F-35 Dodged a Houthi Missile
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During recent operations, Houthi rebels in Yemen fired a missile so close to a US F-35 the pilot had to take evasive action, reports Task & Purpose. It would have been an “absolute disaster,” said Dan Grazier of Stimson Center, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington, DC. “If one of those got shot down by a non-state actor, that would really put a lie to all the claims about the magical capabilities of the F-35.” The incident was first reported in The New York Times in a story about President Donald Trump’s decision to end US missile strikes against the Houthis.
Trump ordered the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center campus to become a “National Center for Warrior Independence” to house thousands of homeless veterans, reports Task & Purpose. The executive order gives VASec Doug Collins 120 days to develop a plan to house up to 6,000 veterans on the 388-acre campus by Jan. 1, 2028, to serve Los Angeles and veterans nationwide.
DefSec Pete Hegseth’s plans to reduce the number of senior military leaders eliminates more than 120 high-ranking officer jobs in the active duty and National Guard, including as many as nine top general slots, reports Military.com. According to an AP News compilation, 20% of the 44 authorized top active-duty general and admiral jobs would be eliminated as well as 10% of the more than 800 one-, two- and three-star positions.
Hegseth has barred the US military service academies from considering race, gender, or ethnicity in their admissions processes, ending the practice of affirmative action upheld by the Supreme Court two years ago, reports Military Times. In a memo published Friday, Hegseth directed the schools to rank applicants by an aggregate score factoring in athletic ability, past military experience, and other qualifications.
The Pentagon has ordered senior leaders to pull and review all library books at military educational institutions that address diversity, critical race theory, or gender ideology by May 21, reports Stars and Stripes.
Air Line Pilots Association, International, the world’s largest airline pilot union, opposes SpaceX’s proposal to boost annual Falcon rocket launches from 50 to 120 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Environmental groups and commercial fishing interests are concerned about wildlife impacts, reports Florida Today. In March, a SpaceX Starship launched from Texas exploded during its ascent burn, triggering Florida FAA “ground stops” and delays at airports in Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach.
The Trump administration has used the fight against antisemitism as justification for the deportation of pro-Palestinian student protesters and funding cuts to universities. But NPR has identified three Trump officials with close ties to antisemitic extremists, including a man described by federal prosecutors as a “Nazi sympathizer,” and a prominent Holocaust denier.
US Transportation Command has spent $21 million since January on 46 military aircraft flights to support deporting migrants to Guantanamo Bay, according to data provided to Congress. Stars and Stripes reports, 31 flights between January and March carried 715 personnel and more than 1,000 tons of cargo needed to carry out Trump’s plans to house up to 30,000 migrants at the US naval station in Cuba.
Trump put forward Stephen Carmel to lead the the US Maritime Administration, which oversees the US Merchant Marine, reports USNI News. Carmel, a graduate of the US Merchant Marine Academy, previously worked for Maersk, the Danish shipping conglomerate.
US Navy KC-130T Hercules tanker/transports belonging to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 30 (VX-30) are linking up to the Starlink satellite constellation, reports The War Zone. NAVAIR confirmed the first of two KC-130Ts at NAS Point Mugu, CA, received a prototype connection last September, the other is scheduled for summer. NAVAIR does not currently plan to integrate Starlink onto three more KC-130Ts assigned to VX-20 at NAS Patuxent River.
Vertical Aerospace said on Monday it is developing a long-range hybrid-electric variant of its air-taxi VX4, aiming to expand into commercial markets including defense and logistics. Reuters reports the US-listed shares of the British electric aircraft firm rose more than 6% before the bell.
“I will measure it as success if in the next two years, one of the primes is no longer in business, and the rest of them have all gotten stronger,” ArmySec Daniel Driscoll said last week on the TBPN podcast. Driscoll’s comments reflect the Trump administration’s ongoing embrace of the venture capital and tech industries, including startups like Anduril, Palantir, and others who have begun to take root as major players in the defense industrial base, reports Breaking Defense.
The Senate voted 74-25 this week to confirm Troy Meink as Air Force secretary, giving the Trump administration a full slate of service secretaries, reports Military.com. Meink has been principal deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office since 2020.
