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Nuclear experts from three different think tanks argue that it’s time to be serious about the idea of mobile launchers for America’s ICBMs, especially given that the Air Force now says Sentinel will “predominantly” need new silos after years of saying the existing infrastructure will work for the new missile.
KEY TAKEAWAYS: Relying entirely on the current plan for silo-based ICBMs could pose grave risks that leave a future president with a far too-small ICBM force when the adversaries’ combined ICBMs have swelled.

Three men are facing federal charges for selling forklifts to the military that were branded as “Made in the USA” but were actually produced in China, federal officials said.
Federal prosecutors indicted three in an alleged conspiracy to create fake invoices for the machines that helped avoid nearly $1 million in import taxes and violated military contracting rules for U.S.-made equipment, according to Department of Justice officials.
Charges were handed down by a federal jury in Denver, Colorado, in late August against Endless Sales Inc., Octane Forklifts, Inc.

Welcome to The Adversarial. Every other week, we’ll provide you with expert analysis on America’s greatest challengers: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and jihadists. Read more below.***RussiaOn Ukrainian frontlines, Russia has shifted to smaller raids under its “thousand cuts” strategy. On Sept. 27, Russian forces conducted the third-largest combined missile and drone strike against Ukraine of the war. President Vladimir Putin announced the start of the semi-annual conscription cycle. In response, Ukraine has targeted Russian oil refineries, causing widespread fuel shortages.

The Pentagon’s chief information officer and the National Spectrum Consortium have awarded five contracts to industry and academia teams to conduct large-scale demonstrations of new spectrum-sharing capabilities.
Peraton Labs, Interdigital Communications, Nokia Federal Solutions, RTX BBN Technologies and the Kostas Research Institution at Northwestern University will all serve as project leads for the Advanced Spectrum Coexistence (ASC) demonstrations, the Defense Department CIO announced Wednesday.

Well, is it? From defense innovation, to scaling capabilities, to budgets, the answers aren’t easy. Ryan was joined by General Sir Richard Barrons of the United Kingdom and Peter Michael Nielsen of Denmark to sort through these issues. Barrons had a storied military career and most recently co-led his country’s Strategic Defence Review. Nielsen is Denmark’s deputy national armaments director, a role that has unique weight now as Denmark holds the E.U. presidency.This episode was recorded live at a reception in London hosted by our friends at Helsing (https://helsing.ai).

Article Summary – China’s Two-Seat Stealth J-20S: Game Changer or Added Drag?
-China’s J-20S is the first twin-seat stealth fighter ever fielded (and something America doesn’t have at the moment)—signaling that Beijing prizes human judgment alongside AI speed.

J-20 Stealth Fighter in China. Image Credit: PLAAF.

China J-20A Fighter in the Sky. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

-Adding a second crew member brings weight and potential agility penalties.

Wearing beards is a core religious tenet of some faiths, which has prompted the military to grant religious accommodations to Sikh, Muslim, Christian, and Norse Pagan service members for over a decade.
But those days may be ending.
This week’s overhaul of military grooming standards has raised fears of a coming crackdown on religious waivers for growing beards.
“Today at my direction, the era of unprofessional appearance is over,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday. “No more beardos. The age of rampant and ridiculous shaving profiles is done.

Nate Vance (J.D. Vance’s Cousin) Fought in Ukraine: Article Summary 
-At the Warsaw Security Forum (National Security Journal attended the talk), Nate Vance—former Marine, Da Vinci Wolves veteran, and cousin to Vice President JD Vance—offered a raw briefing from Ukraine’s front.

Su-34 Fullback. Creator: Vitaly V. Kuzmin. Credit: Vitaly V. Kuzmin

Aerial drone image of Bradley Fighting Vehicle crews from the 1st Armor Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, conducting Table XII gunnery at Fort Stewart, Ga. December 7, 2016.

The Battleship Comeback: Article Summary and Key Points 
-President Trump’s Quantico riff about bringing battleships back lit up the “Big Gun” crowd—but sentiment runs headlong into modern war.

USS Iowa Logo National Security Journal Photo. Taken August 15, 2025.

16-Inch Iowa-Class Guns. Image Credit: National Security Journal.

-Iowa-class museum ships aren’t ready for combat, their 16-inch guns reach just 23–27 miles, and today’s seas swarm with long-range missiles and drones.

-Heavier armor sounds reassuring, yet weight kills speed, sensors, and flexibility.

Pentagon leaders are moving to further cull the department’s civilian workforce by targeting underperformers for removal.
In a new directive issued this week, Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata laid out processes for weeding out employees who are deemed to be not up to snuff.