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NRDC-ITA, as ARF Headquarters, held a Study Day on space and cyber readiness, interoperability.

Every alliance contains a struggle over who gets to decide what the alliance is for. The unusual thing about the Mecca Alliance, formally known as the “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,” is that all three of its members appear to believe they possess something that should give them that privilege: Saudi Arabia has the capital, Turkey has the defense industrial base, and Pakistan has the manpower and nuclear arsenal. Each can therefore imagine itself as the patron and the other two as clients. None of them, however, holds enough leverage to make that hierarchy stick.

Commercial satellite imagery has revealed North Korea’s first ballistic missile submarine, the unique sole vessel of the Gorae class ship, has been placed in drydock at the Sinpho South Shipyard, fuelling speculation that it may be benefitting from upgrades and refurbishment work. The submarine represents an earlier stage in the country’s efforts to develop a submarine-launched ballistic missile capability, and was first used to test ballistic missiles in 2016.

The armed forces of Saudi Arabia have utilised Chinese DF-15A short-range ballistic missile against Yemeni Ansurullah Coalition forces, marking the first ever strike using the weapons following decades of procurements from the East Asian state. Saudi Arabia has maintained one of the Middle East’s most secretive ballistic missile forces since the 1980s, providing a strategic strike capability which China has played a central role in the development of. The debris from one of the missiles was found Yemen’s Marib Governorate amid renewed fighting with Ansurullah Coalition forces.

The United States has publicly acknowledged for the first time that it has weapons already deployed in orbit, marking a major shift in Washington’s longstanding policy of maintaining deliberate ambiguity over the offensive capabilities of its military space architecture. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink made the disclosure on September 14, stating that the United States has on-orbit weapons supporting a mission to protect American interests in space. Meink indicated that the weapons are associated with the U.S.

The U.S. Army is converting an Oregon Army National Guard armoured battalion equipped with M1A2 Abrams tanks into a lighter mobile infantry formation, reflecting a broader effort to increase battlefield mobility and survivability in an era increasingly shaped by drones, long-range fires and dispersed operations. The 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment has been redesignated as the 2nd Battalion, 186th Infantry Regiment, becoming Oregon’s first mobile infantry battalion.

Footage released by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) showed an H-6N  medium range strategic bomber flying with the JL-1 ballistic missile during a joint anti-ship exercise, providing one of the clearest public indications yet of the aircraft’s role in China’s developing airborne nuclear force. The bomber has emerged as an increasingly important component of the country’s nuclear deterrent following the public confirmation that the aircraft can carry the nuclear-capable JL-1.

The Pentagon issued a formal waiver to protect whistleblowers who wish to disclose new information about the government’s involvement with unidentified anomalous phenomena and related technologies from prosecution or career retaliation.
An announcement on Monday indicates the Defense Department is actively voiding certain agreements that have previously kept individuals from speaking freely with representatives authorized under the Trump administration’s Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE) project.

Finland has joined France’s expanding Forward Deterrence initiative, bringing the country’s long border with Russia into a new framework for European nuclear deterrence and giving France greater opportunities to operate nuclear-capable forces from northern Europe. The decision was announced on September 14 following discussions between French President Emmanuel Macron and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

Adam Agri, SIG Sauer’s Director, Technica

Saudi Arabia’s emergency route around the Strait of Hormuz has been knocked largely out of action just as another Iran-aligned force tightens its grip on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula.

Saudi Arabia’s 745-mile East-West Pipeline, which carries crude from the Persian Gulf side to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, is now largely out of service due to last week’s slew of drone strikes.

B-2A, serial #88-0331, ‘Spirit of South Carolina’ of the 509th Bomb Wing, Air Force Global Strike Command, on the parking ramp at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, during a visit April 11, 2017.

296 submariners who sailed from the River Tay n

Before sunrise on Sept. 11, Pfc. Ocean K. Winfrey, a 27-year-old Army basic trainee, was on foot along Interstate 44 just outside Fort Sill, Oklahoma, when he was struck and killed by a passing vehicle.
The incident happened at roughly 4:45 a.m. near mile marker 41, the exit leading to Fort Sill’s Key Gate, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Fort Sill officials confirmed to Task & Purpose that Winfrey was a Basic Combat Training trainee assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 79th Field Artillery Regiment, 434th Field Artillery Brigade.

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The Army’s last remaining country regimen

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.

