The Pentagon’s new comprehensive report on the state of America’s defense research enterprise spotlights severe structural, logistical and bureaucratic vulnerabilities undermining the military’s technological edge.
“The average age of laboratory facilities across all the Services is greater than 45 years, with most built during the Cold War era,” it states. “These facilities are past their traditional life expectancies and the methods and requirements of conducting research in the 21st century is beyond their capabilities.

The Army has awarded Hanwha Defense USA, a subsidiary of South Korea-headquartered Hanwha Aerospace, $100 million for mobile tactical cannon prototypes as part of a deal that could be worth up to nearly $263 million.
The service announced the other transaction agreement, which has an estimated four-year period of performance, Tuesday evening.
The move represents a confluence of two Army goals: boosting its long-range firepower for modern battlefields and expanding the defense industrial base.

US Navy’s Nimitz class aircraft carrier,

A French Air Force Rafale intercepted a specialised command-and-communications variant of the Russian Tu-214 aircraft over the Baltic Sea, with the fighter deployed to the region as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission. The intercepted aircraft has been identified as Tu-214PU RA-64534, operated by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), which belongs to the Russian government’s Rossiya Special Flight Detachment that operates aircraft for senior political, military and security officials.

Nato’s maritime mission is changing hands

The United Arab Emirates has suspended all trade and financial transactions with Iran, severing one of Tehran’s most critical remaining economic links.

The announcement comes after Iran was accused of launching two ballistic missiles toward maritime traffic near Emirati territorial waters.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Nick “Laz” Le Tourneau, pilot and commander of the F-22 Raptor Aerial Demonstration Team, performs an aerial demonstration at Air Dot Show Tour Fort Lauderdale, Florida, May 9, 2026. Capt.

Trump Declares Strait of Hormuz ‘Open’ – President Donald Trump says the Strait of Hormuz is “open and operating.” On Tuesday, he went a step further, sharing a map that labeled the strategic waterway “NEW U.S. Territory.”

Only six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, according to Kpler data reported by Reuters. That was down from nine a day earlier and well below normal pre-war traffic, when roughly 130 to 140 vessels passed through Hormuz each day.

President Donald J. Trump holds a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room Wednesday, May 27, 2026.

Afshon Ostovar, one of the leading experts on Iran and the host of the members-only podcast The Iran Reckoning, is joined by War on the Rocks membership editor Kerry Anderson for a state-of-play conversation on the conflict between the United States and Iran. They consider why the fighting has settled into a stalemate and dig into which figures in the Iranian regime have influence over Iran’s approach to the war. Afshon unpacks the implications of Mohsen Rezaei’s recent appointment as head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, before the two look ahead to what comes next.

President Donald J. Trump, at least according to a Reuters poll this week, has the lowest approval rating of his second presidency and is tied for the lowest across both of his presidencies. The war in Iran, which Trump launched and with which he is closely associated, is also wildly unpopular; there’s not much confidence among anyone in either party that the United States will be able to pull itself out of that conflict anytime soon.

Therefore, the Iran War, along with rising gas prices and related inflation, is likely to be top of mind for voters as the November election approaches.

Security teams at an Air Force nuclear base may soon be training with Chinese-made drones, which are now so widely used in war zones that one expert called them ‘the new AK-47.’  According to a federal contract solicitation, nuclear security airmen at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, need the Chinese-made drones so they can train with the “exact devices adversaries are most likely to employ.”
First reported by Stars and Stripes, the solicitation specifically seeks “brand name DJI” drones. DJI, a company based in  Shenzhen, China, builds most of the world’s civilian drones.

In the latest episode of Sub Life, we asked sai

Russia has issued a sharp warning to the United Kingdom over the reported use of British-made drones in Ukrainian strikes against targets deep inside Russian territory. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow could regard Britain as a participant in the conflict if British involvement in attacks against Russia continues to expand. The warning comes after reports that Ukrainian forces have begun using British drones for long-range strikes inside Russia.

The Iran war is approaching its six-month anniversary and looks nothing like U.S. President Donald Trump suggested it would when the strikes began in February.

When U.S. and Israeli forces launched attacks in February, Trump was still famous for campaigning against America’s endless overseas wars.

FILE PHOTO — The B-2 Spirit is a multi-role bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions. A dramatic leap forward in technology, the bomber represents a major milestone in the U.S. bomber modernization program.

Donald Trump was elected in 2024 by a unique coalition of groups that seemed unlikely to stay together long-term. Trump earned the support of podcast bros and also the Christian Right.

He did better than usual with pro-Israel Jews and also with Muslim-Americans in Michigan, as well as a half-dozen other similar dynamics.

AOC. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

AOC. Image CNN Screengrab.

In 2024, Trump succeeded in appearing as multiple things to multiple groups.

The Red Hawk, Leonardo M-346 or Golden Eagle?

