Bea Castañeda, The Defense Post
It’s not a plane built for airshows or dogfights — it’s a machine built to keep others flying longer, farther, and faster.

The Aviationist
A-10s armed with a mixed anti-air and anti-surface armament have been flying attack missions against insurgent groups aligned with the Iranian government in Iraq.

Mallory Shelbourne, USNI News
Big deck amphibious warship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) and its embarked Marines are heading to the Middle East as the U.S.

NextGenDef.
The US Army has taken a major step in expanding the reach of its long-range fires arsenal, completing the first flight test of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 2.

This video describes the military situation in

Can the RAF win yet another championship or wil

The reigning champions enter the tournament to

Multiple sources have reported that strikes launched by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have destroyed a Untied Arab Emirates Air ForceSaab GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system, which is one of the most high value military aircraft operated the the Middle East. The aircraft was targeted at Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi as part of a large scale drone attack on the facility. The base hosts air assets from the UAE Air Force, the U.S.

Latvia and Patria have finalised a life cycle support (LCS) agreement covering the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) 6×6 vehicles operated by the Latvian National Armed Forces (LNAF).

Lockheed Martin has successfully conducted the initial flight test of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 2, marking a significant step in the development of the US Army’s long-range strike capabilities.

At conferences, in pitch decks, and increasingly in public writing, “service” is increasingly being used to describe the work of startup founders, employees, and venture capital investors in defense technology. The claim, sometimes explicit, more often implied, is that building defense technology is itself a form of service comparable to uniformed military service.

After the Gulf War’s air campaign concluded in February 1991, U.S. commanders were confident that airpower had destroyed the bulk of Iraq’s Republican Guard before the ground offensive ever began. A subsequent General Accounting Office review found they were wrong and identified why. The Republican Guard was among the “least measurable” target categories in the entire campaign. About a third of reported F-117 strikes either lacked corroborating evidence or conflicted with other data, putting the probability of a successful F-117 strike between 41 and 60 percent.

Since the United States and Israel launched large scale attacks on Iran on February 28, the U.S. Armed Forces have expended highly value munitions on a wholly unprecedented scale, raising serious questions regarding the implications for the country’s future war fighting capabilities. Iran’s sustained air defence capability has limited the ability of hostile aircraft to operate deep inside its territory, with costly U.S. and Israeli unmanned aircraft such as the respective MQ-9 Reaper and Heron having suffered heavy losses when undertaking high risk operations far inside Iranian territory.

Churchill once demanded, “Take this pudding away — it has no theme!” U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle’s new Fighting Instructions presents a similar sort of dish.In November 2024, I argued in War on the Rocks that successive chiefs of naval operations developed a pattern of issuing strategic guidance that described aspirations but did not consistently impose the concrete direction necessary to guide naval force planning.

The French Air Force is suffering from an acute shortage of air-to-air missiles, due to extensive operations against Iranian drones in the Gulf region. According to the French paper La Tribune, the rapid depletion of ammunition has raised serious concerns regarding the further combat capability of the air force, with French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu having convened an urgent crisis meeting during which measures to replenish missile stocks were discussed.

The Republic of China Army has carried out a drone combat training exercise from March 10, during which personnel have operated immersive dronesfirst-person-view attack drones in a simulated urban battlefield to conduct precision strikes and bomb-dropping pursuit attacks. Units operating under the Army’s 58th Artillery Command were required to locate and engage simulated hostile forces operating inside buildings and vehicles, with military officials described the exercise as part of broader efforts to develop operational concepts for unmanned systems in urban combat environments.

Russian state sources have reported that Ukrainian authorities are using construction work as a cover for the recruitment of Colombian nationals for combat operations, citing documents found on the phone of Colombian military contractor Jose Luis Pocheco Navarra, who recently surrendered to Russian forces. The document is reported to have contained a request by the head of the Zaporozhye Region’s military administration, Ivan Fyodorov, that Colombian citizens be engaged in construction and restoration works in the region.

Earlier this month, KTLA TV news in Los Angeles reported on the tearing down of a Vietnam War wall memorial in Fountain Valley in Orange County, California.
KTLA reporter Chip Rost said, “It was torn down before ever being opened to the public.”
One million dollars was designated by the city.
“It is now part of disgraced, former County Supervisor Andrew Do’s legacy,” reported Rost.
Andrew Do was behind the project, and he was convicted in 2024 in a bribery case.

How Administrative Power Replaces Accountability in Today’s Military

Public Domain

There is a moment in institutional life when a name stops functioning as an identity and begins functioning as a narrative.
Inside large hierarchical organizations—especially the military—individuals can sometimes become symbols of problems the institution feels compelled to resolve. A service member’s name becomes shorthand for controversy, disruption, or risk. Once that shift occurs, the individual is no longer evaluated solely as a person whose conduct must be examined.

