

At the height of World War II in 1945, Tinian Airfield was the busiest airfield in the world as hundreds of B-29s gathered here for the final bombing campaign of Japan. Tinian had been seized from the Japanese in a bloody campaign in late summer of 1944 and now roared with the sounds of thousands of Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclones, one of the biggest aircraft piston engines ever made. One time in Cleveland in the 1990s I stepped out of our car and immediately recognized the sound as one of the few remaining B-29s flew overhead.

via X
As Moscow announces plans to deploy its 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV self-propelled gun to Ukraine, it’s worth recalling the rather more bizarre, double-barreled configuration of that same weapon, that was eventually rejected by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
The name used by Russia’s latest self-propelled gun harkens back to the original double-barreled version, also the 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV, meaning ‘coalition’ in Russian — a reference to the paired main guns.

Both dual-barrelled Koalitsiya prototypes in the same photo. A russian fever dream of the past… pic.twitter.

Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies
New satellite imagery offers clear looks at the aftermath of the destruction of the Russian Navy’s Ropucha class landing ship Novocherkassk. There is clear damage to the pier where the vessel, which is now just a burned-out hulk, was moored in the port city of Feodosia on the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula. Novocherkassk suffered multiple secondary explosions, including one that produced a huge fireball, after being hit by Ukrainian air-launched cruise missiles, as you can read more about in The War Zone‘s initial reporting.

The U.S. Air Force released new doctrine for electromagnetic spectrum operations, reflecting a change in the operating environment.
The document, published Dec. 14, outlines concepts, terminology, roles and responsibilities, authorities, operations and the importance of the spectrum to joint ops.
“The joint force requires an overmatching, offensive approach to electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO) to enhance competitive advantage and create multiple dilemmas for adversaries in all domains.

On December 14, 2021, the CMV-22B Osprey reached initial operational capability with the Navy to perform the carrier onboard delivery mission. Unlike the C-2A Greyhound, which it is replacing, the Osprey is able to carry the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine that powers the F-35 Lightning II. However, following the fatal crash of an Air Force Special Operations CV-22 in late November 2023, all but one Osprey squadron across the U.S. military have been grounded. To pick up the slack, the Navy is relying on the legacy Greyhound.
A C-2A taxis on the deck of USS Nimitz (CVN-68) (U.S.

HOSTOMIL, UKRAINE – 2022/04/02: Broken tanks, combat vehicles and other burnt military equipment of the Russian invaders in Hostomil, Kiev region. Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, triggering the largest military attack in Europe since World War II. (Photo by Mykhaylo Palinchak/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images).
The war in Ukraine has been particularly lethal for Russian general officers, several of whom have died since February 2022.
The fog of war has made it difficult to keep track of Russian generals who have been killed.

The Brazilian Marine Corps Amphibious Vehicles Battalion received 23 AAV7A1 RAM/RS vehicles between 2017 and 2018 in three different configurations. (Victor Barreira)
The Brazilian Marine Corps (Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais: CFN) is implementing an ambitious effort to replace several of its older platforms, acquire new capabilities, update infrastructure and organisations, and simultaneously bolster the local Defence Technological and Industrial Base (DTIB).

South Korea’s upgraded Joint Fire Operation System (JFOS-K) provides the Republic of Korea’s (RoK’s) military with the ability to conduct theatre-level integrated firepower operations with air, sea, and ground forces. It is also connected to other battlefield information, asset management, and command-and-control systems of the RoK and US military forces.

The US Army’s 30 mm counter-UAS turret in M-LIDS fires at a target from Udairi Range, Kuwait. (US Army)
The US Army is increasing the number of Coyote loitering munition interceptors as part of the Mobile-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS), according to a new contracting notice.
The army plans put Raytheon on contract to build 6,000 Coyote kinetic interceptors by 2029, according to the request for information (RFI) released on 18 December.

Australia’s fleet of Airbus A330 (KC-30A) MRTTs is receiving improved communications, tactical datalink, and encryption systems to bring the fleet to the latest “enhanced A330 MRTT” standard. (Commonwealth of Australia)
The first Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Airbus KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) has received a communications and cyber upgrade.

