The first F-16 Block 72 fighter has completed its maiden flight, with the aircraft being closely related to the F-16 Block 70 that first flew in January 2023. The principal distinction between the two enhance dF-16s is their engines, with the Block 70 aircraft use General Electric’s F110-GE-129, while Block 72 aircraft are powered by Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engines. The two versions otherwise share the same major avionics and systems modernisation package. Morocco became the launch customer for the configuration when the U.S.

The Yemeni Ansurullah Coalition has warned civilian airlines against operating over Saudi Arabia, declaring the kingdom’s airspace unsafe as fighting with Saudi and allied forces intensifies. Footage released by the coalition has shown multiple ballistic missile strikes successfully targeting the Southern Giants Brigades and other Saudi-backed units in southwestern Yemen.

Over the years, amid the scandals, lawsuits, and cases US President Donald Trump has faced, many have given him the moniker “Teflon Don”, a reference to old-school gangster John Gotti, whom authorities struggled to prosecute.

In the same way, Trump has seemingly weathered most of the controversies he has faced, both reputational and legal, largely unscathed, whether with grace or not is debatable.

Is Trump’s Luck Finally Running Out?

President Donald J.

Oil is flowing out of the Persian Gulf at rates approaching those seen before the Iran war began, and while those flows are not yet guaranteed to continue, they have been a welcome reprieve for the world economy.

However, there is a catch: much of what is moving out of the Gulf is crude oil, and diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, and other refined products that power the global economy remain in short supply because of a shortfall in refining capacity.

President Donald Trump hosts a bilateral meeting with President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, Monday, April 14, 2025, in the Oval Office.

A Russian Lancet loitering munition has been used in an attack on a Ukrainian T-72 tank near the settlement of Sliznevo in Kharkov region, according to footage released by Russian unmanned systems manufacturer ZALA. The company said the strike was carried out by personnel of the Azimut Battalion of Russia’s 37th Separate Brigade of Unmanned Systems using a Lancet equipped with its IRRA intelligent guidance and target-recognition system. The footage shows the loitering munition approaching the T-72 and striking it, causing a fire and explosion which destroyed the vehicle.

Ukraine appears to have launched one of the largest long-range strike operations of the entire war, with Russian officials claiming that the country’s air defenses intercepted an incredible 1,750 Ukrainian drones and 17 Flamingo cruise missiles in a 24-hour period that ended on Tuesday, October 6.

The figures have not been independently verified, but the scale of the operation is clearly enormous.

Ukraine Artillery Strike. Ukraine Armed Forces Photo.

Hundreds of drones were reported around Moscow, with two people killed in the surrounding region.

In September, transit through the Strait of Hormuz surged following a lull in the ongoing war with Iran. According to data from various maritime tracking agencies, an average of 10 million barrels of crude oil passed through the waterway in September, compared to 17 million to 20 million barrels before the war started. This data suggested that Iran’s blockade over the Strait was weakening and that traffic was beginning to return to normal.

Despite the good news, oil prices have remained high.

Marines looking for a meal on the go can now pay a visit to the dining hall by car with a new drive-thru at a chow hall on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California.
The Tres Habaneros drive-thru is a new addition to the base’s 62 Area dining hall. The drive-thru is operated by the Sodexo Group, a private food services company that runs other branches of the Mexican-inspired meals at university and hospital cafeterias. 
Master Gunnery Sgt.

Longtime federal contracting professional Bonnie Evangelista recently moved into a new role at the Pentagon, according to sources who indicated she’s leading procurement in the office of the Direct Reporting Portfolio Manager for Unmanned Systems.
After Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a slew of new policies last week to fuse the U.S. military’s drone purchasing and real-world operational deployments, DefenseScoop reported that Owen West was taking a leave of absence from directing the Defense Innovation Unit to steer the DRPM-UxS.

As violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank has escalated, often with the acquiescence or support of Israel’s military, and the Israeli government has increasingly constricted Palestinian daily life, the potential for a new intifada — or uprising — has intensified. The first Palestinian intifada began in late 1987 and continued for several years. Civil society played a major role in organizing the first intifada, which started as mostly nonviolent and included economic measures such as strikes and boycotts.

Military strongmen and strongwomen have had suc

With Ukrainian forces making modest though perceptible headway on the battlefield in Ukraine, the Kremlin’s long-stated goal of seizing all of Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region appears farther away now than it has in the nearly five years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian effort, called Operation Vivaldi, has clawed back about 125 square kilometers from Russian forces, or just under 50 square miles.

TOS-1. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Ukraine continues its long-range strike campaign against Russian oil and energy infrastructure, and the damage so far may be having a bigger effect than previously thought, with Kyiv now claiming it has disabled more than half of the country’s refining capacity.

According to a statement from the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense on October 4, citing an assessment by military intelligence and the General Staff, more than 51% of Russian refining capacity has been targeted by Ukrainian strikes.

Ukraine continues to wage its unconventional warfare against Russia’s invasion of its territory, with the former recently launching a record-breaking offensive against Russian forces.

