The F-15J is a variant of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle licensed to Japan.

Though most of the fighters were identical to the base F-15, the U.S. withheld the engines and some avionics from the licensing agreement due to security concerns, allowing the Japanese to tailor the aircraft to their specific needs.

A 96th Test Wing F-15E Strike Eagle flies during a test mission May 22, 2025 over Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

This video describes the military situation in

Lt. Col. Asad “Genghis” Khan (Ret.) is a former Marine infantry officer and commander of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (1/6). He is a highly decorated combat leader who led the 1/6 Battalion Landing Team (BLT) during an historic combat deployment to Afghanistan in 2004; his profile is often associated with controversy following his relief from command by the Colonel (later General) Frank McKenzie USMC.
Background and Military ServiceBorn in Pakistan, Khan immigrated to the United States as a child and rose through the ranks of the Marine Corps to become a lieutenant colonel.

H.H. Seck, MCT
As the U.S.

National Defense
The Marine Corps’ Modular Advanced Radio Architecture is a top priority for its tactical communications and electromagnetic warfare systems office

Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering
Sikorsky’s R66 Turbinetruck is set to carry up to 2,500 pounds without a crew onboard under a new $15.

T.

Jeff Schogol, Task & Purpose
The discussion on amphibious warfare ships comes as the Corps plans to continuously deploy three Marine Expeditionary Units

This video describes the military situation in

Last month, President Donald Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for a visit that captured both the promise and the shortcomings of America’s Indo‑Pacific strategy.In some ways, the meeting was a success: It produced a few commercial deals, reaffirmed the strength of the bilateral relationship, and — most importantly — demonstrated a visibly warm personal rapport between the two leaders (despite an awkward moment).

Editor’s note: This article is the eighth 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.In Sept. 2010, following a collision between a Chinese trawler and Japanese coast guard vessels near the Senkaku Islands, Chinese authorities halted shipments of rare earth minerals to Japan.

Image by DMTrott

This past weekend, on April 18, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at accelerating research and access to psychedelic therapies for serious mental illness, placing veterans at the center of the effort. Substances once pushed to the margins—psilocybin, MDMA, ibogaine—are now being discussed at the highest levels of government as potential tools to address PTSD, depression, addiction, and suicide. On its face, this is a bold move. It acknowledges something many veterans already know: the current system is not reaching everyone who needs help.

United States Air Force F-22 fifth generation fighters operating from Basa Air Base in the Philippines have flown near contested territories int he South China Sea, as well as the strategically located Luzon Strait, which U.S. experts have expands military pressure across the first island chain as part of the Pivot to Asia initiative. Exercise Cope Thunder 26-1 showed that U.S.

China is rapidly expanding its military power across the Indo-Pacific, fielding advanced missile systems and modern warships, constructing supercarriers, building a growing carrier fleet designed to challenge U.S. dominance in the region, and rapidly closing the technological gap with the U.S. aerospace sector. But at the center of its massive buildup is a project that has yet to fully appear in public view: the Xi’an H-20 stealth bomber.

“We are at an inflection point”🗣️
First Se

For decades, the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) was a visible symbol of American maritime power – and while for many years it served as an operational flattop, it later became a news story as the Navy grappled with the difficulty of retiring a ship of this size.

On January 16, 2025, the decommissioned carrier departed the U.S. Navy’s Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia to be towed to Brownsville, Texas, where it will be dismantled. “The ex-John F. Kennedy (CV 67) began its final journey this morning as it departed from the U.S.

J-20 vs. F-22: Who Wins? The Cold War was more than a battle of political ideologies and economic systems. It was also a battle for technological superiority and bragging rights.

Competition ranged from the space race to the effort to field the best submarines and main battle tanks.

J-20 Fighter Fueling Up. Image Credit: Chinese Weibo.

This is a paraglider being developed by Subazim

The U.S. government is modernizing its Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) programs to get after contemporary warfare and national security gaps, senior officials involved in the work said on Wednesday.
Referred to collectively as “America’s seed fund,” that decades-old pair of federal programs provides technology-focused small businesses and startups with early-stage investments and support to commercialize their products, and ultimately field them for use by federal agencies and the military.

As the hot summer months approach, nearly 20,000 Marines live in barracks that lack working air conditioning. While plans are underway for a Corps-wide overhaul of barracks that will include climate control systems, many Marines may get some relief this summer with portable air conditioning units, Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Calros Ruiz said this week.
Marine Corps officials have authorized local commanders to purchase portable air conditioning units for Marines whose buildings lack good central air systems.

Lifting history isn’t simple
A 750-tonne

The Dassault Rafale reminds me of the F-16 Fighting Falcon. This French fourth-generation fighter may not be stealthy, but it is a lethal hot rod that makes pilots giddy worldwide.

Export customers are also excited to receive the Rafale, and their aviators are impressed by its speed and maneuverability. Sales competition in foreign militaries is steep, though. Air forces also consider the high-quality JAS 39 Gripen from Sweden and the Eurofighter Typhoon.

