F-22 Commands Drone | China Buys a Trailer Park | Saudi F-35s?

Forwarded this email? Sign up here
Edited by: Sidney McAlear

FLIGHT LINE 🎯 

🎯 U.S. Moves to Expedite Sale of 48 F-35s to Saudi Arabia

The United States plans to move quickly on a proposed sale of up to 48 F-35 Lightning II fighters to Saudi Arabia as part of a broader effort to deepen security cooperation in the Gulf, though final approvals must still meet the legal requirement that any Middle East arms sale cannot adversely affect Israel’s qualitative military edge, per the 2008 amendment to the Arms Export Control Act. (more)

• Although the Saudi F-35s will reportedly be downgraded compared to Israel’s F-35I, the sale still represents a major shift in regional airpower dynamics and would make Saudi Arabia the second operator of fifth-generation stealth aircraft in the Middle East.

• Saudi Arabia maintains growing military-tech ties with China — including Chinese technicians supporting systems such as the CSS-2 intermediate-range ballistic missile — raising concerns that the F-35 ecosystem could be indirectly exposed to Chinese access or exploitation. These risks are similar to those which led to Turkey’s removal from the F-35 program after acquiring the S-400 system.

What is a CSS-2? See below for the Threat of Day

🎯 Chinese Firm Acquires Insurer for CIA Operatives Amid Beijing’s Defense Outreach

A U.S. insurance company that provided insurance to CIA and FBI agents was quietly purchased in 2015 by a private Chinese conglomerate with close ties to Beijing’s leadership. The acquisition was financed by a $1.2 billion loan from four Chinese state-owned banks routed through the Cayman Islands, prompting U.S. officials to later reverse course and tighten foreign-investment rules under the Trump administration in 2018. (more)

• The acquisition is drawing fresh scrutiny as new details have emerged over the links to Chinese leadership. U.S. officials say this is yet another example of Beijing using commercial channels as potential vectors of influence, allowing Chinese-linked firms to position themselves near sensitive U.S. institutions without requiring direct access to classified information.

🎯 F-22 Pilot Controls Loyal-Wingman Drone From the Cockpit

During a recent flight test at the Nevada Test and Training Range, a pilot in a F‑22 Raptor used a tablet interface to command the MQ‑20 Avenger as part of a collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) demonstration led by General Atomics with partners Lockheed Martin and L3Harris Technologies. (more)

• The demonstration showcased early integration toward crewed-uncrewed teaming, with the F-22 acting as the controlling platform while the drone executed taskings.

🎯 U.S. Lawmaker Demands Federal Review of Foreign-Owned Trailer Park Bordering Whiteman AFB

A U.S. lawmaker is calling for an immediate national security review into the foreign ownership of a Missouri trailer park that shares a fence line with Whiteman Air Force Base, home of the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and a core element of the U.S. nuclear triad. The property, purchased in 2017 through a chain of shell companies, ultimately traces back to Canadian citizens Esther Mei and Cheng Hu, prompting new scrutiny from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). (more)

• Mei and Hu have appeared in multiple livestreams with Miles Guo, a Chinese businessman who previously acknowledged working with China’s Ministry of State Security and is currently awaiting sentencing in the U.S.

• At the time of the 2017 purchase, reports indicate Mei served on the board of Urban Select Capital Corporation, an investment firm with links to Chinese government-backed enterprises, raising additional concern about potential espionage vectors.

SNAPSHOT

🚩 Anthropic reports it disrupted what it says is the first largely autonomous AI-orchestrated cyber espionage campaign, after a threat actor (*cough cough* China) used Claude-based tools to target multiple global organizations. (more)

🚩 The U.S. Air Force and the National Nuclear Security Administration conducted the first test drops of the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb from an F-35A fighter between August 19–21 using inert joint test assemblies. The tests mark a key milestone in integrating modernized nuclear weapons with fifth-generation aircraft. (more)

🚩 The U.S. will help South Korea build nuclear-powered attack submarines under a landmark defence pact, extending Tokyo’s strategic reach against regional threats. (more)

🚩 A former Alaska Airlines pilot who tried to shut down both engines mid-flight during a mental health crisis is avoiding jail time as prosecutors recommend probation/time served in the case. (more)

🚩 Russian state media says the Su-75 Checkmate is now expected to fly in early 2026, with Sukhoi test pilot Sergey Bogdan reporting the prototype is in final hangar prep and entering last-stage refinements. (more)

🚩 Lockheed Martin has unveiled a new Sniper Networked Targeting Pod that adds multi-node data sharing, AI-assisted target processing, and collaborative sensing to the existing Sniper ATP design. (more)

🚩 An Indian Air Force Tejas light combat aircraft crashed during the Dubai Air Show and its pilot has died; an investigation has been launched. (more)

THREAT OF THE DAY (TOD)

CSS-2 Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile

Threat Name: CSS-2 (DF-3)
Country of Origin: China
Initial Operational Capability: Late 1970s
Primary Role: Intermediate-range ballistic missile for regional strategic strike
Variants: DF-3A (extended range and improved accuracy)

Range: Approximately 1,350 to 1,620 nautical miles
Speed: Estimated Mach 5+ during midcourse ballistic flight
Payload: Typically a single nuclear warhead (~2,000 kg), though a conventional variant was exported
Propulsion: Liquid-fuel, single-stage ballistic missile

Fun Fact:

• Saudi Arabia purchased the CSS-2 in 1987, becoming the only foreign operator. The deal was conducted covertly with Chinese assistance and revealed publicly only after U.S. intelligence confirmed deployment.

• Saudi Arabia first operationally displayed the CSS-2 in April 2014 during a major military parade, surprising analysts who believed the missiles had been retired.

• The Saudi CSS-2s were delivered in a conventional-warhead configuration.