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.

We explore the MiG-41 fighter project, a sixth-generation fighter promised by Russia, questioning its technical and strategic feasibility in the current military context.

Technical analysis of the MiG-41: An uncertain future in military aviation?
The  MiG-41, a sixth-generation fighter project from Russia, proposes an amalgamation of advanced technical features. It is expected to possess optimized stealth capabilities, ultra-high speed—between MACH 4 and MACH 5—and an advanced ramjet engine.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day / Peace On Earth with the backstory of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, set with Civil War and Iraq War images.

Back To 2-And-A-Half Wars?
What Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Is Doing To The Navy

The post I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day (Civil War Background) appeared first on Armed Forces Press.

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, CONNECTICUT – JULY 27: Psilocybin mushrooms stand ready for harvest in a humidified “fruiting chamber” in the basement of a private home on July 27, 2023 in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Recent studies have shown that psilocybin mushrooms, also known as “magic mushrooms” have promise in combating anxiety, anorexia, depression, PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder and various forms of substance abuse.

View of the B-29 Superfortress ‘Enola Gay’ as it is manouvered over the bomb pit on the North Field of Tinian airbase, North Marianas Islands, early August, 1945. The plane was loaded with an atomic bomb, codenamed ‘Little Boy,’ which it then dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6. (Photo by PhotoQuest/Getty Images).
More than seven decades ago, the planes that dropped two atomic bombs on Japan took off from a small airfield on the Pacific island of Tinian in the Marianas. They were just two bombing missions among many that launched from that airfield.

President Biden signed into law a defense budget allocation bill worth $886 billion for 2024, the highest level in history.

US President Joe Biden on December 22 signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2024, regulating the Pentagon’s operating policies and allocating a budget package worth 886 billion USD, a week after this document was passed in the US Congress.
The bill is nearly 3,100 pages long, marking the largest defense budget package in US history, an increase of about 3% compared to last year.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew F. Jackson
Operation Prosperity Guardian, the American-led coalition to defend shipping through the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden from Houthi attacks is showing major cracks just as it is forming. At the same time, the latest rash of drone strikes on commercial vessels appears to have spread far from Yemen’s shores, to waters off India.

Ukrainian officials said the country’s missiles consecutively shot down three Russian Su-34 bombers because the enemy pilots flew too close to Kyiv’s defense lines.

Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, announced on December 22 that the country’s air defense had shot down three Russian Su-34 bombers in the southern region on the same afternoon. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later said the Russian Su-34 squadron was intercepted by the Odesa Air Defense Missile Brigade in the Kherson area.

Ukrainian commanders and soldiers admitted that Moscow held the advantage and that Kyiv had almost no ability to win quickly on the front.

As the war prepares to enter its third year, it is increasingly difficult for Ukraine to dominate the battlefield; hopes of imminent victory are gradually fading, and all attention is now focused on preventing Russia from gaining more territory.
From President Volodymyr Zelensky to military commanders and people in the forward areas, there is no telling how long the fighting will last.
“Now, victory on the front is almost impossible.

Hosts L Todd Wood and Col John Mills (USA, Ret) discuss possible Chinese satellite communications to clandestine locations within North America, and we do a deep dive into the NDAA just passed by Congress.
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The Army announced that the five 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment aviators killed on a training mishap this weekend were: Top row, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Stephen R. Dwyer, 38, of Clarksville, Tennessee Chief Warrant Officer 2 Shane M. Barnes, 34, of Sacramento, California; Bottom row: Sgt. Andrew P. Southard, 27, of Apache Junction, Arizona, Staff Sgt. Tanner W. Grone, 26, of Gorham, New Hampshire, Sgt. Cade M. Wolfe, 24, of Mankato, Minnesota. Army courtesy photos, Air Force photo by Senior Airman Kristine Legate,.
The U.S.

Joe Buccino, RealClearDefense

John J.

LaGrone, USNI News
The commander of an electronic attack squadron deployed aboard aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) in the Western Pacific was removed from command, U.S.

