Top 5     B-1 bomber crash report blasts crew mistakes, culture of ‘complacency’ (Defense News) The crew of a B-1B Lancer that crashed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota in January failed to properly manage the bomber’s airspeed and angle of approach while landing, a scathing accident investigation board report found.       Army announces upcoming brigade overseas deployments (Army Times) The Army has announced overseas deployments to the Middle East, Europe and South Korea for three brigades later this year.       Here are the munitions Navy jets used for first time against Houthis (Navy Times) Navy fighter jets from Carrier Air Wing 3, embarked aboard the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, employed several weapons in combat for the first time during their recently completed deployment to the Middle East, where they battled Houthi attacks and struck targets held by the Iran-backed group in Yemen.       DOD event challenges industry to down largest drone swarms to date (Defense News) The joint office established to find solutions to countering air drone systems sought to challenge industry with large barrages of drone attacks during a demonstration in the Arizona desert last month.       Harris tells Netanyahu ‘it is time’ to end the war in Gaza and bring the hostages home (The Associated Press) Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday said she urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a cease-fire deal soon with Hamas so that dozens of hostages held by the militants in Gaza since Oct. 7 can return home.   Helpful Resources     Your 2024 Military Times Pay and Benefits Guide (Military Times) Learn how your military benefits — including health care, retirement pay and more — have changed in 2024.       Your 2024 Military Times Tax Guide (Military Times) It’s that time of year again — tax season. And April 15 is just around the corner.       Your 2024 Military Times PCS Guide (Military Times) Read up on tips and tricks in Military Times' 2024 Permanent Change of Station Guide ahead of peak moving season.       All the Houthi-US Navy incidents in the Middle East (that we know of) (Military Times) A running list of every instance where a Navy ship or jet has shot down a Houthi attack, and every instance where the United States and its allies have hit back at Houthi sites in Yemen, since October.   Overseas Operations     Rockets launched at US forces stationed at Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq (Fox News) No one was injured in the attack, a U.S. defense official told Fox News   Ukraine     Ukraine’s foreign minister in Hong Kong calls on officials to stop Russia from evading sanctions (The Associated Press) Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Thursday called on Hong Kong to prevent Russia and Russian businesses from using the region to circumvent sanctions.       Russia is banned from the Paris Olympics. Here’s what that means. (Washington Post) Individual Russian athletes who have been allowed to compete as neutrals in qualifying events can apply for entry to the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee has banned Russia from all team sports, however, because of the country’s invasion of Ukraine.       EU transfers 1.5 billion euros from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine (Reuters) The European Union will transfer 1.5 billion euros in proceeds from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on social media platform X on Friday.   Pentagon     Biden taps SOUTHCOM deputy to lead combatant command (USNI News) President Joe Biden nominated the deputy of U.S. Southern Command to lead the combatant command, the Pentagon announced Wednesday.       Austin says Chinese, Russian aircraft near Alaska was first detected joint flight (The Hill) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday the joint Chinese and Russian aircraft flight near Alaskan airspace a day earlier was the “first time” the U.S. has detected a joint flight between the two nations.       A mysterious plot prompts a rare call from Russia to the Pentagon (New York Times) Russia’s defense minister said he needed to talk to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin about an alleged Ukrainian operation. What happened next remains murky.       Defense Secretary Austin says Kamala Harris was always part of major national security decisions (Military.com) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that, in his more than three years of working with Vice President Kamala Harris, she has been with him and the president for some of their toughest decisions and "always a part of the process."       Austin heads to Asia with $500 mil for the Philippines (Defense One) Trip described as most important Asia visit of the Biden administration.   