Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · 22h

I've noticed a drop in posting by a lot of people on this platform recently. Not sure why, or if the userbase is still growing or not, but it's becoming less useful for my purposes.

That's a shame. I like Bluesky and would like it to grow. I ain't going back to X.

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Reposted by Zach Rosenberg

Geoff Brumfiel @gbrumfiel.bsky.social · 23h

With no reporters able to ask questions, it seems the Pentagon leadership will rely on slick social media posts, carefully orchestrated short videos and interviews with partisan commentators and podcasters.

No one should think that's good enough. “

www.npr.org/2025/10/14/g...

Opinion: Why I'm handing in my Pentagon press pass

Tom Bowman has held his Pentagon press pass for 28 years. He says the Pentagon's new media policy makes it impossible to be a journalist, which means finding out what's really going on behind the scen...

www.npr.org

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · 1d

Bidding defense journos good hunting at AUSA 2025, which begins today.

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · 5d

The Pentagon is moving forward with policies designed to restrict what reporters assigned there are allowed to write. This is censorship of a free press and should not be legal under the first amendment.

Reposted by Zach Rosenberg

Hope Seck @hopeseck.bsky.social · 11d

DoD appears to be pausing all or most media engagements for the duration of the government shutdown. I’ve had two interviews canceled so far.

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Reposted by Zach Rosenberg

Will Guisbond @willguisbond.com · 15d

Thrilled to share that @theaircurrent.com is hiring! Super unique opportunity to join a fast-growing, collaborative newsroom.

You tell us what you want to cover, and why you're the one set up to do it best.

Apply here and shout with any questions: theaircurrent.com/jobs/senior-...

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Reposted by Zach Rosenberg

Dan Lamothe @danlamothe.bsky.social · 18d

And so concludes another week with no routine news briefing at the Pentagon.

Previous ones:

March 17 (Sean Parnell, Lt. Gen. Grynkewich)

June 22 (Pete Hegseth, Gen. Caine)

June 26 (Hegseth, Caine)

July 2 (Parnell)

Aug. 7 (Kingsley Wilson)

Aug. 14 (Wilson)

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · 28d

Want to be Janes' Americas Air Reporter?

This is my old job, and it's a good'n.

job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io/janes/jobs/4...

Americas Aviation Reporter

Arlington, Virginia, United States

job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 6

Yesterday was my last day at Janes after 3 years. Great place, but after 15 years in aerospace/defense reporting it was time to move on. I am not sure what's next but I am not worried.

In the meantime who wants a super-sweet job?
job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io/janes/jobs/4...

Americas Aviation Reporter

Arlington, Virginia, United States

job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io

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Reposted by Zach Rosenberg

Robert Wall @r-wall.bsky.social · Sep 5

aviationweek.com/defense/budg... via @beverstine.bsky.social

U.S. Air Force Vice Nominee Pulled, Adding To Leadership Uncertainty | Aviation Week Network

The Trump administration has withdrawn the nomination of Gen. Thomas Bussiere to be the U.S. Air Force's vice chief of staff, a source says.

aviationweek.com

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 5

So Rocket Cargo is a platinum-plated project of extremely limited use, with limited payoff but potentially catastrophic drawbacks.

It's a DoD logistician's dream to be sure, but DoD's money would be better spent on almost anything else.

Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 5

Insane cost aside -- what cargo could possibly justify such a price? -- it looks an awful lot like a ballistic missile in flight. Even if it's a squad of Marines, generally speaking, any receiving country is likely to seriously consider whether or not they are about to be nuked.

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 5

Rocket Cargo might cost around $50m a shot or more.
Reusability is probable but not guaranteed, so there's a pretty high likelihood of simply disposing of the vehicle after a single flight.

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 5

Rocket Cargo's goal is to transport 100 tons of cargo anywhere almost instantaneously. That's not much more than a single C-17 can carry, but at -- I'm estimating here -- roughly 200x the price of a C-17 flight.

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 5

For one thing, unlike the fever-dream of Golden Dome, Rocket Cargo is an organic idea of the USAF. It has survived multiple administrations, and the USAF keeps requesting small but increasing amounts of funding.

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 5

Now, unlike some far-out programs *coughGoldenDome!*, Rocket Cargo is actually technically feasible. The technology effectively exists to loft 100 tons of cargo on a suborbital trajectory.

So why is this program so ridiculous?

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 5

Since it's my last day in the industry, let me introduce you to what, in this observer's humble opinion, is the most ridiculous program in all DoD aerospace: Rocket Cargo.

To me, nothing screams 'we have more money than we know what to do with!' than Rocket Cargo.

afresearchlab.com/technology/s...

ROCKET CARGO FOR AGILE GLOBAL LOGISTICS – Air Force Research Laboratory

afresearchlab.com

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 5

The Army is divesting a bunch of ISR-equipped King Airs that, if the US actually cared about this versus a ridiculous stunt, would fit the task. Or if they must be armed, MQ-1/9s.

Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 5

I am having trouble coming up with anything F-35s could do to affect drug traffic that the Coast Guard couldn't already do more effectively at a fraction of the cost, including kill traffickers, which I would advise against anyway.

Joseph Trevithick @franticgoat.bsky.social · Sep 5

F-35s Deploying To Caribbean Amid Growing Tensions With Venezuela www.twz.com/air/10-f-35s...

F-35s Deploying To Caribbean Amid Growing Tensions With Venezuela

A U.S. official has confirmed to us that 10 F-35s are heading to Puerto Rico as the counter-narcotics operation aimed at Venezuela expands.

www.twz.com

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Reposted by Zach Rosenberg

Alex Luck @alxluck.bsky.social · Sep 5

"The contract awards, which previously were not publicly known, are the clearest sign that the Navy is moving forward with the concept of a “loyal wingman” aircraft that can operate from the deck of a carrier."

breakingdefense.com/2025/09/excl...

EXCLUSIVE: Navy taps four aerospace primes to design autonomous drone wingmen - Breaking Defense

Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Atomics and Anduril are all in line to produce conceptual designs for the Navy’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, according to a Navy slide reviewed by Breaking...

breakingdefense.com

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 5

Who wants to be the Americas Air Reporter for Janes in Washington, DC?

job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io/janes/jobs/4...

Americas Aviation Reporter

Arlington, Virginia, United States

job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io

Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 5

The article in question: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/05/u...

How a Top Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission Into North Korea Fell Apart

www.nytimes.com

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 5

Banger of a New York Times article about a SEAL trip into North Korea that killed innocent fishermen.

As @jonostrower.com would say, there's always an aviation angle: 'stealth rotary aircraft' were on USN ships offshore in case of disaster (they were not used).

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 4

Defense comms folks, please note that we (or at least, I) cannot stand self-serving quotes in press releases.

'"Our product is the finest and we are proud to partner with the customer," says CEO' is just advertising copy and a guarantee that most outlets will not print it.

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Zach Rosenberg @zachinflight.bsky.social · Sep 4

My pet journalism peeve is people going on background or OTR to say what they are paid to say. More than once I (and other defense journos) have received messages to the effect of: "On background: Our product is the best and we are best positioned to serve the warfighter."

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