Donald Trump has been underwater in the polls for most of his second term. But this week, he hit a new low.

According to Reuters, the president’s approval rating has dropped to 33 percent, which is the lowest of his second presidency in the Reuters/Ipsos poll.

President Donald Trump holds a Cabinet meeting, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in the Cabinet Room. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

President Donald Trump delivers remarks at a National Day of Prayer event, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in the White House Rose Garden.

Defense startup X-Bow has been tapped to develop and demonstrate an affordable interceptor for the Missile Defense Agency in late 2027, the company announced Wednesday.
MDA awarded the two-year, $10.9 million contract to the company in July under the agency’s Rapid Response Small Launcher Technology program, moving X-Bow into phase 2 of the Low-Cost Interceptor (LCI) initiative. Like others across the Pentagon, the effort seeks to rapidly build and test an inexpensive defense solution against advanced missile threats — including hypersonic weapons.

The Marines had broken the step ladders on their heavy logistics trucks. So, while they were training in the Pacific over the summer, they made some more.
It was a simple fix for a part the Marines were constantly having to replace. But the physical manifestation of the ladders represented what officials called a promising, though partial, answer to the logistics challenges the military expects to face if the U.S. and China go to war.

Moscow Gas Stations Forced to Ration – Russia’s fuel crisis is worsening, and now it is hitting consumers at the pump in the capital.

This week, major gas station chains in Moscow reimposed purchase limits as Ukrainian strikes continue to disrupt the country’s refining industry.

Vladimir Putin in Syria. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Putin in Briefing. Image Credit: Russian Government.

50 Million Russians Affected 
Ukraine’s growing drone production capabilities are plunging Russia into more chaos than its 2025 attacks did.

AUGUSTA, Ga. — Straight from tours supporting Ukraine’s fight against Russia, U.S. Army officers presented their latest assessment of just how deadly electronic warfare has become, where virtually every emission can be detected and targeted within minutes.
They added fresh entries to the catalog of concerns about the American military’s ability to operate in such a conflict, and argued that because nearly every mission must now consider the electromagnetic spectrum, the service’s signal soldiers must become some of the most tactically proficient members of the modern battlefield.

Royal Marines boarded the Russian shadow fleet

This video describes the military situation in

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired a senior member of his administration on Wednesday, August 19, just hours after anti-corruption investigators searched her home as part of a money-laundering investigation involving a series of high-profile legislators, bank executives, and other officials close to the presidency.

Zelenskyy dismissed Iryna Mudra as deputy head of the Office of the President with a one-sentence decree that offered no explanation for her removal.

Zelensky Speaking in UK Ukraine Government Photo

President Donald J.

This past weekend, Disney held its annual D23 celebration, which means there’s major announcements, trailers, and updates from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to catch up on—and some homework for those of you who want to catch up on the essentials before “Avengers: Doomsday” releases this December.
Also Read: We’re still obsessed with hero stories 4,000 years after Gilgamesh
I’ve got the spoiler-free list below and a list with summaries below that… but first, let’s take a quick peek at some of the other fun news that came out of the D23 expo.

More Reserve and National Guard troops who serve long stints on active duty orders may get access to healthcare after a sailor’s class action lawsuit. A new Pentagon policy released Aug. 10 could make tens of thousands of troops eligible for six months of healthcare coverage and pay back out-of-pocket costs incurred by thousands more, advocates told Task & Purpose.

We went on board Nato’s North Atlantic flagsh

Russia’s oil exports are slumping after Ukrainian attacks have compromised operations at its key Black Sea port of Novorossiysk.

Russia’s Western Port Exports Slump

Putin in December of 2023 Creative Commons Image

Putin Speaking in July 2026 Creative Commons Photo

Oil shipments from Russia’s western ports fell to around 2.3 million barrels per day in the first half of August, about 15% below Moscow’s initial loading plan, traders told Reuters on Wednesday.

The Indian Ministry of Defence has unveiled its sixth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL), identifying 405 new items for domestic production as part of ongoing efforts to reduce import dependence.

A Russian Aerospace Forces Su-35S fighter crossed into Ukrainian-controlled airspace over the Sumy region, flying over the town of Uhroidy and launched a Kh-59/69 guided missile towards Sumy City before returning safely to Russian-controlled airspace in Kursk. The reported sortie is unusual because Russian fourth generation fighters have consistently avoided penetrating Ukrainian airspace, instead relying heavily on missiles and glide bombs to engage targets at range weapons.

High diesel prices are becoming a problem for the U.S. economy and Trump: High gas prices have been a reality for Americans throughout 2026, especially since the war in Iran broke out.

But lately, diesel prices have started to soar even more, threatening ripple effects across the U.S. economy. And that’s something that could create a big political problem for President Trump’s party in November’s midterm elections.

