The United States Congress has cleared the first ever export of the new AIM-260A Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, under a package that includes $2.61 billion worth of missiles and $550 million in sustainment to equip the Royal Australian Air Force’s F-35A fighter units. With 450 missiles included in the deal, they are being procured for a cost of $5.8 million each, excluding additional sustainment costs, meaning a full internal air-to-air loadout ofsix missiles for an F-35A Block 4 fighter would cost $34.8 million. The AIM-260 is the first new U.S.

In the 1964 black comedy Dr. Strangelove, an emergency war plan called “Plan R” allows an unhinged U.S. Air Force commander, Jack Ripper, to launch a nuclear strike without presidential authorization. Once the president, the joint chiefs, and the Soviet ambassador convene in the war room, the bombers are already airborne. Only Ripper knows the three-letter prefix needed to recall them, until his aide, Lionel Mandrake, reconstructs it from Ripper’s notes.

Editor’s Note: War on the Rocks is running “for” and “against” articles on the war with Iran by legislators with military backgrounds. You can find the other article here.21 years ago, I was a Marine infantryman in Anbar province, western Iraq, carrying so much gear that I could barely feel my legs. My job was to go town to town, search houses, and try to stop insurgents before they stopped us.

Editor’s Note: War on the Rocks is running “for” and “against” articles on the war with Iran by legislators with military backgrounds. You can find the other article here.The view from a C-130 during a combat mission in the Middle East provides clarity that is often lost in the sanitized briefing rooms of Washington. As an Air Force medical crew director, I have looked into the eyes of young servicemembers being medevacked out of theater, and I lived through what decades of strategic inconsistency asks of our warfighters.

L Todd Wood sits down with former US Army Officer Mark Castillon to discuss Covid reinstatement process at the Pentagon.
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This ‘recruitment operation’ didn’t turn out so well for him.
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A Marine previously assigned to Camp Pendleton, California, is accused of stealing at least one Javelin anti-tank missile system and 5.56mm ammunition from the base and selling them in Arizona, court records show.
Cpl. Andrew Paul Amarillas, 23, has been indicted in connection with what prosecutors allege was a nearly four-year-long scheme to steal military equipment, according to court records. At the time of his March 5 arrest, he was training at Quantico, Virginia, ahead of his next assignment to the U.S. embassy in Myanmar.

This video describes the military situation in

L Todd Wood sits down with former USAF squadron commander and B-1 crew member Col Rob Maness (USAF, Ret) to discuss the progress in the Iran war.
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Following a successful launch early Monday morning, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency now has three small satellites on orbit that will demonstrate advancements in measuring the Earth’s magnetic field.
NGA sponsored the launch of three CubeSats that are a product of the MagQuest program, designed to create novel and cost-effective approaches to how the agency collects data on the magnetic properties surrounding the Earth. The small satellites were lifted into low-Earth orbit via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rideshare mission, which took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

British Army reservists train for machine gun r

Soldiers deployed to parts of the Middle East and Africa who are supporting the war with Iran are now authorized to wear combat patches, according to a memo confirmed Monday by the Army.
The new policy allows soldiers “assigned or attached to units supporting military operations” in eligible countries — which were not specified — to wear a Shoulder Sleeve Insignia for Military Operations in Hostile Conditions, or SSI-MOHC, which is widely known in the Army as a combat patch.
The combat patch wear was approved in a March 26 memo signed by Army Chief of Staff Gen.

The Royal Regiment of Scotland continues to cel

A royal welcome and opening as Princess Anne we

All About the USS Constellation (CV-64): A Complete History
The USS Constellation (CV-64) was one of the most prominent ships of the U.S. Navy to emerge during the mid-century. A Kitty Hawk-class supercarrier, the USS Constellation, was built in the 1950s and launched in 1960.

According to USCarriers.net, the USS Constellation was the second ship in the Kitty Hawk class, after its contract was awarded in 1956. It was laid down a year later at the New York Naval Shipyard.

The Army has opened an investigation after a video appeared to show two AH-64 Apache helicopters hovering over and buzzing past the home of singer Kid Rock. Army Maj. Jonathon Bless, a spokesperson for the 101st Airborne Division, confirmed to Task & Purpose Monday that officials at the unit’s home of Fort Campbell, Kentucky were looking into the video, which the singer posted March 29.
Fort Campbell is about 60 miles northwest of Nashville, and 50 miles from White Creek, Tennessee, where Kid owns a hilltop estate he calls the “the Southern White House” that appears to be in the video.