The Japan-US joint project aims to develop artificial intelligence and machine learning for new UAVs that will operate alongside Japan’s next-generation GCAP fighter aircraft. (Japan Ministry of Defense)
Japan and the United States will conduct joint research to develop artificial intelligence (AI) for new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that will be used in a ‘loyal wingman’ role alongside the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) sixth-generation fighter aircraft.

For decades, the United States has stood as the unrivaled military superpower globally. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the U.S. has maintained its dominance, deploying forces worldwide to safeguard allies and discourage aggression. However, as we approach the end of 2023, global conflicts are escalating, with Russia and China displaying increasing aggression in their shared ambition to challenge U.S. supremacy.

Public Domain

In the recently passed NDAA, Congress mandated the Pentagon study the effects of the Covid vaccine on U.S. troops. The gene therapy was mandated on the force with devastating side effects.
The question now is whether or not the Department of Defense will be allowed to whitewash the results as they have done now for years.

An RRAI Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport participates in an automated breaching experiment led by the 18th Airborne Corps at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. (US Army)
The small robots of the 264th Clearance Company will participate in a training centre rotation at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, Louisiana, in one of the earliest tests of the ground vehicles in army operations, a US army officer told Janes.

A US Army Sikorsky UH-60L in medical evacuation markings. (P Jackson)
The US Army is set to divest 157 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters as the service sheds excess capacity and prepares for Bell V-280 Valor’s entry into service.
“The majority of the reduction comes from older UH-60 Lima models along with a few remaining UH-60 Alpha models,” the Program Executive Office (PEO) for Aviation told Janes on 21 December.
The UH-60s are to be culled from units not deploying or preparing to deploy, PEO Aviation said.

Megan Eckstein, Defense News
WASHINGTON — One of the U.S.

The Editorial Board, The Wall Street Journal
Three more American service members are hurt, as U.S. bases became enemy drone catchers.

USNI N.
A U.S. guided-missile destroyer and fighters from aircraft carrier USS Dwight D.

The US military airstrikes three locations of pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, responding to a UAV attack that injured a number of soldiers in this country.

“US forces deployed necessary and proportionate air strikes against three facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups in Iraq,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced on December 25.
The US military said the airstrike likely killed many members of the Kataib Hezbollah group and destroyed some infrastructure.

Since the brutal attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, I have been filled with a familiar sense of dread as the Israeli government has squandered the sympathy and support of so many across the globe. Tragically, this is where comparisons with 9/11 hold the most explanatory power. What took America about two-and-a-half years from the smoldering ruins of the World Trade Center to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, Israel accomplished in weeks.

The day after tomorrow, we will publish our yearly top 20 list of most-read articles at War on the Rocks. This holiday season, the staffs of War on the Rocks and the Texas National Security Review looked back and chose two of their favorite articles. We also thought about the future and what we would like to see in our pages this coming year.  Wishing all of our readers a restful holiday season, and we look forward to 2024.

The comprehensive analysis of INS Imphal (D68), a powerful guided missile destroyer, and its strategic relevance to the Indian Navy.
Technical and strategic analysis of INS Imphal (D68) in the modern Indian Navy
The INS Imphal (D68), the latest “class guided missile destroyer, Visakhapatnam, is the third in its series and reflects a qualitative leap in terms of indigenous naval technology and combat capabilities. The Honorable Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh, underlined Imphal’s strategic importance in India’s national security at the December 26, 2023 ceremony.

Ukraine claimed a late Christmas present on December 26: A Russian landing ship based in Crimea.
The Novocherkassk (named for a city at the intersection of Rivers in Rostov Oblast) is a 370-foot landing ship. It serves primarily to move troops and supplies during amphibious assaults. Russia claims that it hit two Su-24 jets involved in the attack. But Ukraine’s claims have video corroboration, and Russia’s, so far, do not.
The video from Crimea, linked above, shows a raging fire followed by a massive explosion, the kind that makes it look like daytime for a few seconds.