A major joint exercise between U.S. and South Korean troops will end a week earlier than originally planned after President Donald Trump directed that it be scaled back, a Pentagon official confirmed.
The annual Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise began on Monday shortly after Trump posted on social media that he had ordered Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to “substantially reduce” the U.S. military’s involvement in the training event, which he described as “costly.”
The exercise had originally been scheduled to last until Aug.

What do you get when you cross a Russian drone with a cruise missile? Answer: A new hybrid and more difficult-to-shoot-down weapon called the S8000, or more commonly known as the “Banderol.” The weapon not only presents a considerable new challenge to Ukraine’s air defense forces (PPO), but it also has become an additional method for Moscow to terrorize Ukrainian civilians.

Meet the Banderol Cruise Missile 

Lancet Drone. Image Credit: Russian State Media.

Lancet Drone from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

There is nothing as classic in the crime/murder mystery genre as the infamous “killer returning to the scene of the crime.” In a real-world example of how art imitates life, Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have done just that.

For months now, unofficial sources have said Putin has increasingly confined himself to hiding inside underground bunkers or other hardened sites.

This video describes the military situation in

When defending any position, the second-to-last thing a military unit wants to know is that they’re outnumbered. The very last thing the defenders want to know is that they’re massively outnumbered. 
Also Read: One of military history’s most lopsided beatdowns didn’t need to happen
Being outnumbered leads to a losing mindset, which can be a real morale killer, which can only hurt a unit’s ability to fight effectively. Being so outnumbered that defeat feels guaranteed can be a self-fulfilling prophecy—but it doesn’t have to be.

Love esports?

It was a war no one in London asked for, to kick off a plan everyone tried to reject, and the first battle was an absolute disaster. But the British Army was sent to Isandlwana anyway, by one British High Commissioner who was going to reorganize southern Africa by any means necessary.
There was just one problem: Britain didn’t actually control all of southern Africa.

Elbit Systems said that its subsidiary, Elbit Systems Sweden, plans to introduce its new Tactical High Mobility Shelter (THMS) at DALO Industry Days 2026 defence exhibition in Denmark.

Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA) has landed its first major contract with the US Army to provide prototype K9 Mobile Howitzers (K9MH) for the military’s Mobile Tactical Cannon (MTC) programme.

Flesh-eating bacteria warning, Gulf Coast 2026. Photo: The Wellness Company
The last few months the media has been transfixed by the cyclospora “explosive diarrhea” outbreak that has spread across the country – with no relief in sight. Not garnering near the media attention as cyclospora, but deadlier and more dangerous, is a flesh-eating bacteria crisis that has developed along the Gulf Coast.
Writing in his Substack, Dr.

This video describes the military situation in

In a Pacific war, the U.S. military cannot assume uncontested access to its depots and supply lines for munitions, spare parts, food, water, and energy. Jonathan is joined by David Tuttle (Rune Technologies), Paul Lwin (HavocAI), and Tom Garvey (CACI) to discuss sustaining a dispersed force that’s facing enemy fire and lacks stable, secure communications. They debate autonomy versus automation, predictive resupply, where the data comes from, and which lessons from Ukraine transfer across theaters.Image: Sgt. Alora Finigan via DVIDS.

The Iran war is beginning to resemble the Ukraine war in one important way. Operationally, the wars themselves are still very different — Ukraine is a large-scale ground invasion, while the Iran war is not there just yet. But their political logic after a failure to achieve a quick result is starting to look very similar. In both cases, a larger power expected its overwhelming military force to produce a quick political result. And in both cases, that expectation failed.

Following confirmation that the Russian Navy has begun factory sea trials of the first Khabarovsk class nuclear-powered strategic submarine, a growing consensus has emerged that the country’s strategic nuclear deterrent is entering a new phase as unprecedented capabilities begin to be introduced. The warship left the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk on August 17, 2026, marking a major milestone in a programme that has been under development for more than a decade.

In early 1963, a single number characterized the difference in the positions of the United States and the Soviet Union on a comprehensive nuclear test ban. Nikita Khrushchev had proposed three on-site inspections each year. Washington was asking for seven. Other differences remained, including inspection procedures and treaty language. But the difference mattered: Seismology could not always distinguish an underground test from an earthquake, and inspections created both assurance and opportunities for espionage.Neither number had been delivered by a technical expert wielding a seismograph.

NextGenDef.

NDM
Key to maintaining command and control on the battlefield is having robust electronic warfare defense and offense

Dylan Malyasov, Defence Blog
REGENT’s Squire Seaglider drone completed a 13-day electronic warfare exercise called Silent Swarm

AvWeek
Shield AI will receive $50 million from the U.S.

Paul Giarra & Kevin Eyer, RCDefense
The Unused Shield: The Case for Forward-Deployed Aegis Destroyers in Gulf Air and Missile Defense