The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association
March 4, 2026
Save the Date
May 18-21, 2026
NDTA-CAS
Surface Force Projection Meeting
Check out the daily agenda
Join the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA) and Christopher Newport University’s Center for American Studies (CAS) Surface Force Projection Meeting (SFPM), May 18-21, 2026, at Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA. Connect with top U.S. government and industry experts to tackle deployment and sustainment challenges and address this year’s theme, “Projecting Power in a Globally Contested Environment — Ideas into Action!” Network with peers, attend insightful sessions, and hear from renowned speakers. NDTA, along with CAS, partners with the U.S. Army Transportation Command (ARTRANS), Military Sealift Command (MSC), U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), the U.S. Coast Guard, logistics and transportation industry, and academia to provide the SFPM. Mark your calendar and don’t miss out! Details on agenda, lodging, and registration will be available on our website starting December 18, 2025. Registration opens on January 29, 2026. Become an NDTA member today for exclusive benefits!
U.S. Military Assembles Largest Force of Warships, Aircraft in Middle East in Decades
(Military Times) The Pentagon is building up the largest force of American warships and aircraft in the Middle East in decades, including two aircraft carrier strike groups, as President Donald Trump warns of possible military action against Iran if talks over its nuclear program fall apart.
“It’s proven to be, over the years, not easy to make a meaningful deal with Iran, and we have to make a meaningful deal,” Trump has said. “Otherwise, bad things happen.” […READ MORE…]
Navy’s Newest Carrier Puts Its High-tech Capabilities on Show and on the Line in Iran Conflict
By Alison Bath, Stars and Stripes
(Stripes.com) The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford’s support of Middle East operations that began over the weekend is showcasing — and testing — its cutting-edge technology and capabilities, which older carriers lack. Ford, the Navy’s newest and the world’s largest aircraft carrier, is more than eight months into a deployment that has seen the ship go from Europe to the Caribbean Sea and back. The carrier was ordered to the Mediterranean Sea last month, part of a U.S. military buildup as President Donald Trump threatened Iran that an “armada” was on its way to the region. […READ MORE…]
By Mike Schuler
(gcaptain.com) The world’s most vital energy artery is under siege. Following coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and top military commanders, the Strait of Hormuz — through which roughly 20% of global oil supply flows — has become a war zone, forcing major shipping lines to halt operations and sending hundreds of vessels to seek shelter in open waters. […READ MORE…]
Trump Moves to Give Oil Ships Financial Cover Amid Iran War
By Sylvan Lane
(thehill.com) President Trump took steps Tuesday to prevent a sharp decline in global oil supply and give maritime shipping companies financial protection amid the war in Iran. The president said he was ordering the U.S. Development Finance Corp. (DFC), a federal agency, to provide political risk insurance for shipping companies traveling through the Persian Gulf. […READ MORE…]
Thousands of Flights Cancelled as Iran Conflict Upends Global Air Travel
By Federico Maccioni, Joe Brock and Tim Hepher
(Reuters.com) Global air travel remained heavily disrupted on Sunday as war in Iran kept major Middle Eastern airports including Dubai, the world’s busiest international hub, closed for a second day in one of the sharpest aviation shocks in recent years.
Key transit airports, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Doha in Qatar, were shut or severely restricted as much of the region’s airspace remained closed after U.S. and Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. […READ MORE…]
Apply for 2026 NDTA Foundation Scholarships,
now through Wednesday, April 15, 2026
NDTA wants to remind you that we are accepting applications for the 2026-2027 academic year. Applications are being accepted through April 15 via e-mail at ndtahq@ndtahq.com for our four academic scholarship programs for members and their children:
- Program A – for currently enrolled college students
- Program B – for soon-to-be high school graduates accepted at an accredited institution
- Program C – for currently enrolled, distance learning college students
- Program D, The Denny Edwards Graduate Scholarship – for graduate (master’s degree) students
NDTA offers all scholarship winners a unique opportunity to join our Industry Connect Program (ICP). The ICP links interested students with an industry mentor to help them bridge to the future. More information can be found here.