Donald Trump Blames Volodymyr Zelensky for Rising Diesel Prices – U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky to cease strikes against Russian oil refineries amid a worldwide diesel shortage.

Trump encouraged the Ukrainian President not to strike targets that produce diesel, arguing that the ongoing drone campaign was “hurting the world.”

President Donald J.

With the uptick in drones in both defence and c

What makes the Ineos Grenadier perfectly design

Croatian defence spending as a proportion of GDP was estimated to have crossed 2% in 2025, according to Nato statistics.

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According to AFSOC, two AGM-190As were fired at two different ground targets. During a call with reporters, officials from the command declined to say what types of targets were struck or identify the adversary that was on the receiving end.
“We work every day to disrupt the networks that have made Africa the epicenter of global terrorism,” Africom Commander Gen. Dagvin Anderson said in a statement. “These successful operational assessments prove we will continue to bring the unique capabilities only the U.S. can provide in order to defend U.S. interests alongside our partners.

As the High North gains in strategic importance

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink announced Monday that the Space Force has deployed weapons into space in order to combat adversary threats.
“Today, we continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenges of evolving threats wherever they exist. This is why the United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary actions,” Meink said during his keynote speech at AFA’s annual Air, Space and Cyber conference.

Gulf States Consider Future Priorities Amid Growing Regional Destabilization – It’s been almost 200 days since the United States and Israel launched a major military operation against Iran.

The initial six weeks of heavy fighting, followed by months of economic warfare, have reshaped the Middle East. Regional allies, many of whom have sought to avoid the conflict, have been targeted by Iran and its proxy militias.

Iran’s Drones That Russia Is Using. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Iran F-14 Tomcat Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

A new instruction approved by Pentagon CIO Kirsten Davies includes procedures for AI-assisted software development as the department adapts for an era of “software-defined warfare.”
The guidance on “Accelerated Mission Software” was signed by Davies on Aug. 31 and went into effect Sept. 8.
The far-reaching issuance sets policy, responsibilities and procedures for software modernization and management within the department and encourages enterprisewide software reuse.

Army, Navy, and Air Force were all defeated in their conference openers during Week 2 of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schedule. 
Also Read: Army, Navy, and Air Force football all notch wins in Week 1
The losses by the Black Knights and Midshipmen were especially disappointing for their fans, as each program entered its respective matchup as the favorite. For Navy, the loss to FAU dealt an early blow to the program’s hopes of finishing atop the American Conference.

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Air Force is targeting to have 500 of its first Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) robotic wingmen by 2032, Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said Monday.
General Atomics and Anduril are manufacturing Increment 1 CCA drones, which have already begun rolling off their respective production lines, Meink said during the annual AFA Air, Space and Cyber conference.
General Atomics’ platform is now known as the FQ-42A Vengeance, while Anduril’s has been officially designated the FQ-44A Fury, he added.

The weapons system officer from an F-15E that was shot down over Iran in April said it felt like the fighter jet was “hit by a freight train” when a shoulder-fired missile took out the plane.
The hit forced the two-person crew of the F-15E, dubbed “Dude 44,” to eject over Iran’s Zagros Mountains and the U.S. military to scramble to recover them before Iranian forces captured the two aviators. The effort spanned three days and put almost 100 U.S. troops on the ground in Iran. Several more U.S.

The Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing has formally entered a new era with the arrival of the F-35A fifth generation fighter at Barnes Air National Guard Base, replacing the F-15C/D Eagle long range air superiority fighter after 18 years of operations. The transition makes the 104th the latest U.S. Air National Guard fighter unit to transition from a fourth generation fighter type to the F-35, after the Air Force in April 2023 selected Barnes as the preferred location for an F-35A squadron.

The Malaysian Defence Ministry is planning to equip its fleet of 18 Russian-supplied Su-30MKM fighters with the BrahMo cruise missile, potentially giving the Royal Malaysian Air Force a major new long-range strike capability. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed during the BRICS summit in New Delhi that his government was exploring the acquisition air-launched BrahMos cruise missiles. The BrahMos was jointly developed by Russia and India, with the air launched variant developed specifically to equip Indian Air Force Su-30MKI fighters, on which the Su-30MKM design is closely based.

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The enormous fireball covered almost the entire width of one end of the USS Midway after an airplane crashed into the aircraft carrier’s deck. One look at the flames, and it defies logic that someone could survive an accident of that magnitude.
But someone did. On June 23, 1951, USS Midway crew members got Navy Cmdr. George Duncan out of the damaged cockpit of his F9F-5 Panther fighter jet. They brought him directly to medical personnel, who treated Duncan’s injuries.