Russian authorities said that they intercepted over 1,700 drones and more than a dozen Flamingo missiles that were deployed against Russian assets.

SCALP Missile Ukraine Military Photo

U.S.

To mark National Cadet Week we spoke to Cadet S

Every year, the Social Security Administration announces the Cost-of-Living Adjustment, or COLA, usually in October, and the adjusted benefit amount takes effect the following January.

The amount is tied directly to inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).

Social Security Check. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

So when inflation is highest, the COLA increase is, too.

In 2021, it was 5.9 percent, while in 2022 it was 8.7 percent, the highest such figure since 1981.

Collectible cars spanning nine decades of makes and models got an unexpected sandblasting courtesy of an Army AH-64 attack helicopter over the weekend.
An Army AH-64 Apache helicopter arrived late to an Ozark, Alabama, car show Saturday, hovering over the show’s display cars, pummeling vehicles and spectators with trash and dirt kicked up by rotor wash as it landed.

Russia and Ukraine keep trading blows as winter nears.

While Russia continues to strike targets across Ukraine, Kyiv also continues to attack Russia’s energy sector.

Moscow Under Attack Means the War Isn’t Ending 
Overnight on October 6, Ukraine launched another massive drone attack against Moscow, utilizing over 600 attack drones.

Su-57 Felon Fighter from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Su-57 Felon in the Sky. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The United States is experiencing some of the highest gas prices in recent years, clearly due to President Trump’s war against Iran. Where is this all going, and what should the average American expect next? One thing seems clear: both sides are banking on winning a dangerous game of chicken centered around the Strait of Hormuz. And one seems ready to blink.

US is Feeling the Brunt of the War at the Pump

An F-35B Lightening II with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz.

HMS Agamemnon is the Royal Navy’s newest nucl

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that the destruction of major American cities such as Los Angeles or San Diego would be a “small price to pay” in the ongoing conflict with Iran, while arguing that the war is necessary to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The president was discussing the economic impact of the conflict and rising fuel prices when he referred to the possibility of an Iranian attack on an American city. “It’s a small price to pay for keeping the world safe, keeping our country safe,” Trump said. “They could take out a city.

Overnight on Monday into Tuesday, Ukraine launched a major drone attack on the Moscow area, one that, among other targets, hit the Volodarskaya Line Production and Dispatch Station (LPDS), a major oil depot that supplies fuel in the area.

According to the Kyiv Post, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said on Telegram that 650 drones approached Moscow overnight and claimed air defenses intercepted most of them.

Ukraine Cruise Missile. Image Credit: Government of Ukraine.

Ukraine War TOS-2. Image Credit: X Screenshot.

This is the second grounding in recent months.

The order represents the first made by a military customer, with previous Grenadier sales heading to parapublic and border security forces.

If it wasn’t enough that Democrats are up in arms about the US’ continued war against Iran – and the continued support of Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Palestine – President Donald Trump gave California Democrats another reason to rage against him as he suggested that cities in the Golden State could be targets for terror attacks from Iran.

“They could take out a city,” the president said, speaking at a campaign rally in Grand Island, Nebraska. “Let them take — Let them take out Los Angeles.

Donald Trump, for the last few weeks, has been arguing that the high gas prices that are a result of the Iran War and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are a “small price to pay” for keeping Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. This week, Trump added a bizarre segue from this argument, speaking casually about the possible nuclear annihilation of Los Angeles and San Diego.

The Army awarded Anduril a contract worth up to $1.8 billion over five years to expand the service’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) ecosystem to additional units, the company said Monday.
The contract includes a $162.8 million base period, which is focused on expanding NGC2’s common data layer to I Corps. The Army chose Anduril to lead its common data layer baseline for NGC2 in June, beating out Lockheed Martin after the two companies developed parallel systems for nearly a year.

Iran has disrupted the global oil market and dramatically increased prices, but it would be a stretch to claim that Tehran has won the oil war. Even as strikes on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz continue, new shipping data released Tuesday, October 6, shows Gulf oil exports are recovering substantially, following earlier September data that showed Middle Eastern oil exports exceeded pre-war levels for three days that month.

And while Gulf oil exports recover, Iran’s own oil exports have been reduced to virtually nothing by the American naval blockade.

Oil fields.

What advancements have driven the evolution of

The Polls Aren’t Improving for Donald Trump – Another week brings us closer to the midterm elections, and the polls aren’t improving for U.S. President Donald Trump.

His popularity, measured by how many Americans approve of his performance as the nation’s commander-in-chief, is nearing lows seen during the worst points of both his first term and Joe Biden’s only term.

President Donald Trump signs the spending bill that ends the shutdown and reopens the U.S. Government Tuesday, February 3, 2026, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N.

The US Department of War (DoW) has selected four high-energy laser and high-powered microwave systems for a counter-uncrewed aircraft pilot intended to assess their operational use in homeland defence.

