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
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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.

Forbes
On December 17 North Korea successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching any point in America. It was the third such test this year.

DNews
WASHINGTON — The U.S.

Osborn, Warrior M.
U.S. Arliegh Burke-class guided missile destroyer destroyed 14 unmanned aerial systems launched as a drone wave from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

Javelin firings by the British Army are a fraction of the 2021 high point and GMLRS firings during exercises also down,

GM Defence and Jankel have signed an MoU to collaborate on the Heavy Duty SUV and Integrated Armoured Vehicle.

The U.S. Air Force Academy aims to hire a contractor that can closely monitor popular social media platforms for posts and content that violate national laws and its official policies — or display potential hate speech, misinformation, disinformation, or harassment of or by its cadets.
Interested vendors are invited to respond by Friday to a solicitation, which details a need “to combat cadet conduct in digital mediums” that might negatively disrupt the institution and broader Air Force initiatives.
“The U.S.

A jamming system that will provide F-16 fighter jets increased protection against modern electronic threats recently completed government lab integration, setting the stage for the first flight test next year, according to the manufacturer.
That system, the AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite (IVEWS) made by Northrop Grumman, provides digital radar warning receiver performance and active jamming capability in an internal suite to keep the F-16 operationally viable beyond 2046, according to fiscal 2024 Air Force budget documents.

On Aug. 29, 2023, during the latter half of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo’s four-day trip to Beijing and Shanghai, Huawei Technologies Co. quietly released a new phone called the Mate 60 Pro. Despite its inconspicuous introduction, the Mate 60 Pro proceeded to dominate the American news cycle the following week, after a bombshell teardown of the phone concluded that it was powered by a Kirin 9000s semiconductor chip fabricated in China by Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation— in other words, that China can produce 7-nanometer chips in spite of U.S.

Dr. Will Inboden sat down with Sen. John Cornyn to discuss the issues of declassification and transparency, along with the ongoing debate about the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The two also discussed the role of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Congressional oversight, and how Section 702’s renewal is important for U.S. national security Image: Wikimedia Commons
The post A Conversation with Sen. John Cornyn appeared first on War on the Rocks.

In the escalating conflict between Houthi militants and the United States in the Red Sea, a new concern is surfacing – the staggering cost of defending against drone attacks. This article delves into the increasing expenses incurred by the U.S. Navy as it grapples with the threat posed by Houthi drones and missiles.
The Rising Threat
Houthi Attacks on the Rise
As Iranian-backed militants intensify their assaults on commercial ships navigating critical global shipping routes, the U.S. Navy finds itself engaged in intercepting an alarming number of drones and missiles.

AFRICOM PAO
Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG), the newly formed international coalition to protect commercial shipping from Houthi attacks, will be akin to a highway patrol on the Red Sea, the Pentagon’s top spokesman said Thursday. The coalition was formed in response to scores of attacks on vessels that began in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.
“It’s very important to understand that Houthis aren’t attacking just one country, they’re really attacking the international community,” Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters, including from The War Zone.

via X
A picture, seen a the top of this story and uncropped below, has emerged offering the best look to date at a unique pylon that Ukrainian MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters, as well as Su-27 Flankers, are using to carry U.S.-supplied JDAM-ER precision-guided glide bombs. A photograph of a MiG-29 fitted with a pair of these visually distinctive pylons, which have tapered protrusions that extend well forward of where the bomb is attached, first appeared back in June.
The JDAM-ER-armed MiG-29 seen in the new picture showing off the pylon design has the bort number White 22.

Bill Gertz: Congress, Pentagon At Odds Over Pacific Task Force Needed To Prep For China War.
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The Su-75 Checkmate and a cheap Chinese copy were presented with pomp at the MAKS 2021. This announcement, framed in the grandiloquence typical of Russian defense events, has vanished in thinner air than the one these fighters fly. Shengyang FC-31, JAS-39 Gripen, the F-35 Lightning II, promoted itself as a low-cost competitor against aeronautical giants like Vladimir Putin under the watchful eye of
Su-75: A list of unrealizable wishes
Su-75
In a show of excessive ambition, the Kremlin promised the production of some 300 Su-75 in fifteen years.

The capabilities of the Air Force’s next-generation drones — known as collaborative combat aircraft — are expected to increase over time, but that doesn’t mean there will be consistent leaps from one increment to the next, the service’s top weapons buyer told DefenseScoop.
The goal is to field the first tranche of CCAs by the end of fiscal 2028. The Air Force plans to spend more than $6 billion on related projects over the next five years.
“The whole idea of having increments of capability is that they are different.

Marine veteran Ethan Hertweck was killed in Ukraine on Dec. 8, 2023. Photo courtesy of Leslie Hertweck, composite by Task & Purpose.
Marine veteran Ethan Hunter Hertweck often quoted an axiom, his mother Leslie recalled: “All that’s necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ethan decided that he needed to help the Ukrainian people, Leslie Hertweck told Task & Purpose.