Summary and Key Points: National security analyst Stephen Silver evaluates the operational status of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) following a March 12, 2026, laundry room fire in the Red Sea.

-Currently supporting Operation Epic Fury near Saudi Arabia, the carrier is on track for a historic 11-month deployment, nearing the 332-day record set by the USS Midway during the Vietnam War.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) sails alongside the world’s largest aircraft carrier the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), Sep. 24, 2025. Winston S.

L Todd Wood talks for former USAF fighter pilot Brent Beecham on the recent mid-air collision resulting in the death of 6 airman in Iraq.
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This video describes the military situation in

The Trump administration is launching a new plan to initiate legal guardianship proceedings for hundreds of the “most vulnerable” veterans in the country. 
The administration announced the move on Wednesday, saying that the Department of Justice and Department of Veterans Affairs agreed to a plan that would see VA attorneys appointed as special assistant U.S. attorneys, allowing them to start and participate in state court conservatorship and guardianship proceedings, according to joint releases from the department.

Summary and Key Points: Defense technology analyst Reuben F. Johnson evaluates the “most dangerous job on earth”: the Iranian Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) crews.

-Amidst Operation Epic Fury, allied reconnaissance drones and satellites have reduced Iranian ballistic missile launches by 90%, according to CENTCOM Admiral Brad Cooper.

Iran Missiles. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

-The IRGC operates from hardened “missile cities,” yet the transition from tunnel cover to firing sites has become a lethal bottleneck.

Israel’s Nuclear Weapons Have One Job: Survival
Key Points and Summary
-Defense expert Harrison Kass evaluates Israel and its nuclear arsenal, arguing its primary function is an existential hedge rather than conventional war-fighting.

-Shaped by the legacy of the Holocaust and the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Jewish state’s doctrine focuses on survival insurance.

F-15I Fighter Israeli Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

F-35I Adir Fighter. Image Credit: Israeli Air Force.

F-16I from Israeli Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Summary and Key Points: Defense expert Harrison Kass evaluates the Eurofighter Typhoon, a multinational delta-wing platform designed for high-maneuverability air combat.

-Despite the shift toward stealth networking, the Typhoon maintains relevance through Block 4 upgrades, including Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and the Meteor long-range missile.

Eurofighter Typhoon Upgrade. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Eurofighter Typhoon Fighter Training. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Summary and Key Points: National security expert Steve Balestrieri evaluates the M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV), documenting its trajectory from the 1960s MICV program to its 2026 deployment in Ukraine.

-Equipped with a 25mm Bushmaster chain gun and BGM-71 TOW missiles, the Bradley famously neutralized more Iraqi T-72 armor during Operation Desert Storm than the M1 Abrams.

Troopers with 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division firing the 25mm canon on a Bradley fighting vehicle in order to zero the vehicles weapons systems at a range in Poland.

Summary and Key Points: Senior Defense Editor Christian D. Orr analyzes the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31 “Foxhound,” a supersonic interceptor that evolved from the MiG-25 “Foxbat.”

-Powered by dual Soloviev D-30F6 afterburning turbofans, the Foxhound achieves a maximum speed of Mach 2.83.

MiG-31 Russian Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

MiG-31 Flying High Russian Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

-Orr highlights the aircraft’s pioneering phased-array radar, which provides essential look-down/shoot-down capabilities for all-weather engagements.

Summary and Key Points: Defense Analyst Jack Buckby breaks down how Russia is touting its MiG-41 (PAK-DP) as a revolutionary sixth-generation interceptor capable of exceeding Mach 4 and operating in near-space to down hypersonic missiles.

-While officials claim the design is finalized and a prototype is imminent, significant skepticism remains. The aircraft follows a long tradition of high-speed interceptors like the MiG-31, yet the technical demands of Mach-4 flight are immense.

MiG-41 Artist Drawings Compilation. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

MiG-41 Artist Rendering.

This week, 82nd Airborne veteran Jack Piatt could go home with an Academy Award, the film industry’s most coveted honor, and one of the most prestigious awards in entertainment. His work combines the storytelling of a Russian realist from the 1800s and the talents of internet viral video performers to create an innovative and visually stunning ensemble that’s hard to forget.

All eyes are on the war in Iran, and many Americans are wondering what will happen next? Could this conflict expand? Could this lead to a wider war? Should we be worried about the threat of a nuclear weapon or a dirty bomb or a bio weapon?
If you are worried, it appears you aren’t alone.

Summary and Key Points: National security expert Steve Balestrieri evaluates the M1 Abrams and its M256 120mm smoothbore cannon, specifically the use of Depleted Uranium (DU) ammunition.