Congress & Politics     Israel privately pressures Biden admin to fast-track more weapons during Netanyahu visit (Politico) Israel is privately ramping up pressure on the Biden administration and lawmakers on Capitol Hill to greenlight weapons it says it needs to protect itself from an increasingly aggressive Iran and its proxies.   Army     Army warrant officer sentenced for selling $2 million in stolen gear (Military Times) A federal judge has sentenced a former Army warrant officer to three years in prison and ordered him to pay $500,000 in restitution and forfeiture for selling $2 million worth of stolen military equipment.       Ukraine support unit at Army headquarters in Wiesbaden to get new boss (Stars & Stripes) Maj. Gen. Curtis Buzzard was nominated this week for a third star and an assignment as the next leader of a Germany-based command focused on getting military aid to Ukraine, according to the Defense Department.   Navy     USS Tarawa sent to ocean floor in Rim of the Pacific exercise (Military Times) Two decommissioned U.S. Navy vessels sunk to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean off the northern coast of Kauai, a Hawaiian island, during live-fire sinking exercises, according to a U.S. 3rd Fleet release.       Rare criminal trial of a 4-star admiral heats up with allegations of lies, affairs and competing stories (Military.com) The company accused of being part of a bribery scheme along with a retired four-star Navy admiral who was arrested in May has fired back against the allegations and the indictments of its two top executives in a new court filing that seeks to split their case.       US carriers Reagan, Washington set to exchange sailors ahead of homeport shift (Stars & Stripes) The USS Ronald Reagan and USS George Washington are primed to exchange hundreds of sailors and dozens of aircraft as the two aircraft carriers prepare to relocate later this year.       US Navy confirms trash that washed ashore on Outer Banks was from one of its ships (Virginian-Pilot) The U.S. Navy investigated and found that an estimated 1,250 pounds of trash that washed up on Outer Banks beaches in spring 2023 came from one of its ships.       Police question Chinese students who flew drone over USS Theodore Roosevelt in South Korea (Stars & Stripes) South Korean police questioned three Chinese students who used a drone to record panoramic views of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt at Busan in June, a Busan Metropolitan Police officer said Thursday.   Marine Corps     Drone killing Marines: Corps seeks ‘buckshot-like’ counter-drone gear (Marine Corps Times) The Marines are looking for weapons-mounted gear and ammo that can detect and blast drones out of the sky with “buckshot-like” capability.       Australian-based Marines ready to support Manila in sea-territory skirmish (Stars & Stripes) A Marine rotational force in northern Australia is ready to back up the Philippines in clashes with China over disputed territory in the South China Sea, according to the force’s commander.       Marine sentenced to 7 years in plea deal, accused of killing woman during crime spree (Fox 5) Twenty-one-year-old Marine Lance Corporal John Eugene Brand was sentenced to seven years behind bars Wednesday for his role in a deadly crime spree in December.       $20K reward offered in murder of Marine who was assaulted then struck by hit-run driver (ABC 7) A $20,000 reward is being offered for information about the murder of a U.S. Marine in Bellflower. Peter Chounthala, 42, was attacked by at least two men on May 28, investigators said.       J.D. Vance served in the Marines. Will it matter in November? (The Atlantic ) His veteran status could be an advantage for the GOP—unless he trumpets his years of service too much.   Air Force     NASIC to welcome new commander at Wright-Patterson on Friday (Dayton Daily News) Col. Kenneth A. Stremmel will assume command of the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Friday, the center said.       Storm leaves some without air conditioning for days at airlift hub in Japan (Stars & Stripes) Some residents of this airlift hub in western Tokyo were left without air conditioning for nearly two days in peak summer heat after a powerful storm swept through the area.       March Air Reserve Base's exchange closing its doors permanently (NBC 4) The March Air Reserve Base in Riverside will soon lose its only military exchange, a vital cost-saving solution for thousands of veterans in the Inland Empire.       Air Force pulls CV-22 Osprey from exercise with Japan to focus on ‘internal training’ (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Yokota Air Base will not fly its CV-22 Ospreys in a joint training exercise between U.S. and Japanese forces starting this weekend.   Space Force     Space Force missile warning competition robust despite RTX exit (Defense News) After canceling its contract with RTX to build three missile tracking satellites, cutting its existing contractor pool from three companies to two, the Space Force is confident it can retain competition on the program moving forward.       