Top 5     Israeli cabinet to vote on Gaza ceasefire deal (Agence France-Presse) Israel's cabinet is expected to meet Thursday to approve a ceasefire and hostage-release deal with Hamas, Israeli media reported, a day after mediators announced an agreement they hope will lead to a permanent end to the Gaza war.       Pentagon report backs quality-of-life tweaks, not major pay changes (Military Times) Pentagon leaders are recommending regular quality-of-life reviews for military families’ finances and expanding non-cash benefits like child care assistance as part of a periodic review of military compensation, but are also defending current troops’ salaries as “strongly competitive with the civilian labor market.”       Combat veteran, sexual assault survivor senator backs Hegseth for defense secretary (Military.com) A key senator who had been seen as a potential barrier to Pete Hegseth's confirmation as defense secretary has come out in support of him, signaling that Hegseth is now likely on a glide path to getting approved.       Army doctor who abused JBLM soldiers sentenced to over 13 years (The Associated Press) A military doctor who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing dozens of male soldiers at Joint Base Lewis-McChord was sentenced Wednesday to just over 13 years in prison, was ordered to forfeit all pay and allowances and was dismissed from the U.S. Army.       Marco Rubio warns China is America’s ‘biggest threat,’ affirms value of NATO alliance (The Associated Press) Florida Sen. Marco Rubio on Wednesday painted a dark vision of the consequences of America’s “unbalanced relationship” with China, echoing President-elect Donald Trump’s anti-globalist rhetoric as he vies to be confirmed as his secretary of state.   Ukraine     Russian missile attack forces Ukraine to shut down power grid (The Associated Press) Russia on Wednesday launched a major ballistic and cruise missile attack on regions across Ukraine, targeting energy production and compelling authorities to shut down the power grid in some areas despite freezing winter weather, officials said.   Pentagon     Watchdog: Pentagon chief’s secret hospital stay ‘unnecessarily’ risky (Military Times) A Pentagon watchdog found that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin needlessly risked U.S. national security by not immediately informing Congress and the White House of his hospitalization last January.       Pentagon drops ban on service members displaying US flags horizontally at big events (Stars & Stripes) American service members can once again display the U.S. flag horizontally at sporting events and other official ceremonies, the Pentagon said in a memo that reverses restrictions enacted two years ago.       Pentagon to test how generative AI would perform in fight with China (Defense One) In the next 90 days, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, working with corporate partners and the Pentagon, will take a hard look at how generative AI tools similar to ChatGPT could help commanders make battlefield decisions more quickly against high-tech adversaries like China.   Congress & Politics     Trump’s pick to lead Pentagon envisions priority on Pacific, force reviews for other US missions (Stars & Stripes) The prospective next Pentagon chief says he will prioritize a military buildup in the Pacific in connection with a global force review that will reassess how many troops are needed in other parts of the world.       Report to Congress on Marine littoral regiment (USNI News) The following is the Jan. 10, 2025, Congressional Research Service insight report, "The U.S. Marine Corps Marine Littoral Regiment (MLR)."       Questions about Syria and potential for an ISIS resurgence loom for Trump (NBC News) In the first year of Trump’s first term, U.S. forces, working with Syrian Kurdish allies, defeated the Islamic State’s self-proclaimed “caliphate” and liberated its capital. But the fall of the Assad regime has left Syria at risk of coming apart under pressure from a variety of terrorist groups, local militias and Israeli airstrikes.       Austin failed to tell Congress or the White House about his health problems as required, report says (The Associated Press) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ‘s failure to inform Congress or the White House as required when he was incapacitated due to treatment for prostate cancer and later complications potentially raised “unnecessary” security risks, the Pentagon’s watchdog concluded in a highly critical report released Wednesday.       Biden hails ceasefire deal as both he and Trump claim credit (BBC) US President Joe Biden hailed "many months of intensive diplomacy" for bringing about a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, as he outlined the next steps of the deal to end 15 months of war.       Trump’s State Department pick Marco Rubio lays out vision for Africa (The Africa Report) From countering China to investing in fossil fuels, the US senator from Florida offered insights into the incoming administration’s priorities for the African continent.   