Category: Aviation

MIL-OSI USA: Pfluger, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Unleash Military on Enemy Drones in U.S.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11), alongside Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) in the House, and Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY) in the Senate, introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation to unleash the U.S. military on enemy drones within the U.S. The Comprehensive Operations for Unmanned-System Neutralization and Threat Elimination Response (COUNTER) Act would allow more military bases to become a “covered facility” to gain the authority to shoot down unauthorized drones that hover in their airspace.

Read more about this legislation in Fox News here.

“Unauthorized drone activity near and over U.S. military installations has become a persistent and growing national security concern. In the past year alone, there were more than 350 drone detections at 100 different military installations,” said Rep. Pfluger. “This is why I am proud to help lead the bipartisan COUNTER Act, which gives our armed forces the clear authority they need to take down hostile drones and defend our most sensitive installations. As a fighter pilot with hundreds of hours in combat experience, I know firsthand how critical airspace security is — and how urgent this action has become.”

“In recent years, there has been a disturbing increase in threats posed to U.S. military bases by unmanned aircraft systems, including from systems controlled by foreign adversaries. Despite this, our armed forces continue to tell us that they lack the authority to protect the skies over some of our most sensitive military installations,” said Rep. Houlahan. “Today’s introduction of the bipartisan COUNTER Act marks the next step towards delivering the expanded authorities our military needs to address the threats of unmanned aircraft systems and keep these facilities safe.”

“Leaving American military facilities vulnerable to drone incursions puts our service members, the general public, and our national security at risk. Our bill will expand the Department of Defense’s authority to neutralize unauthorized drones,” said Senator Cotton.

“As commercial drones become more commonplace, we must ensure that they are not being used to share sensitive information with our adversaries, to conduct attacks against our service members, or otherwise pose a threat to our national security. This legislation will enable DoD to more effectively mitigate threats from drones and allow for better interagency cooperation to keep Americans safe. I am proud to be introducing this important piece of bipartisan legislation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to get it passed,” said Senator Gillibrand.

Read the full text of the legislation here.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven, Transportation Secretary Discuss North Dakota’s Role in Meeting the Nation’s Aviation Needs

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
05.16.25
Senator Invites Secretary Duffy to North Dakota to See Grand Sky, Learn about Counter-Drone Efforts Firsthand
WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven this week discussed with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, North Dakota’s role in meeting key priorities to ensure safe and efficient air travel in the U.S. airspace. Hoeven outlined the work of the University of North Dakota (UND) and his efforts to leverage the school’s expertise in order to:
Help meet the nation’s need for air traffic controllers (ATC).
Hoeven worked with UND and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to secure the school’s role in the Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) program.
Under this initiative, UND graduates are immediately eligible for hire and to begin localized training at an air traffic facility, bypassing the FAA Academy in Oklahoma.
Now, Hoeven is sponsoring the ATC Workforce Development Act to strengthen the Enhanced AT-CTI program and further improve controller recruitment and retention.
Secretary Duffy agreed to work with Hoeven on expanding capacity for ATC training and expressed support for the bill.

Ensure the U.S. has enough qualified pilots to meet future demand.
Hoeven highlighted UND’s Vets2Wings program, which expands flight training for veterans and helps cover costs not included under the GI Bill or the Department of Defense’s Federal Tuition Assistance Program.
Hoeven initially secured $2.5 million to establish the program and then passed his American Aviator Act to authorize the program at the FAA through Fiscal Year (FY) 2028.
The senator stated that initiatives like this help address the need for commercial airline pilots and requested that the secretary work with him on making the program permanent.

In addition, Hoeven invited Secretary Duffy to visit North Dakota and learn firsthand about the state’s counter-drone efforts at Grand Sky and the Northern Plains Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Test Site. Hoeven stressed the need to finish linking the FAA’s unfiltered radar data feed with the test site to empower this work, which is needed to protect against the malicious use of UAS.
“North Dakota is home to the largest flight school in the country and plays a growing role in ATC training with the Enhanced AT-CTI Program at UND. Considering the challenges faced by our aviation industry, it is critical that we work to remove bottlenecks in training for air traffic controllers. That’s exactly what we’ve worked to do at UND, and our ATC Workforce Development Act will take these efforts even further,” said Hoeven. “Our state is also leading the way in developing counter-drone technologies, an increasingly important national security priority. The FAA’s radar data feed will enhance our test site’s ability to identify potentially threatening systems, a critical part of keeping the national airspace secure from dangerous UAS. I appreciate Secretary Duffy’s willingness to help complete the process of sharing the unfiltered radar data, as well as his agreement to visit North Dakota and learn more about the important work we’re doing at UND, Grand Sky and the test site.”
Advancing Counter-Drone Technologies
Hoeven is working to realize new opportunities in the Grand Forks region for developing counter-drone technologies to protect against emerging threats resulting from the misuse of UAS. To this end, Hoeven continues his efforts to:
Increase the size and scope of Project ULTRA to support counter-UAS technology development.
By increasing the project’s contract ceiling, it can serve as a bridge between an existing DoD contracting vehicle and new counter-UAS capabilities being developed in the private sector.

Secure access for the Northern Plains UAS Test Site to the FAA unfiltered radar data feed, which is currently in process.
Once completed, it will use the feed to enhance efforts to detect, identify and track malicious UAS.
Between Project ULTRA and the FAA radar data, Grand Forks will be uniquely positioned to develop methods for protecting domestic U.S. military bases against potential UAS threats.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Kaptur Celebrates $342K FAA Investment in Fulton County

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

Wauseon, OH – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) announced the award of $342,000 from the US Department of Transportation’s Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) program to Fulton County. The funds will support Phase 1 of a critical airport infrastructure project at Fulton County Airport (USE), further advancing economic resilience and connectivity for NW Ohio.

“This is a strategic and forward-looking investment in the of our region’s transportation network,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “Fulton County Airport’s has a growing role in supporting general aviation, regional commerce, and emergency response in our region. This award is more than a transportation upgrade – it’s an investment in our local workforce, small businesses, and the future of aviation in Northwest Ohio. As our communities work to modernize and grow, targeted federal investment like this ensures that rural and regional airports are not left behind, and are instead positioned to lead our communities into the future.”

“The Fulton County airport is an active, vibrant airport with over 30 based aircraft, a growing flight school offering flight training to students from all over Northwest Ohio, and is a base for a Life Flight helicopter,” said Jeff Rupp, President of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. “We have had a waiting list for hangar space for many years and with this grant, we will be able build hangars for six additional aircraft. The Fulton County Commissioners wish to express our sincere appreciation to Congresswoman Kaptur for securing this grant which will benefit the county!”

The project includes the design of a new sponsor-owned hangar to generate long-term revenue and support airport sustainability, and the replacement of the airport’s Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS), which has reached the end of its operational life. The project reflects a commitment to modernizing regional infrastructure and ensuring safety, efficiency, and long-term economic growth.

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MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Leads Democratic Colleagues in Demanding Answers about the National Security Risks Posed by Trump’s Acceptance of $400 Million Plane-Shaped Qatari Bribe

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

May 15, 2025

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Assistant Minority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) and nine other Democratic colleagues across U.S. Senate Armed Services, Appropriations and Intelligence Committees in demanding that the Department of Defense be transparent with them about the substantial national security and operational risks posed by President Trump’s plan to accept a $400 million aircraft “gift” from the Qatari royal family. In a letter sent to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink last night, the Senators called for answers from the Department of Defense about how it would prevent these national security risks if Donald Trump accepts this gift, and how much taxpayers will have to pay for the extensive upgrades that would need to be made on this unvetted aircraft in order to protect the President, servicemembers and sensitive information from nefarious espionage, attack or disruption.

“[We] write today with alarm over the dangers to operational and national security presented by President Trump’s desire to execute an unconstitutional and unseemly acceptance of a $400 million gift from the Qatari royal family in the form of a luxury Boeing 747-8 aircraft. To serve as Air Force One during his administration, the U.S. Department of Defense would be required to accelerate a comprehensive upgrade to the aircraft, with the direct cost to the American taxpayer likely exceeding $1 billion. We are especially concerned about the operational security and counterintelligence risks of potentially using this aircraft for sensitive Presidential travel— and the massive cost to American taxpayers to identify and close critical vulnerabilities,” the lawmakers said.

The Senators continued: “Having the President travel without the necessary security precautions or secure communications renders the aircraft an easy target for adversaries to gain access to sensitive Presidential-level discussions or classified information, impeding the success of ongoing military operations and endangering our servicemembers… President Trump is claiming that this ‘gift’ of an aircraft worth $400 million is saving taxpayers money, but in reality, his decision will force taxpayers to foot an unnecessary bill—potentially more than $1 billion—to convert a foreign-provided aircraft into the fortress necessary to protect him and his communications—all while taxpayers are already paying at least $3.9 billion for the contract for two aircraft currently being built by Boeing to add to the Air Force One fleet.”

In addition to Duckworth, Schumer and Durbin, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

The full text of the letter follows and is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.

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MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Secures $200 Billion in New U.S.-UAE Deals and Accelerates Previously Committed $1.4 Trillion UAE Investment

US Senate News:

Source: The White House
BUILDING LASTING PROSPERITY FOR AMERICA AND OUR ALLIES: Today in Abu Dhabi, President Donald J. Trump announced over $200 billion in commercial deals between the United States and the United Arab Emirates—bringing the total of investment agreements in the Gulf region to over $2 trillion.
President Trump continues to advance the interests of the American people, enhancing market access for American exporters to strengthen our economic and national security.
These deals will significantly expand investment in the United States and U.S. market access in the United Arab Emirates.
The following represent just a few of the many transformative deals secured in the United Arab Emirates:
Boeing and GE Aerospace secured a $14.5 billion commitment from Etihad Airways to invest in 28 American-made Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft powered by GE engines. With the inclusion of the next-generation 777X in its fleet plan, the investment deepens the longstanding commercial aviation partnership between the UAE and the United States, fueling American manufacturing, driving exports, and supporting 60,000 U.S. jobs.
In Oklahoma, Emirates Global Aluminum will invest to develop a $4 billion primary aluminum smelter project, one of the first new aluminum smelters in America in 45 years, that will create a thousand jobs in America, strengthen critical mineral supply chains, and double current U.S. production capacity.
In line with President Trump’s executive order to unleash American energy leadership worldwide, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, and EOG Resources are partnering with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for expanded oil and natural gas production valued at $60 billion that will help lower energy costs and create hundreds of skilled jobs in both countries.
RTX is partnering with Emirates Global Aluminum and the UAE’s Tawazun Council on a pioneering Gallium project that will help secure and stabilize the United States’ critical mineral supply chain. By diversifying sources of this essential input for semiconductors and defense technologies, the partnership strengthens America’s supply security, supports high-tech manufacturing, and creates jobs across the U.S. critical minerals and defense industrial base.
Qualcomm is expanding its global innovation footprint through partnerships with ADIO and e&. A new Global Engineering Center in Abu Dhabi will focus on AI, data centers, and industrial IoT – advancing the UAE’s digital transformation while supporting U.S. research, engineering jobs and demand for American technologies. Meanwhile, the collaboration with e& accelerates the deployment of advanced connectivity, edge AI, and cloud computing solutions. Together, these efforts strengthen Qualcomm’s leadership in critical technologies, fuel U.S high-tech job creation, and bolster America’s economic and national security.
Amazon Web Services, e&, and the UAE Cybersecurity Council have launched a Sovereign Cloud Launchpad to accelerate public cloud services adoption in the UAE. The initiative is expected to contribute $181 billion to the UAE’s digital economy by 2033 and includes a new UAE cybersecurity technology Innovation center. This collaboration expands demand for U.S.–developed cloud infrastructure and cybersecurity technologies, supporting high-skilled jobs in the United States and reinforcing U.S. leadership in secure digital innovation globally.

