Thomas Newdick, The WarZone
Development of X-BAT is accelerating, including the use of a thrust vectoring nozzle from an experimental F-16 that was borrowed “Indiana Jones style.

Todd South, A&SF Mag.

The Serbian Defence Ministry is planning to procure new air defence equipment from China, according to reports from multiple local sources, as President Aleksandar Vucic has announced the imminent signing of new contracts to strengthen the country’s network. Serbia relies more heavy on surface-to-air missile systems than any other European state, with its limited defence spending levels and small relatively old fighter fleet limiting its ability to seriously contest control of its airspace using its combat aviation assets.

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has informed Congress that the U.S. Armed Forces are actively adapting to lessons from Russian-Ukrainian War, stressing that the way forces in the theatre have responded to the conflict has resulted in a fundamental transformation of how war is waged. “They have fundamentally altered how humans engage in conflict,” Driscoll told lawmakers regarding the Ukrainian Armed Forces in particular: “They have done an absolutely amazing job of innovating.

The U.S. Air Force’s budget for the Fiscal Year 2027 has increased planned procurements of F-15EX fighters to 267 aircraft, up from a previously planned 129. Of these, 24 of the fighters will be procured in 2027 at a cost of $3 billion. An Air Force spokesperson commented that procurements are intended to “begin to recapitalise the aging F-15E fleet,” expanding on the previous primary rationale for procurements which was to replace the even older F-15C/D fleet. Plans to surge annual defence spending to approximately $1.

Editor’s note: This article is the seventh in an 11-part series examining how the United States should organize, lead, and integrate economic statecraft into strategy, defense practice, and the broader national security ecosystem. This special series is brought to you by the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies and War on the Rocks. Prior installments can be found at the War by Other Ledgers page.Americans lost nearly $21 billion to cybercrime in 2025, a new record for cyber-enabled economic losses.

The debate over how best to deter China in the western Pacific has reached a new level of ambition. Ely Ratner, a former senior defense official in the Biden administration, proposed a “Pacific Defense Pact” — a legally binding multilateral treaty among the United States, Japan, Australia, and the Philippines. This reflects serious concerns over China’s rise and its potential future use of force along the first island chain. The underlying diagnosis is sound: Existing U.S.

The Russian Su-57 fifth generation fighter is benefitting from continuous improvements to its artificial intelligence related capabilities, according to a recent announcement by a spokesman for the state intermediary agency for Russian defence exports Rosoboronexport. “The Sukhoi Design Bureau is continuously working to improve the technical design of the advanced multirole Su-57E fighter, including its modern onboard equipment with AI components.

During U.S. Armed Forces’ military assault against Iran from February 28, the very widespread reliance on Cold War era KC-135 Stratotankers to support operations drew considerable attention to the ongoing issues with the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker program intended to provide a direct replacement with next generation features. Due to ongoing issues and development delays, the KC-46A is still not fully through operational testing, despite already being in limited service, which has for years represented a concurrency problem for the Air Force.

The Russian 35th Guards Combined Arms Army’s Nuclear Biological Chemical Protection Troops have deployed TOS-1A thermobaric rocket artillery systems to bombard Ukrainian positions in the Zaporizhzhia region, where ground forces are making major advances. Footage released from the settlement of Komsomolske has shown large explosions as the TOS-1A systems appear to inflict major damage.

The Russian Su-35 long range air superiority fighter in 2025 achieved a major turnaround on global export markets, with leaked Russian government documents that year showing that 48 of the aircraft had been ordered to re-equip the Iranian Air Force, and six more to equip the Ethiopian Air Force. Combined with the delivery of 18 aircraft to Algeria from February that year, this represented a quintupling o confirmed export orders in 2025, from a previous 24 fighters sold to China, to 96 fighters sold to four separate foreign clients.

John Phelan is departing his role as secretary of the Navy, effective immediately, and Hung Cao will step in as acting SECNAV, Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell announced on social media late Wednesday.
Phelan’s surprise exit comes a day after he delivered a keynote address at the Sea-Air-Space symposium, in which he touted plans for a next-generation battleship, one of President Donald Trump’s signature military modernization initiatives.
“Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately,” Parnell said in a statement.

