The government shutdown is dragging on, and a lot of military families out there aren’t getting paid. This means there could be a sharp spike in food insecurity among military families. Even if it ends soon, this isn’t the first one, and it likely won’t be the last.
For now, the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN), a nonprofit with a mission to understand and amplify the needs of military-connected families and inspire data-informed change, is offering real help, right now, for free. All military families need to do is sign up.
Author: Michael
A Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force Y-20 transport was reportedly filmed landingat Chkalovsky Air Base near Moscow, fuelling speculation that it may have been delivering supplies to support Russia’s military modernisation efforts. Although Russia has primarily relied on North Korea, and to a lesser extent on Iran, to supply its forces, it has also made limited procurements of advanced Chinese equipment.
Russian Shahed-136 single use drones have demonstrated a new capability to strike dynamic moving targets near the frontlines, and have seen their ability grow to provide close air support for Russian ground forces. During a recent interview Lieutenant Colonel Arsen Dmytryk from the First Azov Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine reported that the drones are posing a growing threat to frontline units, highlighting that this may worsen significantly as production further expands.
Starting next year, the Army will be able to domestically mass-produce upwards of 10,000 small unmanned aerial systems each month, according to the service.
Army Materiel Command is leading a new pilot program dubbed “SkyFoundry” that will allow the service to rapidly develop, test and produce small drones using innovative manufacturing methods. Officials are currently identifying multiple facilities where the platforms will be designed and produced. The department expects it can manufacture at least 10,000 UAS per month once the first site is up and running, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen.
The President of Fiji, Ratu Naiqama Tawakecolat
Troops were starting to see money deposited into their accounts on Tuesday a few days after the Defense Department said that it was moving $8 billion out of research and development funds to dish out paychecks amid the ongoing government shutdown.
Pay day officially occurs on the 1st and 15th of every month for service members, but some military-focused banks can deposit paychecks up to two days early if the military provides them payment notification ahead of time.
The payments come as the government shutdown reaches its second week.
Leading up to the 2025 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting, Lockheed Martin teased news of a development to the Sikorsky Black Hawk line of helicopters.
Yes, we got a trailer from a defense contractor before GTA VI.
On Oct. 13, 2025, the first day of AUSA, Lockheed Martin unveiled the S-70UAS U-Hawk. An autonomous, unmanned aircraft, the U-Hawk went from concept to reality in just 10 months. Converted from the workhorse UH-60L Black Hawk, the U-Hawk is configured to lead and resupply air assault missions… without a cockpit, seats, or crew stations.
Shipbuilding, Maintenance, and Fleet Reactivation Strategy
Public Domain
Originally published at Real Clear Defense
Introduction
The United States is in a decisive period of maritime competition and has been for years. China is building combat ships at a rate unseen since the Second World War and now has a blue water Navy that surpasses the size of our Navy by a wide margin.
The Army says it will install small nuclear reactors as power plants on 10 bases as it effort they’re calling Project Janus — a name chosen for its reference to the Roman god of doorways or, more philosophically, transitions.
“This is about the transition from prototypes to fully commercial nuclear power to provide energy resilience with our soldiers,” said Jeff Waksman, principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment said Tuesday at the annual conference of the Association of the U.S. Army in Washington D.C.
With news of the cast of iconic British comedy