370: Top Hezbollah Spokesman Killed in IDF Airstrike + US: Ukraine Can Employ Long-Range Weapons inside Russia + US Navy: First Columbia-Class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine Combat Ready in 2030 + More

I - On Defense Podcast

For review:
1. Qatar suspends its' mediation role between Israel and Hamas. Hamas refrains from appointing a sole successor to the organization- instead choosing to use a 5-member committee approach, until leadership elections in March 2025.
2. Top Hezbollah Spokesman Killed in IDF Airstrike.
An Israeli airstrike on a building in a central neighborhood of the Lebanese capital Beirut on Sunday killed the top spokesman (Mohammed Afif) for the Hezbollah terror group.
3. US: Ukraine Can Employ Long-Range Weapons inside Russia.
The US Biden administration has allowed Ukraine to use U.S.-made weapons to strike deep into Russia. Ukraine plans to conduct its first long-range attacks in the coming days, the sources said. There was no immediate response from the Kremlin.
4. Saab (Sweden) awarded four year contract to provide maintenance and training support for the Australian Army's 84mm Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle.
Canberra procured the Carl Gustaf system in 2018 under a $15.46-million deal, and purchased more in 2023 under $36.8 million dollar contract.
5. US Navy: First Columbia-Class Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine Combat Ready in 2030. The first sub in the class is the USS District of Columbia (SSBN-826).
6. USAF Next Generation Ejection Seat (NGES) Program under review.
By the end of the year, the Air Force plans to complete a review of the Next Generation Ejection Seat (NGES) program, whose contract is currently held by Collins Aerospace (who beat out Martin-Baker in 2019). Once the review concludes, the Air Force could still stick with its incumbent acquisition strategy, where Collins is already underway with work on the F-15E- or theoretically- result in some split of work between the two companies.