National Security     Reported Trump ‘loyalty tests’ for national-security officials draw criticism (Defense One) Good government groups and Democrats are reacting to news first reported on Monday by The Associated Press that incoming senior Trump administration officials have begun questioning federal employees who work on the National Security Council about their political affiliations as part of an effort to ensure the White House entity is composed of loyalists.       Biden warns in farewell address that an ‘oligarchy’ of ultrarich in US threatens future of democracy (The Associated Press) President Joe Biden used his farewell address to the nation Wednesday to deliver stark warnings about an “oligarchy” of the ultra-wealthy taking root in the country and a “tech-industrial complex” that is infringing on Americans’ rights and the future of democracy.   Army     General in charge of Army Recruiting Command gets his third star (Stars & Stripes) The commanding general of U.S. Army Recruiting Command, Maj. Gen. Johnny Davis, was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in a ceremony held at Fort Knox, Ky., on Wednesday, according to a command press release.       US-Japan exercise builds on response to massive earthquake on Noto Peninsula (Stars & Stripes) U.S. Army aviators and Japanese troops are rehearsing their disaster response techniques, a year after they flew real-world missions for victims of a deadly earthquake on Japan’s western coast.       First Zumwalt to wrap missile tube install this year, Michael Monsoor to deploy to WESTPAC (USNI News) The first at-sea U.S. platform to field the Pentagon’s hypersonic missile will be ready for testing at the end of the year, according to the program manager.       How to select the best swim stroke for the Navy Physical Screening Test (Military.com) When taking the Navy Physical Screening Test — the common fitness test for jobs in the Navy that require swimming and diving — you get a few options on how to swim.       DDG(X) next-generation destroyer’s capabilities and costs are solidifying (The War Zone) As the U.S. Navy’s next-generation destroyer, currently dubbed the DDG(X), continues through concept design stages, the service’s surface warfare director reiterated Tuesday how the future ship must be able to field a wider variety of weapons systems, while sporting nearly unprecedented levels of power production.       Navy shipbuilder plans expansion to boost submarine production (Defense One) The nation’s largest shipbuilder wants to expand its manufacturing facilities this year to speed up and streamline production of nuclear submarines amid ongoing delays, ballooning costs, and labor woes.       SECNAV Del Toro names four more warships at SNA, 16 ships named this month (USNI News) Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro named four more warships on Wednesday at the annual Surface Navy Association symposium.       Disparaged, discontinued...and indispensable? Littoral combat ships take on real-world ops. (Defense One) The Navy may have capped its fleet of much-anticipated—and much-maligned—littoral combat ships at 28 for now, but their commanders haven’t stopped trying to squeeze every last ounce of capability out of them.   Marine Corps     Top Marine general rules out beards ‘because we’re Marines and we’re different’ (Task & Purpose) Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith has some bad news for any Marines who want to grow beards.       Funding gaps slowing down Marine Corps’ modernization efforts (Defense One) The Marine Corps is working to break out of the ground-combat box the Global War on Terror wedged them into, but whether Force Design 2030 is actually realized by that date depends quite a bit on whether Congress decides to fund everything it asks the military to do.       Top Marine general says moving Marines from Okinawa to Guam ‘puts us going the wrong way’ (Task & Purpose) Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith cautioned on Wednesday that ongoing efforts to relocate Marines from Okinawa to Guam will move those forces away from where they are most needed.   Air Force     Unplanned tanker landing prompts emergency response at airlift hub in Tokyo (Stars & Stripes) Air Force emergency responders turned out Wednesday morning for an aerial refueler that diverted to this airlift hub in western Tokyo.       Success with CCA points way to greater innovation, board says (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Defense Innovation Board adopted a series of new recommendations and praised the Air Force for its big bets on emerging technology in recent years that seem primed to help new entrants to the defense market bridge the so-called valley of death between initial investment and actual production contracts.       Widow of Air Force missileer who died of cancer secures VA benefits after yearslong fight (Military.com) The widow of an Air Force missileer who died of non-Hodgkin lymphoma has finally secured Department of Veterans Affairs benefits connected to her late husband's passing, a major achievement as more troops who worked with America's nuclear missiles fear they may have developed cancer from their service.       