-Known as the “Silver Bullet,” rounds like the M829A4 utilize Armor-Piercing, Fin-Stabilized, Discarding Sabot (APFSDS-T) technology to defeat third-generation Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA).

An M1A1 Abrams tank from 1st Tank Battalion, 3rd Marines, maneuvers before a live fire assault at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, Queensland, Australia, on May 25, 2001 for Exercise Tandem Thrust 2001.

Summary and Key Points: Defense expert Dr. Brent M. Eastwood evaluates the Tomahawk cruise missile supply chain during the 2026 Iran conflict.

-With over 400 missiles fired in the first 72 hours of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. Navy is facing a strategic “magazine depth” crisis.

Tomahawk Block IV Missile. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Tomahawk Launch. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

-This report analyzes the RTX (Raytheon) framework agreement to surge production to 1,000 units per year to counter the “Kinetic Missile Fight.

On Mar. 13, 2026, a gunman opened fire on a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps classroom at Virginia’s Old Dominion University. He chose the wrong classroom to start a murderous rampage. Within moments, the cadets turned on the shooter and killed him. The incident left one victim fatally shot by the gunman, with two more wounded. 
The cadets rushed the gunman, piled on to him, and disarmed him before fatally stabbing the attacker to death. He was dead before the 911 call was placed. By the time police entered the room, only 10 minutes had elapsed.

This video describes the military situation in

For the first time in 2026, the Armed Forces Ra

The Department of Defense released the names of the six airmen who died when their LC-135 Refueling plane crashed in western Iraq on Thursday. 
They are: Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington.; and Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky, who were all assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing. Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana.; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing.

North Korean shipyards have overtaken those of the United States in the construction of ocean-going surface combat ships, with the shipbuilding industry having launched two destroyers in 2025, and scheduled to launch two more every year for the next five years under the next Five Year Plan, bringing total numbers in the water to 12 by the end of 2030. The U.S., by contrast, has been building Arleigh Burke class destroyers at rates of just 1.6 per year. While the contraction in U.S.

We toast our hearty comrades who have fallen from the sky,and were gently caught by Gods own hands to be with him on high.To dwell among the soaring clouds they have known so well before,from victory roll to tail chase at heavens very door.And as we fly among them there, we’re sure to hear their plea:Take care, my friend, watch your six, and do one more roll for me.

The Department of War announced the death of six Air Force Airmen who were supporting Operation Epic Fury.
Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Ala.; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Wash.; and Tech. Sgt.

The post DC National Guard Activates 260th Special Purpose Brigade To Strengthen Security In Washington appeared first on Armed Forces Press.

A Navy fighter jet that got the United States’ first air-to-air kill against another plane in nearly 20 years in 2017 is currently taking part in combat operations against Iran.
The specific F/A-18E, Modex or identifying number 402, was seen launching from the USS Gerald R. Ford in a video posted by U.S. Central Command earlier on Saturday, showing a variety of the air power being used during Operation Epic Fury, the military’s name for combat operations against Iran. The plane is part of the “Golden Warriors” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 87.

The Army has awarded a mega contract to Anduril Industries that the U.S. military hopes will boost its ability to defeat drone threats.
The Pentagon unveiled the $20 billion firm fixed-price deal Friday evening as part of its daily list of contract announcements.
That announcement addressed the types of technologies involved, but was scant on details about the mission areas the capabilities would be applied toward.

This video describes the military situation in

We are living in unsettling times across the globe; times that seem to relentlessly shake our foundations and force our military-connected communities to brace themselves for one disruption after another.
Our community has been hit particularly hard these past several months. We’ve seen life-altering ramifications from the government shutdown, constant leadership shifts and policy changes, furloughs, non-renewed government contracts affecting our Guard and Reserve Components, and the imminent deployments for every branch of service weigh heavily on our readiness.

Announcing the ‘Into The Lion’s Den’ podcast with former SEAL, Commander Dan O’Shea (USN, Ret) – first interview – Wayne Black.
Armed Force Press is proud and honored to be launching the ‘Into The Lion’s Den’ podcast in conjunction with Commander Dan O’Shea (USN, Ret). O’Shea will bring intense long-form interviews with military and law enforcement figures from his extensive reservoir of contacts in ‘the business’ of hostage rescue.
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Pennoyer, National Defense
The current battle force is in the range of just below 300 vessels, and it is retiring more ships from service than it is building.

Richard L. Farnell, MWI
Organizations often assume that dashboards, real-time analytics, and AI-enabled decision aids naturally create shared understanding. This is a misconception.

James S. Fay, RealClearDefense
The impressive early successes of the U.S.

Andrew A.

J. Gambrell et al., AP
President Donald Trump said the U.S.