Sources say Hezbollah is ready to attack Israel independently of Iran
CNN
It is increasingly looking like Hezbollah could attack Israel regardless of Iran’s plans, two sources familiar with the intelligence told CNN. The Lebanon-based militant group is faster than Iran in its plans and is considering attacking Israel in the next few days, one of the sources said. Iran, meanwhile, appears to still be working out its response, several government officials told CNN.
Pilots and family members say the crew is being wrongly blamed for the fatal crash of the Air Force Osprey in November
Military.com
Pilots, military aviation experts and family members are raising concerns about a recently released investigation report into a CV-22 Osprey crash off the coast of Japan last year that killed eight service members. They say the Air Force’s finding that the crew shared some of the blame for the incident is unfair.
AP receives documents: Weak spots in the metal may have led to the Osprey’s fatal crash off the coast of Japan
The Associated Press
A transmission crack that led to the fatal crash of a V-22 Osprey last year may have been caused by weak spots in a metal used to make the part, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
Army Space and Missile Command strengthens offensive, non-kinetic space control capabilities
Break through defense
As part of its broader effort to improve its presence in space, the Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) is considering new “offensive space control capabilities” for its nascent Theater Strike Effects Groups (TSEGs). The first of these groups is currently being tested at Indo-Pacific Command, according to SMDC chief Lt. Gen. Sean Gainey.
The “Bill Belichick” of Pentagon contracts negotiates a deal for AMRAAM missiles
Break through defense
Pentagon contract broker Shay Assad, a figure loved by regulators and hated by industry, is back in negotiations with the Air Force, helping to broker a contract with Raytheon for AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, Air Force officials told Breaking Defense. The AMRAAM negotiations are the third program Assad has been tapped for, in addition to ongoing negotiations on B-52 upgrades and the help he gave the Air Force last month in finalizing a contract with Boeing for the E-7 Wedgetail.
Air Force-backed arms exports reach record high
Defense One
Foreign countries are buying more weapons through the U.S. Air Force than ever before, largely due to global instability, officials say. “My understanding is that business is booming for this team as events unfold around the world and our partner nations recognize that the world is once again dangerous, for example with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” said Brigadier General Jeffrey Geraghty, director of the Air Force’s Directorate of Security Assistance and Cooperation.
Air Force research lab considers space data transport demo in 2026
Defense News
A team from the Air Force Research Laboratory came together to help the Space Force test and develop new spacecraft concepts, with plans to launch its first experimental satellites as early as 2026. The AFRL established the Rapid Architecture Prototyping and Integrated Development (RAPID) laboratory in 2022 to develop ideas for future on-orbit capabilities in partnership with the Space Force’s various architecture and systems design organizations.
DOD puzzles over capability priorities for Replicator 2.0
DefenseScoop
U.S. military units have received ADA2 (All-Domain Attritable Autonomous Systems) systems at numerous locations “around the world” through the Replicator initiative and are operating them in real time, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said on August 7.
New XQ-58 Valkyrie variant with built-in landing gear soon ready to fly
The war zone
A new version of the stealthy XQ-58 Valkyrie with built-in landing gear is in the works, drone maker Kratos has announced. The built-in landing gear suggests a potentially larger, heavier and more powerful variant of the XQ-58 that could better meet the requirements of the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program and compete for other opportunities.
Costs rise for the US in the fight against Houthi drones
POLITICS
President Joe Biden says the United States is not at war anywhere in the world. But a major flaw in that claim is what has been happening in the skies over the Red Sea for nearly a year. US forces have fired around 800 missiles and seven airstrikes against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have controlled Yemen since November. It is the most sustained military campaign by American forces since the air war against IS in Iraq and Syria, which peaked between 2016 and 2019.
USAA must pay $64.2 million to military personnel in settlement for improper bank fees and interest
Military.com
USAA has agreed to pay $64.2 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the group’s banks of improperly charging fees and high interest rates, violating federal protections for military members with loans.
