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China's Swarm Drone Mothership Takes Flight

Published 2 days ago • 5 min read

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Major Developments

SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES

 

Combat Rescue Aircraft Arrive in Caribbean as Trump Again Signals Land Strikes

President Trump recently stated that the U.S. will soon begin strikes targeting drug shipments from Venezuela via land routes, claiming a 92% reduction in maritime trafficking. Though the White House maintains Trump seeks no prolonged conflict, focusing solely on narcotics interdiction.

The Pentagon has deployed HC-130J Combat King II and HH-60W Jolly Green II CSAR aircraft to Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, alongside EA-18G Growlers and inbound F-35As. KC-135 and KC-46 tankers now operate from the Dominican Republic and U.S. Virgin Islands.

Experts believe CSAR deployment signals potential air operations over contested Venezuelan territory, as these specialized rescue platforms are essential for recovering downed aircrews during combat missions. (Read More)​

China's Swarm Drone Mothership Completes Maiden Flight

China's Aviation Industry Corporation flew its Jiutian drone mothership on December 11 from Pucheng, Shaanxi Province. The 16-ton platform carries 6-ton payloads across 4,350-mile (7,000-kilometer) range with 12-hour endurance, reaching speeds up to 378 knots and altitudes of 49,200 feet.

Concept videos from May 2025 depicted Jiutian releasing hundreds of quadcopter and fixed-wing attack drones from side-hinged fuselage bays. The 82-foot wingspan UAV was displayed at Zhuhai Airshow 2024 with PL-12/PL-15 air-to-air missiles, TL-17 cruise missiles, and precision bombs on eight underwing hardpoints.

The H-tail configuration and robust landing gear enable short-field operations. AVIC markets the platform for both military strike missions and civilian disaster relief operations. (Read More)​

SBA Orders Financial Audit of All 8(a) Contractors Following Major Fraud Cases

The Small Business Administration ordered all 4,300 participants in its 8(a) Business Development Program to submit three years of financial records by January 5, 2026. Firms that fail to comply risk losing program eligibility and face potential investigation.

The audit follows a June guilty plea in a decade-long bribery scheme involving over $550 million in 8(a) contracts and subsequent suspension of multiple executives over an additional $253 million in fraud allegations. The program facilitated more than $40 billion in federal contract awards during fiscal 2024.

Sen. Joni Ernst introduced legislation to freeze all sole-source 8(a) contract awards pending the review's completion. The program simultaneously faces a federal lawsuit challenging its constitutionality. (Read More)​

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The Tear Line

QUICK UPDATES

CONFLICT UPDATES

➤ F-35 fighters from Vermont are deploying to the Caribbean for Operation Southern Spear, likely staging at the former Roosevelt Roads base in Puerto Rico, where the aircraft's ability to drop 2,000-pound bombs signals potential airstrikes against Venezuelan targets. (Read More)​

➤ Drone strikes hit Russia's Acron chemical plant in Veliky Novgorod, igniting fires at one of Russia's largest producers of ammonia, nitric acid and ammonium nitrate used in explosive manufacturing, with witnesses reporting over five direct impacts. (Read More)​

➤ Ukrainian drones struck a Russian An-26 transport aircraft mid-takeoff and destroyed two radars supporting S-300 and S-400 systems in occupied Crimea, Ukraine's military intelligence reported, with Russian sources acknowledging casualties. (Read More)​

SECURITY UPDATES

➤ Employers are expanding workplace surveillance through new technology including Google's message archiving on work phones and Microsoft Teams' WiFi location tracking, while workers have less leverage to resist than previously. (Read More)​

➤ Apple CEO Tim Cook lobbied House lawmakers against the App Store Accountability Act that would require Apple to verify ages of all users, arguing it unfairly shifts responsibility for child safety from app developers to Apple and Google. (Read More)​

➤ JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon said AI "will eliminate jobs" but workers who develop critical thinking, emotional intelligence and communication skills will have "plenty of jobs," as executives predict the technology will transform every role. (Read More)​

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

➤ The U.S. Marine Corps is testing the LUCAS low-cost attack drone reverse-engineered from Iran's Shahed-136 design at Yuma Proving Ground, with Pentagon officials envisioning mass production by multiple manufacturers at $35,000 per unit similar to WWII Liberty Ship production. (Read More)​

➤ South Korea's Marine Corps launched the Marlin, its first vessel since the force was founded, an 18-meter (59-foot) high-speed combat boat capable of 80 km/h (50 mph) in shallow water with remote weapons and bulletproof armor. (Read More)​

➤ Ukraine's Armed Forces are reportedly using their domestically produced Sapsan ballistic missiles in combat, featuring a 480-kilogram (1,058-pound) warhead and 5.2 Mach speed. (Read More)​

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From conflict zones to disaster-stricken regions, our teams support multinational programs that foster security, rebuild communities, and protect the most vulnerable. This is work that demands adaptability, discipline, and purpose.

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Special Interest

SPECIAL CATEGORY

➤ AI startup 2wai released a viral ad showing a dead grandmother's AI avatar raising her grandson from birth through adulthood, deliberately creating controversy though CEO Mason Geyser says he wouldn't pursue such a relationship himself, drawing widespread Black Mirror comparisons.

➤ Archaeologists discovered a 120-meter (394-foot) granite wall submerged off Brittany's coast dating to 5800-5300 BCE, reinforced by over 60 upright monoliths nearly two meters high, revealing advanced engineering centuries before France's first known megalithic monuments.

➤ A skydiver's parachute became entangled in a plane's tail at 15,000 feet over Queensland, forcing them to cut through 11 ropes with a hook knife before falling 7,000 feet and deploying their main chute, landing with minor injuries.

On this day in history: On December 13, 2003, U.S. forces captured former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein near his hometown of Tikrit, Iraq, during an operation codenamed "Red Dawn," finding him hiding in a small, underground "spider hole" on a farm, marking a pivotal moment in the Iraq War.
Special Interest

SENTIMENT COLLECTION

Yesterday’s Results:

Should institutional investors be able to purchase single-family homes?

  1. No (64.6%)
  2. Yes, but with limits (22.2%)
  3. Unsure (8.4%)
  4. Yes (4.7%)
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Humanitarian Security Officer Defense Division Worldwide
Medic Defense Division Worldwide
Interpreter Defense Division Worldwide
Communications and Command Systems Instructor Defense Division Worldwide

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About SOFX: We are an independent media and communications technology company reporting on the conflicts, security, and technology issues impacting your lives and businesses. SOFX was founded by former Special Operations & Intelligence Professionals not Career Journalists or Big Tech / Big Media.

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