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This story is developing…
Washington — In a surprise move, the Pentagon announced Wednesday that Secretary of the Navy John Phelan is leaving his post effective immediately, marking the first departure of a service secretary under President Donald Trump’s second administration.
Reuters is reporting Phelan was fired with no details given.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the news in a social media post, stating: “Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is departing the administration, effective immediately.

Navy Secretary John Phelan is “departing the administration, effective immediately,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell announced on Wednesday.
Undersecretary Hung Cao will serve as the Navy’s acting secretary, Parnell wrote in a brief statement on social media.
Parnell did not provide any reasons why Phelan is departing his current role. No further information about Phelan’s departure was immediately available.
Phelan was confirmed as Navy secretary in March 2025.

This video describes the military situation in

The Royal Navy Cricket team just made a huge st

Roy Hallums was rescue during the Iraq war after spending approximately a year buried alive. CMDR Dan O’Shea gets his story on tape.
Dan O’Shea is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL, combat-veteran, world traveler, history buff, and storyteller. He is known for his hostage terrorism subject matter expertise and counterinsurgency experience, as well as two decades of reporting on terrorism as a military analyst for BBC, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, News Nation and NewsMax. He writes and speaks on topics related to terrorism, leadership, teamwork and the warrior creed.

In less time than NBA teams receive for one possession, the USS Juneau was gone.
It took only 20 seconds for a Japanese torpedo to strike the USS Juneau, split the light cruiser in half, and cause it to disappear below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
The tragic incident during the Battle of Guadalcanal killed 687 men.
Also Read: A Nazi was the only person convicted of spying in connection with Pearl Harbor“The ship just blew up in my face,” U.S. Navy veteran Frank Holmgren recalled in a 2020 article from the National World War II Museum. “My hand landed on a life jacket.

For the first time the Ceremony of the Constabl

The post How defense agencies can stay mission-ready in the AI era appeared first on DefenseScoop.

Early into his tenure leading U.S. Southern Command, Marine Corps Gen. Francis Donovan is ramping up drone and AI-enabled operations to disrupt maritime drug trafficking and dismantle networks of so-called “narco-terrorists.”
To drive those efforts, the commander recently initiated the launch of the Southcom Autonomous Warfare Command (SAWC), which will refine and deploy aerial, surface, and underwater drones to degrade cartel threats and respond to crises across the Caribbean, Central America and South America.

The Marine Corps has issued award upgrades to seven Marines who guarded Hamid Karzai International Airport’s Abbey Gate in Kabul when a suicide bomber struck on Aug. 26, 2021, killing 13 service members and about 170 Afghans, defense officials announced on Wednesday.

Invoking the immortal words of Victorian-era scribe Charles Dickens, the Coast Guard’s top uniformed leader said Wednesday “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times” for the service — a conflicting duality wrought by a lengthy legislative jam and unprecedented funding. 
Fueled by $25 billion from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last July, the single largest investment in the service’s history, the Coast Guard has “beg[u]n to emerge” from a “readiness crisis” that was decades in the making, commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday said at the Sea-Air-Space symposium.

Statement from Chairman of the Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel Sean Parnell 
Following the Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel’s recommendation and at the direction of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the United States Marine Corps has upgraded the valor awards for the Marines of Company G, 2d Battalion, 1st Marines, who stood at Abbey Gate on 26 August 2021.

Ever wondered what goes into the iconic ceremon

Four days after a daring daylight rescue mission whisked a downed American fighter pilot out of Iran under heavy fire, a notice appeared on a federal contracting website. The Air Force, it said, was seeking to upgrade its fleet of combat search and rescue helicopters to fend off heat-seeking missiles.

The Navy’s portfolio acquisition executive for robotic and autonomous systems is gearing up to release a roadmap to industry to inform its marketplace for procuring maritime drones, according to a senior official.
The organization was stood up late last year as part of a broader acquisition shakeup at the Defense Department to consolidate and enhance capability portfolio management.