Check out our pitch side POV with all the actio

Prime Hall, Don Tran and Rick Briere all served together in the 1st Raider Battalion — a Marine Corps special operations unit that traces its origins back to World War II. Now, they’ve been reimagined as playable characters in the latest season of the popular first-person shooter, “Battlefield 6.”
The three former Raiders appear as playable avatars, which function as cosmetic “skins,” and are part of the game’s second season, dubbed Nightfall. The latest add-on brings in a new group of characters as part of a special operations force called the Strix Raiders.

The Department of the Air Force announced Saturday that Keith Hardiman has been approved to serve as its chief information officer.
Hardiman’s appointment marks the first time the DAF has had a permanent CIO since March 2025, when Venice Goodwine left the position. He steps into the role after having served as the DAF’s acting deputy CIO and will now oversee the Air and Space Forces’ IT, cybersecurity, data and artificial intelligence initiatives.
“Since July 2025, Dr.

Several alternative platforms were considered to replace the British Army Ajax, should the Government decide to end the programme.

Welcome to The Ukraine Compass, a weekly digest of Ukrainian commentary and analysis from across the political spectrum only for War on the Rocks members. Each Monday, we bring you a curated selection of articles from Ukrainian media offering insight into how Ukrainians themselves debate the issues shaping their country.American coverage often narrows the view to the battlefield — these pieces widen it, revealing the texture of daily life, politics, and public argument in a nation at war.

The German Bundeswehr has placed an order with RENK Group for 188 HSWL 256 transmissions to be used in the Puma infantry fighting vehicle.

Chains, grilles and jammers: Russia’s ULA

India’s Defence Acquisition Council has approved military procurement proposals valued at approximately Rs2,380bn ($25.14bn).

Probably the most popular thing Marines like to talk about is their glorious, eventual EAS date (for civilians reading this, that means “End of Active Service”). There’s always a plan: marrying that special person back home, going to college, or returning to the civilian job you left behind.
Regardless of which end, Marines spend a lot of time thinking about the end. What they often don’t consider, though, is that you can switch into a reserve component and continue working toward retirement without hanging up the uniform entirely.

The largest military parachute drop in the UK i

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Army T.
The Pentagon is putting together plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran as U.S.

Gordon, et al., A&SF
A pivotal U.S.

Kris Osborn, NSJ
Despite the many efforts to sunset the famous aircraft, the U.S.

Jon Harper, DScoop
The call for solutions comes as the Army is moving to enhance its comms networks with initiatives like C2 Fix and Next Gen C2.

Military.

Over the past decade, the Department of Defense has tested internal software development through efforts like the Air Force’s Kessel Run, the Army Software Factory, and the Marine Corps Software Factory. Those efforts showed that military personnel can build useful software when given the right tools and infrastructure.In its push to make better use of data, the Army fielded powerful digital platforms as a service across the force, such as Palantir’s Army Vantage and the Department of Defense’s GenAI.mil. These programs were meant to improve analysis and decision-making.

For four years, analysts and policymakers have warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot afford to lose” in Ukraine. Increasingly, some argue he cannot afford peace either. In this view, the war is existential for his regime. Defeat would shatter Putin’s legacy and potentially end his rule. Trapped between humiliation and collapse, inviting comparisons to the fate of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II, Putin is portrayed as having no viable off-ramp from an unwinnable war.These assumptions were central to Biden-era debates over escalation management.

Marines and sailors splashing ashore from landing boats has become a defining image of the history of the U.S. Marine Corps. It happened for the first time at the town of Nassau in the British colony of the Bahamas on March 3, 1776. While the operation itself was a tactical success, its impact on the broader war for American independence was marred by inexperience and poor judgment.

This video describes the military situation in

The French Armed Forces have deployed Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopters to the Middle East to support the ongoing U.S.-led war effort against Iran, with the aircraft intended to improve air defence capabilities against Iranian drone attacks. The Tiger is a dedicated attack platform built for armed reconnaissance, close air support, anti-armour missions. Compared to the U.S.-built AH-64 Apache attack helicopters already widely deployed in the region, however, its combat potential is very considerably lower.

