Nearly every soldier in the Army has completed the military’s new test meant to track cognitive health and the potential effects of explosive blast exposure, officials said Monday.
Army officials said 97% of soldiers have taken the Neurocognitive Assessment Tool, a computer-administered assessment that establishes a baseline for cognitive function. Doctors and specialists can later reference that baseline to track cognitive issues if a soldier suffers a blast overpressure injury.

At a recent ceremony at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, six F-22 Raptor pilots were awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses, or DFCs, the military’s top award for valor in flight.
The pilots received the DFCs from one of the Air Force’s most senior officers, Gen. Adrian Spain, the commander of Air Combat Command. DFCs are the military’s highest award for flying, and the fourth-highest award of any kind, above the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

The Navy intends to procure 30 medium unmanned surface vessels from three vendors at an average cost of $40 million per platform, the sea service announced this week, part of a broader effort to ramp up its arsenal of robotic capabilities.
Galliano Marine Services, HII and Saronic Technologies were each awarded other transaction agreements to produce 10 MUSVs in the wake of “successful at sea testing,” according to a press release from the Navy’s direct reporting program manager for robotic and autonomous systems.

Iran’s top diplomat has presented Washington’s response to its latest proposal regarding the Strait of Hormuz.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi briefed President Masoud Pezeshkian on the matter during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

F-15 Museum photo taken by 19FortyFive.com Staff.

Tehran’s announcement did not say whether the U.S. had refused its offer.

According to Reuters, Qatari mediators received Washington’s feedback on Monday. On Tuesday, they relayed the update to Araghchi and his delegation in Doha.

Iran said on Wednesday, September 30, that it had received an official response from the United States to its proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restart negotiations.

The claim comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly rejected the offer.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Nick “Laz” Le Tourneau, pilot and commander of the F-22 Raptor Aerial Demonstration Team, performs an aerial demonstration at Air Dot Show Tour Fort Lauderdale, Florida, May 9, 2026. Capt. Le Tourneau showcased the unmatched capabilities of the F-22 by performing a series of combat maneuvers. (U.S.

This video describes the military situation in

In the latest mediated talks on a potential ceasefire agreement and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. and Iran have been exchanging proposals through mediators from Qatar.

According to FirstPost, Iran had made a proposal late last week for a timeline in which the Strait will be opened, in exchange for the U.S. unfreezing Iranian assets, lifting its blockade, and lifting sanctions.

President Donald Trump greets President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, Friday, February 28, 2025, in the West Wing Lobby.

What does the US withdrawal from Iraq mean for

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has issued a 26-page letter to Americans urging voters to “change the makeup” of the U.S. government.

The letter comes just weeks before November’s midterm elections, where voters will decide who will control Congress for the next two years.

Iran Army Tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Iran Drone Aircraft Carrier. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The conflict and the associated rise in the cost of living have been key issues throughout much of 2026, ever since the war began in February.

The post How to build observability for the agentic AI era appeared first on DefenseScoop.

Iran’s ability to disrupt Middle Eastern oil exports is pretty firmly established at this point — but that leverage is weakening as Gulf producers begin to restore shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and restore routes that bypass it.

But that recovery is not guaranteed to last, and Washington has not yet defeated Tehran or eliminated its ability to escalate.

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

Iran F-14 Tomcat Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Seven months after the U.S.

A single weapon used predominantly in World War I and with a limited deployment in World War II was so effective and so terrifying that Germany lodged a diplomatic protest against its use by American forces. It wasn’t the flamethrower or the machine gun. It was “trench broom” shotguns, especially the Winchester Models 1897 and 1912.
Also Read: CMP boss says M14s will be under $2,000. They have trench shotguns too.
The two shotguns were first entered into combat after America realized how brutal trench warfare really was.

Threats by nuclear-armed states against their adversaries are usually implicit. But Russia, this week, made such a threat explicit and directed it at NATO. According to Reuters, Russia this week sent a document to NATO in which it threatened to resort to using nuclear weapons if NATO enforces a blockade of the Kaliningrad region on the Baltic Sea — an idea that seems to have originated in a British TV broadcast.