The US Army is preparing to reduce its fleet of UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters by almost 8%, as it prepares to replace them, said Maj. Gen. Mac McCurry, commander of the US Aviation Center of Excellence, Army, in a recent interview.
The service plans to cut approximately 157 Black Hawks, or 7.5% of its total utility fleet, from its active-duty component.

U.S. Army Sgt. Liliana Munday was one of a few dozen troops who completed the French Desert Commando Course in November in Djibouti. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Haden Tolbert).
Sgt. Liliana Munday worked out three times a day to prepare for the French Desert Commando course in the rugged mountains of Djibouti.
Munday was one of 40 U.S. service members who signed up for one of this year’s French Desert Commando Course, a five-day trial in the Arta Mountains, west of the nation’s capital, Djibouti City.

In early 2024, government oversight officials will meet with multiple Defense Department teams and formally review the agency’s new Data, Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence Adoption Strategy — to ultimately assess whether it fulfills guidance they provided in a March 2022 report.
A watchdog study published last year urged DOD to improve its frameworks, inventory processes and official approaches for incorporating the powerful, still-maturing technology.

Ukraine believes that first-person UAVs will be a weapon that will help change the battlefield because they are cheaper and more effective than artillery shells.

Minister of Strategic Industry of Ukraine Oleksandr Kamyshin, on December 20, announced a plan to produce more than a million first-person drones (UAV FPV), which are regularly used by frontline units for reconnaissance. And attack the enemy, along with 10,000 medium-range suicide UAVs and at least 1,000 long-range aircraft with the ability to attack targets at a distance of over 1,000 km.

The Red Sea, once a vital trade route, has become a hotbed of conflict due to Houthi raids targeting cargo ships. In response, a 10-country alliance led by the US has launched Operation Protect Prosperity (OPG) to safeguard international waters.
Formation of the Alliance
The Pentagon’s announcement on December 18 marked the establishment of a formidable coalition comprising the US, UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain. The alliance aims to counter Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

Aircraft carriers are massive, floating airports that host thousands of personnel. Equipped with barber shops, post offices and convenience stores, flattops can be likened to miniature cities on the water. They even carry their own plumbing systems, water treatment facilities and electric generators. In fact, one of America’s first aircraft carriers used its generators to save Christmas.
USS Lexington in dry dock c. 1928 (U.S. Navy)
USS Lexington (CV-2) was originally designed as a battlecruiser.

Welcome to Rewind & Reconnoiter. Each week, we’ll ask one of our authors to look back at an article they’ve written for War on the Rocks in light of a current news event. Did their argument hold up? Read more below to find out. *** Last year, Ryan Gingeras wrote “Why Erdogan Might Choose War with Greece” for War on the Rocks in which he argued that “a conflict between Greece and Turkey appears not only possible but probable.” Amidst the apparent effort by Turkey and Greece to “mend ties,” we asked him to look back on his article and argument.

The United Kingdom announced that two modern mine hunters, originally promised before the 2022 expansion of the war in Ukraine, will be transferred to Ukraine. The formerly British ships have great capabilities to make Ukrainian mine hunting at sea more safe. And Ukraine faces many dozens, potentially hundreds, of mines in the Black Sea.
The mines are choking Ukraine’s economy, especially shipments of grain, and so clearing the mines is essential to Ukraine’s future.
But, unfortunately, Ukraine might not get the ships into the Black Sea as long as the war continues.

Ambrey
Nearly every day, private armed security teams (PASTs) stationed on a floating armory somewhere in the Indian Ocean will get a message from supervisors at Ambrey, a U.K.-based firm specializing in maritime risk management. They are to grab their L1A1 SLR or Steyr Scout rifles and head out to a commercial ship sailing to the narrow and increasingly dangerous Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Once on board, the PAST will provide armed security, overwatch and help the crews take all the safety precautions possible for a trip through waters where U.S.

SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Army is altering its approach for a key program designed to make units faster on the battlefield.
The Command Post Integrated Infrastructure (CPI2) initiative aims to make command posts more mobile and survivable.
The Army had previously outlined contracts for CPI2 to initially be built on Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles variants, which are very large. Now, it’s scaling that back.

The UK has committed the Type 45 Daring-class destroyer HMS
Diamond
to Operation ‘Prosperity Guardian’, which has been set up to protect merchant shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
(UK Ministry of Defence 2020)

The UK Royal Navy (RN’s) Type 45 Daring-class destroyer HMS
Diamond
(D 34) has joined the newly formed multinational security initiative international task force set up to protect merchant shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

To drive the Canadian military deeper into digital, General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada secured four contracts for land C4ISR systems.

The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) program faces challenges that must be addressed. Meanwhile, the service hasn’t written off the possibility of acquiring boost-glide systems despite hiccups with the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW), according to its top weapons buyer.
The Pentagon has been pursuing multiple types of hypersonics that have unique characteristics. Boost-glide missiles such as ARRW are first launched from a rocket booster that gives them sufficient energy to reach speeds greater than Mach 5 and then glide toward their targets.