USAF rejiggers T-7 plan again: New test aircraft, delayed production (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Air Force plans to buy four more production-representative T-7 jets for test and delay the first production contract by a year, until fiscal 2026 — the latest setback to acquiring USAF’s first new trainer in decades.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard arrests human smugglers who ram boat (Military Times) The United States Coast Guard arrested human smugglers who crashed into their patrol boat during a getaway attempt and attacked them, according to court documents.   National Guard     Oklahoma National Guard soldiers get sendoff before deployment to Africa (Stars & Stripes) About 50 soldiers received a farewell from their leaders and loved ones at the Muskogee Readiness Center in Muskogee, Okla., on Monday as they prepared to deploy to the Horn of Africa for a humanitarian mission, a U.S. Army news release said.   Pay & Benefits     More military children will soon have access to DOD-operated schools (Military Times) More active-duty military parents will soon be able to enroll their children in schools operated by the Defense Department on bases in the continental United States — even if they live off base.   Veterans     Watchdog rebukes VA over failure to refund $110M in medical fees (Military Times) A federal watchdog on Wednesday criticized Veterans Affairs leaders for failing to refund millions of dollars in canceled medical co-pay charges to veterans, despite knowing about the problem for years.   Military Culture & History     The largest White House party ever was in honor of returning Vietnam POWs (Military.com) Between Feb. 12 and April 4, 1973, U.S. Air Force C-141 Starlifters flew 54 missions into Hanoi, North Vietnam, to pick up 591 American prisoners of war captured by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Called Operation Homecoming, the Air Force shuttled the former POWs first to Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, then to military hospitals before finally returning home to American soil.       Navy officer who was 1st woman to walk in space to get foundation's highest honor (Colorado Springs Gazette) Kathryn Sullivan, a three-time Guinness World Records winner and the first American woman to walk in space, has been selected by the Space Foundation to receive the Gen. James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award, the nonprofit's highest honor.       First Black woman to serve in the US Army Nurse Corps after desegregation dies (NPR) Nancy Leftenant-Colon, the first Black woman to serve in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps when it was desegregated after World War II and the sister of one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen pilots, died Jan. 8 in Amityville, New York. She was 104.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     At 10th anniversary, Pentagon’s network defense arm looks to evolve how it fights (DefenseScoop) Following a new framework signed in September 2024, the Pentagon’s network defense command is looking to change how it fights to better protect Department of Defense networks from increasing adversary intrusions.       Bigger, higher, cheaper: Space startup looks beyond LEO (Defense One) While many satellite builders focus on small spacecraft for low-Earth orbit, one Los Angeles startup is thinking bigger and aiming farther, betting that falling launch costs will unlock higher orbits.       Marine commandant wants ‘off-the-shelf’ generative AI tools for the Corps (DefenseScoop) The Marines are gearing up to integrate more generative artificial intelligence tools into the force, but the service’s top officer doesn’t want to have to spend a lot of money to develop them.   Defense Industry     With torpedo firm buy, Fincantieri eyes $100bn undersea-defense market (Defense News) Italian state shipyard Fincantieri has completed the purchase of Italian torpedo firm WASS for a price that could reach €415 million ($428 million) as it strengthens its undersea activity.       Navy now seeking commercial ship design to propel its long-delayed medium landing ship program forward (The War Zone) After years of delays procuring its own Medium Landing Ship (LSM) to ferry platoon-size elements of Marines between West Pacific islands during a war with China, the U.S. Navy is now looking to existing, private-sector designs to potentially fill this capability gap.       Raytheon aims to boost SM-3 missile production rates (Defense News) Raytheon is investing in its Standard Missile 3 lines to accelerate the production rate of the U.S. Navy weapon, as global interest in procuring the capability expands amid successful intercepts against ballistic missile attacks in the Middle East.       What Jake Sullivan wants the Trump administration to know about the defense industrial base (DefenseScoop) During his last days as President Joe Biden’s top national security advisor, Jake Sullivan is advising members of President-Elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration on the lessons his team learned in their pursuits to expand the contemporary defense industrial base and modernize the production and procurement of U.S. military weapons and other warfare assets.       