Abu Dhabi could soon spend tens of billions of dollars on ports and other infrastructure to decouple the United Arab Emirates from the Strait of Hormuz, as the war with Iran forces Gulf governments to rethink the trade routes their economies depend on.

Diversification On the Way

The Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) and the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550) transit the Atlantic Ocean March 20, 2021, marking the first time a Ford-class and Italian carrier have operated together underway.

Over the better part of three days, President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington for a summit that drew international attention for its high-stakes agenda, from trade and AI to Taiwan. While some experts saw the summit as an exercise in kicking the can down the road on major issues, others emphasized the significance of Trump treating Xi as an equal on the world stage. Read more below.Sam Bresnick Research Fellow and Andrew W. Marshall Fellow at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging TechnologyThe Xi-Trump summit yielded little progress on AI. Yes, U.S.

President Donald Trump has nominated Vice Adm. John “Brad” Skillman to serve as the Navy’s second-highest-ranking officer and become a four-star admiral.
Skillman’s nomination as vice chief of naval operations was submitted to the Senate on Tuesday, according to a congressional notice. A Navy official confirmed that the nomination has been transmitted to the Hill.

Ever since the conflict between the United States and Israel with Iran began back in February, Iran has utilized a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz to disrupt oil exports from neighbors in the Persian Gulf.

The move has driven up global oil prices, fueling cost-of-living rises worldwide and limiting foreign support for Operation Epic Fury.

Pascagoula, MS – The future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) completed acceptance trials, May 18. DDG 125 is the first Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer built in the Flight III configuration.

Russia’s latest bombardment of Kyiv isn’t just another attempt to destroy isolated military targets; rather, it reflects a broader campaign against the systems that allow Kyiv to function.

Electricity, heating, transportation, communication, logistics—Russia’s recent strikes have targeted crucial infrastructure. The timing also seems purposeful, with winter fast approaching.

President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks at the David S. Mack Center for Training and Intelligence in Garden City, New York, Friday, August 14, 2026.

The Pentagon is debating its military presence in the Middle East after months of Iranian missile and drone attacks revealing the vulnerability of some of its largest forward bases. The discussion is still ongoing, with no official decisions made on mothballing any particular installations.

‘Quiet Talk’ Over How War Ends

U.S. Navy Lt. Andrew Bentley signals an F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to the “Blue Blasters” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 34, to launch from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), Nov. 30, 2023.

The U.S. military-led mission to counter the Islamic State in Iraq has officially come to an end. 
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Wednesday that the “orderly departure” of U.S. personnel and equipment from Erbil Air Base in northern Iraq was officially complete. Officials said the withdrawal marked the end to Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq, the U.S. military’s counter-ISIS mission in the country.
The Erbil Air Base had served as a central hub for the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve mission since U.S.

Avio USA has broken ground on a roughly 900,000ft2 solid rocket motor plant in Hurt, Virginia, its first manufacturing facility in the US.

On Sept. 29, 2026, the Department of War announced a contract awarded by the U.S. Navy to Boeing for the sixth-generation F/A-XX Strike Fighter. Under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, the contract is valued at over $20 billion for the aircraft’s full-scale development phase. This includes procurement of multiple test aircraft for ground, airworthiness, systems, and weapons integration testing.
Boeing, which previously won the Air Force NGAD contract for the F-47, beat out Northrop Grumman for the Navy’s F/A-XX contract.

In its efforts to isolate Iran, including the Operation Economic Outcast effort that was announced last month, the Trump Administration has sought to punish countries that continue to do business with Iran.

One of the biggest challenges of that approach is that Iran gets more help than many believe from a powerful country: China.

A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer assigned to the 345th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron is photographed after landing at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, Aug. 22, 2025.

SS Richard Montgomery was a Liberty Ship.

To state the obvious, it’s in the world’s interest for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine to end.

Yet the war shows no sign of ending anytime soon.

Tu-22M Bomber from Russian Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Tu-22M Bomber from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Moscow and Kyiv are so far apart that any concessions will be too major for either party to consider.

A lack of consensus among Western allies has done little to help the situation.

