Sgt. Maj. Keith Platt was closely watching as a stream of Army paratroopers hustled out the door of a C-130. As one of the mission’s jumpmasters, Platt stood in the final safety position, closely scanning each of the soldiers for any potential problems in the last moments before they jumped.
After four jumpers safely passed Platt, he saw that the fifth soldier in line had something very wrong: the paratrooper’s static line was cutting across his neck.

Growing up in the 1980s, “M*A*S*H” was more than just a television show for me. It was a window into history, humor, and humanity. I remember sitting in front of the TV, captivated by characters like Hawkeye Pierce, B.J. Hunnicutt, Major “Hot Lips” Houlihan, Radar O’Reilly, and the ever-absurd Frank Burns. Their humor, irreverence, and courage made the horrors of war somehow accessible, balancing laughter with the harsh realities of conflict.

Haleigh Bartos & Sydney Laite, MWI

James R. Webb, RS
It’s not in line with the U.S.

MCT
The U.S. Marine Corps is slated to implement a sex-neutral physical fitness test scoring system for Marines with combat military occupational specialities beginning Jan.

Shelbourne, USNI N.

The Aviationist
A Low-cost Unmanned Combat Attack System (LUCAS) was launched from the flight deck of littoral combat ship USS Santa Barbara

This video describes the military situation in

In the midst of the Falklands War, British sailors hunting for ARA San Luis launched ordnance at the sonar and radar signals of whales, wrecks, and even flocks of seagulls — anything that might have been a submarine hiding in the cluttered, shallow seabed or skulking along the jagged coastline. Capt. John Francis Howard, commanding officer of the British frigate HMS Brilliant, would later recount his “total frustration” at the chaotic nature of his crew’s hunt for the elusive Argentinian diesel-electric submarine.

This video describes the military situation in

The U.S. Navy has brought its first Flight III Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, the USS Jack H. Lucas, into service marking the beginning of the latest phase in by far the world’s oldest destroyer program. Commissioned on October 7, 2023, the Jack H. Lucas has been designated as the initial operational test and evaluation campaign ship for the Flight III class, an update of the late Cold War era design intended to significantly improve its capabilities.

The Ukrainain Army has received the last of 80 M1A1 Abrams tanks pledged as aid to the country, with the Australian government on December 19 confirming that the last of 49 tanks the country allocated for delivery to the country had arrived. This follows the delivery of 31 M1A1 tanks from the United States in late 2023, which began to see combat in February 2024. The latest tanks delivered by Australia were described by Australian government sources as being dispatched to meet a direct request from Kiev, as part of more than $1.

Drone footage has confirmed that Ukrainian attack destroyed a 5P85SM2-01 self-propelled launcher from a Russian S-400 long range air defence system in Russia’s Belgorod region, while damaging a second. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the strike was carried out on December 14, and targeting an S-400 system operated by the 568th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The Ukrainian 15th Separate Artillery Reconnaissance Brigade, known as ‘Black Forest,’ was credited with launching the attack.

Former Green Beret and Republican congressional candidate Derrick Anderson was approved by the Senate on Thursday night to serve as assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict.
Anderson was confirmed along with a slew of other nominees for federal jobs en bloc by a vote of 53-43.

The Defense Department is getting a new chief information officer as the Pentagon pushes forward with digital modernization.
Kirsten Davies was confirmed by the Senate for the role on Thursday night by a vote of 53-43, along with a slew of other nominees for federal government jobs that were approved en bloc.
Davies was tapped for Pentagon CIO by President Donald Trump back in May, but the Senate Armed Services Committee didn’t hold her confirmation hearing until September. The committee advanced her nomination in October, but full Senate approval didn’t come until this week.

The fourth Hangor class attack submarine ordered by the Pakistan Navy has been completed at a shipyard in Wuhan, Hubei Province, with the vessel expected to shortly begin sea trials before delivery in 2026. The first ship of the class was launched in April 2024, while the following two were launchd in March and August 2025. It is expected that four further submarines of the class will be produced in Pakistan, although it is highly uncertain whether local shipyards will be able to produce them as quickly or efficiently due to the country’s limited experience with submarine construction.

Key Points and Summary – China’s long-rumored H-20 stealth bomber is still years from debut, but the more important question may be scale.

-One way to size the requirement is internal: China operates roughly 239 H-6 bombers across the PLAAF and PLANAF, implying a one-for-one replacement baseline.

H-20 Bomber from China. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

-A second yardstick is the adversary: the United States fields about 140 bombers today and plans at least 100 B-21 Raiders.

-A third is Russia’s roughly 120-bomber force. In a U.S.

Key Points and Summary – Great-power competition starts with people. As China and much of the developed world age and shrink, America keeps renewing its workforce and tax base largely through immigration.

-Done well, immigration expands the talent networks that drive startups, AI, biotech, advanced manufacturing, and military capacity—preserving strategic depth for a decades-long rivalry.

U.S. Marines and Sailors with 1st Dental Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, salute the U.S. flag during a change of charge ceremony on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California, Nov. 7, 2025.