Retired ADM Lisa Franchetti, fired by the Trump administration as leader of naval operations, has teamed up with former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel on a program encouraging young people to continue their ROTC service in college, reports Politico. Franchetti met Emanuel when he was serving between 2022 and 2025 as US ambassador to Japan. The program started with Chicago Public Schools to benefit students in the ROTC programs.
US District Judge Leslie Kobayashi awarded more than $680,000 to 17 families — $5,000 to more than $104,000 to each plaintiff — who say they were sickened by a 2021 jet fuel leak into a Navy drinking water system in Hawaii. Marine Corps Times reports another 7,500 similar lawsuits still await resolution. Kobayashi’s order made clear, although the contaminated water could have caused the medical problems the military families experienced, there wasn’t enough evidence to prove a direct link.
Defense News reports Denmark will allocate $935 million to the Ukrainian defense industry in 2025 on behalf of the European Union, using windfall profits from frozen Russian assets to buy Ukraine-made weapons.
Sending troops and weapons to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is part of a “sacred mission” to counter US influence around the world, according to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a speech marking Russia’s commemoration of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II, reports Stars and Stripes.
On Truth Social, Trump dismissed as “losers,” critics of him accepting a Boeing 747-8 airplane from the government of Qatar, reports The Hill. “So the fact that the Defense Department is getting a GIFT, FREE OF CHARGE, of a 747 aircraft to replace the 40 year old Air Force One, temporarily, in a very public and transparent transaction, so bothers the Crooked Democrats that they insist we pay, TOP DOLLAR, for the plane. Anybody can do that! The Dems are World Class Losers!!! MAGA,” Trump wrote.
Senate Republicans on Monday indicated multiple concerns with the gift of a new luxury jet from Qatar, including safety, legal, and ethical worries, reports The Hill. “I’m not flying on a Qatari plane. They support Hamas,” said Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) an ardent Trump supporter. “I don’t know how you make it safe.” Scott said. “I don’t want the president of the United States flying on an unsafe plane.”
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) said Tuesday that he will hold up all Justice Department nominations on the Senate floor until he gets more answers about the free Air Force One replacement from Qatar, reports AP News.
The Air Force is in talks with Boeing to modify requirements for its new VC-25B presidential aircraft in a push to get them into service by 2027. Boeing has given the Air Force a revised timeline that could bring the VC-25B aircraft earlier “if adjustments are made to requirements,” a service official told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The Blue Star Museums collaboration among Blue Star Families, the DoD, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 2,000 participating museums across the country — including nature centers, zoos, and children’s museums — is back for another year. The popular program provides free admission for National Guard, Reserve, and active-duty ID card holders and their dependents, reports Military.com and runs from Armed Forces Day, May 17, through Labor Day, September 1, 2025.
Contracts:
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, is awarded a $10,376,474 modification (P00009) to a cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001924F0008) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001922G0006). This modification exercises an option to extend services to continue to provide engineering and logistics support services for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Expeditionary/Medium Altitude Long Endurance in support of capability development and sustainment of the United States Marine Corps MQ-9A UAS. Work will be performed in Poway, California (42%); Indo-Pacific Command Theater (20%); Yuma, Arizona (13%); Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (10%), Patuxent River, Maryland (7%); Cherry Point, North Carolina (7%); and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (1%), and is expected to be completed in August 2025. Fiscal 2025 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,719,365; and fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,000,000, and will be obligated at the time of award, $3,000,000 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Systems Applications & Technologies Inc., Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was awarded a $16,768,949 modification (P00031) to contract W9124G-21-C-0004 to provide ranges and training areas. Work will be performed at Fort Novosel, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of June 15, 2026. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $322,860 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Novosel, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Oceanetics Inc., Annapolis, Maryland (N66604-25-D-M501); and Seaward Services Inc., New Albany, Indiana (N66604-25-D-M502), are awarded a combined $26,055,782 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for the procurement of operational support services and associated logistics for a variety of open ocean special projects where Naval Undersea Warfare Center resources are not available. This contract includes an ordering period of five years. Work will be performed worldwide and is expected to be completed in May 2030. Each awardee will be awarded an initial task order with service cost center funding in the amount of $1,000 immediately following basic contract award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This multiple award contract was competitively procured via the System for Award Management website with four offers received. Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, Newport, Rhode Island, is the contracting activity.
