This video describes the military situation in

How does guard duty compare around the world?

2025 was a busy year for defense tech, but this year’s most-read Cogs of War pieces have a clear throughline. Readers were most interested in whether the United States can still build things that matter at scale. From drones and shipyards to software, data centers, quantum materials, and missile defense, our writers expressed frustration with systems and processes that slow production, reward hype, and turn industrial weakness into risk. Factories, labs, infrastructure, and the laws that govern them hold power.

Lattice Materials has secured an $18.5m award from the US Department of War for critical minerals germanium and silicon.

On Dec. 5, 2025, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz reached a significant milestone in his bid to build “Europe’s strongest conventional army”: Germany’s parliament passed a controversial bill requiring all German men to register for potential military service, which could become the first step toward reinstating a draft if volunteer numbers fall short. The breakthrough followed weeks of tense negotiations within Merz’s governing coalition, during which leading members accused one another of “torpedoing” the plan.

New video footage has for the first time confirmed that the first batch of J-20 fifth generation air superiority fighters integrating twin WS-15 turbofan engines has completed serial production, marking a major milestone in China’s most high profile fighter program. The first flight of a serial production aircraft with the engines reportedly took place on December 27.

A U.S. Department of War contract notice has confirmed that Boeing received a ceiling $8,577,700,000 award to produce F-15IA heavyweight fighter aircraft to equip the Israeli Air Force. The effort covers the design, integration, instrumentation, test, production, and delivery of the fighters, with the option for the production of 25 more. Israel is the first country to place an export order for the F-15 in over eight years, since Qatar procured 25 F-15QA fighters in 2017, with the aircraft having since been ordered only by the U.S. Air Force, which is acquiring the F-15EX variant.

The Republic of China Air Force has deployed F-16V fighter aircraft for aerial reconnaissance operations, in response to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) launch of Justice Mission 2025 large-scale joint military drills around Taiwan Island. The two rival Chinese forces serve opposing governments based in Taipei and Beijing respectively, which both claim to be the sole legitimate governments of China and remain in a state of cold civil war. The Republic of China Ministry of National Defense revealed in a briefing at 4:45 p.m.

Special Operations Command flailed for several years on turning C-130s into float planes, leasing from a successful operator may be a better idea

Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is one of America’s premiere military forces.
But large scale program management is not always one of their strong points.
SOCOM did exploratory work on amphibious C-130s, but cancelled the whole project in 2024. But the requirement for flying boats still stands.
The U.S. needs modern flying boats for security of the Homeland and also the Pacific Theater.

…take a powder everyone…and instead focus on what we’re not doing

Sometime, hundreds of thousands of years ago during the Early or Middle Paleolithic Era in a coastal area, lake, or river system, our primitive ancestors discovered the use of a dugout canoe to fish and transport what they could hunt or gather from the surrounding forest.
At some point, they discovered that another band of humans were harvesting from their best fig tree and were fishing from their river.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Ground Forces have employed PCL-191 rocket artillery systems to participate in the Justice Mission 2025 large-scale joint military drills around Taiwan Island, with the assets demonstrating their ability to play a central role in possible conflicts in the Taiwan Strait. The system has pioneered unprecedented ranges for a rocket artillery asset, allowing it to launch low cost high precision bombardments against targets hundreds of kilometres away.

The Russian Su-35 air superiority fighter program was conceptualised in the late 2000s both to serve as a stopgap for the Russian Armed Forces until the Su-57 fifth generation fighter could be brought into service, and to provide a more advanced and higher level capability to export clients following the successes of the Su-27 and Su-30 on foreign markets.

Kirsten Davies has been formally sworn in as chief information officer at the Defense Department where she’ll oversee a “broad portfolio” of important programs, the Pentagon announced.
Davies took the reins shortly before the Christmas holiday, according to officials, less than a week after she was confirmed by the Senate.

The United States “hit” a dock facility on the Venezuelan coast last week, President Donald Trump said today. It is the apparent first American attack on Venezuelan soil since the United States began building up forces in the Caribbean this fall.
Speaking to reporters in Florida on Monday, Trump confirmed the U.S. had carried out a strike on Venezuelan land on Dec. 24, taking out the “implementation area” where drugs are allegedly being loaded onto boats. 
“But there was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” Trump said.