Space Force analyzing next-gen missile warning/tracking, NC3 options (Breaking Defense) The Space Warfighting Analysis Center (SWAC) is now studying how to shape a next-generation, multi-orbit architecture for missile warning/missile tracking — including how to meet the requirements for a modernized, survivable for nuclear command, control and communications (NC3) capability, according to a senior Space Force acquisition officer.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard Cutter Stone returns home after 63 days at sea (Stars & Stripes) The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Stone (WMSL 758) returned to their homeport in North Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday after 63 days at sea seeking out drug traffickers in the Atlantic and Caribbean.   Your Military     North Korean charged in cyberattacks on US hospitals, NASA and military bases (The Associated Press) A North Korean military intelligence operative has been indicted in a conspiracy to hack into American health care providers, NASA, U.S. military bases and international entities, stealing sensitive information and installing ransomware to fund more attacks, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.   Veterans     Would vaping help more veterans quit smoking? One group thinks so (Task & Purpose) The group Smokeless Vets hope to help 100,000 veterans stop smoking. Using nicotine products like vapes and gum, they think, would help.       NOAA collaboration with veterans group will advance science, search for military remains (UPI) Federal weather experts and veterans officials have inked an unusual agreement to share data and scientific information that will benefit two prominent agencies, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Thursday.   Military Culture & History     2 more US soldiers from WWII get monument rosette after remains identified (Stars & Stripes) A pair of World War II memorials in France inscribed with the names of missing American troops had a bronze marker added to them this week, signifying that two more U.S. service members had been accounted for.       World War II sergeant whose plane was shot down over Germany honored with reburial in California (The Associated Press) After 80 years, a World War II sergeant killed in Germany has returned home to California.       The best summer reads for national security nerds (Foreign Policy) The geopolitics of Formula 1, daring women journalists of the Vietnam War, and other page-turners for the beach.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Maxar debuts never-before-seen shots from its new, next-generation satellites (DefenseScoop) The Pentagon’s top supplier of commercial electro-optical imagery, Maxar, debuted the first images captured by its second, next-generation WorldView Legion satellite exclusively with DefenseScoop on Thursday.       A boom in space-based intelligence is coming. Can ground networks keep up? (Defense One) Companies that used to sell pictures and pixels are selling analysis—and looking for ways to move faster.       Pentagon to test whether counter-drone systems can operate effectively under electronic attack (DefenseScoop) The event is being planned as concerns grow about the threats posed by adversaries' unmanned aerial systems and electronic warfare arsenals.   Defense Industry     Leonardo, Rheinmetall eye three-year rush to field Italy’s new tanks (Defense News) Italian army generals can expect the delivery of new tanks and tracked fighting vehicles within three years from a contract signing with Leonardo and Rheinmetall, expected by year end, Leonardo’s CEO has said.       Leonardo exec: ‘Consolidation is the only way’ for healthier European defense industry (Breaking Defense) A top official at Italian defense giant Leonardo expects to greater consolidation among European defense firms in the future, particularly in the shipbuilding, cyber and space sectors.       US files details of Boeing’s plea deal related to plane crashes — it’s in the hands of a judge now (The Associated Press) Boeing, which is based in Arlington, Virginia, is a major Pentagon and NASA contractor, and a guilty plea is not expected to change that. Government agencies have leeway to hire companies even after a criminal conviction. The plea agreement does not address the topic.       Navy still picking winner for F/A-XX next year, Northrop CEO says (Defense One) The U.S. Navy will pick a builder for its F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter next year, according to the CEO of one of the companies vying for the job — even though the service gutted funding for the program in its most recent budget request.       