Following Israel and the United States’ initiation of a coordinated large-scale military assault against Iran on February 28, multiple countries have joined the war effort, which has been launched with the explicit goal of removing the Iranian government from power. The United States has used military bases in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and possibly Israel to support its air campaign against Iranian targets, with bases in all these targets having come under attack.

Footage taken atAl Udeid Air Base in Qatar has shown three interceptor missiles launched by MIM-104 Patriot long range air defence systems fail to shoot down incoming Iranian ballistic missiles. Iran launched strikes on February 28, after Israel and the United States initiated a coordinated large-scale military assault against the country. While Patriot units usually launch two missiles against each incoming target to ensure a high probability of kill, a third launch may have been intended to compensate for the lower than optimal reliability of the system.

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Reports from multiple sources indicate that Iranian ballistic missile strikes successfully targeted and destroyed air defence radars in Bahrain and Qatar, following the launch of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iranian targets earlier in the day on February 28. Bahrain is the permanent base of the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet, while Qatar in the 2010s emerged as the primary hub for U.S. Armed Forces’ operations in the Middle East. The largest military facility in the Qatar, Al Udeid Air Base, had previously been singled out for a limited Iranian strike on June 23, 2025, in response to a limited U.S.

American and Israeli warplanes bombed Tehran Saturday morning, the start of what President Donald Trump called a “massive and ongoing operation” against Iran.
Explosions were reported throughout the Iranian capital of Tehran, as well as cities including Isfahan and Tabriz, among others, and both Israeli and American officials confirmed the launch of airstrikes against Iran’s military infrastructure. The extent of the attack is unclear, as is the number of casualties in Iran.

The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers has hosted a me

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the country was hit by “Iranian ballistic missiles,” causing damage and at least one death, although a number of the missiles were intercepted. The ministry called the attack “a dangerous escalation and a cowardly act,” and stated that the country “reserves its full right to respond to this escalation.” Iranian ballistic missiles strikes were launched against Al Dhafra Air Base, which hosts forward deployed U.S.

Footage from the Iranian capital Tehran has confirmed the scrambling of MiG-29A fighter aircraft guarding the city, after Israel and the United States initiated a coordinated large-scale military assault against the country targeting key leadership and military facilities. Unconfirmed reports indicate that attacks on Iran launched so far have centred around the use of U.S. Navy BGM-109 Tomahawk land attack cruise missiles, and various Israeli air-launched cruise and ballistic missiles such as the Delilah.

Image by U.S. Naval War College

The Pentagon is moving to reform senior military education and today issued a memorandum outlining changes to PME fellowships and certificate programs.
Statement by Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell on ‘Aligning Senior Service College Opportunities With American Values’
Feb.

Following Israel and the Untied States’ initiation of a coordinated large-scale military assault against Iran, the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has conducted large scale ballistic missile attacks against Israel, and also targeted U.S. military bases in the Gulf region including in facilities Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Footage from countries across the region have shown explosions at the targeted bases, although the extent of the damage remains unknown.

The Department of Defense is blocking active-duty troops from attending graduate-level education at Ivy League schools and other top universities, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Friday. 
Hegseth announced the move Friday afternoon in a video posted to social media. He accused the universities of being “breeding grounds of toxic indoctrination” and said that the ban would go into effect for the 2026-2027 academic year. The move effectively ends troops’ participation in higher learning at some of the top universities in the country.

Near a small town in Texas Wednesday, troops used a counter-drone system to shoot down an unmanned aerial system operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection which was launched without coordinating with the military task force assigned to the U.S.-Mexico border, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation.
Joint Task Force-Southern Border, the military entity charged with carrying out the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in that area, was authorized to employ the anti-drone capability, according to the sources.

The Marines have, once again, come out and said

Summary and Key Points: Steve Balestrieri, a former US Army Special Forces officer and national security columnist, evaluates the Type 003 Fujian, China’s first aircraft carrier equipped with an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS).

-Despite its 280,000-horsepower propulsion and capability to launch the J-35 stealth fighter, the Fujian suffers from a flight deck layout that prevents simultaneous launch and recovery.

China’s Aircraft Carrier in Port. Image Credit: Chinese Navy.

A U.S. government task force focused on countering small unmanned aerial systems has launched a commercial solutions opening as it hunts for new technologies that could aid its mission.
Joint Interagency Task Force 401 was stood up by the Army last year at the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has made drone and counter-drone tech a top modernization priority for the military.
On Thursday, the Pentagon issued a special notice on a government contracting website about the commercial solutions opening for JIATF 401.