A Deal for Donetsk Will Not End Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – In just one year, one month, and one week’s time, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine will have surpassed a duration longer than the Second World War in Europe.

World War Two, effectively encapsulating the rise and fall of fascism on the continent, saw geopolitical shifts not seen since Napoleon’s permanent exile more than 100 years earlier. By late 1942, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany directly controlled 1.5 million square miles of the European continent. Three years later, Hitler and fascism in Europe were dead.

A woman with a flawless complexion named Chase visits her friend Tyler West, a young enlisted Air Force member in emotional distress. She’s surprised to see his car outside and decides to stop by unannounced at his dorm room.
She invites him to play volleyball and eat out with friends as a soulless smile crosses her face. But she also sees the pizza boxes littering the room behind her.
After she leaves, West describes what Chase failed to notice.
“I stopped answering calls, stopped cleaning up. I don’t sleep. I’m either jittery or numb,” West says in a confused tone.

Delta Force is a collection of the U.S. Army’s most elite soldiers. Officially known as the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, it’s the United States military’s premier tier-one counterterrorism and hostage rescue unit. When aspiring operators are being screened for selection into Delta Force, they have to pass a series of rigorous and challenging tests—among those tests is the “Long Walk.”
The Long Walk is a ruck march they begin with no announced distance, no announced end time, and no encouragement.

As it considers the U.S. counterproposal, Iran has written a letter to America: Last week, Iran, speaking through Qatari mediators, offered a seven-day ceasefire that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the U.S. unfreezing access, dropping sanctions, and lifting its blockade.

President Donald Trump had publicly rejected the overture over the weekend. But now, a new report says that Iran claims it has received official feedback from the U.S. side through the mediation process.

Boeing F/A-XX concept render. Image: Boeing via CDR Salamander / Substack

I won’t lie, I really wanted the successor to the Grumman Iron Works, Northrop Grumman, to get the award…just to have that legacy back on the flight deck…but…I am not emperor.

Northrop Grumman notional F/A-XX design concept. Image: The Aviationist via CDR Salamander / Substack

Boeing it is,

…the Department of War announces a contract awarded by the U.S. Navy to Boeing for the Sixth-Generation F/A-XX Strike Fighter under the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.

North Korea is preparing to send thousands more of its troops to Russia for combat in Ukraine, according to Kyiv. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky outlined the scope of Russia’s expanding axis to foreign countries — and the Kremlin’s recruitment of their soldiers — in stark terms. But he affirmed that his administration would “inform every relevant government” about how their citizens are involved in fighting on Russia’s behalf against Ukraine. One of the largest, and perhaps most concerning, sources of manpower for the Kremlin? North Korea.

Russian strongman Vladimir Putin has dictated another swelling of the Kremlin’s war machine ranks, expanding the number of men-at-arms as the conflict in Ukraine approaches its fifth year. In a decree from the Russian presidential office published yesterday, the details of the force expansion were made clear: the Russian armed forces will grow to 2,441,630, though not all will be considered active. Active service members will number 1,550,500 — an increase of 15,500. This is the fourth time this year the Russian military has expanded.

Zach Polega was injured so severely in Afghanistan in 2018 that doctors thought he would lose his right leg. Seven years later, the retired Army Ranger was on the deck of the USS Midway for Team Red, White and Blue’s most ambitious endeavor yet.
Along with a select group of other determined veterans, Polega hoped to establish a world record. Their goal was to run while carrying the American flag more than 3,000 miles cross country to its final destination in Washington, D.C., in the shortest amount of time ever.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon, Oct. 20, 2025. Photo: U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Milton Hamilton / DoD (public domain)

War Secretary Pete Hegseth plans to ax 20% of the general and admiral slots in the U.S. military, fulfilling a promise he made back in May to chop 10% of general and flag officer billets.
War Secretary Hegseth will announce the force structure changes in his State of the Force address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va.

This video describes the military situation in

Morgan Phillips, Fox News
War secretary’s State of the Force address doubles last year’s 10% reduction target, with changes due by Jan 1, 2027

Colton Jones, Defence Blog
Raytheon has won a $247.1 million contract to build, upgrade and overhaul Phalanx close-in weapon systems for the U.S. Navy and U.S.

