The Air Force and Space Force are spending millions of dollars researching a concept called “rocket cargo,” where they would shoot a capsule full of troops or supplies into orbit and land it anywhere on Earth in 90 minutes or less, which is way faster than anything they have currently.
That kind of capability could be a game-changer in future conflicts, where U.S. troops may be more spread out and isolated than they’ve been in decades. But tough questions remain, such as how to make rocket cargo cheap, fast and safe enough to work at scale and in combat?
First, some context.
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The 126th Army-Navy Game presented by USAA continued its legacy as one of sports’ greatest spectacles, marking the rivalry’s seventh appearance in Baltimore. During a weekend packed with notable figures from across the sports, entertainment, and military communities—including the President of the United States and Secretary of Defense—the Black Knights and Midshipmen put on a memorable show for the 70,936 fans in attendance at M&T Bank Stadium.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV has for the first time aired footage of the People’s Liberation Army’s new Type 99B main battle tank participating in live fire drills. The new type of main battle tank was first unveiled at a military parade on September 3, 2025, during which tanks from the 112th Combined Arms Brigade of the 82nd Group Army led the ground vehicle column through Tiananmen Square in central Beijing.
Following the publication of images in October confirming progress in the construction of a new Chinese supercarrier, the Japanese think tank the National Institute for Basic Policy Research (NIPPR) has provided a new assessment of satellite images taken at the Dalian Shipyard where the warship is being constructed.
Lucas de Gamboa, RealClearDefense
We may have the strongest military, but having a strong military does not mean adversaries believe it will be used.
Tyler Rogoway, The WarZone
Hegseth’s visit to Redstone Arsenal provided new disclosures on Dark Eagle’s range and its small warhead.
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series exploring the modernization of defense manufacturing. Please also read the first: “The Additive Manufacturing Mirage in Defense.”If the role of additive is shifting away from the savior of manufacturing, then what will replace it as the true reindustrialization of manufacturing? There is an emerging consensus of an “agile factory”, which is theorized as a production ecosystem that mixes multiple manufacturing processes, old and new, orchestrated with advanced software and automation.
Western militaries are still arguing over what “autonomy” means while Russia and China are already building machines that don’t need GPS, data links, or even instructions.And unless the United States rewrites its understanding of autonomy, it will keep fielding systems that look modern on paper but collapse the moment the battlefield cuts the cord.
The Ukrainian state security service (SBU) has reported the first-ever successful attack on a submarine by an unmanned underwater vehiclein military history, damaging the Project 636 Improved Kilo class diesel-electric submarine at the Black Sea naval stronghold of Novorossiysk. A video released by the SBU appears to show the submarine exploding, after the unmanned vehicle navigated a packed harbour to reach its target.
The first submarine produced in the Republic of China, the Hai Kun, has continued to suffer major performance issues during testing. During the warship’s second sea trials, the ship’s hydraulic system was reported to have been left almost entirely ineffective on June 26, preventing the crew from turning the ship’s rudder. Personnel on the ship were as a result forced to turn the rudder by hand to be able to make an emergency return to the port.