“We’ll be just as busy, committed and foc
Author: Michael
Editor’s Note: Defense tech enthusiasts may be familiar with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s famous Arsenal of Democracy speech, which solemnly and urgently called for material support to Europe in its fight against the Nazis. In that “fireside chat,” broadcast to radios across the country, Roosevelt appealed to the American people to break from their tradition of noninterventionism and appeasement to support the war effort. But Roosevelt delivered another speech two weeks later to Congress, on January 6, 1941, that struck a different tone. That address is excerpted below.
The Venezuelan Air Force has been confirmed to have received Iranian Mohajer-6 unmanned aircraft, which is the first known armed drone type have been brought into service in the country. The aircraft are based at El Libertador Air Base, the Air Force’s primary operational facility, where the country’s Su-30MK2 fighters have also been based. The Mohajer-6 is deployed by the armed forces of Iran and Russia, with unconfirmed reports also indicating deployments by Sudan, Ethiopia, and formerly by Syria.
As part of efforts spanning more than a decade to rapidly expand the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s fleet of advanced destroyers, the service commissioned seven new destroyers in 2025, all of which were Type 052D class ships. These included the warship Weinan (hull number 166), commissioned in March 2025, the Suzhou (hull number 158), commissioned in May 2025, the Cangzhou (hull number 125), commissioned on May 29, 2025, the Heze (hull number 126), commissioned in July 2025, and the Zhumadian (hull number 127), commissioned on July 27, 2025.
The year 2025 saw the intensification of conflicts across multiple theatres, and the outbreak of new hostilities in Latin America, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, while major developments in ongoing arms races have shifted consensus among analysts regarding long term power trajectories affecting several key hotspots.
It was nearing midnight just two days before Thanksgiving when a small Marine Corps drone buzzed to life, obscuring the sound of insects chirping away at the Puerto Rican military facility known as Camp Santiago.
Then there was an explosion, briefly illuminating the drone’s target — a container — and the flora surrounding it in an otherwise dark night, according to a Marine Corps video of the exercise. A voice then cracked over the radio: the target was destroyed.
An analysis of federal health survey data found that children in U.S. military families are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at higher rates than children in civilian families. Children’s Health Defense scientists, who conducted the study, said child exposure to toxins, either directly or through their parents, cannot be ignored and must be investigated.
by Brenda Baletti, Ph.D.
Children in U.S.
Air Force Special Operations Command is interested in equipping its AC-130J Ghostrider aircraft with SpaceX’s made-for-government Starlink/Starshield terminals.
According to a request for information posted to Sam.gov on Tuesday, AFSOC is conducting market research for “ruggedized Starlink/Starshield integration solutions onto AC-130J Ghostrider” — a gunship that primarily provides close air support and armed reconnaissance for ground-based forces.
This video describes the military situation in
the numbers don’t spin…and happy New Year to all
Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian flight deckImage by 中国新闻社
As the final post of 2025, let’s look at the warships the U.S. Navy commissioned this year.
Carriers:
None. Next scheduled in 2027.
Amphibious Ships:
None. Next LHA expected in 2026.
Destroyers:
None. Two expected in 2026.
Frigates or Other Small Surface Combatants:
USS Pierre, LCS-38
Attack Submarines:
USS Iowa, SSN-797
So, a LCS and a SSN. 2026 should be a bit better, but it is what it is.
Two.