J&J Maintenance Inc., McLean, Virginia, was awarded an $8,184,337 modification (P00008) to contract W91278-24-C-0010 for incidental repair and minor construction. Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of May 14, 2026. Fiscal 2025 Defense Health Program funds in the amount of $8,184,337 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Falls Church, Virginia, is being awarded a $49,121,479 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N0003923C0002). This modification provides for the ongoing sustainment of the Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System while supporting the integration of pay capabilities into the Navy Personnel and Pay system. Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana (60%); and Arlington, Virginia (40%). Work is expected to be completed in May 2026. Fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,187,825; and fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,392,176, will be obligated at the time of award. This sole source contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 US Code 3204(a)(1) – Only One Responsible Source (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1). The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.
Goodwill Services Inc., Richmond, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $8,851,284 modification (P00009) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SP4703-24-C-0013) with four one-year option periods for base supply store support services. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. The performance completion date is June 30, 2026. Using customer is Defense Logistics Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2025 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office Richmond, Virginia.
Jo-Kell Inc. LLC, Chesapeake, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $24,463,614 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for Arleigh Burke destroyer class weapons systems circuit breakers. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a three-year contract with no options. The performance completion date is May 13, 2028. Using military services are Army and Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2025 through 2028 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7MX-25-D-0029).
Maytag Aircraft LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a maximum $42,245,712 firm‐fixed‐price contract for government-owned, contractor-operated alongside aircraft refueling services for Defense Fuel Support Point, Norfolk, Virginia. This is a four‐year base contract with one five‐year option period and one six-month option to extend. The performance completion date is June 30, 2029. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2024 through 2029 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SPE603-25-C-5006).
UPDATE: Atlantic Diving Supply Inc., doing business as ADS, Virginia Beach, Virginia (SPE1C1-25-D-0022, $800,000,000), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract for commercial shelters and related components, issued against solicitation SPE1C1-22-R-0069 and awarded July 17, 2023. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, California, is awarded a $20,346,231 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-23-C-4103) to exercise Option Year 2 for continued AN/USQ-82(V) program design agent and technical engineering support. Work will be performed in Huntington Beach, California (72%); Bath, Maine (13%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (10%); Annapolis Junction, Maryland (3%); and Tukwila, Washington (2%), and is expected to be completed by May 2026. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,628,041 (18%); fiscal 2025 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,999,888 (15%); fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,426,661 (12%); fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,864,784 (9%); fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,594,655 (8%); fiscal 2017 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,582,229 (8%); fiscal 2022 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,499,486 (8%); fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,459,193 (7%); fiscal 2023 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,249,380 (6%); Foreign Military Sales (Various) funds in the amount of $870,623 (4%); fiscal 2024 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $507,983 (3%); fiscal 2024 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $193,983 (1%); and fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,000 (less than 1%), will be obligated at time of award and $1,798,639 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $209,879,100 cost-plus-fixed-fee task order for Nimbus. This task order provides for technical engineering services to facilitate command and control, communications, computer and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, cybersecurity systems and missions by delivering information technology services to facilitate intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assurance and fielding missions while architecting, engineering, developing, integrating, testing, transitioning and sustaining systems into operational environments. Work will be performed at McLean, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by May 14, 2028. This task order was a competitive acquisition and 3 offers were received. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $19,531,776; fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance appropriations funds in the amount of $13,654,602; and fiscal 2025 aircraft and other appropriations funds in the amount of $2,209,710, are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory/RIKE, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-25-F-B015).
Amentum Services Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, was awarded a $37,016,318 modification (P00053) to contract W9124G-17-C-0005 for initial entry rotary-wing flight training. Work will be performed at Fort Novosel, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 9, 2027. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance, Army funds were obligated at the time of the award. Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Novosel, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