For a veteran who has spent years passing through checkpoints and accessing secure federal zones with a simple flash of a uniformed services ID, the card feels like the ultimate proof of standing. It is a document issued by the Department of Defense (War), a credential that functions as a universal “welcome, sir/ma’am” in most interactions with the federal government.
But as the 2026 election cycle approaches, that piece of plastic is increasingly running into state-level requirements it was never designed to satisfy.

This video describes the military situation in

Mark Hertling, The Bulwark No one should be surprised.

Jed Babbin, Spectator President Trump has a strong record on the military, but faces dangerous modernization gaps.

Phillips Payson O’Brien, The Atlantic Ukraine sees the future of naval warfare. The White House doesn’t.

Peter Suciu, Forbes

Rebecca Falconer, Axios

If you listen closely during the first week of January, you can hear the collective snapping of tendons across America. We are entering a specific season, one that gives rise to the “New Year Resolutioner.” A time when perfectly rational citizens suddenly decide to assault their own bodies with the strategic planning of a private on his first pay weekend. It is a mass casualty event of pulled hamstrings and bruised egos.

Chinese state media outlets have for the first time published live footage of a YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship ballistic missile in flight, including its launchfrom the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy Type 055 class destroyerWuxi, on December 28. The missile was launched in an apparent show of force that may have been intended to test various aspects of its performance, and was ejected from one of the vertical launch cells located in the aft section of the destroyer. Footage clearly showed the use of a cold-launch system to eject it out of the cell before engine ignition.

Footage from South Korea has confirmed that the Republic of Korea Army has integrated new anti-drone protective cages on its K2 main battle tanks, which were seen during a recent armoured training activity. K2s were tested in a live fire environment, fuelling speculation that the new modification may have been tested under realistic combat conditions involving simulated attacks by drones and loitering munitions.

The UK and Germany have entered into a £52m ($70m) agreement to jointly procure the RCH 155 artillery system.

This video describes the military situation in

Tucked away in a Lithuanian shopping centre, a

On a frozen Himalayan ridgeline, Indian and Chinese troops still stare at each other through rifle sights. Thousands of miles away, Indian factories hum along on Chinese parts. Few rivalries in the world look this schizophrenic — or have lasted this long without snapping.India’s approach to China tests whether asymmetric interdependence gives countries strategic options that more deeply integrated economies lack.

The Pentagon has significantly reduced planned procurements of F-35 fifth generation fighters for Fiscal Year 2026, cutting numbers to just 47 aircraft, which represents a 45 percent reduction from the 86 aircraft acquired in Fiscal Year 2024. Orders include just 24 of the F-35A variant for the Air Force, or less than half of prior procurement numbers, as well as 11 of the F-35B variant for the U.S. Marine Corps, and 12 F-35C variants, of which the Navy will receive eight and the Marines four.

Fox 45 (Baltimore) reported earlier this month on graffiti on a U.S. Marine Corps billboard in the city.
“Appalling to see that,” responded community activist Arch Mckown. “We were driving by, and my son, a teenager, he said, ‘Dad, what’s that Nazi sign about?’”
“It’s deeply offensive to those in the neighborhood who have served in the military, particularly the U. S. Marine Corps, as well as our Jewish neighbors,” Mckown added. “It is a hate crime and I’d like to see a consequence for this.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command on Monday began the Justice Mission 2025 large-scale joint military drills around Taiwan, which integrate ground, naval, air, and rocket forces in a major show of force in and around the contested Taiwan Strait. Exercises are focused on preparing forces for long-distance deployments, coordinated strike operations, and joint precision engagements, including testing forces’ ability to operate beyond the first island chain.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy has deployed the the Type 075 class amphibious assault ship Hubei to simulate offensive amphibious operations, as part of combat-oriented live-force training in offshore waters under winter conditions. The drills have been reported by state media to have been designed to strengthen system-level combat capabilities and improve coordination across ships, aircraft, and landing forces.

The Korean People’s Army has initiated a new long-range strategic cruise missile test launch, which state media reported confirmed the integrity of its nuclear power and counter-attack readiness in the face of prevailing security threats. The test appears to have marked the debut of an upgraded variant of the Hwasal-1 missile, two of whcih were launched and demonstrated the ability to fly for close to three hours along preprogrammed routes before striking targets.