AeroVironment has secured a $186m order from the US Army for its Switchblade 600 Block 2 and Switchblade 300 Block 20 loitering munitions.

Russia is growing its military presence in the

The post Trump Goes After Anthropic Over AI Usage – ‘There Will Be Consequences’ appeared first on Armed Forces Press.

Anthropic is holding its ground on specific ethical restrictions for classified military use of its Claude AI products, as the Pentagon’s deadline to resolve their heated dispute looms.
After its CEO announced on Thursday that the company “cannot in good conscience” accede to certain demands that would permit the military to deploy its models for “all lawful use cases” without limitation, it’s unclear on Friday if the Pentagon will uphold its leaders’ threats to blacklist Anthropic as a “supply chain risk.

L Todd Wood sits down with the CFO of Castelion Andrew Kreitz, an innovative defense contractor building the ‘Blackbeard’ cruise missile. The product is an order of magnitude less expensive and will be produced at scale at their new production facility ‘Project Ranger’ in New Mexico.
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Summary and Key Points: Stephen Silver, a veteran national security contributor, evaluates the Type 003 Fujian, China’s first carrier equipped with an Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS).

-Formally commissioned in November 2025 by President Xi Jinping, the 80,000-ton vessel supports the J-35 stealth fighter, J-15T, and KJ-600 early warning aircraft.

CV-18 Fujian aircraft carrier from China. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The King has tried out an air defence missile l

Summary and Key Points: USS Gerald R. Ford supercarrier is operating in the Middle East during rising U.S.-Iran tensions, with its deployment extended twice and nearing a post-Vietnam carrier endurance record.

-Yet the ship still lacks the modifications required to operate the Navy’s F-35C, a capability only a handful of Nimitz-class carriers currently have.

Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier in Test Run. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

ATLANTIC OCEAN (Sept. 21, 2024) The world’s largest aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R.

This video describes the military situation in

Gen. Douglas MacArthur did not become one of the United States military’s greatest generals by making miscalculations.
He made a huge one during the Korean War, though. Believing the North Korean army was disorganized and lacking sufficient supplies, MacArthur promised his forces in October 1950 that they would be home by Christmas.
Related: A guide to the Battle of Chosin Reservoir
At that point, the Korean War was only four months old. In his role as supreme commander of United Nations Command forces, a confident MacArthur doubled down on his initial proclamation in a talk with Maj. Gen.

This video describes the military situation in

The Air Force says a new policy will streamline access to health care for reservists and Air National Guardsmen who are hurt on duty. But airmen and veterans with firsthand experience say the new policy does little to address the actual roadblocks that many encounter trying to collect health care and longer-term benefits.
“It’s not fixing the problem,” said Cody Kirlin, a former F-15 fighter pilot who retired from the Louisiana Air National Guard earlier this month after a four-year benefits battle with the Air Force.
The new guidance was released on Feb.

After being targeted by Russian strikes, Ukrain

Summary and Key Points: Harrison Kass, a national security analyst and former US Air Force pilot selectee, evaluates the 1967 crash of ASPEN 28, an SR-71 Blackbird (serial number 61-7965).

-During a night training sortie over Nevada, a catastrophic Inertial Navigation System (INS) platform tumble provided false attitude data, leading to an unrecoverable descending turn at Mach 2.

YF-12A. A similar plane to the A-12 Oxcart and SR-71. Credit: NSJ.

SR-71 Blackbird Spy Plane Back in 2022. Image Credit: National Security Journal/Harry J. Kazianis.

Summary and Key Points: Steve Balestrieri, a former US Army Special Forces officer and national security columnist, analyzes the F-22 stealth “Raptor 2.0” upgrades unveiled at the 2026 AFA Symposium.

-To counter China’s A2/AD reach in the First Island Chain, the USAF is integrating Low Drag Tank and Pylon (LDTP) systems and Infrared Search and Track (IRST) pods onto the F-22.

F-22 Raptor In the Air. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

F-22 Raptor Fighter for US Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Summary and Key Points: Steve Balestrieri, a former US Army Special Forces officer and national security columnist, evaluates the status of China’s Xian H-20 stealth bomber.

-While the PLAAF suggests an imminent debut, AFGSC commander General Stephen Davis characterizes China as a “regional bombing force” still struggling with the engineering complexities of high-end low-observability.

H-20 Bomber Mock Up. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The New Medium Helicopter programme will fill a capability gap created when the British Army’s Puma helicopters were axed in 2025.