Alex Beltyukov via Wikimedia
Russian airstrikes, especially those involving glide bombs, have dwindled after a spate of recent losses, according to Ukrainian authorities. Just in the past week, Ukraine’s Air Force has claimed to have shot down five Russian combat jets, four Su-34 Fullbacks and a Su-30SM Flanker, over eastern and southern regions of the country and the western end of the Black Sea.

This article breaks down the technical aspects and history of the famous F-16 fighter, highlighting its impact and evolution in military aviation.
Early History and Maiden Flight of the F-16: Events and Challenges
The  F-16, developed by  Lockheed Martin, marks half a century since its first flight, a milestone in military aviation. On January 20, 1974, at Edwards Base in California, the first flight of a prototype intended for the United States Air Force ( USAF )  was made. This event marked the beginning of what would be the most used fighter today.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Battles
Yemen’s Houthis unleashed a new onslaught of anti-ship and land attack weaponry today around the southern end of the Red Sea. U.S. Central Command says the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Laboon (DDG-58) and F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike group shot down a dozen one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles. The series of engagements occurred over a 10-hour period starting at 6:30 AM local time. Not one of the weapons hit its mark.

U.S.

Government of India
With the recent spate of attacks on commercial shipping now extending far out from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Indian Navy has announced the deployment of warships and maritime patrol aircraft to “maintain a deterrent presence” out into the Arabian Sea.
The move comes after a suspected drone attack on the tanker M/V Chem Pluto about 120 miles off the Indian coast over the weekend, which Washington has now blamed squarely on Iran. The damaged ship is now pier side in Mumbai. You can read our coverage of that incident here.

Under a proposed rule published Tuesday, the Department of Defense would allow program managers to seek waivers for Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification assessment requirements.
CMMC is the Pentagon’s ambitious framework to more thoroughly assess and accredit any contractors that handle its controlled unclassified information (CUI) on their systems, ensuring they meet certain National Institutes of Standards and Technology cybersecurity requirements included in NIST 800-171 and 800-172.

Marine have long battled over which recruits have it harder: Parris Island in South Carolina or San Diego. Photo by Lance Cpl. Anthony Leite.
Among Marines, there’s an internal battle over who had it worse at boot camp: recruits at Parris Island or recruits at San Diego.
Stepping out onto yellow footprints, living meal to meal, and being called names highlighting your deepest insecurities are all part of Marine Corps recruits’ 13-week journey through Marine Corps Recruit Training.
Recruits from the western side of the country report to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

Guest post by M.B. Mathews
Migrants here illegally (let’s call them “illegrants” for brevity’s sake) are now welcome in the U.S. military, and in fact, are being encouraged to enlist, all expenses paid, of course. This is no different than turning our military over to the enemy. Fox News reports:

The ongoing migrant crisis at the southern border is breaking new records, and multiple marks have been set since September, as the crisis deepens into its third year and Washington struggles to agree on solutions.

Allyson Park, National Defense M.

Correll, Military Times
The aircraft carrier Eisenhower will wrap up a deployment in the Middle Eastern waters of U.S. Central Command in 2024.

Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
CAMP BLAZ, Guam — Starting late next year, a logistics detachment is expected to kick off a long-awaited, multiyear relocation of Marines from Okinawa to the…

CRS
From the report
The Aegis ballistic missile defense (BMD) program, which is carried out by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Navy, gives Navy Aegis cruisers and…

Charles D. Melson, Naval History Magazine
The Battle of Tarawa would be the first U.S.

Via X
Among multiple explosions, a huge fireball rose high above the pier in the Crimean coastal city of Feodosia early Tuesday Morning local time. According to Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, a strike by his forces caused the destruction of the Ropucha class landing ship Novocherkassk. While we cannot confirm the general’s claim, based on open source imagery, a vessel very similar to a Ropucha class ship has been photographed on fire or next to a pier that is on fire.

/1. Feodosia, Crimea. Strike in the port area.

Tatra  Defense Vehicle  (TDV), part of the Czechoslovakian conglomerate, announces the development of the Pandur II 8×8 EVO (Evolution), marking a significant milestone in military technology.