Steven Wills, Defense Opinion
The U.S.

Phillip N. Ash, CFR
The U.S. Armed Forces are facing an unprecedented recruiting crisis.

Lamborn, FPRI

Mai, The Diplomat
The Pentagon is betting big on unmanned systems in a conflict with China – but the Russia-Ukraine war is showing the limited utility of such systems.

The F-15EX Eagle II, also known as the “Super Eagle,” represents a significant evolution of the iconic F-15, a fighter that has proven itself since the 1970s.

The United States announced parking the advanced version of the F-15, the F-15EX Eagle II, at the Kadena base, Okinawa. This strategic move involves replacing the F-22 and F-35, consolidating the F-15EX as the most advanced and lethal fighter in the arsenal of the US Air Force.

Japan approved a record-high defense budget of $56 billion and relaxed some arms export controls.

The Japanese Cabinet on December 22 approved a budget worth 56 billion USD, a record high and an increase of about 4 billion USD compared to last year. This budget package is part of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s commitment to increase defense spending in the next few years.
In the newly announced budget, about 2.6 billion USD is spent on the project of building two new warships equipped with the Aegis missile defense system developed by the US. Japan spent nearly 5.

The Netherlands announced that it is preparing to transfer 18 F-16 fighters to Ukraine but has not announced a specific delivery time.

“Today I informed President Zelensky about the Dutch government’s decision to prepare to transfer the first 18 F-16 fighters to Ukraine,” Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced on December 22.
According to Mr. Rutte, providing F-16s is “one of the most important elements of the signed military aid agreements for Ukraine.” However, it is unclear when the Netherlands will transfer F-16s to Ukraine.

U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Brooklyn Golightly
We want to wish all of our readers and their families a merry Christmas and happy holidays!
Welcome to Bunker Talk. This is a weekend open discussion post for the best commenting crew on the net, in which we can chat about all the stuff that went on this week that we didn’t cover. We can also talk about the stuff we did, or whatever else grabs your interest. In other words, it’s literally an off-topic thread.
The caption to this week’s top shot reads:
U.S. Air Force Maj.

The Israeli army asked civilians in the central Gaza Strip town to evacuate to the south before this force expanded the scale of its attack.

Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, Arabic spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), on December 22, announced a map of the area needing evacuation in the central Gaza Strip, including the al-Bureij Camp area and other areas. 
“For their own safety, everyone must immediately move to a shelter in Deir Al-Balah city,” Lieutenant Colonel Adraee said.

Ukrainian officials and commanders announced that their forces shot down three Russian Su-34 bombers in the southern region.

“Three Russian Su-34 bombers were shot down in the southern region this afternoon,” Lieutenant General Mykola Oleschuk, commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, announced on December 22. General Oleschuk did not detail the location of the three Russian Su-34s and the type of weapon Ukraine used to take them down.

The concept of wireless energy transfer is not new, dating back to Nikola Tesla’s experiments in the 19th century.

The DARPA initiative for the development of an airborne relay system by Raytheon represents a notable advance in military technology. This project, with a budget of 10 million dollars, seeks to establish a network for the transmission of energy from the ground to high-altitude unmanned systems. Lasers are intended to control swarms of drones and directed energy weapons.

Via X
A new Ukrainian jet-powered drone called the UJ-25 Skyline appears to have entered service. The UJ-25 represents another evolution in Ukraine’s steadily growing arsenal of uncrewed capabilities. If it is configured as a kamikaze drone, it would be able to reach targets over hundreds of miles quicker than its prop-powered cousins and it would be harder for Russian forces to defend against. It also has attributes that would make it an ideal decoy to confuse, distract and stimulate enemy air defenses, and help glean information about their capabilities.