These deals lay the foundation for investment, innovation and good-paying U.S. jobs, including in frontier technologies, aerospace, energy, and critical minerals.
Today’s deals strengthen the U.S.-UAE investment and trade relationship and build on the UAE’s landmark commitment to a 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment framework that will contribute to the U.S. boom in AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy, quantum computing, biotechnology, and manufacturing.
The U.S. and UAE signed an AI agreement today that supports the $1.4 trillion investment commitment secured in March. This includes the UAE committing to invest in, build, or finance U.S. data centers that are at least as large and as powerful as those in the UAE. The agreement also contains historic commitments by the UAE to further align their national security regulations with the United States, including strong protections to prevent the diversion of U.S.-origin technology.
The U.S.-UAE AI agreement strengthens bilateral investment partnerships, ensuring U.S. security interests and dominance in AI while extending the American tech stack to an important strategic partner.

ACCELERATING TRADE AND INVESTMENT IN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP: The strategic partnership between the United States and the United Arab Emirates has spanned decades and supported the prosperity and security of Americans and Emiratis. This partnership encompasses strategic cooperation in defense, trade, energy, space and diplomacy, reflecting shared interests and mutual respect.
This partnership is particularly significant thanks to the historic achievement of the Abraham Accords announced during President Trump’s first term.
The UAE stands as a significant commercial partner for the United States in the Middle East. Bilateral trade and investment have flourished, with the UAE serving as a hub for American businesses seeking opportunities in the region.
The UAE had $35 billion in foreign direct investments in the United States, supporting over 33,000 American jobs in 2023.
U.S. total goods trade with the UAE was an estimated $34.4 billion in 2024, with a U.S. trade surplus of $19.5 billion, the third largest in the world.

President Trump’s historic visit to the United Arab Emirates is another opportunity to welcome new partnerships in frontier technologies, health and life sciences, mobility, entertainment, and many other fields.
NEVER TIRED OF WINNING: President Trump keeps scoring great deals for the American people, securing over $2 trillion in investment agreements with Middle Eastern nations for a more safe and prosperous future.
The $200 billion UAE deals build on the $600 billion in Saudi Arabia and $1.2 trillion in Qatar the President secured on behalf of the American people.
This comes days after President Trump announced the U.S.-UK trade agreement and a joint agreement with China in pursuit of more fair, reciprocal trade that grows good-paying jobs and prosperity in America.
While it took President Biden nearly four years to secure $1 trillion in investments, President Trump achieved this in his first month, with additional investment commitments continuing to roll in.
President Trump is accelerating investment in America and securing fair trade deals around the world, paving the way for a new Golden Age of lasting prosperity for generations to come.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Around the Air Force: SECAF Confirmation, Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Aerial Wildfire Suppression

Source: United States Air Force

Headline: Around the Air Force: SECAF Confirmation, Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Aerial Wildfire Suppression

In this week’s look Around the Air Force, Dr. Troy Meink is confirmed as Secretary of the Air Force, a milestone for integrating automated aircraft systems, and Air Guard units and civilian flight crews join forces for aerial wildfire suppression training.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/SUDAN – The “drone war” hides a “proxy war”

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Friday, 16 May 2025 wars

Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) – The “drone war” is intensifying in Sudan. The use of armed drones and “suicide drones” (similar to cruise missiles, but cheaper) is primarily the prerogative of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militias, which do not have an air force.Even the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), although they have combat aircraft, are making extensive use of drones to bomb areas under RSF control.The latter have expanded the area of action of their devices, targeting Sudan’s administrative capital, controlled by the SAF, as well as the country’s most important seaport, Port Sudan (see Fides, 6/5/2025).Previously, attacks carried out by RSF drones were limited to the White Nile, Nile River, and Northern State regions, as well as Omdurman and El Fasher. Among the targets hit were power plants and fuel depots. The expansion of the areas hit by RSF drones raises the question of whether they are launched from within Sudan or from neighboring countries. This is a legitimate suspicion, especially regarding Port Sudan, which is located several hundred kilometers from known RSF positions. Some radar interference on merchant ships operating in the Red Sea suggests that the drones are launched from bases outside Sudan, perhaps from Puntland, where the United Arab Emirates – accused by the Khartoum government of supporting the RSF (see Fides, 11/4/2025) – has a major base in Bosaso (see Fides, 6/5/2025). According to this hypothesis, those who launch them disrupt the radars of ships navigating in the area to hide their launch site. Remnants of the artillery used by the RSF suggest that it is Chinese-made material supplied to Sudanese paramilitaries by the United Arab Emirates.The Khartoum government has called on Beijing to urgently intervene to prevent the RSF from acquiring Chinese-made drones and strategic aircraft. Minister of Culture and Information and government spokesperson Khaled Al-Aiser stated in a Facebook post on May 15, 2025, that China is a friendly country with historical ties and strategic interests with Sudan. He therefore called on Beijing to intervene with the Abu Dhabi regime to end violations of arms purchase contracts and end-use certificates, under which the RSF has been able to obtain advanced drones.The SAF, in turn, is suspected of using Turkish-made drones to support its offensives against the paramilitaries. There are even unconfirmed reports that, in the RSF drone attacks on Port Sudan, some Turkish experts were injured and later repatriated by air ambulance. Thus, the internal Sudanese conflict risks escalating into a “proxy war” between external powers – particularly Turkey and the Emirates – which would further aggravate the conflict. As Pope Francis, and now his successor, Pope Leo XIV, have repeatedly stated, “to end wars, we must end the arms trade.” (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 16/5/2025)
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MIL OSI Europe News –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Around the Air Force: SECAF Confirmation, Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Aerial Wildfire Suppression

Source: United States Air Force

In this week’s look Around the Air Force, Dr. Troy Meink is confirmed as Secretary of the Air Force, a milestone for integrating automated aircraft systems, and Air Guard units and civilian flight crews join forces for aerial wildfire suppression training.

MIL Security OSI –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s vision for Air Force One will turn it from the ‘Flying White House’ to a ‘palace in the sky’

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Janet Bednarek, Professor of History, University of Dayton

Former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy helped design Air Force One’s color scheme, which has been used since her husband’s presidency. Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images

Since President Donald Trump excitedly announced that he would be accepting a US$400 million plane from the Qatari government to serve as the next Air Force One, even members of his own party have expressed alarm.

There’s the price tag of refurbishing the plane with top-secret systems – upward of $1 billion, according to some estimates. Then there are the conflicts of interest from accepting such a large present from a foreign nation – what some say would be the most valuable gift ever given to the U.S.

But it would also mark a striking departure from tradition.

While they’re often variants of commercial planes, presidential planes have almost always been U.S. military aircraft, flown and maintained by the Air Force.

The first White Houses in the sky

I’m an aviation historian who once worked in the United States Air Force’s history program for three years, so I’m well-acquainted with the history of presidential aircraft.

Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first president to fly while in office. In January 1943, he boarded the Navy-owned, civilian-operated Boeing Dixie Clipper – a sea plane – for a trip to Casablanca to meet with Allied leaders.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt made the first presidential flight on a Dixie Clipper, a sea plane built by Boeing.
Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The security measures needed to safely transport the president – especially during wartime – spurred the creation of the first custom-built aircraft for presidential use, a heavily modified VC-54 Skymaster. Though officially named “The Flying White House,” the new presidential aircraft became better known by its nickname, the “Sacred Cow.”

President Harry Truman used the Sacred Cow as his presidential aircraft through much of his first term in office.

In late 1947, the U.S. Air Force ordered a second custom-built presidential aircraft, a modified DC-6, which Truman named the Independence.

While in office, Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman flew on a modified Douglas C-54, nicknamed the Sacred Cow.
Museum of Flight/Corbis via Getty Images

During Dwight D. Eisenhower’s two terms, the president flew on two different planes operated by the Air Force: the Columbine II, which was a customized, military version of Lockheed’s commercial airliner the Constellation, and the Columbine III, which was a Super Constellation.

Embracing the jet age

In the 1960s, the use of jet engine technology in U.S. commercial aircraft revolutionized air travel, allowing planes to fly higher, farther and faster. Jet travel became associated with the glamorous and the elegant lifestyles of the “jet set” crowd.

So it’s fitting that President John F. Kennedy – who was sometimes called the “the first celebrity president” – was the first White House occupant to fly in a jet, the Boeing 707.

Kennedy’s aircraft was also the first painted in the distinctive light blue-and-white scheme that’s still used today. First lady Jacqueline Kennedy developed it with the help of industrial designer Raymond Loewy.

It would go on to serve eight presidents before leaving the presidential fleet in 1990, when Boeing delivered the first of two modified Boeing 747s.

These are the aircraft that continue to serve as the president’s primary plane. Boeing signed a contract to provide two new aircraft in 2017, during Trump’s last term. In 2020, the company decided to refurbish two existing aircraft that were originally built for another customer.

The refurbishment has been more cumbersome and expensive than building a new aircraft from scratch. But it’s the only option because Boeing closed its 747 assembly line in late 2022.

A nickname sticks

On a trip to Florida, the crew of Columbine II first used “Air Force One” as the plane’s call sign to clearly distinguish the plane from other air traffic.

While the public has associated the name Air Force One with the modified Boeing 707s and 747s and their distinctive colors, any plane with the president aboard will carry that call sign.

They include several smaller aircraft, also operated by the Air Force, such as the North American T-39 Sabreliner used to transport Lyndon B. Johnson to his ranch in Texas and the Lockheed VC-140B JetStars, the fleet of backup planes used by several presidents, which Johnson jokingly called “Air Force One Half.”

A cultural and political symbol

Air Force One has long served as a symbol of the power and prestige of the presidency.

It became an indelible part of U.S. history in November 1963, when Johnson took his oath of office from Air Force One’s cabin while Kennedy’s body lay in rest in the back of the aircraft.

Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn in as president aboard Air Force One following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Air Force One carried President Richard M. Nixon to China and the Soviet Union for historic diplomatic missions. But it also famously flew him from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland to his home state, California, after he resigned from office. On that day, the plane took off as Air Force One. But it landed as SAM 27000, the plane’s call sign used when the president wasn’t on board.

Trump has been compared to Nixon in more ways than one.

And Trump’s complaint that Arab leaders have bigger and more impressive airplanes than the current Air Force One is reminiscent of Nixon’s own concerns of being outclassed on the world stage.

The Nixon family boards Air Force One to fly to California on Aug. 9, 1974, following President Richard Nixon’s resignation.
Wally McNamee/Corbis via Getty Images

When president, Nixon strongly advocated for American supersonic transport – a 270-passenger plane designed to be faster than the speed of sound – that he hoped could be modified to serve as a new Air Force One. He feared the failure to develop an SST would relegate the U.S. to second-tier status, as other world leaders – particularly those from England, France and the USSR – traversed the globe in sleeker, better performing aircraft.

Trump’s concerns about Air Force One seem less focused on safety and security and more on size and opulence. His longing for a “palace in the sky” is befitting for a president drawn to soaring skyscrapers, lavish parades and gold ornamentation.

Janet Bednarek does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Trump’s vision for Air Force One will turn it from the ‘Flying White House’ to a ‘palace in the sky’ – https://theconversation.com/trumps-vision-for-air-force-one-will-turn-it-from-the-flying-white-house-to-a-palace-in-the-sky-256745

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 17, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese-Kazakhstani elite engineering institute will be created on the basis of cooperation between SZPU and KazNU

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

BEIJING, May 16 (Xinhua) — A China-Kazakhstan Elite Engineering Institute will be established based on cooperation between the Northwestern Polytechnical University (NWPU) of China and the Kazakh National University named after Al-Farabi (KazNU), the NWPU website reported.

The agreement on the establishment of the above-mentioned institute, which will be located in the Kazakh branch of SZPU in Almaty, was concluded recently within the framework of the 1st Meeting of Ministers of Education “China-Central Asia” between SZPU and KazNU.