Sweden commissions study on Gripen fighter jet satellite launch capability (Breaking Defense) Sweden has opened a novel study into the feasibility of launching a small satellite into space from a Saab Gripen multirole fighter jet, as the Nordic nation looks at new ways of strengthening dispersed operations and countering Russian aggression.       General Atomics could fly first CCA prototype in mid-2025: Aeronautics president (Breaking Defense) General Atomics’s first prototype for the US Air Force’s autonomous combat drone program could start flight tests as early as mid-2025, the head of its aeronautics division told Breaking Defense in a recent interview.       F-35’s price might rise, Lockheed warns (Defense One) The price tag for F-35 Lightning II jets has been coming down for years, but that might not be the case in the production lots now being negotiated, Lockheed Martin officials said.       Orbital Insight nabs NGA pilot for commercial maritime awareness data (Breaking Defense) The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has picked Orbital Insight to pilot its nascent program, called Project Aegir, for buying unclassified data and analytics related to maritime domain awareness — in the embattled agency’s latest move to speed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) products to users, especially ever-more demanding US military operators.   International     Japanese governors deliver more petitions on alleged sex crimes, Osprey flights (Stars & Stripes) The governors of 15 Japanese prefectures where U.S. military bases are located filed petitions Wednesday in Tokyo addressing recent alleged sexual assaults by U.S. service members and continued Osprey flights in Japan.       Athens signs deal to buy 20 US-made F-35 jets in major military overhaul (The Associated Press) Greece formally approved an offer to buy 20 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters from the United States as part of a major defense overhaul, government officials said Thursday.       Iranian charged by US with illegally funneling dual-use tech to his country (Stars & Stripes) An Iranian man accused of participating in a scheme to illegally export U.S. electronics with potential military uses and send them to Iran appeared in federal court in Chicago this week.       UK urges China to prevent its companies supporting Russia's military (Reuters) Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy urged China to prevent its companies from supporting Russia's military, his office said on Friday following a meeting between Lammy and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.       Japan to create island missile range as next step in standoff defense strategy (Stars & Stripes) Japan’s army plans to build a firing range on its easternmost island for surface-to-ship missile drills, part of its military build-up to counter regional rival China.       The forgotten war in Congo (Foreign Affairs) To Stop the Growing Crisis in the Country’s East, the West Must Pressure Rwanda       Man arrested after British soldier was stabbed and seriously hurt in attack near barracks (The Associated Press) A masked attacker on a motorcycle stabbed and seriously injured a British army officer in daylight near a barracks in southeast England, witnesses and police said Wednesday.   Video     US, Canadian jets intercept Chinese, Russian planes near Alaska (Military Times) Two Chinese and two Russian long-range bombers were tracked flying over international waters near Alaska and U.S. and Canadian fighter jets were sent up in response, their joint aerospace command said.       How would Project 2025 impact troops and veterans? (Military Times) Watch here.   Commentary & Analysis     Pass the Major Richard Star Act, support our combat-injured veterans (Washington Times) Senators should do as they say, correct an injustice       Army combat fitness test threatens to undermine combat effectiveness (Military Times) The Army Combat Fitness Test, introduced as a rigorous and comprehensive measure of soldiers’ physical readiness, has sparked significant controversy. This assessment explains why the ACFT, rather than accurately gauging combat preparedness, appears to disadvantage both male and female soldiers. For men, it has inadvertently lowered standards, while for women, it has dramatically increased failure rates compared to the previous Army Physical Fitness Test. These imbalances threaten to undermine the Army’s combat effectiveness.       Tech and talent are the keys to defense modernization (DefenseScoop) "In many cases, the capabilities that the department needs already exist. The difficulty lies in adopting and scaling them," Michael Bloomberg, chair of the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Board, writes in this exclusive Op-Ed.       A Trump peace plan for Ukraine (Wall Street Journal) Among the essentials are a lend-lease program, real sanctions on Russia, and a revitalized NATO.