PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – It is a massive white elephant. As I wrote about earlier, President Trump’s decision to accept a foreign luxury 747 as an interim presidential transport aircraft is a very bad deal.
And it hast gotten better.
Hegseth to Air Force: Figure out how to modify Qatari Royal Family’s 747-8 jet. Converting the luxury plane into a fully capable Air Force One could cost more than $1 billion, one senator said.
Overhauling the jet to meet the rigorous standards required of a U.S. presidential aircraft would also take years. But Trump wants the jet by the end of this year.
“There are going to be huge security risks with this. No question about it. But Trump can choose to accept them. He’s the commander in chief,” one former Air Force official said.
The Boeing VC-25B aircraft were originally scheduled for delivery in 2024, but delays have pushed projections to 2028 or 2029, drawing public rebuke from President Trump.
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
Could striking first in cyber be new Pentagon policy?
Top NSC official wants to normalize offensive hacking as tool of US might, the clearest indication yet that the U.S. is working out ways to hack back against foreign enemies and rivals.
AI is helping the Pentagon go from finding targets to predicting threats. With the next chapter of Maven, NGA aims to spot not just known objects but “anomalies.”
HOMELAND SECURITY
America’s response to measles is eroding its ability to deter biological attacks.
POLITICS
Trump’s pick for Air Force No. 2 civilian defends past political comments. Democratic lawmakers voiced concern over Lohmeier’s previous calls for “serious consequences” for officials who “hyper-politicized” the military.
US POWER OVERSEAS
3rd ID experiments with new tank formations at Germany training rotation. Army’s first armored Transformation-in-Contact unit is integrating 3D-printed drones for greater “massing of effects.”
Chilling effects: What one Army unit learned about cold-weather drone warfare. Frozen propellers and short-lived batteries are just some of the challenges these grunts faced during training in Europe.
CHINA THREAT
China’s counter-UAV efforts reveal more than technological advancement. They also show the PLA’s dedication to learning from conflict and tech trends and its determination to dominate the electromagnetic battlespace.
A closer look at the Chinese space company accused of helping the Houthis. The ostensibly private Chang Guang Satellite Technology emerged from and benefited from state funding.
US Army medics prepare for war with China. Service is focused on overcoming logistical hurdles and other obstacles now so that medical professionals will be ready if they’re needed.
A lesson from 1958 could help deter China from taking Taiwan. After China began shelling a nearby island, a four-pronged U.S. response led to decades of cross-strait peace.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Trump says Putin ‘has gone absolutely CRAZY!’ after major Russian air attacks on Ukraine. ‘What the hell happened to Putin.’ The Kremlin on Monday sought to downplay the significance of the remarks, categorizing them as an “emotional reaction.”
IRAN THREAT/MIDEAST
In Yemen, Trump risks falling into an ‘airpower trap.’ Bombing campaigns are cheaper than ground incursions—but history shows that the former can lead to the latter.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Norms have changed in South Asia, making future de-escalation much harder. The India-Pakistan ceasefire shouldn’t disguise the fact that philosophy, proliferation, and U.S. inattention are working against it.
US MILITARY
Is Trump’s ‘F-55’ fighter jet real? One former defense official said the president is “very confused.”
Make big things small and small things big: SOCOM’s gear wishlist. As special operations forces prepare to take on a wider set of missions, their tech needs are growing more ambitious.
Air Force Special Operations wants to fire cruise missiles from Reaper drones.
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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