The establishment of elite engineering institutes abroad is a project developed by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China on the basis of unified planning in the field of international cooperation.

The Chinese-Kazakhstan Elite Engineering Institute will establish cooperation with enterprises of both countries in the field of training highly qualified engineers with an innovative approach, said SZPU Rector Song Baowei.

SZPU is located in Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province /Northwest China/. The university, which belongs to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the PRC, is one of the most important centers in the country for scientific research and training of specialists in the field of aviation, astronautics, navigation, etc.

In recent years, NWPU has been actively cooperating with research institutions in the countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. In May 2023, NWPU and KazNU signed an agreement to open a Kazakhstan branch of the Northwestern Polytechnical University of China. The branch was opened five months later in Almaty. Thus, according to the data, Kazakhstani students were given the opportunity to do an internship in Xi’an. Upon completion of their studies, they will receive diplomas from two universities. -0-

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Critical Minerals Strategy receives Cabinet thumbs up

Source: South Africa News Agency

Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, says Cabinet has approved the Critical Minerals Strategy.

Ntshavheni was speaking during a post-Cabinet media briefing in Pretoria on Thursday.

Critical minerals are key components in renewable energy technologies and South Africa has an abundance of these.

“This strategy aims to maximise the country’s potential in the global market of critical minerals, particularly those crucial for the country’s just energy transition plan and the ones the country holds comparative advantage. These include the PGMs, lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements, which are vital for technologies like electric vehicles, renewable energy and other green initiatives.

“Key pillars of the strategy focus on exploration and beneficiation; investment; localisation; streamlining regulations, fostering innovation in mining technologies; building workforce skills; improving transport and logistics infrastructure, and incentivising investment.

“The strategy further recognises the importance of collaboration with other countries to develop the potential of South Africa’s critical minerals sector,” Ntshavheni said.

Shoring up policing

Turning to matters of crime, the Minister said Cabinet had also approved the National Policing Policy targeted at resolving challenges in the South African Police Service (SAPS).

“The [National Policing Policy]…outlines government’s broad plans to address shortcomings in the mandate of the South African Police Service to combat crime. The NPP will address challenges such as inadequate police stations, capacity issues and ensure that infrastructure is based on proper norms and standards.

“Key policy proposals include creating professional and quality policing, providing efficient and effective policing service delivery, improving legitimacy and trust between communities and the police, and building a strong and ethical leadership, management and governance architecture within the SAPS,” she said.

Addressing aviation

Cabinet has also approved the draft Comprehensive Civil Aviation Policy for public comments.

“[The] policy promotes the development of an efficient and productive aviation industry, which can compete in a rapidly changing global environment.

“The policy proposes measures to improve safety and security, air navigation services, airport infrastructure and quality of aviation services, among others whilst contributing to economic growth,” Ntshavheni said. – SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Qatar, US sign major deals to boost cooperation

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (2nd R) and U.S. President Donald Trump (2nd L) witness the signing of a series of deals at the Amiri Diwan in Doha, Qatar, on May 14, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Qatar and the United States signed on Wednesday a series of deals to boost bilateral cooperation following a meeting between the two heads of state, according to a statement from the Emiri Diwan, the administrative office of the Qatari emir.

The two sides signed a purchase agreement for Boeing aircraft, which is described by the White House in a fact sheet elaborating on some of the deals as a “historic” sale order worth 96 billion U.S. dollars, with Qatar Airways’ acquisition of up to 210 Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft.

Qatar and the U.S. also signed a statement of intent on defense cooperation, outlining over 38 billion dollars in potential investments, including support for burden-sharing at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar and future defense capabilities related to air and maritime security.

In addition, two letters of offer and acceptance were signed, one for U.S. General Atomics MQ-9B drones and the other for a counter-drone system developed by U.S. defense firm Raytheon, with the U.S. securing agreements valued at about 3 billion dollars in total, according to the White House fact sheet.

A joint declaration of cooperation between the two governments was also signed.

Prior to the signing ceremony, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and U.S. President Donald Trump held talks on a range of bilateral issues, with a particular focus on investment, energy, military, and security cooperation.

They also discussed regional and international developments, particularly those in the Middle East, with the Qatari emir emphasizing the importance of promoting peace and stability in the region.

The meeting came during Trump’s visit to the Gulf state, part of his first major overseas tour since taking office in January — a trip that also includes stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

MIL OSI China News –

May 16, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: The space race is being reshaped by geopolitics, offering opportunities for countries such as New Zealand

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Zámborský, Senior Lecturer, Management & International Business, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

NASA/Getty Imges

The space economy is being reshaped — not just by innovation, but by geopolitics. What was once dominated by state space agencies, and more recently by private ventures, is evolving into a hybrid model in which government priorities and commercial capabilities are intertwined.

The rise of protectionist policies, tariff wars, export controls and national security concerns is forcing space firms to adapt their strategies – and in many cases, to rethink where and how they operate.

This offers countries such as New Zealand the opportunity to stand out in the new space race – becoming neutral ground with fewer trade and other regulatory barriers for the growth of the emerging hybrid space economy.

Looking to space

The New Zealand government plans to double the size of the space and advanced aviation sectors by 2030. Already, about 20,000 workers are employed in these sectors, generating US$1.8 billion in revenue.

New Zealand’s flagship player in the space sector is Rocket Lab. Founded in 2006, the integrated space firm was listed on NASDAQ in 2021. By the end of 2024, the company was worth around US$8 billion.

While its headquarters are in the United States, Rocket Lab also operates in Canada and keeps around 700 of its 2,000 global staff and its key launch site in New Zealand. Recently, it also announced the acquisition of a German optical communications supplier, Mynaric.

Founded in New Zealand by Peter Beck, Rocket Lab is now headquartered in the United States with sites in Canada and elsewhere.
Phil Walter/Getty Images

Opportunities in US trade war

Rocket Lab’s decision to engage in substantial foreign investment and diversify its operations across the US, New Zealand, Canada and Europe gives it flexibility in responding to the US-initiated trade war.

The current and possible future US tariffs have created uncertainty for investors. Along with retaliatory measures by China and other nations, these developments have significant consequences for space firms.

Companies in this field rely on globally sourced components (for example, semiconductors and electronic components) and materials such as steel and specialised fuel for their operations.

Firms based in just one location can suffer from tariffs or retaliatory restrictions. But those with operations in several countries — especially in more neutral countries such as New Zealand and some Southeast Asian nations — may benefit from geopolitical tensions. Geostrategic diversification gives them more options, including less risky locations for operations, trade and investments in the space sector.

A recent Deloitte report noted that companies in the space ecosystem may prefer to look for launch sites and satellite providers on neutral ground.

Initiatives are already emerging in Indonesia and Malaysia to construct commercial spaceports and attract investment in satellite manufacturing.

The benefits of being neutral

The rising geopolitical tensions mean new space firms from relatively neutral countries such as New Zealand are increasingly aligning with national defence priorities. The emerging hybrid space economy is, in some ways, a response to this global power realignment.

New Zealand has historically sought to balance strong trade ties with China, its largest trading partner, with security cooperation with the US as part of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. But recent developments have prompted a reassessment.

Notably, the presence of Chinese warships in the Tasman Sea and upheavals in the global security climate after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to a review of New Zealand’s defence posture.

The government is now aiming to double defence spending to 2% of GDP. The US military has held talks with New Zealand about launching more satellites from this country.

Earlier this year, Rocket Lab also declared it was “ready to serve the Pentagon”. For example, it secured contracts worth about US$500 million to launch a satellite from New Zealand for BlackSky, a US-based space-based intelligence provider.

Rocket Lab also became one of five launch companies invited to compete for missions under the US National Security Space Launch program. This program puts the most valuable military and spy satellites into orbit, worth up to US$6 billion of Pentagon contracts in the next few years.

Tapping into foreign investment

Nations’ increased needs for domestic space defence capabilities also create foreign investment opportunities. For example, Airbus will design and build a new military satellite system costing about US$170 million in the United Kingdom to improve real-time military imagery.

Ongoing economic strife and possible military conflicts have important implications for the strategies of new space firms and the policies of nations seeking space investment.

New space firms may redirect their investment to countries where their main customers are located (for example, the US or European Union) or to neutral countries less affected by geopolitical tensions (for example, New Zealand). This allows them to diversify and reduce exposure to tariffs and other restrictions.

In New Zealand, this may mean more government investment not only by Rocket Lab, but also involvement by other industry players from the US, Japan or Europe.

Commercial opportunities in the new space sector will remain. But the shape of the sector may move towards a more hybrid space, recognising both commercial and national security interests in times of economic war.

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The space race is being reshaped by geopolitics, offering opportunities for countries such as New Zealand – https://theconversation.com/the-space-race-is-being-reshaped-by-geopolitics-offering-opportunities-for-countries-such-as-new-zealand-256773

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI China: More tax refund stores set to open

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

China plans to accelerate the availability of tax refund stores for eligible overseas visitors to about 10,000 shops nationwide this year, almost tripling the current number, as the country continues to boost inbound tourism and consumption, a senior official said.

By the end of last year, China had more than 3,700 stores nationwide available for tax refunds for overseas visitors, adding more than 600 stores over the previous year, the Ministry of Commerce said.

Promoting inbound consumption serves as an important lever to help vigorously boost consumption, and it holds great growth potential. It will also help offset the impact of additional tariffs to a certain extent, said Sheng Qiuping, vice-minister of commerce, during a conference on Thursday in Beijing.

China will continue to optimize the layout of tax refund stores, and encourage various regions to set up such stores in major commercial complexes, shopping streets, tourist attractions, resorts, cultural and museum venues, airports, passenger ports, hotels and other places where overseas tourists gather, according to a guideline issued by the Ministry of Commerce and five other departments in late April.

The country has lowered the starting point for tax refunds from 500 yuan ($69.3) to 200 yuan and doubled the limit for cash refunds from 10,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan.

In addition, the country will relax the registration requirements for retailers to become tax refund stores, allowing newly opened shops that have been established for less than a year to apply to become tax refund shops, and the filing time has been shortened to within five working days, the guideline said.

“Tax refund stores are also encouraged to broaden product offerings to include time-honored brands, renowned Chinese consumer goods, smart devices, intangible cultural heritage items, crafts and specialty products,” Sheng said.

Globally, Japan has more than 60,000 stores that are available for tax refunds for overseas visitors, and South Korea has some 20,000 such stores. France, Germany and Italy each have over 10,000 such stores. The number of such stores in China is far from enough, the Ministry of Commerce said.

Last year, the total expenditure of inbound tourists in China reached $94.2 billion, accounting for 0.5 percent of China’s GDP, which is lower than the proportions of 1 percent to 3 percent for major countries in the world, said the commerce ministry.

“Accelerating the promotion of the tax refund policy will help reduce shopping costs for overseas travelers and inject new impetus to boost consumption. This is an important measure for China to cope with external uncertainties,” Sheng said.

China has been opening its doors wider to international travelers. In 2024, the country expanded its unilateral visa-free policy to include 38 countries, allowing visits of up to 30 days, according to the National Immigration Administration.

Multiple favorable policies have helped significantly boost inbound consumption. During the recent five-day May Day holiday, the country saw the number of inbound and outbound passenger trips of foreign visitors exceed 1.1 million, up 43.1 percent year-on-year, said the National Immigration Administration.

Shanghai, one of the cities with the highest concentration of foreign tourists, said inbound consumption has become an important lever for it to actively respond to the trade frictions between China and the United States, and promoting inbound consumption will help the city to build itself into an international consumption center.

MIL OSI China News –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Xizang’s civil aviation sector takes to the skies, boosting trade, tourism

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

A maiden flight from Lhasa to Pokhara is seen at Lhasa Konggar International Airport in Lhasa, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, March 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Tenzin Nyida)

Southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region opened three new international and regional cargo flight routes in the first quarter (Q1).

The routes link Lhasa, the regional capital, to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Nepal’s capital city of Kathmandu, and Pokhara, the second-largest city in Nepal, according to the Xizang regional office of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).

