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F. P. Sempa, AllOTSEGO
The American colonies voted for independence on July 2nd, and the document was not completely signed by the members of Congress until August 2nd.

The United States Air Force has deployed dozens of additional KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft to bases in Israel, as a major expansion of ongoing attacks on Iran is planned. According to multiple U.S. and Israeli officials cited by Axios, the decision follows a Situation Room meeting during which President Donald Trump reviewed a range of military options extending well beyond the current campaign focused on the Strait of Hormuz. The reinforcement would restore U.S. tanker numbers in Israel to levels comparable to those seen during the opening stages of the conflict in February-March.
U.S.

The Republic of China Army’s deployment of U.S.-supplied AH-1W Super Cobra lightweight attack helicopters for a deep-area dispersal exercise has drawn attention to the aircraft’s capabilities, which have long been overshadowed by the deliveries of heavier and more capable AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to the service.

Canada has agreed to join the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) stealth fighter program, which is currently being led by the United Kingdom and Japan, which represents a major landmark efforts by Ottawa to diversify its defence partnerships and procurements away from the United States. This follows reports in early April Canada had sought to join as an observer, which would allow the Canadian Defence Ministry to access selected classified program information without joining the development phase or sharing a similar burden of development costs.

The United States is undertaking a major expansion of production for the FIM-92 Stinger man-portable air defence system (MANPADS), seeking to replenish depleted inventories while meeting growing demand from NATO allies and non-NATO strategic partners. The effort reflects a broader reassessment within the Pentagon that recent conflicts have demonstrated the continued importance of short-range air defence weapons against helicopters, low-flying aircraft, cruise missiles, and increasingly against unmanned aerial vehicles.

The U.S. Navy’s first stealth destroyer the USS Zumwalt is being prepared to return to operational service following a lengthy modernisation program that has transformed it into the Navy’s first surface combatant equipped to deploy long-range hypersonic weapons. After years of delays linked to upgrades to its integrated power system and other technical challenges, the ship is expected to rejoin the fleet with the new Intermediate-Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) capability, providing the Navy with an entirely new long-range strike option for operations in the Pacific theatre.

Footage and reports from the Gulf region have confirmed that the U.S. Army is relying heavily on ATACMS ballistic missiles to launch precision strikes against targets in Iran, with the older missiles being available in greater numbers and being relied on to compensate for the lack of modern Precision Strike Missile (PrSM). This follows confirmation in mid-April that the Army had exhausted its entire stockpile of PrSM ballistic missiles following the initiation of military operations against Iran on February 28. The assault on Iran represented the first ever combat use of the PrSM missile.

29th Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth Official Portrait (DoD photo by Chad J. McNeeley)Public Domain

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced today that the president has made the following nominations:
Army Lt. Gen. Brian S. Eifler for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as deputy chief of staff, G-3/5/7, U.S. Army, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Eifler is currently serving as deputy chief of staff, G-1, U.S. Army, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.
Army Lt. Gen. James P.

While the renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran may appear to be evidence that diplomacy has failed, the constraints facing both governments seem to point toward yet another agreement in the near future. It’s simply a matter of how much damage the U.S. does to Iran and Tehran does to its regional neighbors before that deal is made.

In short, the dynamics are this: Iran cannot force the United States out of the Middle East, nor can it defeat American forces conventionally.

Is This the “Worst-Case Scenario” For Hormuz? The Strait of Hormuz should, according to U.S. President Donald Trump, be open. With U.S. forces now holding Iran accountable, launching devastating strikes against coastal batteries and infrastructure, making it difficult to disrupt shipping as it has in recent weeks, international shipping companies should, in theory, be taking advantage of those efforts.