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The Duffel Brief · the free edition, Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Vol. 15 · No. 121 · Saturday, 10 October 2026

Pentagon

Hegseth opens up new TradWife MOS

Army says new career field will allow warfighters to focus on lethality while someone else remembers the kids

DTS works properly after hack by rogue AI

Lincoln sailor returning from deployment already broke

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Vol. 15 · No. 121

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Vol. 15 · No. 121 · Deployed worldwide

Saturday

10 October 2026

1141 Zulu

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· Page 2

Multiple F-35s shot down in 3-hour dogfight with Chinese balloon

The Air Force is said to be 'encouraged' by the outcome

Filed · 1104

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — In a failed mission to stop a Chinese balloon from infiltrating American airspace, sources say at least seven U.S. F-35 fighter aircraft were shot down by the object in a harrowing 3-hour dogfight this weekend.

“The balloon was too fast, too maneuverable, too heavily armed. Our F-35s didn’t stand a chance,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown said. “We were goddamn sitting ducks out there, and it picked us off one-by-one.”

Despite the inexplicable nature of a balloon flying all the way from China to the U.S. and shooting down seven stealth aircraft, the Chinese government has denied accusations of hostile intent.

“It’s a balloon. We think your airplanes just suck,” read a statement from China’s People’s Liberation Army. “Actually, we know they suck because we make a lot of the parts here.”

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