Defense spending propels government space budgets to new heights (SpaceNews) Global government space spending hit a record $135 billion in 2024, highlighting the growing militarization of space and shifting dynamics among spacefaring nations, according to a new industry report.   International     India’s navy launches submarine, warships to guard against China’s presence in Indian Ocean (The Associated Press) India’s navy on Wednesday simultaneously launched a submarine, a destroyer and a frigate built at a state-run shipyard, underscoring the importance of protecting the Indian Ocean region through which 95% of the country’s trade moves amid a strong Chinese presence.       Report: Chinese scientists have dabbled in undersea cable-cutting tech (Defense News) Chinese scientists have been researching ways to cut undersea cables since at least the late 2000s, according to a recent report in the U.S. magazine Newsweek. The revelation comes amid a series of events in which undersea infrastructure in geopolitically tense regions was damaged under unclear circumstances.       UK says a deal on the Chagos Islands won’t be finalized until Trump is consulted (The Associated Press) Britain’s government confirmed Wednesday that it will not finalize a deal to hand over sovereignty of the contested Chagos Islands to Mauritius until President-elect Donald Trump’s administration is consulted.       Slovakia considers CV90120, Leopards to replace Soviet-era tanks (Defense News) As Slovakia readies to acquire new battle tanks for its military, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Robert Kali?ák has announced his ministry is considering the CV90120, a light tracked vehicle, as one of the options.       Officials warn of aftershocks after strong earthquake jolts southern Japan (Stars & Stripes) Japanese authorities are warning residents to remain alert for strong tremors in the coming days after a magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck southern Japan this week.       What China’s next generation stealth jet reveal really means (The War Zone) Dec. 26, 2024, was a huge day for the global airpower, military technology, and strategy communities. The emergence of not one, but two Chinese advanced tailless tactical combat aircraft sent shockwaves around the globe and garnered very high interest from the public.       Japan and Philippines plan to convey to Trump the need for US engagement in Asia (The Associated Press) Japan and the Philippines will convey to President-elect Donald Trump the urgent need for the U.S. to remain committed to help uphold the rule of law in an Asian region where security concerns have become “increasingly severe,” Japan’s top diplomat said Wednesday.       Norwegian F-35s scrambled in Poland during Russian missile strikes on Ukraine (The War Zone) While the Norwegian jets are primarily in Poland to help defend a key logistics hub bringing materiel into Ukraine, rogue Russian missiles and drones have entered Polish airspace several times since the full-scale invasion began.       Houthi operations in Red Sea unclear as Israel, Hamas enter eeasefire (USNI News) It is unclear if Houthi forces attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden following the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas reached on Wednesday.       Australia’s prime minister demands Russia explain what happened to Australian POW (The Associated Press) Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday his government will take the “strongest action possible” if Russia has harmed an Australian who was taken prisoner while fighting for Ukraine.   Video     Get the latest in military and defense headlines — Jan. 15, 2025 (Military Times) Listen to the latest in military and defense news       What's the coolest model at the Surface Navy Symposium? (Military Times) What's the coolest model at the Surface Navy Symposium?       Highlights from Pete Hegseth's confirmation hearing (Military Times) Defense Secretary nominee Hegseth faces scrutiny from Dem senators in confirmation hearing.   Commentary & Analysis     At six, he stared down the muzzle of a tank. In prison, he faced his biggest enemy. (The War Horse) I stood on the porch of my mother’s three-level home in shorts and a pair of tennis shoes. It was sunny and warm, the kind of day that required no shirt for a boy like me, and one I might have enjoyed if not for a tank that had just turned its gun turret toward my home.       The United States can’t afford to not harden its air bases (War On The Rocks) For decades, the United States has relied on airpower and the qualitative superiority of its aircraft to gain an advantage over its adversaries. But that advantage is rapidly eroding. The Chinese military is fielding sophisticated air defense networks that include robust passive defenses, challenging sensors, and highly capable missiles and aircraft. In fact, by our calculations, the amount of concrete used by China to improve the resilience of its air base network could pave a four-lane highway from Washington, D.C., to Chicago.