The U.S.Air Force is continuing developmental and operational testing of its newest fighter type, the F-15EX Eagle II, as the 96th Test Wing and 53rd Wing focus on next-generation survivability systems, radar performance, sensor integration, and networking capabilities. Air Force testers are also holding focus groups with operational maintainers to revise and correct technical orders used for servicing the new fighter. Testing has gained considerably urgency as the F-15EX is expected to be relied on not only for the defence of the U.S.

Russian state media sources have reported the unveiling of a new active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for the Su-35 air superiority fighter, which is intended to replace the Irbis-E passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar that the aircraft has relied on since entering service in 2014. Russia’s electronics industry has remained behind much of the world in developing such radars for its fighters, with the United States having operationalised its first AESA radar equipped fighter squadron in the year 2000, followed by Japan in 2002.

Public Domain

Posted Zero Hedge
Earlier this month, Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, faced an unprecedented threat from sophisticated drone swarms. These drones, operating in waves of 12 to 15 units each, loitered over the base for approximately four hours daily, disrupting critical operations and forcing the Air Force to halt activities and shelter personnel. 
This marked the first time a U.S. air base was temporarily taken out of operation in wartime, a scenario that had never occurred even during World War II.

By mile 16, my calves locked so tightly I thought I might have to quit. 
The pain came without warning. One moment I was moving steadily along the trail, focused on the rhythm of my steps, and the next my legs seized so sharply I had to slow to a painful shuffle. 
Also Read: RED Friday returns as combat deployments ramp up
It was early morning along the Idaho–Montana border, the trail winding beside the raging Clark Fork River as it thundered through the canyon below. 
Thirty-one miles is a long way to go when your body begins to rebel.

This video describes the military situation in

The U.S. Navy officially welcomed its newest warship into service this weekend, while it sat in Boston Harbor next to the Navy’s oldest operating warship.
On Saturday the Navy commissioned the USS Massachusetts (SSN 798), a new Virginia-class fast-attack submarine. The submarine was in the harbor next to the wooden USS Constitution on the sunny day as the Massachusetts’ crew, sponsor Sheryl Sandberg and military and elected officials held a ceremony formally welcoming the ship into service.

A U.S. F-18 Hornet barely escaped a shot by an Iranian shoulder-fired air defense weapon.
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This story is developing…
THESE IMAGES ARE NOT CONFIRMED
AFP reported previously on the Iranian targeting of American AWACS and air refueling aircraft at a Saudi air base in recent days.
UDPATE: E-3 AWACS, US Refueling Aircraft Again Damaged by Iranian Attack On Saudi Base, 15 US Personnel Injured, 5 Seriously
We also reported prior to the war on the dangers facing American aircraft to missiles and drones.

This video describes the military situation in

Warships, aircraft and thousands of personnel 🛡️Nato allied forces show strength in Romanian-led Exercise Sea Shield in the Black Sea Among the participating vessels is Regele Ferdinand, the former Royal Navy frigate HMS Coventry, now part of Romania’s fleet after entering service in 2004 #navy #military #ships #exercise #shorts Read more: https://www.forcesnews.com/nato/sea-shield-romanias-uk-built-flagship-among-almost-50-vessels-natos-largest-black-sea-exercise

Director of the Strategic Planning Department of the Republic of China Ministry of National Defence, Lieutenant General Huang Wen-chi, on March 29 informed the legislature that the United States has agreed to extend the first instalment payment for the 82 HIMARS rocket artillery systems while negotiations are ongoing. This provides more room for talks on a contract to continue. The Defence Ministry was due to pay the first instalment for the purchase by March 30.

In the second week of March, U.S. President Donald Trump insisted that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to be “helpful” in the Middle East. More recently, in a spat with the E.U. foreign policy chief over America’s diplomatic stance on Russia and Ukraine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly snapped “We are doing the best we can to end the war” and indicated the United States would be happy to stop if Europe thought it could do better. Admittedly, in diplomacy it is sometimes wise to say the opposite of what you believe.

Footage released by Russian state media has shown a Su-35 long range air superiority fighter in a new configuration launching a night mission over the southern theatre of the current frontlines between Russian and Ukrainian forces. The aircraft’s loadout includes two heavier and larger missiles, namely one R-37M long range air-to-air missile mounted centrally between the engines, and one Kh-31PM anti-radiation missile. It also carries three R-77-1 medium-range air-to-air missiles, and three R-73/74 short-range air-to-air missiles, for a total of eight missiles.