Dassault Rafale Fighter from France. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Remember the F-117 Nighthawk? This was the warbird that ushered in the new era of stealth flight in the 1980s. It was the first stealth fighter-bomber, with a curious, futuristic design. While it does have its “F” designation as a fighter, the Nighthawk was primarily used as a strike aircraft.

Unfortunately, the F-117 program was retired in 2008. The Nighthawk played a valiant role in Operation Desert Storm and was the impetus for other stealth warplanes, such as the B-2 Spirit.

F-117 Stealth Fighter National Security Journal Image.

Just 3⃣ days to go!

The U.S. military will soon have a new sub-unified command focused on autonomous warfare, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told lawmakers Wednesday.
Sub-unified commands, which combatant commanders can set up with the approval of the SecDef, are joint organizations designed to conduct operations and certain missions assigned to the geographic or functional combatant command that they fall under. The designation typically signifies that the organization’s mission is enduring and a high priority for military leadership.

The Marines will probably need at least eight more amphibious warfare ships to meet their goal of roughly 40 in order to keep three Marine Expeditionary Units deployed at the same time.
An ongoing analysis has not yet determined exactly how many such ships the Marines need, but the number is “probably going to be around 40,” said Marine Lt. Gen. Jay Bargeron, deputy commandant for plans, policies, and operations. “It could be a little more.”
Bargeron discussed the ship needs on Wednesday at the Modern Day Marine exhibition in Washington, D.C.

This video describes the military situation in

Going back more than a decade, it is hard to believe that an aircraft has undergone a dramatic transformation from its early days to what it is today. The big curiosity at the 2014 Airshow China was the prototype Shenyang FC-31 fighter that made its first public appearance. This aircraft became the J-35A/B models we know today.

The aircraft had previously been called the J-31, a stealthy-looking aircraft design that had completed its first flight only two years prior. It was billed as a smaller complement to the Chengdu J-20, the PRC’s first new stealth aircraft.

“Give us a ring” the King says to the President

China Is Building a Lot of J-20 Fighters Fast: Although the United States builds more stealth fighters of a higher caliber than China, the production gap between the two countries is rapidly narrowing, an expert on Chinese air power explained.

During comments given as part of the Air & Space Forces Association’s annual Warfare Symposium, J. Michael Dahm, a senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, explained that commercially available satellite imagery reveals China is greatly expanding its production base for fifth-generation aircraft.

J-20 Fighter Firing Missile.

I co-founded Kessel Run, the Department of War’s (DoW) first software factory, with a simple mission: To continuously deliver valuable software that warfighters love. At our peak, we deployed five applications from concept to operations in an average of 124 days, reducing target development timelines by 85%. Section 31, the U.S. Space Force’s first software factory, deployed eight applications to operations in an average of 64 days and reduced conjunction analysis from three hours to 15 minutes.
These outcomes weren’t luck.

In 2024, Judd Devermont wrote, “Human Geography Is Mission-Critical,” where he argued that the United States should focus on behaviors and attitudes informed by human geography to craft better strategy. Two years later, we asked Judd to revisit his arguments. Image: Samuel Lamptey via Wikimedia CommonsIn your 2024 article, you argued that the United States needed to focus its attention on behaviors and attitudes informed by human geography to craft strategy that adequately navigates a more complex world and threat environment.

Putin’s African strategy faces a major test a

The war in Iran and the wide array of persistent global threats indicate that cruise missiles will likely endure into the future. The need for long-range, stand-off weapons such as Tomahawk missiles, for example, is not likely to diminish anytime soon. Tomahawks are vital munitions—they can change course in flight, hit moving targets, and provide a drone-like surveillance ability.

Submarine-fired Tomahawks are often the first weapons to strike.

USS Iowa Tomahawk Box. National Security Journal Photo.

This has been true across many years of conflict.

Applied Intuition UK demonstrated a tactical strike mission scenario powered by its autonomy software product in South Wales.

When it debuted, it was the world’s leading air superiority fighter. Dual-engined, with sleek lines and a robust radar-mitigation capability, the F-22 Raptor was the U.S. Air Force’s dream platform. Built to wrest control of the skies from Soviet aircraft, the stealth fighter was years ahead of its peers.

So why was the Raptor production line permanently closed down after less than 200 of them had been built?

U.S. Air Force Maj.

As the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency adopts artificial intelligence into HR workflows, the organization is taking a prudent approach to ensure its workforce doesn’t become overdependent on the technology.

The S-400 is Russia’s most advanced operational long-range air defense system and forms the centerpiece of Russia’s integrated air defense network.

Though the S-500, recently put into service, offers some advancements. The S-400 entered service with Russia in 2007 and is the successor to the S-300P series air defense systems.

A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 199th Air Expeditionary Squadron sits beneath a hangar as the sun sets in Northern Territory, Australia, July 16, 2025, during Talisman Sabre 2025.