The maiden flight from Hong Kong arrived at the Lhasa Konggar International Airport at the end of April, carrying 868 kilograms of prepackaged food and other items, including preserved prunes with dried tangerine peel, preserved ginger with plum, and loquat syrup with fritillaria extract.

“Over the years, Xizang has witnessed a sustained increase in demand for imported snacks, with consumers showing growing preference for high-quality and diverse food products,” said Tenzin, general manager of the marketing department of Xizang airport group.

“The specialty snacks in this shipment from Hong Kong will further diversify market offerings, providing consumers with more premium choices,” Tenzin added.

This batch of goods was not only the first shipment of cross-border e-commerce imported through Xizang’s aviation port, but also marked the first-ever air cargo connection between Hong Kong and the region, according to the airport customs.

“The smooth customs clearance of this shipment showed Xizang’s breakthrough in cross-border air freight channels, significantly enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of regional cross-border trade,” said Li Shisen, director of the airport customs.

The two air routes between Lhasa and Nepal will facilitate imports of high-quality textiles and distinctive copper handicrafts from Nepal. “This strategic addition will diversify our import portfolio while strengthening bilateral trade ties,” Li added.

The new cargo flight routes have also accelerated the distribution of Xizang’s distinctive products to domestic and global markets. According to official statistics, Xizang’s civil aviation sector handled 11,375.3 tonnes of air freight in Q1, up 12.4 percent year on year.

This year, Xizang’s foreign trade has seen steady growth. In Q1, the total import and export value of the region reached 2.308 billion yuan (about 320.72 million U.S. dollars), a 5.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the customs of Lhasa.

Of the total, Xizang’s exports reached 1.95 billion yuan, remaining stable compared with last year, while its imports amounted to 358 million yuan, marking a 56.7 percent year-on-year increase.

Xizang now has a network of 79 domestic air cargo routes, and continues to strengthen logistics connectivity with other regions across the country.

“Now, fresh agricultural products like matsutake mushrooms can be delivered from the plateau to major cities across the country within 72 hours, with some cities enjoying an ultra-fast two-hour delivery service,” said Liu Jie of the Xizang branch of China Post Group Corporation Limited.

Not only domestic and international trade, but also the tourism industry in Xizang is being driven by the takeoff of the region’s civil aviation sector.

With the arrival of the peak tourist season in Xizang, which will last until the end of October, airlines have been launching new routes and increasing flight frequencies to meet the growing travel demand from domestic and international passengers. Data shows that 11 domestic and foreign airlines currently operate flights to Xizang, connecting it to 58 cities worldwide.

The ever-expanding flight network is providing residents in Xizang with more travel options than ever before.

“Today our tour group will depart from Lhasa, then travel to Pokhara and Kathmandu in sequence, before finally flying back from Kathmandu,” said Pasang, a tour guide with a local travel agency. “The launch of these new air routes has significantly reduced travel time, directly boosting our company’s business.”

According to Penpa Tsering, a regional civil aviation official, Xizang’s civil aviation sector will continue its aviation network development to achieve convenient connectivity with more cities in home and abroad.

MIL OSI China News –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China ready to work with France to safeguard open, cooperative int’l economic, trade environment: vice premier

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

China ready to work with France to safeguard open, cooperative int’l economic, trade environment: vice premier

PARIS, May 15 — Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said here on Thursday that China is willing to work with France to strengthen coordination on multilateral international affairs, and safeguard an open and cooperative international economic and trade environment.

He, the Chinese lead person of the China-France High Level Economic and Financial Dialogue, made the remarks while co-chairing the 10th China-France High Level Economic and Financial Dialogue, with Eric Lombard, the French lead person of the dialogue and French minister of economy, finance and industrial and digital sovereignty.

Last year marked the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and the two heads of state reached a series of important consensuses on deepening bilateral relations and cooperation, He noted.

He said that China stands ready to work with France to implement these consensuses, strengthen coordination on multilateral international affairs, safeguard an open and cooperative international economic and trade environment, enrich bilateral economic and financial cooperation, tap the potential for mutually beneficial cooperation, and create a favorable trade and investment environment, so as to inject new vitality into the China-France comprehensive strategic partnership while leading China-Europe cooperation to achieve new development.

Lombard said that France attaches great importance to its relations with China, and is willing to work with China to address global challenges such as climate change, and uphold multilateralism and trade freedom.

France will continue to provide high-quality products for Chinese consumers, foster a better business environment to attract more Chinese enterprises to invest and expand business in France, and deliver more fruitful outcomes through practical economic and financial cooperation between the two countries, Lombard said.

During the dialogue, the Chinese and French sides conducted in-depth communication and exchanges on multiple topics, and signed bilateral cooperation documents regarding poultry meat, breeding poultry and breeding eggs. He and Lombard also delivered speeches at a symposium attended by Chinese and French entrepreneurs.

During his stay in France, He also visited French family farms and met with representatives from French companies from various sectors including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and aviation.

MIL OSI China News –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Calls for Better Infrastructure Investment in Rural America

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) questioned U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on his plans to help rural communities in Arkansas and across the country maintain important transportation services and secure funding for critical infrastructure projects.
The senator reiterated the importance of the Essential Air Service (EAS) and Contract Towers programs, which he has long supported for their success collaborating with private industry to serve rural residents.
“I know you know that, coming from the part of the country that you represented,” Boozman said.
The EAS program helps connect smaller communities to regional and national transportation hubs while the Contract Tower program, in which five Natural State airports participate, provides high quality, cost-effective and critical air traffic control services that enhance safety, improve operations and deliver significant Federal Aviation Administration cost-savings.

Boozman additionally urged greater attention to the persistent problem rural communities face when competing for infrastructure investments.
“The most recent census revealed that more than half of the counties across the nation saw a population decline. While rural America’s population is declining, its infrastructure remains just as vital in our interconnected communities. Urban and suburban projects are often given priority,” Boozman said.
“You have to pay attention to it. You have to understand it. And it’s having people from rural America fight for it. I think that’s critical,” Duffy responded. “On the discretionary grants, there’s tools and help that’s offered to smaller communities to try to access additional resources, but it goes to the point that this has become so complicated. What we’re going to work on is, how can we make this process simpler?”
“The ability to apply is so complex, so complicated. You’re talking about spending thousands of dollars for grant writers. That’s something we’ve simply got to concentrate on. Because it does make it very, very difficult for our small communities,” Boozman said.
The senator also raised the benefits of adopting emerging technologies to plan, build and maintain infrastructure.
“From advanced digital construction management systems to automated inspection tools like drones and remote sensing, these innovations can help address workforce shortages, improve project delivery and enhance safety across our transportation network,” Boozman said.
Duffy assured the senator that he and the department are eager to embrace innovation.
“Sometimes we’re thought of as hard hats and light-reflecting vests. I am in favor of exploring all options that can reduce our costs, increase safety. I do think we are at the cusp of a technological revolution in regard to the way that people move, and our products move. We have to get it right,” Duffy explained.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Joins Schumer, Schiff, Colleagues in Demanding Independent Department of Defense Inquiry of Trump’s Acceptance of Qatari Plane

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
May 14, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) and six other Senate national security leaders urging Acting Inspector General of the Department of Defense (DoD) Steven Stebbins to open an inquiry into DoD’s involvement facilitating the transfer of an unprecedented foreign gift intended for President Trump’s personal use. The Senators’ letter follows reports that President Donald Trump will accept a $400 million luxury plane as a gift from the Qatari government, in violation of the Constitution.
“DOD risks becoming embroiled in a brazen attempt to evade constitutional limitations on the acceptance of personal gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval. The Constitution provides that ‘no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.’ Congress has granted consent in only a narrow set of circumstances under the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, and none of these circumstances are applicable here,” the Senators wrote.
“Securing the plane against counterintelligence and surveillance risks, moreover, would be costly. Initial reporting suggests that the plane would need to be substantially retrofitted by a military contractor to ensure it meets necessary security and counterintelligence standards, which could take years to complete. DOD, and by extension U.S. taxpayers, would thereby bear the ultimate cost, which could be significant. This timeline, moreover, reinforces that such a gift is not, in fact, intended for official use. By the time the plane would be ready for President Trump’s use as part of the Air Force One fleet, we would likely be approaching the final stretch of President Trump’s final term in office, at which point the Department would likely be directed to transfer it to President Trump’s presidential library for his ultimate personal use,” the Senators continued.
Along with Duckworth, Schumer and Schiff, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Coons (D-DE) Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
Full text of the letter is available on Senator Duckworth’s website and below:
Dear Mr. Stebbins,
We write to request that you conduct an inquiry into the Department of Defense’s (DOD) role in facilitating and serving as a pass-through for President Trump to receive a luxury plane worth an estimated $400 million from Qatar.
Following initial public reports, President Trump confirmed on May 12, 2025, that he intends to accept this unprecedented gift from the Qatari royal family, which would constitute one of the largest foreign gifts ever accepted by a President or the U.S. government. According to public reporting, the Qatari government initially considered donating the plane directly to President Trump through his presidential library, but the Administration sought legal advice to restructure the transfer to circumvent constitutional and statutory prohibitions, including federal bribery and ethics laws.
Public reports raise the troubling prospect that the Administration involved DOD to (1) launder this impermissible gift, so that the Department could provide cover to give the transfer of the plane the appearance of an official gift; (2) place the onus on DOD to retrofit the plane at considerable cost to U.S. taxpayers; and (3) ultimately transfer it to President Trump’s library prior to the end of his term for his continued use in a personal capacity.
DOD risks becoming embroiled in a brazen attempt to evade constitutional limitations on the acceptance of personal gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval. The Constitution provides that “no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.” Congress has granted consent in only a narrow set of circumstances under the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act, and none of these circumstances are applicable here.
In addition to these serious constitutional and legal concerns, this foreign emolument – and DOD’s possible involvement in facilitating it – could present severe foreign influence and counterintelligence risks. It could entangle DOD in President Trump’s personal financial interests and conflicts of interest, warp DOD’s military recommendations and advice moving forward, and undermine public confidence in the Department.
Securing the plane against counterintelligence and surveillance risks, moreover, would be costly. Initial reporting suggests that the plane would need to be substantially retrofitted by a military contractor to ensure it meets necessary security and counterintelligence standards, which could take years to complete. DOD, and by extension U.S. taxpayers, would thereby bear the ultimate cost, which could be significant. This timeline, moreover, reinforces that such a gift is not, in fact, intended for official use. By the time the plane would be ready for President Trump’s use as part of the Air Force One fleet, we would likely be approaching the final stretch of President Trump’s final term in office, at which point the Department would likely be directed to transfer it to President Trump’s presidential library for his ultimate personal use.
Accordingly, we request that you initiate an inquiry into the facts and circumstances surrounding DOD’s involvement to date in seeking to facilitate this foreign gift transfer and pursue a comprehensive audit and investigation to assess fraud, waste, and abuse if and when such a transfer occurs.
In doing so, we ask that you consider and provide an assessment of the following, including in classified form if needed:
the cost estimate and assessed timeline for retrofitting such an aircraft and installing communications and other equipment necessary to meet security and counterintelligence requirements for the Air Force One fleet;
the timeline, if any, that the White House has directed for this aircraft to be ready for the President’s use, whether necessary modifications can be made within such a timeframe to meet Air Force One standards, and what risks such a timeline could entail;
whether the existing contract for other Air Force One aircraft will continue or be terminated, including the cost of termination; and
the counterintelligence and security risks of incorporating this aircraft, provided by a foreign government, into the Air Force One fleet.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter and to this request.
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MIL OSI USA News –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth Presses FAA Officials on What the Agency is Doing Right Now to Prevent Even More Failures Like Recent Newark ATC Blackouts