At long last, the Department of Defense has released its proposed rule on cybersecurity standards for contractors.
Following several years of development, the DOD in late 2021 shifted gears and unveiled the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0, which includes enhancements to the initial program first developed during the Trump administration. After reforming the program, the Pentagon has been working on a final rule that will mandate contractors that work with the department’s controlled unclassified information be CMMC certified, or risk losing their business.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Corey Engard (left) tends to Colton Rogers after Rogers suffered an amputed lower leg in a Nov. 17 crash in Mississippi. Engard stopped Rogers’ bleeding with a tourniquet and wrote “T 1230” on the injured man’s forehead to alert medical teams of the time he had put the tourniquet on. Sgt. 1st Class Corey Engard.
Army Recruiter Sgt. 1st Class Corey Engard used his belt and the skills he’d learned from his Combat Lifesaver training to prevent a man who had lost half his leg in a pickup truck crash from bleeding to death.

Nick Danforth sat down with Steven Cook, Joyce Karam, and Faysal Itani to discuss how the war in Gaza will impact Israel’s relations with the Gulf and American interests in the Middle East. Among other topics, they debated the future of the Abraham Accords and what options, if any, exist for governing post-war Gaza.     Image: Wikimedia Commons
The post Gaza and the Gulf appeared first on War on the Rocks.

Soldiers in Russian penal units face a nightmare, caught between their own leaders and Ukrainian guns. It was never any secret that the Russian army treats its “Shtorm-Z” units as cannon fodder, just like Wagner did before them. Intelligence reports indicated that, initially, the Russians planned an elite set of units. But as the war got worse for Russia, the army pivoted and instead now uses them in human wave attacks.
Prison convicts and soldiers punished at other units get sent to the penal units.

The Ukrainian air force claims three kills of Russian Su-34 medium bombers over the frontlines in southern Ukraine on December 22. If true, the Russians likely got too cocky or too desperate and sent the coveted assets into dangerous airspace. Russia holds its air force assets close, rarely risking them, and so will feel the loss of three bombers quite keenly.
Since the Su-34 fires many of the gliding bombs that devastate Ukrainian cities, taking out three likely saves hundreds of lives. And it might force Russia to be more careful with its remaining jets.

Welcome to The Adversarial. Every other week, we’ll provide you with expert analysis on America’s greatest challengers: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and jihadists. Read more below. *** Russia Optimism is oozing from the Kremlin. Any hopes that Ukraine’s disappointing counter-offensive would create an opening for negotiations have been dashed by the renewed hubris coming from the Kremlin. During President Vladimir Putin’s annual press conference session, he affirmed his maximalist war aims, and earlier, sipping champagne, he warned that Ukraine “has no future.

For government entities, the procurement of new equipment is a costly process. Smaller organizations like the Postal Inspection Service or the Marine Corps may lack the funds to perform exhaustive and rigorous testing that ensures that the final selection is the best product for the money. As a result, they often follow the lead of larger organizations like the FBI or the Army, who have the funds to conduct thorough testing. To that end, the selection of new optics by the FBI is significant in the law enforcement market.
The CompM4s is in service as the M68CCO (U.S.

Alex Beltyukov/Wikimedia Commons
The Ukrainian Air Force claims it has shot down three Russian Su-34 Fullback fighter-bombers. If true, this would represent one of the most significant single-day losses for Russia’s Air Force in some time, and there is unconfirmed speculation that U.S.-made Patriot surface-to-air missiles may have been responsible. This would also be more evidence of a recent Ukraine push to upend Russian airstrikes, especially in the southern end of the country.

The country pledges to fulfill the NATO objectives and sets aside a sum of $51.2bn for the modernisation of the Army, Air Force, and Navy.

Cmdr. William Coulter was relieved as the commander of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136, a squadron known as “The Gauntlets” based at Whidbey Island, Washington “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.” Navy photo.
The commander of a squadron of Navy E/A-18G Growlers based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington was fired “due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.”
Cmdr. William Coulter was the commander of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 136, a squadron known as “The Gauntlets” based at Whidbey Island, Washington.

Harper, DefenseScoop
Air Force acquisition chief Andrew Hunter spoke with DefenseScoop about the service’s hypersonics programs.

Congressional Research Serv.
The following is the Dec.