A Russian drone struck a Ukrainian passenger train near the Polish border on September 13, shortly after a separate train carrying former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt and other senior European officials had departed the same station. Ukrainian Railways claimed  the diplomatic train had deliberately departed Yahodyn earlier than scheduled because of the changing security situation. The company subsequently assessed that it was “highly probable” that the Russian drone had actually been intended to strike the diplomatic train.

Michael Aaron Cody, RCD
The Department of War just announced on August 31, 2026, that it is expanding GenAI.

Singsit, Naval Technology
U.S.

Lawrence, DScoop
The Army awarded two electronic warfare-related contracts with a combined value of nearly $196 million, officials said Thursday, marking the first production deals under a…

Cristina Stassis, AF Times
The U.S.

Joseph Trevithick, The WarZone
We have new details on Lockheed’s tailless CCA, including about its exotic “submerged” air inlet and how its design puts a premium on survivability.

USS George Washington (CVN 73) conducts flight operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, Sept. 13, 2026. Photo: U.S. Navy / DVIDS (public domain)
Hormuz oil shipments up sharply under US Navy protection. Oil shipments through the Straits of Hormuz are rising under the protection of US Navy carrier strike groups and their escorts, the highest level for several months.
According to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz increased to just under 11 million barrels per day over a seven day average, as he told Bloomberg News on Wednesday.

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For decades, the United States’ nuclear weapons enterprise has wrestled with an institutional paradox. On one hand is the imperative to make the complex more “responsive” to global tumult and technical surprise, able to field new weapons quickly in reaction to unanticipated threats. On the other are the unforgiving engineering requirements of thermonuclear warheads, devices whose development is measured in years. No silver bullet solution to this unstoppable-force-meets-immovable-object conundrum will likely present itself.

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The space economy has surpassed $600 billion in annual value, with some projecting it will reach a trillion by the 2030s. Jonathan Panter is joined by Joseph Yaffe (Cowboy Space), Brian Weeden (The Aerospace Corporation), and Dan Wald (Booz Allen) to weigh where the real growth is. They discuss how AI infrastructure is blurring the line between the space economy and the regular economy, the regulatory tangle, the leap toward autonomous constellations of hundreds of thousands of satellites, competition with China, and the dual-use risks of data centers in orbit.

Major powers are increasingly trying to shut out their rivals. Russia invaded Ukraine in part to prevent the latter’s further integration with the West. The United States is restricting China’s access to advanced semiconductors and encouraging allies to do the same. China’s Belt and Road Initiative secures privileged positions in strategic infrastructure and economic relationships. Though these examples vary in aims and methods, they reflect a growing willingness of major powers to restrict rivals’ access and influence.

No matter what your opinion of the war in Iran, we at AFP, where many of us have experience in Air Force Resue and Special Operations, are proud of our brothers in arms.
“That others may live…”

The post VIDEO: Dude 44 Shootdown/Rescue Interview appeared first on Armed Forces Press.

The United Kingdom’s military position in the Falkland Islands has come under renewed scrutiny after the United States approved the possible sale of UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters to Argentina in a deal valued at approximately $140 million. The decision comes amid a renewed diplomatic confrontation over sovereignty of the islands, and follows recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump indicating that Washington’s position in a future conflict could differ from the unequivocal support it provided Britain during the 1982 war. The sale is particularly notable because of its timing.

The U.S. Air Force is accelerating a roughly $2 billion infrastructure programme at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota as it prepares to receive the B-21 Raider next generation intercontinental range strategic bomber. The scale of the construction effort reflects the substantial infrastructure required to support a penetrating strategic bomber whose low-observable characteristics, nuclear mission and advanced maintenance requirements differ considerably from those of the B-1B Lancer bombers currently operating from the facility.

Iran’s attacks on the 5th Fleet’s base in Bahrain were severe, the acting Secretary of the Navy admitted this past week. 
“They blew the hell out of Bahrain,” acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao said in an interview with The Epoch Times. 
The military has largely been quiet on the extent of damage to Naval Support Activity Bahrain since the outbreak of the war, with Cao’s remarks being a rare admission of the severity. 
At the outbreak of the war, Iran launched waves of attacks at U.S. installations around the Middle East, including deadly strikes in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.