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
May 14, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Former Blackhawk helicopter pilot and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation (CST) and Ranking Member of the Aviation Subcommittee—today pressed top FAA officials on what the agency is doing right now to prevent further failures like the ongoing situation at Newark Airport from happening at other airports across the country, in addition to addressing the urgent need to update our air traffic control systems over the long term. The Senator’s opening statement and questioning can be found on her YouTube.
“The deadly DCA crash, spike in near misses and recent air traffic control equipment outages impacting Newark have been terrifying, but they are not surprising,” said Duckworth. “I’ve been sounding the alarm about close calls and aging equipment for years—because the urgent need to overhaul our air traffic control systems, which will take years, has been so clear for so long. But in addition to that long-term overhaul, right now FAA must ramp up their efforts to proactively mitigate foreseeable risks—like what’s happening at Newark Airport or the recent near-misses at DCA.”
Additionally, Duckworth slammed the Trump Administration’s drastic cuts to FAA staff—with 700 employees reportedly having accepted FAA’s first deferred resignation offer and more than 2,000 projected to accept it in a second round—for being detrimental to the agency’s mission of protecting the flying public. Duckworth stressed, “Acting FAA Administrator Rocheleau said he expects a further reduction in force. We’ve been told the administration isn’t terminating air traffic controllers or others who are critical for safety—but FAA’s mission is literally safety. How do they think firing thousands of dedicated employees is going to help FAA meet this safety-critical moment?”
For years—long before the deadly DCA crash—Duckworth has been sounding the alarm that we must make these critical aviation safety investments immediately to prevent all-too-often near-misses from becoming catastrophic tragedies. Last Congress, Duckworth chaired two CST Aviation Subcommittee hearings—one last December and the other a year prior—to address our aviation industry’s chilling surge in near-deadly close calls and underscore the urgent need to improve air traffic control systems to protect the flying public.
As our nation continues to experience an air traffic controller shortage amid multiple near-misses, midair collisions and communication outages, Duckworth has underscored how critical it is that the FAA does not sacrifice effectiveness in favor of efficiency by lowering its longstanding high standards that new controllers must meet. Two weeks after the horrific DCA aircraft collision that killed 67 passengers and crew, the Trump Administration began firing hundreds of FAA employees. Last month, Duckworth sent a letter to FAA Acting Administrator Rocheleau on the reasoning behind these cuts to the workforce.
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MIL OSI USA News –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Bipartisan Duckworth-Daines-Cruz-Hirono Bill to Better Protect Parents Traveling with Breast Milk Passes Senate

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
May 15, 2025
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) to make it easier for parents to safely embark on air travel with breast milk and breastfeeding supplies successfully passed through the U.S. Senate. Senator Duckworth’s Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening (BABES) Enhancement Act—co-led by U.S. Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI)—would require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to clarify and regularly update guidance on handling breast milk, baby formula and other related nutrition products, including ice packs, in consultation with leading maternal health groups.
“After pushing for this for years, I’m proud the Senate passed this long overdue legislation that would make it easier for new moms to travel with their breast milk and the breastfeeding equipment they need to pump and feed their babies,” said Senator Duckworth. “I’ll continue to keep pushing this legislation forward to ensure the TSA keeps its employees up to speed on their own policies and updates those policies as necessary. It’s the least we can do to help parents travel through airports with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
“Moms have a tough job, and we should be doing everything we can to support them,” said Senator Daines. “The last thing mothers should have to worry about is safely transporting breast milk and formula while traveling, so I’m glad to see the bipartisan BABES Enhancement Act pass the Senate. Supporting moms and families will always be my top priority, and I look forward to getting this bill across the finish line.”
“Traveling with infants and young children can be challenging enough, but inconsistencies with TSA screening can cause serious hassles for mothers who need to keep their children fed and happy,” said Senator Cruz. “I am proud to have joined Sen. Duckworth in championing the BABES Enhancement Act, a common-sense update to the TSA’s guidance for handling liquids that will reduce inconveniences for families flying across America.”
“I am proud to see the BABES Enhancement Act pass the Senate to help ensure that families can travel with peace of mind that milk and other supplies to keep young children fed are handled with care,” said Senator Hirono. “Parents have enough to worry about when traveling and shouldn’t have to fear being harassed, humiliated, or put in danger for simply traveling with materials they need to keep their babies fed.”
The bipartisan BABES Enhancement Act would help keep breastfeeding parents and their kids safe and healthy while traveling by air. Mishandled breast milk can become contaminated, which puts children at risk. Moreover, parents who lactate typically need to breastfeed or pump once every few hours. Failure to do so can result in a clogged milk duct or a painful infection called mastitis. The legislation would better protect families by requiring TSA to:
Issue guidance promoting the hygienic handling of any breast milk, baby formula and other infant nutrition products, as well as accessories required to preserve these products;
Consult with nationally recognized maternal health organizations in establishing and communicating this guidance; and
Update guidance every five years to respond to emerging needs of parents and to account for developments in technology.
This legislation would also direct an independent government watchdog to conduct an audit of compliance with TSA screening policies for passengers traveling with breast milk and other infant nutrition products, providing lawmakers with information related to violations of policies.
A copy of the bill text is available on Senator Duckworth’s website.
Duckworth has been a strong advocate in ensuring moms receive the dignity and respect they deserve while traveling. Last year, the bipartisan BABES Enhancement Act was passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate. In 2022, Duckworth pressed TSA Administrator David Pekoske for improved treatment of new mothers and Americans with disabilities from employees of the TSA. That same year, Duckworth also called on TSA to address inconsistent implementation of the 3-1-1 Liquids Rule Exemption travel policy for breast milk and formula at airport security checkpoints as well as ensure new moms and their infants can travel safely without fear of harassment.
Duckworth has also championed several policies that help make air travel easier for new moms. Her bipartisan Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) Improvement Act, which was signed into law in 2020, is helping ensure our small airports across the country support new moms and promote breastfeeding-friendly environments. The legislation builds on Duckworth’s success in enacting a law that ensures all large and medium airports provide a clean, private space where moms can breastfeed or pump. As a result of her legislation, O’Hare and Midway Airports both installed free-standing lactation pods.
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MIL OSI USA News –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Van Hollen, Sanders, Kaine, Schatz File Joint Resolutions Of Disapproval On $1.6B In Arms Sales To United Arab Emirates

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

May 15, 2025

WASHINGTON–As President Trump actively engages in the corruption of U.S. foreign policy, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), and Tim Kaine (D-Va.), members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday filed joint resolutions of disapproval (JRD) that would block three arms sales to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). At the Token 2049 crypto conference in Dubai in April, MGX, an investment firm backed by the Emiratis, announced that it would use a stablecoin issued by World Liberty Financial, a crypto company directly backed by the Trump family, to facilitate a $2 billion investment in the Binance cryptocurrency exchange. Concerns have also been raised about the UAE’s arming of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who have killed tens of thousands of people in Sudan and furthered the civil war in that country.
The three sales include:
Six CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters and associated equipment, valued at $1.32 billion (see text)
F-16 aircraft components, accessories and defense services, valued at $130 million (see text)
Spare and repair parts to support the United Arab Emirates’ fleet of AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Black Hawk, and CH-47 Chinook aircraft, and other logistics and program support, valued at $150 million (see text)
“The Emiratis invested $2 billion in a company run by the sons of the President of the United States and the Special Envoy to the Middle East. Now, the administration wants to sell $1.6 billion in military aircraft to the UAE. Trump’s foreign policy is really that simple – make him and his family richer in exchange for favors like arms sales and access to our most advanced computer chips. If a foreign government is participating in this kind of nuclear grade corruption by directly enriching the President and his family, we are going to force a full Senate debate on that behavior and a vote on their security relationship with the United States,” said Murphy.
“As I’ve repeatedly said, the United States should not provide weapons to the UAE until they cease arming the murderous RSF – a paramilitary group in Sudan that has prolonged the civil war, brought on humanitarian catastrophe, and committed genocide. The U.S. should not be delivering weapons to the UAE as it aids and abets this humanitarian disaster and gross human rights violations. We must stop this corrupt Trump family crypto-for-arms deal and use our leverage to prevent more suffering in Sudan – and bring its civil war to a peaceful resolution,” said Van Hollen.
“Everywhere I go in Virginia, I hear about how worried folks are about price hikes because of President Trump’s tariffs and the massive cuts he’s trying to implement on basic government services, including Medicaid. Meanwhile, he’s hatching secret plans with corrupt foreign governments to enrich himself with crypto deals, golf courses, and a luxury plane?” said Kaine. “I’m glad to be working with my colleagues to force votes on legislation challenging arms sales to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to make it clear that bribing an American president is one of the fastest ways to poison your relationship with the United States. Countries around the world should take notice.”
“Trump’s personal business ties with the UAE while pushing for U.S. arms sales is a blatant conflict of interest,” said Schatz. “This is no way for the leader of the free world to conduct foreign policy.”
“The UAE is exploiting Trump’s greed by routing $2 billion through a cryptocurrency scheme that will bring his family tens of millions a year, all while lobbying the President for arms sales and access to sensitive technology. This is blatant corruption and we must not let it stand,” said Sanders.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Murray Slams Sweeping Funding Freeze at DOT, Grills Duffy on Massive Staffing Cuts at FAA, Across DOT

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks and questioning***

Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Appropriations Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee hearing on the fiscal year 2026 budget request for the Department of Transportation (DOT), U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, called out how this administration has illegally frozen, cancelled, and slow-walked federal funding for transportation projects across America and grilled Secretary Sean Duffy on how exactly the significant reductions in staff at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) impact the agency’s core mission of keeping Americans safe. She also pressed him to detail the significant cuts implied in President Trump’s preliminary budget request for DOT and asked when exactly the full budget will arrive.

In opening comments, Vice Chair Murray said:

“Secretary Duffy, let me turn to you, as you know, every day, billions of dollars in commerce and countless lives depend on your agency to keep our roads, our rails, our skies, and our ports running safely and smoothly.

“You are responsible for getting hundreds of billions of dollars provided by Congress out the door to build thousands of infrastructure projects across our country.

“Yet, since January 20, virtually every dollar and transportation project has been held up at some point, and you are causing a traffic jam. From freezing funding for projects, to creating new hurdles by re-evaluating grants that had already been approved, adding red tape by forcing unacceptable political demands on state and local transportation agencies, and outright actually cancelling and cutting grants.

“This is not normal.

“No prior transportation secretary has cut funding for previously awarded grants in this manner. It is really to me, a political and partisan approach that really actually sets a terrible precedent.

“I know at the House appropriations hearing yesterday, you blamed the previous Administration for absolutely everything. But I just want to say this today: the last administration did not make the decision to hold up thousands of grants, had nothing to do with the new red tape that you have created, and certainly did not let go of hundreds of staff that help get those grants out the door.

“In fact, the last administration increased the number of grants signed from 330 in its first year, to over 1,500 last year—executing more than 3,350 projects.

“So, you can’t blame Secretary Buttigieg or President Biden—it simply does not pass muster.

“All the while, we know you have pushed out nearly 5,000 DOT employees through firings and buyouts, and you have actually said you’ll fire thousands more.

“We don’t need fewer people keeping trains on the tracks, making sure air bags work, or rebuilding our roads and public transit systems.

“We actually need more of them.

“In recent months, we’ve seen unacceptable chaos at the Newark airport, the devastating crash at DCA, and too many other close calls.

“And while you talk about modernizing the air traffic control system, you have forced out more than 2,000 FAA employees who support those air traffic controllers: the technicians, the mechanics, the engineers, the IT specialists at the FAA who were working on modernization.

“Which I think is a huge mistake—and you just can’t paper over it.

“Now regarding your recent FAA proposal, I stand ready to work with Chair Collins, along with Chair Hyde-Smith and Ranking Member Gillibrand, to make sure that Congress does provide the resources FAA needs in our FY26 funding bill and across future years, in order to address the glaring issues and failures we’ve seen—and to do so without shortchanging any other priorities.”

