Jonathan Lehrfeld
Early Bird Brief Editor, Military Times
Jonathan is a staff writer and editor of the Early Bird Brief newsletter for Military Times. Follow him on Twitter @lehrfeld_media
All Stories By Jonathan
US Air Force plans to bed down 25 F-35s in FY26, report says
The report also outlines the service’s procurement schedule to reach a fleet of nearly 1,800 of the aircraft by 2049.
House passes defense policy bill that pushes boat strike video release
The NDAA would withhold 25% of Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth's travel budget until he sends lawmakers videos of controversial strikes on alleged drug boats.
Croatia buys German Leopard tanks using EU loans
Deliveries of the tanks to the Croatian land forces are to take place between 2028 and 2030.
Trump-Erdogan ties are propelling F-35 talks with once-banned partner
During Donald Trump’s first term, the U.S. removed NATO ally Turkey from the fighter program after Turkey purchased an air defense system from Russia.
US Air Force instructor pilots have first T-7 in training milestone
Now that Air Education and Training Command has its first T-7, the 99th Flying Training Squadron's instructor pilots will start getting familiar with it.
Bangladesh signs up for Eurofighters in first pick of Western warplane
Earlier this year, a group from the Bangladesh Air Force visited Leonardo’s facility in Turin, Italy, to test-fly the Eurofighter.
Kongsberg, Helsing team up for European satellite-intel constellation
The cooperation will include setting up local satellite production in Germany to create “a self-reliant European defense capability,” the companies said.
In Estonia, Europe’s last road through Russia has closed for good
Across the snowy and muddy forests of eastern Estonia, NATO and Russia are locked in a staring match.
US Air Force wants AI to power high-speed wargaming
The Air Force wants a cloud-based, AI-powered “digital sandbox” as a hub to generate and run wargames at speeds of up 10,000 times faster than real time.
Pentagon taps Google Gemini, launches new site to boost AI use
Hegseth said the U.S. must stay ahead of adversaries who are working to take advantage of rapid technology advancements, like the development of AI.