Pack-out day, 2026. A crew you did not hire shows up in a truck from a company you have never heard of. They wrap your grandmother’s dining table in one layer of brown paper, scribble “SC” (scratched) on an inventory sheet you can barely read, and ask you to sign.
Also Read: 8 Signs you grew up a military brat (and are forever ruined for civilian life)
Three weeks later, at the new house, the table arrives with a leg snapped off, and the scratch code they wrote that morning is now the reason your claim is being negotiated instead of paid out.

When orders drop, most military families pack for one move. Families who are enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)  pack at least three. There’s the household, the boxes, the truck, and the mileage log. 
Then there’s the medical move with records transfers, specialty referrals, prior authorizations, durable medical equipment logistics, and the prayer that a pediatric neurologist exists within an hour’s drive of the new duty station.

The movers are in the driveway by 0730, wrapping your sofa in enough plastic to cover a small country. Meanwhile, you’re in the garage, muscling a Rubbermaid tote labeled “KITCHEN, OPEN FIRST” into the back of the Hybrid SUV, right next to the pet crate, the file box, and that bag of random cables and chargers you’ll have for the next 20 years.
Also Read: Your spouse just retired. Now your child wants to enlist. WTF.
Congratulations. You’re doing a partial PPM; perhaps you didn’t know there was a name for it.

Somewhere inside Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, a 120-person organization is quietly running the most consequential experiment in military relocation since the 1960s. They have been at it for 10 months already, operating as a joint task force. On May 1, 2026, they get a new name, a permanent charter, and a direct line to the Secretary of Defense.
Also Read: RED Friday returns as combat deployments ramp up
The Personal Property Activity opens its doors into a peak moving season it did not design, inheriting a system it is still being built to replace.

BAE Systems has started manufacturing and delivering its portable, field-installable NavGuide M-Code GPS receiver.

The 20:1 Paradox: Why the F-35’s Staggering Red Flag Success Still Exposed a Fatal Flaw
At Red Flag 2017, the F-35 Lightning II reportedly achieved a 20:1 kill ratio. On paper, the results are staggering—reinforcing the aircraft’s reputation as a fifth-generation force multiplier. But buried in that success were moments where aggressor F-16 pilots managed simulated kills.

A 35th Fighter Squadron F-16 Fighting Falcon flies near the Korean peninsula during a dogfighting training scenario during exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield 25 at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Aug. 20, 2025.

After Robert K. Preston flunked out of flight school in Texas, the United States Army reassigned him to Fort Meade in Maryland.
Preston desperately wanted to fly, and he no longer had any path to do that in the military. Still, he was required to serve two more years—a commitment about which the 20-year-old soldier was less than enthusiastic.
Also Read: This is why the Huey UH-1 became a symbol of the Vietnam War
The disgruntled private also recently broke up with his girlfriend, too, leaving him upset and not in the right frame of mind.

The U.S. Navy is surging to add as many new Virginia-class attack submarines as quickly as possible, something that has been on the service’s radar for many years. As Los Angeles-class submarines retire and Columbia-class nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines begin construction, the U.S. Navy has long been aware of its “submarine deficit,” meaning there simply are not enough operational attack submarines to meet combatant commander demand. 

This is particularly true in areas such as the Pacific, given that U.S.

Every generation, new weapons emerge that challenge the aircraft carrier, causing some to declare the floating airfields obsolete. In fact, many experts worry the aircraft carrier could become the new ‘battleship’ of the 2020s: an old warship that seems hopelessly obsolete in the face of new threats.

Submarines, missiles, satellites, and hypersonics have all raised questions about the aircraft carrier’s survivability. Yet the carrier remains central to US naval strategy, actively deployed worldwide.

Aircraft Carrier in Hard Turn. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

This video appeared on Youtube several days ago alleging inside information on the real story behind the shoot down of an F-15E strike eagle in Iran earlier this month.
Was it a leak? Or is it made up? We cannot verify, but it is an interesting analysis.
When a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle was suddenly shot down over Iran, the incident changed the way American pilots operated in the region overnight. What looked like a single ambush quickly revealed something far more dangerous — a mobile missile network supplied through covert logistics channels and designed to challenge U.S.

By early 2026, Ukraine received 80 M1A1 Abrams tanks in its fight against the Russian invasion that began in February 2022. The US initially sent 31 M1A1s to Ukraine in 2023 from prepositioned stockpiles in Germany.

These tanks were kept in Germany as part of the  Army Prepositioned Stock (APS) program. These tanks are stored to equip U.S. forces rapidly during training exercises or military contingencies.

On Apr. 25, 2026, the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner was cut short when Cole Allen allegedly decided to demonstrate his 40-yard dash.
A guest of the Washington Hilton, the Secret Service says Allen arrived with his weapons by train, checked into the hotel, and made his way to the White House Correspondents Dinner with a “long gun,” 45 minutes after the President and First Lady arrived. He then allegedly blew through a Secret Service checkpoint and exchanged fire with agents.