[FAA WORKERS PUSHED OUT]

Senator Murray began her questioning by noting that modernizing the air traffic control system is critical—but that Secretary Duffy has pushed out thousands of critical support staff necessary for that work, stating: “On aviation safety, you have proposed to modernize the air traffic control system. This committee has jurisdiction over the FAA’s Facilities and Equipment funding, but your proposal was not included in the President’s FY26 budget. We need the actual dollars and cents plan. So let me ask you: how many of the over 2,000 FAA employees that have been pushed out over the last few months will be needed to be brought back in order to modernize the system?”

Secretary Duffy replied that he did not believe any of those lost employees would need to be brought back on, stating in part: “I don’t think any of them will need to be brought back.”

Senator Murray pushed back, noting that: “What we have seen is really critical employees to the mission, are now gone. As I said, technicians and mechanics. You can have all air traffic controllers there, but if they don’t have the support staff, we can’t know that they’re doing the job.”

Secretary Duffy replied that he didn’t believe the over 2,000 FAA staff pushed out were a concern, stating: “I would say that we don’t have a support staff issue with FAA. We don’t have enough controllers for the skies that we have in America. So, that is the issue that I’m addressing.”

Senator Murray then noted: “Since you became Secretary, air traffic controllers have twice received ‘Fork in the Road’ emails encouraging them to resign, which you have, I know sent mistakenly, but it is—”

“But none of them have taken it, they can’t take it because they’re not included,” demurred Secretary Duffy.

Senator Murray continued, “Well, they received the email. You’re an employee. You got the same email. And I just think it’s really callous to suggest to controllers, these emails saying your work is not valued. So, do you know who sent those emails to our air traffic controllers?”

Secretary Duffy dodged.

“I just asked: who?” pressed Senator Murray.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. No, I don’t know how they would have gotten those emails,” replied Secretary Duffy.

Senator Murray continued asking, “You don’t know who sent it? Nobody’s been fired for sending those emails?”

Secretary Duffy responded, in part: “That they would have had the wrong email for an air traffic controller versus someone else in the FAA? No, I’m not going to fire someone over that.”

Senator Murray continued, noting that essential oversight of Boeing must continue: “You and I have also talked about the importance of the FAA’s oversight of Boeing, and I know you visited there in March. I am going to be tracking carefully to make sure the more than 50 new staff needed to support Boeing oversight are hired and you have backfilled any employees.”

[PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS]

Senator Murray went on to ask Secretary Duffy about the preliminary budget request for DOT, which fails to detail large cuts that it proposes, stating: “The skinny budget that you sent to us proposes about a $3 billion increase to specific DOT programs—but overall, your topline only increases $1.5 billion. So, you spell out about $300 million in cuts directly, you leave one billion dollars in cuts that this budget implies that are not there. So, we need the details of that in order for us to do that. Do you know when we will get that?”

Secretary Duffy replied, “I don’t have an exact date for the exact budget, but I look forward to getting it to you as quickly as possible. Obviously, we work with OMB on the whole—”

“You do realize the discrepancy in the numbers, that we need to see where it is,” pushed back Senator Murray.

“It’ll all match up when we give you the complete details,” said Secretary Duffy.

Senator Murray continued to inquire, “And do you know when that will be too?”

Secretary Duffy said again he had no details, “I don’t have a date from OMB yet, when that’s going to be completed.”

MIL OSI USA News –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM: The world has paid the price for Putin’s aggression. He must now pay for avoiding peace.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

PM: The world has paid the price for Putin’s aggression. He must now pay for avoiding peace.

Piling the pressure on the Kremlin will be the focus of discussions at the European Political Community [EPC] today, after Putin dodged US arranged peace talks in Istanbul yesterday [Thursday].
Prime Minister to convene leaders at EPC to drive forward response to Putin’s stalling tactics

Russian energy expected to be central target in widespread sanctions action in the coming weeks if Russia does not agree a ceasefire

Comes as around 40 leaders meet at the European Political Community summit in Tirana today

Piling the pressure on the Kremlin will be the focus of discussions at the European Political Community [EPC] today, after Putin dodged US arranged peace talks in Istanbul yesterday [Thursday].

More than 40 leaders will attend the Tirana summit today, discussing shared challenges facing the continent and the threat to global stability and security posed by Putin.

It comes after President Zelenskyy underscored Ukraine’s position as the party of peace and travelled to Turkey in good faith this week, in preparation for peace talks with Russia.

But Putin failed to attend.

Leaders are expected to reiterate calls for a full and unconditional ceasefire today and demand Russia prove that they are serious about bringing its invasion to an end. For more than two months, Russia has failed to substantively respond to the US’ calls for a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire and genuine peace talks.

Work has already begun on what further sanctions can be implemented to degrade Russia’s ability to prolong the war if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire. Today, leaders are expected to progress the conversations held in Kyiv at the weekend about sanctions, with a focus on Russian energy revenues.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

People in Ukraine and across the world have paid the price for Putin’s aggression in Ukraine and across Europe, now he must pay the price for avoiding peace.

Putin’s tactics to dither and delay, while continuing to kill and cause bloodshed across Ukraine, is intolerable.

For the past three years, Ukraine has been fighting for peace and security, while Russia has sent thousands of young men and women to their deaths and compromised global stability.

Alongside the US and more than 30 other partners, we have been clear that we will not stand for Russia kicking a ceasefire down the road.

A full, unconditional ceasefire must be agreed and if Russia is unwilling to come to the negotiating table, Putin must pay the price.

During the summit, the Prime Minister is expected to lead a security roundtable with the Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, as well as discussing with key partners including France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Ukraine latest efforts with the US to secure peace and an end of the bloodbath in Ukraine. It comes as Putin repeatedly ignored requests for peace talks in Istanbul this week.

The Kremlin’s biggest source of tax revenue is oil exports, and with forecasts cut by almost a quarter because of Western sanctions and compounding slowing global growth prices, further measures are likely to cause significant pain. Oil and gas tax revenues were already a third lower in dollar terms 2024 than in 2022, the first year of the war; and they are already down by almost 20% year-on-year in February and March.

The Prime Minister is clear that supporting Ukraine, and degrading Russia’s economy and ability to prolong the war as they wreak havoc across Europe, is vital to protecting national and Euro-Atlantic security, and delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change.

Russian aggression is plain for all to see. Just this week the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed that the Russia Secret Service was behind a major blaze at a Polish shopping centre, while in a landmark decision, the International Civil Aviation Organisation ruled that the Russian Federation was behind the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 in July 2014, killing 298 people, including 10 UK citizens.

Last week, the Prime Minister announced the UK’s largest ever package of sanctions on Russia’s Shadow Fleet. The sanctions will apply further pressure on the Russian economy, which is stalling as Putin’s national wealth fund starts to run out, the non-defence sector is in recession and global oil prices are falling.

Russia’s defence and security spending is now 40% of all federal spending and 8% GDP – a post-1990 high and double the size of federal social services spending.

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Published 15 May 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cotton, Gillibrand Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Military Installations from Unauthorized Drones
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator for Arkansas Tom Cotton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Caroline Tabler or Patrick McCann (202) 224-2353
May 15, 2025

Cotton, Gillibrand Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Protect Military Installations from Unauthorized Drones

Washington, D.C. — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) today introduced the Comprehensive Operations for Unmanned-System Neutralization and Threat Elimination Response (COUNTER) Act, bipartisan legislation to enhance airspace security at military installations.

Senators Jim Banks (R-Indiana), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), John Boozman (R-Arkansas), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), Jim Justice (R-West Virginia), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), Jim Moran (R-Kansas), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Jacky Rosen (D-Nevada), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri), Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), and Todd Young (R-Indiana) are co-sponsoring this legislation. Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (Pennsylvania-06) and August Pfluger (Texas-11) are introducing companion legislation in the House.

“Leaving American military facilities vulnerable to drone incursions puts our service members, the general public, and our national security at risk. Our bill will expand the Department of Defense’s authority to neutralize unauthorized drones,” said Senator Cotton.

“As commercial drones become more commonplace, we must ensure that they are not being used to share sensitive information with our adversaries, to conduct attacks against our service members, or otherwise pose a threat to our national security. This legislation will enable DoD to more effectively mitigate threats from drones and allow for better interagency cooperation to keep Americans safe. I am proud to be introducing this important piece of bipartisan legislation, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to get it passed,” said Senator Gillibrand.

“In recent years, there has been a disturbing increase in threats posed to U.S. military bases by unmanned aircraft systems, including from systems controlled by foreign adversaries. Despite this, our armed forces continue to tell us that they lack the authority to protect the skies over some of our most sensitive military installations,” said Rep. Houlahan. “Today’s introduction of the bipartisan COUNTER Act marks the next step towards delivering the expanded authorities our military needs to address the threats of unmanned aircraft systems and keep these facilities safe.”

“Unauthorized drone activity near and over U.S. military installations has become a persistent and growing national security concern. In the past year alone, there were more than 350 drone detections at 100 different military installations,” said Rep. Pfluger. “This is why I am proud to help lead the bipartisan COUNTER Act, which gives our armed forces the clear authority they need to take down hostile drones and defend our most sensitive installations. As a fighter pilot with hundreds of hours in combat experience, I know firsthand how critical airspace security is — and how urgent this action has become.”

Full text of the legislation may be found here.

The COUNTER Act would:
- Expand the definition of a “covered facility” as it is in current law, enabling more bases to apply for approval to detect, track, and, if necessary, neutralize drones.
MIL OSI USA News –
May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI: Intermap Announces First Quarter 2025 Results
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Company reports first quarter 2025 revenue growth of 153% with 28% pro-forma adjusted EBITDA margin

Confirms projected 2025 revenue of $30–35 million and 28% EBITDA margin

Conference call today at 5:00 pm ET to discuss results

DENVER, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Intermap Technologies (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) (“Intermap” or the “Company”), a global leader in 3D geospatial services and intelligence solutions, today announced first quarter 2025 results and affirmed 2025 guidance.

For the first quarter ending March 31, 2025
- Total revenue of $4.3 million, compared with $1.7 million in the first quarter of 2024
- Acquisition Services revenue of $2.4 million versus $478 thousand in the year-ago quarter
- Value-added Data revenue of $514 thousand versus $266 thousand in the year-ago quarter
- Software and Solutions revenue of $1.3 million, compared with $942 thousand in the first quarter of 2024
- 28% pro-forma adjusted EBITDA margin versus 25% in the first quarter of 2024
  - Intermap invested to support permitting and pursuit costs on behalf of its partners for follow-on awards
- Pro-forma net income of $833 thousand, compared with a net loss of $839 thousand in the first quarter of 2024
- Total assets of $19.2 million versus $11.9 million on December 31, 2024
- Cash, unbilled and A/R totaled $13.9 million versus $6.5 million on December 31, 2024
“We’re seeing strong momentum across our government and commercial segments,” said Patrick A. Blott, Intermap Chairman and CEO. “With multiyear partnerships, federal contracts and a strengthened balance sheet, we’re benefiting from growing customer confidence and positioning the Company for recurring revenue with long-term growth. We are pleased to affirm our 2025 guidance.”

Q1 Government Milestones
In the government sector, Intermap’s team, led by CACI, was selected as a vendor for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s $200 million Luno B IDIQ contract. When combined with the previously announced Luno A award, the addressable opportunity totals $500 million. The first task orders have begun to be issued and Intermap is well positioned with superior proprietary source data and analytics located over difficult areas of the world inaccessible by optical satellites. This positions Intermap to compete for federal work over the next five years and expand its role in delivering advanced geospatial intelligence to support national security.