Caitlyn Burchett, USNI News
The future USS John F.

Hope Seck, Army Times
The Army has kicked off an “M9s to Strykers” comprehensive evaluation of its weapons platforms as it pushes for greater organic repair capability

Diana Stancy & Michael Marrow, Breaking Defense
The selection also raises questions about how Boeing’s workforce will take on another major program

US troops depart Iraq. Photo: US Navy/DoD (public domain)

Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) in Iraq came to a formal close on 30 Sep 2026 with the formal closing of the last American military base in country at Erbil in the Kurdish north of Iraq. The US military will now cease to have a presence in Iraq after more than two decades of continuous presence.
In a statement released by the Pentagon earlier today, they acknowledged the closure of all US military bases in Iraq.

“We want to stop the North Koreans as far from Pusan as we can. Block the main road as far north as possible. Contact General Church. If you can’t locate him, go to Taejon and beyond if you can. Sorry I can’t give you more information. That’s all I’ve got. Good luck to you, and God bless you and your men.” -Maj. Gen. William F. Dean, orders to Lt. Col. Charles B. Smith, July 1, 1950, four days before Task Force Smith was overrun at Osan.

In January, this article series opened with a blunt question: Economic statecraft is back, but is America ready?Driving the question, in part, was the fact that the United States had not yet articulated (at least overtly) a strategy for economic statecraft. This was despite widening recognition that nations were increasingly using economic tools like tariffs and sanctions to pursue strategic objectives. U.S.

A Russian infantryman expertly takes apart multiple drone attacks with small arms. Good firing position, gets in lower terrain to make drone slow down.

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India has set September 2028 as the target for the first flight of its Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) fifth generation fighter, with Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh also stating that the Tejas Mk2 light fighter is expected to make its maiden flight by September 2027. The timelines were announced at the NDTV Defence Summit in New Delhi on September 27, placing a specific target on two of India’s most important indigenous fighter programs.

Military service members receive COVID-19 vaccines. Photo: Children’s Health Defense / The Defender

By Michael Nevradakis, Ph.D. | The Defender — Children’s Health Defense
Testimony in an ongoing federal defamation lawsuit is raising new questions about the legality of the U.S. military’s 2021 COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The testimony also sheds light on how the mandate shaped military policy and the broader federal vaccine policy during the pandemic.
The lawsuit was filed last year by Dr.

Oil exports from major Middle Eastern producers appear to be recovering, even as the war with Iran continues, as Gulf countries try to move as much crude as possible through the Strait of Hormuz and restart shipments along routes that bypass it entirely.

Preliminary data from shipping tracker Kpler put September crude exports from key regional producers at 16.328 million barrels per day — their highest monthly level since the U.S.-Israeli war began in February.

President Donald Trump departs the White House Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn, Monday, April 21, 2025.

Chinese defence researchers have outlined a long-term architecture for electrically powered 60 ton tank powered by a compact nuclear reactor and armed with a 50 megajoule electromagnetic railgun. The concept, described in a research paper published in the June 2026 supplement of the Chinese defence journal Acta Armamentarii, envisages a development path extending beyond 2045. The study was conducted by researchers from Inner Mongolia First Machinery Group, the State Key Laboratory of Special Vehicle Design and Manufacturing Integration Technology, and Beijing Institute of Technology.

Military officials announced a slew of awards to several defense companies Tuesday as part of a contract vehicle worth billions in counter-drone technology, a potentially massive haul for the Pentagon’s Domestic Shield initiative and air defense efforts.
The 10 new awards have a collective ceiling of $4.15 billion and fall under an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) vehicle that officials expect to reach $7 billion by the end of next month.

Russia has recruited Americans as well as thousands of other foreigners to fight in Ukraine, as Moscow looks to the world for manpower after over four years of huge battlefield losses.

At Least 18 Americans Enlisted With Moscow

Tu-160 Bomber from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons

Tu-160 Bomber Russian Air Force. Image Credit: Russian State Media.

The New York Post reported Monday that Ukrainian intelligence has identified 18 Americans who enlisted to fight with Russian forces.