The U.S. Army is planning to deliver 24 of its 35 top modernization priorities by fiscal 2023, and if budget restrictions necessitate it the service will look first at cutting legacy systems and then so-called enduring programs to protect the new ones.

The U.S. Air Force has cleared the KC-46 to refuel five more aircraft types as part of a rollout of interim capabilities before the tanker is fully operational.

The U.S. Air Force’s MQ-9 is the only aircraft with the right capabilities for over-the-horizon surveillance and airstrikes in Afghanistan, though the service is phasing out the drone and giving U.S. Central Command fewer aircraft to fly the missions. But CENTCOM’s head of operations said he still agrees with the USAF plan.

Finland’s defense forces have reportedly opted for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as the country’s future combat aircraft.

Senior military leaders are joining together to warn Capitol Hill that there will be readiness problems if an appropriations bill is not approved.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the Ronald Reagan National Defense Forum that the Pentagon is actively working to make it easier to land contracts and produce new, needed technologies at a time the Defense Department is desperate for innovation.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Dec. 4 that the department “is committed to ensuring Ukraine has what it needs to protect its sovereign territory.” 

The U.S. Air Force’s entire fleet had a mission-capable rate of 71.53% in fiscal 2021, a slight drop from 2020’s total rate of 72.74%.