This initiative responds to the progressive obsolescence of the 107 Pandur II 8×8 CZ, delivered to the Czech Army between 2009 and 2013. This effort represents a modernization strategy, capitalizing on previous experiences to forge an advanced armored vehicle.

The X-37B after landing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility. (Space Force).
If you spot a large streak of light in the sky this week, it’s not Santa’s sleigh or a Sidewinder missile going after a balloon. Instead it’s likely the U.S. military’s X-37B space plane taking off for its latest mission.
The uncrewed plane, operated by U.S. Space Force, is set to launch Thursday, Dec. 28 in the evening. The spacecraft has a four-hour window starting at 7 p.m. to take off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. That’s if it is able to make it this time.

A decorative Santa Clause is seen nestled into constantine wire at the 407th Air Expeditionary Group, Southwest Asia, Dec. 23, 2016. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Benjamin Wilson.).
While Santa is flying around, dropping down chimneys, our country’s defenders are breaching a door somewhere and taking out bad guys. Just like the O.G. American raider George Washington and his surprise Christmas attack, American service members have almost always found a way to enjoy the holidays while deployed.

James “Jimmy” Stewart is an iconic Hollywood star and legend. He starred in some of the greatest films of all time, which include Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story, It’s a Wonderful Life, Rear Window, Vertigo, Anatomy of a Murder, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and The Flight of the Phoenix. His characters exuded morality on the screen, which Stewart brought from his real-life self. Stewart was named by AFI as the third greatest American male actor.

Air Force Lt. Col. John Pardo is famous for performing “Pardo’s Push.” While piloting an F-4 Phantom II fighter jet over North Vietnam, Pardo used his aircraft to physically push his wingman’s damaged F-4 out of enemy territory. The maneuver became legendary in the aviation community and was even paid homage in the TV show JAG.
Pardo during a 2014 visit to Seymour Johnson AFB, NC (U.S. Air Force)
Pardo was born on March 10, 1934 in Waco, Texas. On February 13, 1954, he enlisted in the Air Force’s Aviation Cadet Program.

The United States ‘ commitment to high-quality aircraft like the  F-22 and F-35, beyond simply racking up numbers, indicates its long-term strategy to maintain its position as a leading military power in the world.

The F-22 Raptor: Badge of American Air Superiority
The F-22 Raptor, introduced in 2005, represents a qualitative leap in combat aviation, being the first operational stealth fighter globally. Its design and construction embody the philosophy of prioritizing quality over quantity, a differentiating strategy concerning the air forces of potential adversaries.

Santa Claus with a sledgehammer in ‘Violent Night.’ (Allen Fraser/Universal Pictures).
It’s Christmas time and that means holiday treats, gift giving and maybe some themed movies or music. But for many in the military, Christmas means still being on base or on duty. But there’s always time for some entertainment. And that means some Christmas movies. But instead of watching classics like Miracle on 34th St. or How the Grinch Stole Christmas, this year try something a bit more action-oriented.

An Army regulation says the service cannot transport Santa using Army aviation assets. Image created by Task & Purpose using Dall-E.
Santa won’t be riding in a Black Hawk this year, or any year, thanks to an under-the-radar Army regulation. 
A small note buried in Army Regulation 360-1, “The Army Public Affairs Program,” which lays out the rules for the service’s media teams, seems to have something against Christmas time’s jolly old soul.
“Army aviation assets are not to be used to transport persons costumed as Santa Claus,” the regulation says.

The USS Laboon (photo courtesy U.S. Navy).
A U.S. Navy destroyer shot down several uncrewed aerial vehicles over the Red Sea today amid a series of attacks launched from Yemen. The engagements came only days after the United States announced a multinational task force meant to counter attacks on commercial ships in the area.
The USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, shot down four UAVs launched from Yemen toward the ship. The attacks happened between 3 p.m.-8 p.m. local time, according to U.S. Central Command. Shortly after, CENTCOM said, two commercial ships were attacked by UAVs.