Intermap continued to execute Phase 1 of Indonesia’s national mapping initiative, delivering high-resolution 3D elevation and feature data exceeding specifications in a shorter timeframe than planned. The Company is pursuing follow-on awards under Phase 2 of the $653 million World Bank–funded ILASP project, which supports land administration and spatial planning. With the Indonesian government prioritizing large-scale base maps for national development, Intermap’s Phase 1 performance positions it strongly for continued participation. The Company’s advanced technology and proven execution align with the project’s goals, including expansion into Java, Kalimantan and other key regions.

As part of the Indonesian mapping program during the quarter, Intermap incurred charges for permitting, currency adjustment and working capital investment to support large government milestone payments, which were subsequently collected in April 2025, after the quarter end. In addition, Intermap incurred pursuit costs related to upcoming contracts. When the partner-related charges and pursuit costs are added back, pro-forma Adjusted EBITDA and earnings for the first quarter were $1.2 million and $833 thousand, respectively. To further mitigate exchange risks, Intermap entered into foreign currency hedging and arrangements with its local prime partner to pay IDR subcontractors. Going forward, currency risk and hedging costs are mitigated by World Bank funding, which will be denominated and fixed in U.S. dollars.

During the quarter, Intermap was down-selected after a competitive process for a new U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project (DARPA) program to support priority DARPA investments targeted to leverage Intermap’s unique commercial capabilities, commercialization expertise, proprietary internal research and development and growth capital support. This program extends Intermap’s own upgrade efforts and capital with sponsored access to additional government-funded, cutting-edge applied geospatial technologies, advanced research and development, next-generation geospatial products and emerging dual-use companies on contract with DARPA. The Company is currently working with multiple customers using Intermap data and technology for real-time terrain matching to power long-range autonomous systems. More information about this important award will follow as contracting is finalized.

Q1 Commercial Achievements
Intermap began 2025 with strong performance in its insurance business, securing over $1.1 million in new and renewed contracts. It signed two major multiyear partnerships with a leading European bank-insurance group and PREMIUM Insurance. Both adopted Intermap’s Aquarius RMA platform, reinforcing the Company’s position as a key provider of AI-driven geospatial solutions for multi-peril and flood risk assessment.

During the first quarter, the Company significantly expanded its partnership with a major global space infrastructure operator, which has increased its investment in the Company’s high-precision 3D elevation data with Intermap’s NEXTMap^® solution. This expansion supports the operator’s use of the data for radio frequency interference modeling and optimizing site selection across diverse geographies. In 2024, the operator acquired 10 times as many projects as the previous year, driving a 6.4x increase in revenue. Early 2025 projects are nearly three times larger than the average size in 2024, with points of presence growing rapidly, reflecting the growing scale of the initiative. This rapid expansion demonstrates the operator’s growing reliance on Intermap’s best-in-class data.

The Company also renewed its subscription partnership with a leading provider of GPS-enabled golf technology. Now entering its fourth year, the collaboration utilizes Intermap’s high-resolution 3D elevation data to map more than 40,000 golf courses globally, delivering immersive, real-time virtual experiences for golfers. This data powers advanced features such as swing metrics, ball flight analytics and detailed course visualizations—accessible from homes, backyards and practice ranges. Driven by strong user growth, the partnership is expanding to include a new generation of golf products built on Intermap’s proprietary terrain models, where Intermap is compensated alongside the customer for growing user data consumption. With 78% of core golfers using at least one golf app, Intermap’s data remains a key enabler of the evolving digital golf experience.

Q1 Financing
To fund growth, Intermap raised C$12 million in February. The capital strengthens the Company’s ability to execute on its expanding pipeline and scale delivery of high-value contracts.

Outlook
Intermap confirms projected 2025 revenue of $30–35 million and 28% EBITDA margin.

Intermap does not provide quarterly guidance. The Company has tremendous installed capacity, providing a competitive advantage for speed of execution. Intermap’s customers are large global institutions and governments with long procurement and decision-making cycles. Intermap has the proven ability and track record to increase operational efficiency and tempo once under contract to meet aggressive timelines consistent with customer requirements.

Intermap will continue building recurring revenue by enabling customers to consume the world’s most precise GEOINT terrain data products at global scale, as-a-service, provisioned within seconds, consuming only the points they need, when and where they need them. While penetrating deeper into its targeted markets, Intermap is also enabling new users and new use-cases, and its financial results highlight the persistent recurring revenue and high growth embedded in this attractive business model.

Quarterly Filing
The Company’s consolidated financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, along with management’s discussion and analysis for the corresponding period and related management certifications for the first quarter financial results, will be filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the SEC’s EDGAR website at SEC.gov on May 15, 2025.

Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure. The term earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) consists of net loss and excludes interest (financing costs), taxes, and depreciation. Adjusted EBITDA also excludes share-based compensation, fair value adjustments and foreign currency translation. See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures” in Company’s Management’s Discussion and Analysis filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the SEC’s EDGAR website at SEC.gov.

Conference Call Details
Intermap’s CEO Patrick A. Blott and CFO Jennifer Bakken will host a live webinar today, at 5:00 pm ET to review the results, provide Company updates and answer investor questions following the presentation.

Intermap invites shareholders, analysts, investors, media representatives and other stakeholders to attend the earnings webinar to discuss the first quarter of 2025 results.

DATE Thursday, May 15, 2025

TIME 5:00 pm ET

WEBCAST Register

Learn more about Intermap here.

Intermap Reader Advisory
Certain information provided in this news release, including reference to revenue growth, EBITDA margin, future contracting, constitutes forward-looking statements. The words “anticipate”, “expect”, “project”, “estimate”, “forecast”, “will be”, “will consider”, “intends” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Although Intermap believes that these statements are based on information and assumptions which are current, reasonable and complete, these statements are necessarily subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Intermap’s forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties pertaining to, among other things, cash available to fund operations, availability of capital, revenue fluctuations, nature of government contracts, economic conditions, loss of key customers, retention and availability of executive talent, competing technologies, common share price volatility, loss of proprietary information, software functionality, internet and system infrastructure functionality, information technology security, breakdown of strategic alliances, and international and political considerations, as well as those risks and uncertainties discussed Intermap’s Annual Information Form and other securities filings. While the Company makes these forward-looking statements in good faith, should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary significantly from those expected. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits that the Company will derive therefrom. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to Intermap or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the forward-looking statements made herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities law.

About Intermap Technologies

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) is a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions, focusing on the creation and analysis of 3D terrain data to produce high-resolution thematic models. Through scientific analysis of geospatial information and patented sensors and processing technology, the Company provisions diverse, complementary, multi-source datasets to enable customers to seamlessly integrate geospatial intelligence into their workflows. Intermap’s 3D elevation data and software analytic capabilities enable global geospatial analysis through artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing customers with critical information to understand their terrain environment. By leveraging its proprietary archive of the world’s largest collection of multi-sensor global elevation data, the Company’s collection and processing capabilities provide multi-source 3D datasets and analytics at mission speed, enabling governments and companies to build and integrate geospatial foundation data with actionable insights. Applications for Intermap’s products and solutions include defense, aviation and UAV flight planning, flood and wildfire insurance, disaster mitigation, base mapping, environmental and renewable energy planning, telecommunications, engineering, critical infrastructure monitoring, hydrology, land management, oil and gas and transportation.

For more information, please visit www.intermap.com or contact:
Jennifer Bakken
Executive Vice President and CFO
CFO@intermap.com
+1 (303) 708-0955

Sean Peasgood
Investor Relations
Sean@SophicCapital.com
+1 (647) 260-9266

The MIL Network –
May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NASA Selects Student Teams for Drone Hurricane Response and Cybersecurity Research

Source: NASA

NASA has selected two more university student teams to help address real-world aviation challenges, through projects aimed at using drones for hurricane relief and improved protection of air traffic systems from cyber threats.
The research awards were made through NASA’s University Student Research Challenge (USRC), which provides student-led teams with opportunities to contribute their novel ideas to advance NASA’s Aeronautics research priorities.
As part of USRC, students participate in real-world aspects of innovative aeronautics research both in and out of the laboratory.
“USRC continues to be a way for students to push the boundary on exploring the possibilities of tomorrow’s aviation industry.” said Steven Holz, who manages the USRC award process. “For some, this is their first opportunity to engage with NASA. For others, they may be taking their ideas from our Gateways to Blue Skies competition and bringing them closer to reality.”
In the case of one of the new awardees, North Carolina State University in Raleigh applied for their USRC award after refining a concept that made them a finalist in NASA’s 2024 Gateways to Blue Skies competition.
Each team of students selected for a USRC award receives a NASA grant up to $80,000 and is tasked with raising additional funds through student-led crowdfunding. This process helps students develop skills in entrepreneurship and public communication.
The new university teams and research topics are:
North Carolina State University in Raleigh
“Reconnaissance and Emergency Aircraft for Critical Hurricane Relief” will develop and deploy advanced Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) designed to locate, communicate with, and deliver critical supplies to stranded individuals in the wake of natural disasters.
The team includes Tobias Hullette (team lead), Jose Vizcarrondo, Rishi Ghosh, Caleb Gobel, Lucas Nicol, Ajay Pandya, Paul Randolph, and Hadie Sabbah, with faculty mentor Felix Ewere.
Texas A&M University, in College Station
“Context-Aware Cybersecurity for UAS Traffic Management” will develop, test, and pursue the implementation of an aviation-context-aware network authentication system for the holistic management of cybersecurity threats to enable future drone traffic control systems.
The team includes Vishwam Raval (team lead), Nick Truong, Oscar Leon, Kevin Lei, Garett Haynes, Michael Ades, Sarah Lee, and Aidan Spira, with faculty mentor Sandip Roy.
Complete details on USRC awardees and solicitations, such as what to include in a proposal and how to submit it, are available on the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate solicitation page.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Ciscomani Questions Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy about Aviation Security

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Juan Ciscomani (Arizona)

The Congressman asked the Secretary how his budget proposal will prevent incidents, like the mid-air collision at Marana Regional Airport, from happening again

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani, who serves on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, questioned U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy during an oversight hearing about DOT’s budget. 

Ciscomani questioned Secretary Duffy about provisions in the Department’s proposed budget that would prevent tragic incidents, like the deadly mid-air collision at the Marana Regional Airport, from happening again. 

For the full clip and excerpts of the hearing, please see below. Excerpts have been edited for length and clarity.

Ciscomani:  On February 19 of this year, two small aircraft crashed midair resulting in the death of two individuals in Marana, Arizona. It is critical that the federal government works to ensure that something like this never occurs again…[Could you] provide an update on how your budget proposal will ensure [that] incidents like this do not occur again, especially in smaller rural airports that are regional and [have] less resources?

Secretary Duffy: That was tragic. This was in an uncontrolled airspace, so controllers don’t control every aspect of the airspace. A lot of the small airports… oftentimes it’s done by pilots and visually staying away from each other. And by the way, I don’t think general aviation would like air traffic controllers to control every aspect of the airspace. They do like the freedom of movement, but it then creates risks, like we saw in your community, where two planes collided midair…It’s the infrastructure and it’s the manpower of air traffic controllers. And this is what we’ve been talking about. And we want to work with all of you to pressure test the numbers that we’re thinking about. This can be very dangerous and a lot of the pilots who fly commercially take people’s lives in their hands, and it is a serious business, and we want to make sure that all of them are taking it that way. Another thing that we need in that in part of rural America, we got to think through how we’re building out the infrastructure of towers and Terminal Radar Approach Control Facilities (TRACONs). I think on average we build one a year. It’s going to take us 400 years to replace all of the towers and TRACONs in this country. We want to [improve] that. We’d like to do four or five a year, I mean up the speed to update the old infrastructure. And a lot of you have those facilities around your districts that need work… If we could start the process every year, getting four or five of them done, I think we would be well on the way. 

Watch Ciscomani’s entire round of questioning here. 