American forces bombed Islamic State militants for four days in a row in northern Somalia, in the latest wave of the expanding air war in the country. 
On Saturday, U.S. Africa Command confirmed airstrikes against ISIS in the country on Christmas Eve and Christmas, marking four days of operations from Dec. 22-25. They happened while the U.S. launched Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles at ISIS fighters in Nigeria on Christmas day.
All of the airstrikes between Dec.

As military families, we know firsthand how vital connection is in this lifestyle. Staying in touch with our service members, even when we’re apart, during deployments, and amid constant uncertainty, is what keeps our relationships grounded and our communication strong. We can all agree that communication methods have evolved, but there is one constant: the need to feel close and connected.
Read Next: Our huge list of year-round military freebies, discounts, and dealsToday, military spouses tackle all sorts of communication.

This video describes the military situation in

For most of the 20th century, unidentified flying objects existed at the edge of American imagination. They were part Cold War anxiety, part science-fiction fantasy, and part misunderstood natural phenomena. But over the last decade, public perception and government policy have shifted dramatically. What were once dismissed as “flying saucer stories” are now officially recognized as Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) and treated as legitimate matters of intelligence, aerospace safety, and national security.

Russian servicemen of the Dnepr Group of Forces improve their motorcycle driving skills to successfully perform combat tasks.
Mobile assault groups on motorcycles have proved to be highly effective. The bikes ensure high speed of manuever in the suddenness of the battlefield to carry out tasks as quickly as possible.
In addition, motor vehicles are actively used to supply forward positions: food, water, ammunition, and other materiel.
!function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.

Robert Griffin III, better known to football fans as RGIII, was one of several notable figures from the military and sports communities who joined We Are The Mighty for an interview during the USAA Media Row event ahead of the 126th Army-Navy Game at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
During the conversation, Griffin reflected on his upbringing as an Army brat, crediting the structure and discipline of his military household as the foundation that helped propel him to a Heisman Trophy as the nation’s top college football player and, later, a career in the NFL.

Image by Balon Greyjoy

AFP has a long and close relationship with U.S. special operations, and AFSOC in particular, as several of our team have flown these aircraft for the command.
Satellite images emerging online show at least five MC-130J Commando II multi-mission combat transport planes are now at Rafael Hernandez International Airport (RHIA) in Puerto Rico. The Commando IIs appear to have arrived on Dec. 17.

This video describes the military situation in

The Department of Veterans Affairs must build hundreds of new housing units on its massive West Los Angeles campus, a federal appeals court ruled this week. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a 2024 ruling from a federal district court judge, which ordered more than 2,500 permanent and temporary housing units be built on the campus.
A three-judge panel from the appeals court largely agreed with the district court ruling. On Tuesday, after eight months of deliberation, it issued its decision, finding that the VA had “strayed from its mission.

This video describes the military situation in

Daniel Lippman, Politico
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth got an unexpected Christmas gift from President Donald Trump this year: Hegseth’s embattled chief of staff — who’d been doing the…

Hurwitz, M.J. Cobalt, lithium, and other minerals are being stockpiled at the expense of climate action, a new report warns.

Frankie Lister-Fell, Metro Ukraine’s Kyiv was targeted with missiles and drones in a Russian attack last night that killed at least one person and injured dozens

John Waters & Ross Calvin, RealClearWorld You know about the annual meeting in Davos, where anonymous shareholders and genderless bureaucrats mingle at private chalets.

Sen. Jim Banks, The American Mind Americans are choosing to serve because they believe in the mission, trust their leaders, and take pride in this great country.

For Anna Richardson, service was never just about wearing the uniform; it was about becoming someone who could help others heal. She joined the Army at just 19, seeking structure, purpose, and a healthier way forward. 
“At that time, my life didn’t have much direction,” she told We Are The Mighty. “I saw the military as an opportunity not just to serve, but to find discipline and meaning.” 
What drew her in most was the chance to work in behavioral health, a field where she could make a tangible difference while simultaneously growing into the person she wanted to be.

President Donald Trump announced on Christmas Day that U.S. forces had conducted “powerful and deadly” airstrikes against Islamic State (ISIS) militants in northwest Nigeria, describing the operation as a direct response to what he called the “vicious killing” of innocent Christians by the terrorist group.