NDTA is excited about the education and development of our Nation’s future logistics and transportation leaders! Providing scholarships and the ICP helps us promote learning and professional development. To learn about scholarship qualification details and how to apply, go to www.ndtahq.com/foundation/, call us at 703-751-5011 or send us an email at ndtahq@ndtahq.com. Read student testimonials from previous scholarship recipients to learn about the impact it has had on their studies and their career paths.
We look forward to hearing from you!
FOR EXTERNAL CERTIFICATION AUTHORITY (ECA) USERS
Please see the attached ARTRANS Customer and Carrier Advisories and follow the guidelines as required.
Editor’s Picks
USAF ‘Woefully Behind’ on Modernizing Mobility Aircraft, Airlift Commander Says
(defenseone.com) The Air Force’s top mobility leader would like decades-old air transports and tankers to be replaced sooner than the late 2030s, as currently planned.
Lt. Gen. Reba Sonkiss, the interim head of Air Mobility Command, told reporters that the service needs to seriously discuss what the future replacement for the decades-old C-5 and C-17 transports will be. She added that tankers, such as the KC-135, are on track to refuel next-generation bombers as they are near a century of service.
U.S. Air Force Training Pilots for Next Generation Air Force One
(theaviationist.com) The U.S. Air Force leaned into a dual-track training program for the new VC-25B, leveraging civilian 747-8s and a newly acquired $400 million training fleet.
The U.S. Air Force is one step closer to fielding its next presidential transport. Aircrews are now undergoing specialized training for the Boeing 747-8, the base airframe slated to replace the current aging Air Force One fleet.
U.S. Military Has Used Long-Range Kamikaze Drones in Combat for the First Time
(TWZ.com) The U.S. has used LUCAS kamikaze drones for the first time in combat, U.S. Central Command acknowledged on Saturday. The drones, based on the Iranian Shahed-136, were launched from the ground by Task Force Scorpion Strike (TFSS). The launch of LUCAS drones marks a rare instance when the U.S. adopted Iran’s drone playbook and used it against them.
Stick to Your Guns: Why the Marine Corps Is Opting for the M27 Over the Army’s M7
(marinecorpstimes.com) The Marine Corps is opting to keep the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle rather than adopt the Army’s higher caliber M7. Lt. Col. Eric Flanagan, a public affairs officer for Marine Corps Combat Development Command, confirmed the decision, stating the M27 is well-suited “for our close combat formations as it best aligns with our unique service requirements, amphibious doctrinal employment of weapons and distinct modernization priorities.”
Air Freight Rates Expected to Spike as Iran War Escalates
(FreightWaves.com) The war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on Saturday is already disrupting air cargo traffic in the Middle East, a key freight corridor between Asia and Europe where two of the world’s largest cargo airlines are based and raising the potential for a rise in air freight rates. Airlines are suspending flights, rerouting traffic around the conflict zone and unable to use key transload hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar because of retaliatory missile attacks by Iran.
Kenyan Avocado Exporters Set for Seamless Peak Season with Maersk’s Cold Chain Logistics
(Maersk.com) Maersk Kenya announced a series of strategic initiatives designed to support the country’s vital avocado export industry as it prepares for the upcoming peak season. Through enhanced training programs, optimized logistics capacity, and strategic resource positioning, Maersk is reinforcing its commitment to Kenya’s agricultural sector and to the growers who depend on reliable, uninterrupted cold chain logistics to reach global markets.
Matson to Introduce Enhanced Intermodal Cargo Security Program
(Matson.com) In response to the rise of theft from intermodal cargo industrywide, Matson, Inc. announced a new, enhanced cargo security program that will add two layers of protection to the majority of its international intermodal cargo at no cost to its customers, beginning in the second quarter of 2026.
How Uber Plans to Launch Electric Air Taxi Flights in 2026
(flyingmag.com) Uber and Joby Aviation unveiled “Uber Air” — a new, on-demand service using Joby’s four-passenger, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi. Joby said it expects to carry its first passengers later this year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where the partners shared a first look at Uber Air during a product and flight demonstration.
“With Uber Air, riders will be able to book Joby’s electric air taxi through a simple and familiar, one-tap experience on Uber, seamlessly connecting every leg of their journey — making ground-to-sky travel even more effortless,” said Sachin Kansal, Uber’s chief product officer.
The Source is a free educational publication for NDTA members, conference attendees, and associates.