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MIL OSI USA News –

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Judiciary Democrats Open Investigation into Trump’s Qatari Plane Deal, Seek Answers from Trump DOJ and White House Counsel

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

Committee Democrats Request Trump Admin Provide Memos Defending Blatantly Unconstitutional Attempt to Accept Qatari “Flying Palace” Without Congressional Consent

WASHINGTON — Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, member of the House Judiciary Committee, led Committee Democrats in a letter demanding the Department of Justice (DOJ) and White House Counsel’s Office provide legal memoranda that reportedly bless Donald Trump’s efforts to flout the clear text of the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause and accept a luxury private jet—described as a “flying palace”—from the State of Qatar without seeking the consent of Congress.

“President Trump is reportedly relying on memos that you authored, at his request, to accept a $400 million airplane from the State of Qatar—described in media reports as a ‘flying palace’ and ‘the most luxurious private jet in the world’—without obtaining, or even seeking, Congress’s consent. Any legal memo purporting to make such a claim would obviously fly in the face of the text of the Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause, which explicitly prohibits the President from accepting any ‘present [or] Emolument . . . of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State’ unless he has ‘the Consent of Congress.’ Accordingly, we are writing to request that you provide the Committee on the Judiciary with these memos immediately as their analysis and conclusions are apparently the basis for the President’s decision to disregard the plain text of the Constitution,” wrote the Members.

On May 11, an ABC News report revealed that President Trump plans to accept a $400 million private jet from the Qatari Royal Family to use as Air Force One—a lavish and unconstitutional gift which he intends to transfer to his personal presidential library foundation at the conclusion of his term.

Reports indicate that the DOJ and White House Counsel’s Office are aiding Trump’s efforts to paper over this clear Constitutional violation and reportedly drafted an analysis for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concluding that it is legal for the Department of Defense to accept the aircraft as a gift and later turn it over to Trump’s presidential library.

The Constitution is clear that Congress—not the Attorney General or the White House Counsel—has the exclusive authority to approve or reject a gift “of any kind whatever” given to the President by a foreign government.

Attorney General Pam Bondi’s involvement in this matter is particularly egregious since she should have recused herself given her conflict of interest. Bondi was previously a registered foreign agent of the Qatari government, earning $115,000 per month to lobby on its behalf prior to entering the Administration.

Trump’s acceptance of this unprecedented and unconstitutional gift has sparked bipartisan criticism and outrage, with even Republican Members of Congress and conservative media raising concerns about national security risks and the appearance of corruption. Additionally, this supposedly “free plane” may cost the taxpayer billions of dollars to overhaul to meet “all the survivability, security and communications requirements of Air Force One.”

Judiciary Democrats requested Attorney General Bondi and White House Counsel David Warrington provide all documents and communications related to or purporting to justify or provide legal analysis regarding the constitutionality of the President’s acceptance of the Qatari plane; all documents and communications related to an agreement between the State of Qatar and the United States regarding the transfer of the plane; and all documents related to whether Attorney General Bondi should recuse herself in matters related to emoluments from Qatar.

The letter comes after Judiciary Democrats filed a Resolution demanding Trump comply with the Constitutional rules on foreign gifts by seeking the consent of Congress before accepting the Qatari plane.

Click here to read the letter.

Issues: Foreign Affairs & National Security, Government Reform & Ethics

MIL OSI USA News –

May 16, 2025
Centre revokes Celebi’s security clearance over national security concerns

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has revoked the security clearance of Celebi Airport Services India Pvt Ltd and its associated companies citing concerns linked to national security. The announcement was made on Thursday evening and is being seen as a firm step in safeguarding national interests.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Ram Mohan Naidu, said that the decision reflects the government’s uncompromising commitment to national security. “Nothing is above the security of our nation and fellow citizens. National interest and public safety are paramount and non-negotiable,” the minister added.

Celebi, a Turkish firm, has been operating ground-handling services at multiple Indian airports, including critical hubs like Mumbai and Delhi. Following the revocation, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has assured that all necessary arrangements are in place to maintain uninterrupted airport operations.

The Minister further said that the government is actively working with airport operators to ensure a smooth transition. “Arrangements have been made at all affected airports to ensure seamless handling of passengers and cargo,” he added.

To mitigate any disruption in services and employment, the Ministry is also taking steps to retain employees associated with Celebi. “Efforts are being made to ensure that employees working with Celebi are retained and continue to contribute,” Ram Mohan Naidu said.

May 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: The leading engineering school of SPbPU summed up the results of two and a half years of work

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

The Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (PISH SPbPU) presented the results of its work for 2024 and long-term development plans at the Council for the consideration of issues and coordination of the activities of the PISH chaired by the Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Valery Falkov.

The flagship project of the Ministry of Education and Science “Advanced Engineering Schools” has been implemented since 2022. Currently, 50 such schools have been created within its framework, and by 2030, on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, their number should be increased to 100. Starting this year, the first 30 schools from 15 regions, including PISh SPbPU, according to the terms of the project, are moving to a new stage of financing – after three years of budget financing, they will switch to off-budget and will work at the expense of funds attracted from industrial partners.

The first 30 advanced engineering schools are moving to a new qualitative level of development. The results presented by the university teams show that together we have managed to create an effective model for integrating education, science and production. The next stage for the first wave of schools will be scaling up their activities. Everything necessary for this is available: modern equipment, competencies, established contacts with industrial partners. It is important that regional authorities pay great attention to the development of advanced engineering schools in their cities, understanding their value for strengthening relations between higher education and the real sector of the economy, emphasized the head of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science Valery Falkov.

Today, 12 master’s programs are implemented at PIS SPbPU. From 2022 to 2024, the enrollment of students in the master’s programs of PIS SPbPU increased by 2.5 times, and the enrollment in the Applied Mechanics program became the largest in Russia – 68 people. In 2024, the first graduation of master’s students took place, and all graduates were employed at industrial partner enterprises, in partner universities, structural divisions of SPbPU and PIS SPbPU, as well as in companies in the high-tech sector of the economy.

Also, PISh SPbPU has developed and is implementing 53 programs of additional professional education (APE) for managers and engineering personnel of such companies as T Plus, Inter RAO, Power Machines, Severstal, companies of the United Aircraft Corporation (PJSC United Aircraft Corporation, Ilyushin Aviation Complex, Yakovlev, JSC AeroKomposit), UEC, UEC-Aviadvigatel, UEC-Klimov, etc.

The program of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering” allowed us to open many new modern laboratories and scientific and educational spaces at our university, develop and launch new master’s and additional professional education programs in relevant engineering areas. I would like to note that the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU also expanded its effective and systematic interaction with industrial partners – high-tech companies and corporations. In addition, it was at the Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” that the qualified partnership model was successfully tested, which formed the basis of the SPbPU Development Program until 2030 and in the long term until 2036. Formed teams with competencies and experience in solving breakthrough scientific and technological problems, the created scientific and scientific-technological reserve and the established effective qualified partnership with industry will help us make a breakthrough in the scientific and technological sphere, aimed at ensuring the technological leadership of our country, – commented the rector of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, chairman of the St. Petersburg branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Rudskoy.

Over the past 2.5 years, the SPbPU Advanced Engineering School has made a significant contribution to the development of the university’s infrastructure. From 2022 to 2025, 11 research and educational spaces were opened in the SPbPU Advanced Engineering School, and six more are planned to be opened by 2030.

The Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University is one of the most successful engineering schools, which is confirmed by the growth in the number of master’s programs and continuing education programs, the number of R & D projects implemented in the interests of high-tech companies and the successful employment of graduates. All this together has a positive effect on the overall qualification growth of the professional workshop of design engineers and developers. In fact, the SPbPU PISh makes a significant contribution to building up the intellectual potential of the Northern capital. It is important to note that the scientific and technological groundwork of the Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” formed the basis of the Strategy and Development Program of the Polytechnic University until 2030, in particular one of the key scientific and technological areas “Systemic Digital Engineering”, – noted the Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg Vladimir Knyaginin.

The delegation of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering” included: the head of the SPbPU Office of Technological Leadership Oleg Rozhdestvensky, the vice-governor of St. Petersburg Vladimir Knyaginin, the director of the department of scientific and technical activities of JSC TVEL Alexey Shishkin, the first vice-rector of SPbPU Vitaly Sergeev, the director of the center for additional professional education of the SPbPU PISh Sergey Salkutsan.

As for developments, from 2022 to 2025, PISh SPbPU implemented more than 70 projects and attracted more than 1.8 billion rubles under commercial contracts for R&D and the provision of scientific and technological services commissioned by the high-tech industry.

Several large-scale projects were completed by specialists of the SPbPU PISh at the orders of various companies that are part of the Rosatom State Corporation. In the field of digital modeling, the school’s specialists were the first to create the architecture and digital models for a digital twin of a vitrification furnace for high-level radioactive waste. In 2024, at the order of the Composite Division of the Rosatom State Corporation, engineers developed a pilot industrial technology for the production of filaments from continuous carbon fiber based on thermoplastics and delivered ultra-high-performance installations to the Rosatom State Corporation – 12 km of filament/hour.

By order of JSC TVEL (Fuel Division of the State Corporation Rosatom), specialists from the Engineering Center (CompMechLab®) of the SPbPU PISh developed digital twins of fuel assemblies of water-cooled nuclear reactors of the TVS-K PWR and TVS VVER types. Over three years of work, engineers from the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University developed virtual test benches and ranges (VIS and VIP) for tetrahedral (TVS-K PWR) and hexagonal (TVS VVER) fuel assemblies: VIS “Gidrodinamika”, VIS “Prochnost”, VIP “Bezopasnost – TUK” and VIP “Bezopasnost – OR SUZ”.

Using digital systems engineering technologies, the school’s specialists performed comprehensive strength calculations of the ice-resistant fixed platform LSP “A” structures for the Kamennomysskoye-Sea gas field, guaranteeing the reliability of the structure for a period of 100 years of operation.

Also among the significant achievements is the development of improved sports sleds with improved aerodynamic characteristics for the Russian athlete, three-time world champion and two-time winner of the World Cup in luge Roman Repilov; the development and production of an optimal composite fairing for a modernized two-seater motor paraglider for the famous traveler Fyodor Konyukhov.

In 2024, the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU achieved significant success in the field of unmanned aircraft systems, winning the competition of the ANO “FC BAS” as part of the implementation of the state Strategy for the Development of Unmanned Aviation of the Russian Federation and signed a contract for “Development of a system for constructing virtual test stands and virtual test sites, conducting digital tests of unmanned aerial vehicle elements based on a single digital platform for the development and use of UAS digital twins.”

We would also like to note the development of the Digital Platform for the development and application of digital twins CML-Bench® as a whole as one of the key tools for the implementation of knowledge-intensive multidisciplinary projects. In full accordance with the strategic state objectives of ensuring technological leadership of domestic high-tech products, the development of the Digital Platform CML-Bench® is aimed at active integration with the engineering software of Russian vendors, and in 2024 the platform was certified according to the sixth level of trust of the FSTEC and compliance with the requirements for state information systems of the third class, which provide the ability to process information constituting a commercial secret and information “For official use only”.

The implementation of the socio-economic development initiative “Advanced Engineering Schools” in the period from 2022 to 2024 was carried out within the framework of the federal project “Advanced Engineering Schools” of the state program “Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation”. Since 2025, the continuity of the activities of the project “Advanced Engineering Schools” was ensured by including them in the federal project “Universities for the Generation of Leaders” of the national project “Youth and Children”.

In accordance with the Order of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 26, 2022 No. 1315-r, Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation of SPbPU Alexey Borovkov joined the Council for Grants for Providing State Support for the Creation and Development of Advanced Engineering Schools. In order to avoid a conflict of interest, Alexey Ivanovich did not take part in the presentation and evaluation of the development results of the Advanced Engineering School “Digital Engineering” of SPbPU, of which he is the head.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 16, 2025

DATE	Thursday, May 15, 2025
TIME	5:00 pm ET
WEBCAST	Register

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The Congressman asked the Secretary how his budget proposal will prevent incidents, like the mid-air collision at Marana Regional Airport, from happening again