When you hear of horses being used in battle, y

Trump Suggests Iran Could “Take Out” San Diego or Los Angeles – U.S. President Donald Trump proved again this week that he cares little about the political conventions that have long governed how politicians — and presidents — speak in front of the media, telling a crowd of supporters that Iran could “take out” major U.S. cities and that it would be worth it to prevent the Islamic regime from building a nuclear weapon.

At least that’s how many experts interpret it.

Iran’s Drones That Russia Is Using. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Iran Missiles.

In what is increasingly becoming a bizarre, unstable, dark parody of a presidency, Donald Trump is now encouraging the Islamic Republic of Iran to nuke Los Angeles.

Or at least, that’s what it sounded like.

Donald Trump Speaking at CPAC. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Donald Trump Giving a Speech. Image Credit: Gage Skidmore.

Of course, it was a crude joke made at one of his ridiculous rallies in Nebraska as part of his desperate campaign to prevent the Republican Party from totally losing the Legislative Branch this November.

That doesn’t make it any better.

Drone Warfare is Changing the Frontline in Ukraine… And it Could Have Repercussions for the World:  Ever since the end of 2022, the frontline in Ukraine has barely shifted.

After failing to capture Kyiv in the war’s first six weeks, Russia pulled back its forces in April 2022. Counteroffensives in Kharkiv and Kherson pushed the invaders back even further in September that year. Since then, Russia has made only incremental gains across the country.

It’s officially spooky season once more and that means it’s time to watch your annual Halloween favorites, whether that means “Hocus Pocus” or “The Hills Have Eyes.” There is, however, one film that has a little something for everyone: “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

This video describes the military situation in

At least two people were killed, and another nine were wounded in Moscow after Ukraine launched one of the largest drone attacks of the war against the Moscow region. The Ukrainian attacks ran from Monday night all the way into Tuesday. Hundreds of unmanned aircraft were deployed from Ukraine toward Russia’s historic capital, targeting — among other things — a major fuel-distribution facility.

NO TIME TO BREATHE | Military Motivation
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This video describes the military situation in

The Trump administration and Anduril Industries unveiled plans Tuesday for a new “software-defined” shipyard that will help build attack submarines for the Navy.
The announcement comes as the Navy aims to boost its undersea arsenal, which could play a key role in a potential future conflict with China in the Pacific, and President Donald Trump seeks to enhance domestic manufacturing.
The Navy has awarded Anduril a contract worth up to $2.9 billion to support the effort, according to a press release from the contractor. The firm plans to invest $3.

President Donald Trump has a story that he’s trying to tell on the campaign trail this fall: That while the Iran War is historically unpopular, it shows no signs of slowing down, and Americans are paying very high gas prices, it was all worth it if it means keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

Pre-election polling suggests that argument isn’t persuading many people.

President Donald Trump is joined by Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Vice President JD Vance, British Ambassador Peter Mandelson, U.S.

Lockheed Martin has awarded Boeing an undefinitised contract action to increase production and supply seekers for PAC-3 MSE interceptors.

In an unannounced visit to Kyiv, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany would pledge more financial and military support to Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.

Arriving by special train on October 4, Merz was accompanied by German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, along with representatives and executives from German defense and energy companies.

Soldiers gather for a twilight vigil at Fort Hood after the November 2009 shooting. Photo: U.S. Army / Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

Pentagon officials announced Monday evening that President Donald Trump has authorized the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former Army major who killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas in 2009.
“Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has recommended, and President Donald J. Trump has approved, death by U.S.

As Ukraine prepares for a difficult winter, parts of the country are struggling to amass funds as Russian strikes continue to derail Ukraine’s economy.

As the war continues to escalate, Russia has increased the scope and frequency of its attacks, targeting civilian infrastructure that is vital to the livelihoods of thousands of Ukrainians.

Tu-95. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Tu-95 Bomber Russian Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

On Oct. 1, a Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet that flew from the USS Abraham Lincoln on combat missions in the Iran war was spotted returning home to California with an unusual kill marking. Above rows of other icons representing bombs the plane had dropped was a submarine split in half, embossed with the words “Sub Buster.”
The jet belongs to VFA-41, a Navy fighter squadron known as the “Black Aces,” based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. The squadron flies a modified version of the Navy’s F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter that specializes in bombing ground targets.

Ellen Gustafson was near the end of her talk at the 2026 Military Influencer Conference (MIC) in Tampa, Florida, when a man sat down.
Gustafson, co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit We the Veterans and Military Families, was discussing how much the military community plays in securing elections. Because of that, Gustason argued we should trust the results of elections.
That man wasn’t buying it. His brief retort—“Oh, let’s keep it clean”—caused Gustafson’s blood pressure to rise.
Also Read: Active duty military spouses vote 25 points below civilians.

This video describes the military situation in

With the significant Israeli and U.S. military attacks against Iran in 2025 and early 2026, analysts have discussed and debated Iran’s ability to replenish its missile and drone arsenal. Since 2024, Iran has burned through thousands of ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and one-way attack drones in its retaliatory attacks against Israel, U.S. military bases, and other targets in the region. In addition, air and missile strikes destroyed many more Iranian missiles and drones along with their launchers. Importantly, Israeli and U.S.