The Problem: Will Anyone Buy China’s New J-35A Fighter? Summary and Key Points
-As the land-based counterpart to the PLAN’s carrier-borne J-35, the aircraft is positioned as a low-cost, 5th-generation alternative to the Lockheed Martin F-35.

J-35A Fighter from China. Image Credit: PLAAF

J-35A Fighter in the Clouds. Image Credit: Chinese Weibo.

-This report analyzes CATIC’s marketing strategy at the World Defence Show in Saudi Arabia and Southeast Asia, examining the trade-offs between Chinese logistics and the U.S.

The US continues to push one of its largest con

The U.S. military at the southern border used a laser system to shoot down a “seemingly threatening” uncrewed aerial system near the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas on Thursday, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to close the airspace around Fort Hancock. The drone turned out to belong to Customs and Border Protection, according to multiple reports, marking an apparent friendly fire laser incident by the federal government. It’s the second time this month that the use of a military laser at the border prompted an emergency closure of the airspace.

What does it take to rebuild the foundation of American military power? Michael Cadenazzi, assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy, joined Ryan at a live event a few weeks back for a fascinating discussion on the state of the defense industrial base (from new VC-backed entrants to the primes), the race for critical minerals, supply chain vulnerabilities, the unsexy realities of implementation, the role of allies, and the challenges of scaling production. He is also looking for your ideas. Special thanks to Altana for hosting the event at which this episode was recorded.

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A Democratic senator on the intelligence committee said in a letter this week he would block President Donald Trump’s pick for top uniformed cyber chief because his nominee “is not qualified for this job” and after what the lawmaker characterized as “vague assurances about following the law” from the general.
In correspondence addressed to the president and published in the Congressional Record Wednesday, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said he would block the confirmation of Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd, who Trump nominated for the dual-hat role of National Security Agency director and U.S.

The US Department of State has approved a potential FMS to Jordan involving Ku band multi-function radio frequency system (KuMRFS) radars.

Whoever controls the Arctic can also monitor th

In the winter of 1777-1778, the American Revolution faced one of its most perilous internal crises. While British forces occupied Philadelphia and the Continental Army struggled to survive at Valley Forge, a quiet but dangerous effort unfolded within the leadership of the revolutionary cause.
An anonymous letter sent to the Continental Congress attacked Gen. George Washington’s leadership, questioned his competence, and urged his removal as commander-in-chief. The letter did not stand alone.

President Donald Trump will award the Medal of Honor to three soldiers on Monday, marking the second time this week that he has recognized service members with the U.S. military’s highest award for valor.
Master Sgt. Roderick “Roddie” W. Edmonds, Staff Sgt. Michael H. Ollis, and retired Command Sgt. Maj. Terry P. Richardson will receive the award, the White House announced on Thursday. 
White House officials had previously confirmed that Ollis and Edmonds would be awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.

PAIN IS THE PATH — Earn Your Edge | Military

Defense News
Kamikaze drones and armored-piercing drones popularly known as “tank killers” are coming to the U.S.

Joe Dodd, RCDefense
If Golden Dome can be delivered near the budget numbers cited above, it is not only affordable—it may be one of the most strategically beneficial investments the United…

Thomas Newdick, The WarZone
The EA-37B is meant to disrupt enemy communications, playing havoc on their command and control and shattering their kill chains.

Capaccio, Bloomberg
The Pentagon’s first kamikaze drone unit is ready to participate if President Donald Trump decides to launch strikes on Iran

Smaller in both size and budget, the Marine Corps often lags behind the Army when it comes to infantry rifles. Early in World War II, Marines were still using bolt-action M1903s from the previous World War, while the Army fielded the semi-automatic M1 Garand. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Marines cleared houses with old M16s sporting 20-inch barrels, while soldiers collapsed the stocks of their handier M4 carbines.
This time, however, will be different. When it comes to the Army’s adoption of the M7 rifle, the Marine Corps has decided not to follow suit.

Steve Trimble, Aviation Week
Regiment-size units, which seldom possess more than a handful of small UAS at any time, are racing to prepare for the logistical and operational realities of…

A former U.S. Air Force major and experienced fighter pilot has been arrested on federal charges accusing him of illegally providing combat training to pilots in China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., 65, also known by his call sign “Runner,” was taken into custody Wednesday in Jeffersonville, Indiana, shortly after returning to the United States from China in early February 2026. Brown, a U.S.