The Pentagon wants to add 44,500 active duty troops and reservists next year.
The Pentagon’s proposed $1.5 trillion budget includes funding to buy weapons, conduct research and develop new capabilities, and even enhance base facilities and barracks for junior troops. It also calls for plans to increase its total force.
The Pentagon wants to add 40,100 active duty troops and 4,400 reservists, according to Defense Department budget documents.
“Military recruiting in FY 2025 hit its highest level in over 15 years.

In 2024, Paul van Hooft and Tim Sweijs wrote, “Two-Theater Tragedy: A Reluctant Europe Cannot Easily Escape a Sino-American War Over Taiwan,” where they argued a war in the Indo-Pacific would likely draw in and weaken Europe, even if European states try to remain on the sidelines. Two years later, amidst heightened tensions in both theaters, we asked Paul to revisit their arguments.Image: U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth FleetIn your 2024 article, you argue a U.S.

The King’s Gurkha Artillery has welcomed

The Indian Ministry of Defence entered into agreements with BEML and EPHL for Trawl Assembly equipment for T-72 and T-90 tanks.

Could this one day carry UK special forces in j

The Marine Corps has upgraded valor awards received by Marines who guarded Hamid Karzai International Airport’s Abbey Gate in Kabul when a suicide bomber struck on Aug. 26, 2021, killing 13 service members and about 170 Afghans, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday.

A new air-delivered bunker-busting warhead has undergone a successful live-fire test by US Army Infantry Drone Operators at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

The Marine Corps is replacing the AV-8B Harrier

It’s the money, honey, not the warfighter or winning wars

Yesterday, the Pentagon held four hours of press briefing on the budget. All three services presented. The event was mostly attended by legacy media reporters from the previous credentialed Pentagon Press Corp. Not many of the new press showed up, which is a slight on them, as the budget briefs are critical to the future of the U.S. military and the ability of the United States to defend itself and project power over the next few decades. This is something the new press should understand and want to cover.

Combat soldiers will soon take a new fitness test that will determine whether they can stay in their jobs.
The Army’s new Combat Field Test, CFT, is a pass-fail assessment for soldiers in “designated close-combat” jobs like infantry and artillery. Beginning in Spring 2027, soldiers who cannot pass the test will have to reclassify into new jobs or separate from the Army.
“This initiative is not just about meeting metrics, but about ensuring our soldiers are prepared for the challenges of modern combat,” said Command Sgt. Maj.

The views and opinion expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities mentioned.On Apr. 3, 2026, President Trump signed an emergency directive to pay all Department of Homeland Security employees amid the DHS shutdown. We were grateful, but that doesn’t solve most of the agency’s problems, especially when it comes to Coast Guardsmen and their families.

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The Army and the Navy battle for wickets at the

Can the Army stop the reigning champions from t

Public Domain

AFP attended the four hours of budget briefings at the Pentagon yesterday as part of the Pentagon Press Corp.
The Department of the Air Force’s Fiscal Year 2027 President’s Budget request marks a fundamental strategic shift. This budget departs from previous practices and makes a conscious effort to prioritize investment in modernization and readiness, recognizing both as essential and non-negotiable. With a total request of $338.

This video describes the military situation in

Stefano D’urso, The Aviationist
Hours after the U.S.

D.F.

Shelbourne, USNI N.

The Vietnamese Defence Ministry has been widely reported by local sources to have shown a continued interest in procuring Russian Su-57 fifth generation fighter aircraft in the early 2030s, likely to replace a portion of its 12 Su-27 fourth generation air superiority fighters and approximately 30 Su-22 third generation strike fighters in frontline service. Reports first emerged in mid 2017 from Vietnamese paper Dat Viet that the Ministry planned the acquisition of 12-24 Su-57s from around 2030, after which further reports to this effect emerged in early January 2019.

A.

IntEng

In the 1986 World Cup, Diego Maradona scored his infamous “Hand of God” goal — an obvious handball that went uncalled, because the referee did not have the tools to see it. Today, soccer has addressed that vulnerability with sensors and video review, ensuring the game is adjudicated fairly. U.S. defense industrial policy faces a similar challenge. In America’s defense industrial base, the issue is not a lack of oversight, but distorted incentives that steer work toward private vendors even when the organic industrial base is well-positioned to perform it.