Space Force Can’t Simply Seize Air Guard Units From States

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – As efforts to reverse the decision continue in Congress, a bipartisan group representing all 55 governors (of states and territories) is sounding the alarm about a looming Biden-era move to move Air Guard units into the Space Force without approval from governors.

Existing laws that require state governors to approve such a move were bypassed to sign the provision into law as part of last year’s National Defense Authorization Act.

“Governors must be part of the conversation from the start, as has been the precedent for over 120 years,” the National Governors Association statement said. “We were alarmed when the prior administration pursued this course of action, and we remain alarmed it’s continuing to happen now.”

A bipartisan group of lawmakers submitted bills in both chambers of Congress aimed at establishing a Space National Guard, which also would explicitly dismantle the proposal to transfer those units to the Space Force.

President Trump promised in August that “as president, I will sign historic legislation creating a Space National Guard.”

The space-focused Air National Guard units at the center of this are found in Alaska, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, New York and Ohio.

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories ending the week from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEFING – the PDB:    

NATIONAL SECURITY

To bootstrap the US maritime industrial base, link allies and innovators. The decline of the U.S. maritime industrial base is a national security risk. The current U.S. flagged commercial fleet falls well short of the sealift capacity needed in wartime. The proposed solution: rapid reindustrialization of the U.S. economy.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Two drug smuggling operations were brought to a swift halt this month by the Navy’s newest Freedom-class littoral combat ship Minneapolis-Saint Paul within a 72-hour span during the ship’s maiden deployment.

Pete Hegseth pulled the airstrike information he posted into Signal chats with his wife, brother and dozens of others from a secure communications channel used by Central Command, raising new questions.

POLITICS

How a Lloyd Austin aide became Pete Hegseth’s ‘only guy standing.’ In early April, after Hegseth returned from a trip to Panama, the last person to step off the plane before the SECDEF was a Marine colonel.

The infighting that plagued Trump’s first term has returned as a threat to his second, with deepening fissures over trade, national security and questions of personal loyalty.

Tesla boss Elon Musk says he will cut back his role in Trump’s administration after the company’s profits and revenues plunged during the first three months of the year.

The State Department will eliminate 15% of its domestic staff as part of a reorganization that will close one-sixth (132) of its 734 US-based offices and bureaus.

US POWER OVERSEAS

Apache helicopters, Israel, regional tension mark African Lion wargames. Morocco hosts the largest multinational joint exercise led by AFRICOM. With its newly acquired AH-64 attack helicopters, open participation by Israel and Algeria’s quiet withdrawal, this year’s event is expected to be the largest and most complex.

Marines will test one of the service’s newest drone-killing ‘MADIS’ systems during this year’s Balikatan military exercise in collaboration with the Philippine military.

The Navy’s first port calls to Libya in more than five decades this week likely are intended to send a clear message to Russia and China about US resolve across the Mediterranean region.

CHINA THREAT

Egypt and China launched first military drills between their air forces in Egypt’s airspace dubbed “Eagles of Civilization 2025,” suggesting closer ties between the two militaries.

Trump said Tuesday that the hefty tariff rate on China will ‘come down substantially’ from 145% after he negotiates with Xi Jinping, expressing optimism about a trade deal.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

Russian drones battered the Ukrainian port city of Odesa in a nighttime attack, less than 24 hours after a purported Easter ceasefire unilaterally declared by Moscow ended, and just a day before Ukrainian, British, French and US officials are due to meet in London.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed that Chinese citizens are helping to produce drones at a facility in Russia and suggested that Moscow may have “stolen” drone technology from Beijing.

UK will host US and European negotiators for fresh talks about Ukraine amid rumors that Russia has said it might be willing to drop its claim to parts of Ukraine it does not occupy.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend talks in London to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, as Kyiv signaled it would reject a key detail of the Trump proposal to end the conflict.

IRAN THREAT/MIDEAST

Rapid airstrike by Africa Command (AFRICOM) on unflagged vessel smuggling advanced arms to the al-Shabaab terror group in the waters off Somalia smuggling ship highlights increased authorities given to commanders.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

UK Carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09) leaves for 8-month Pacific deployment to demonstrate UK and allied collective resolve and determination to maintain security and freedom from the Atlantic to the Pacific.”

Spain will rapidly increase its low military spending rate this year to reach the 2% of GDP target set for NATO members, the country’s prime minister announced.

Denmark to invest around $615 million to renew Navy, Home Guard fleets to improve surveillance and defense of the country’s territorial waters.

As the US, Turkey and others each race for an Israeli-style comprehensive air defense system, Athens sees its own ambitious Achilles Shield system that will free up ships and fighters, as the “heart” of the nation’s modernized military.

A panel of Brazil’s Supreme Court justices unanimously accepted criminal charges against six more key allies of former President Jair Bolsonaro over an alleged coup plot to keep him in office after his 2022 election defeat.

US MILITARY

To boost production, the Army and General Dynamics opened a new artillery ammunition facility in Arkansas, which will produce roughly half the service’s 155mm artillery shells once it is fully operational.

Army’s vision for its future network architecture likely won’t include radios for communication and data at the tactical level.

DOD is calling for a new undersea vessel for the Navy called the Combat Autonomous Maritime Platform, or CAMP, an unmanned system built “to maximize operational effectiveness in contested environments.”

Lockheed Martin plans to fold 6th gen tech it developed in its unsuccessful bid for the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance platform into its F-35s and F-22 Raptors to create a “supercharged” fifth-gen fighter.

Coast Guard sees interest from Finnish, Canadian shipyards for new Arctic Security Cutter fleet.

Astra defense firm has unveiled details about its DOD contract for Rocket 4, a two-stage, rapid delivery, mobile launch vehicle to deliver cargo across the globe in under an hour.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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