Ukraine has begun testing small infrared projectors on drones to blind the cameras of incoming Russian FPV drones.
One attempt failed, but another, using a Baba Yaga drone, successfully confused the operator of a Russian interceptor drone.
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In the long lineage of American infantry weapons, everything eventually fades away. The M1 Garand, a rifle that defeated fascism, is now a museum piece. The M14 had a brief, troubled run before being relegated to ceremonial duty. The M60, for all its grit and jungle love, was eventually retired to the scrapyard. Even the M16 and M4 platforms have evolved so many times they are barely recognizable as they have been Ship of Theseus’d.
Then there is the M2 .50-Caliber Machine Gun.
John Browning designed the core of this beast in 1918. It entered service soon after in the 1920s.

A little over a week after GenAI.mil’s rollout, service members and defense officials have met the Pentagon’s newest hub for commercial AI tools with mixed reception — and many questions.
While the military has been exploring and using large language model AI systems for more than two years, the Defense Department’s latest, large-scale generative AI push has hit the organization fast and expansively, meaning troops and civilian employees who may not have been exposed to these models before are now being told to use them in their daily operations.

“Military spouse” usually implies holding the home front together while the military member deploys to the war zone. Historically, though, that line could get blurry fast. Before there were TRICARE cards and TDY became a calendar staple, spouses followed armies, worked the camps, and sometimes found themselves in the kind of “do something or die” moment that would turn anyone into a combatant.

In the wake of the recent release of the Defense Department’s new enterprise artificial intelligence platform, the Air Force is deactivating its experimental generative AI chatbot known as NIPRGPT months earlier than originally planned, DefenseScoop has learned.
The department intends to sunset NIPRGPT on Dec. 31 “upon the conclusion of the current contract,” according to a memo from the Department of the Air Force Chief Data and AI Office that was sent to staff earlier this month and obtained by DefenseScoop.

Soldiers deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border over the summer were living in filth, according to a federal watchdog report released this week.
More specifically, the Department of Defense Inspector General “observed unsanitary conditions in bathroom facilities” at soldiers’ barracks at Fort Bliss, Texas, and housing facilities at the Doña Ana Range Complex in New Mexico, which included “leaking raw sewage, non-functional toilets, and general disrepair of facilities.

Key Points and Summary – Russia is spotlighting the Su-57’s new 177S/AL-51F1 “fifth-generation” engine after its Dubai debut.

-Early Su-57s flew with the 117S/AL-41F1, a deep modernization of the AL-31F—an interim solution, as in past Soviet programs.

Su-57 Felon Fighter. Image Credit: X Screenshot.

Su-57 Felon Fighter from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Su-57 Felon in the Sky. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

-The AL-51F1 first flew in a Su-57 testbed in 2017 after long delays.

Key Points and Summary – America’s B-21 Raider is built for one job: penetrate the world’s toughest air defenses and strike deep targets in Russia or China.

-Its edge is not speed but low observability, multi-spectrum signature control, and a digital architecture meant to evolve as threats change.

B-21 Raider. Image Credit: U.S. Air Force.

A B-2 Spirit makes a low pass flyover as part of the Warriors over the Wasatch airshow at Hill Air Force Base June 29, 2024.

Key Points and Summary – Britain’s Queen Elizabeth-class carriers restored fixed-wing sea power in 2017–2019, built around the F-35B.

-Yet the concept remains conditional: the ships must be mechanically available and the jets must be ready at the same time.

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter assigned to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, parks on a runway for a forward armed and refueling point (FARP) for ARCTIC EDGE 2025, August 18, 2025, at Cold Bay Airfield, Alaska.

President Donald Trump nominated an Army general with a special operations background to lead the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, according to the Pentagon, following the tumultuous ouster of two top officials from the entities in April.
Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd, who currently serves as the deputy commander for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, was referred to the Senate Armed Services Committee for nomination to an unspecified position on Monday, according to a congressional notification.

Welcome to The Adversarial. Every other week, we’ll provide you with expert analysis on America’s greatest challengers: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and jihadists. Read more below.***RussiaFollowing talks in Berlin between U.S., European, and Ukrainian representatives, reports suggest that the parties involved in the discussions have nearly reached agreement on a plan to end the Russo-Ukrainian War. The plan allegedly includes fast-tracked E.U. accession for Ukraine, U.S.

“If you are reading this, it means I didn&#8217

More than 1.45 million military service members will receive a one-time payment of $1,776 by Saturday aimed at improving troops’ quality of life, according to Trump administration officials.
During a primetime address Wednesday night from the White House, President Donald Trump announced the so-called “warrior dividend,” saying that the dollar amount is in honor of the nation’s founding in 1776.
“Nobody deserves it more than our military,” he added.
Trump said “every soldier” will receive the payment.

Could hundreds or thousands of British troops b

Imagine waking up and nothing loads.

The GAO recommends that the DoD track information regarding the status and efficacy of its legacy excess defence articles transferred abroad.

On Sept. 12, 1918, amid mud, smoke, and the thunder of advancing American forces during the St. Mihiel Offensive, two figures destined for fame crossed paths for the first time. It was fitting that Douglas MacArthur and George S. Patton met not in a briefing room or a quiet rear-area command post, but on an exposed, shell-torn battlefield near the small French village of Essey-et-Maizerais.
Both men already had reputations for leading from the front. Both were known for fearlessness that bordered on recklessness.

The latest issue of Global Defence Technology offers insight into the US Army encumbered soldiers, military airlift, and much more.

This video describes the military situation in

Marine recruits’ first experiences at boot camp typically involve getting yelled at. A lot. Although they may not appreciate it at the time, there is a proper technique to yelling and screaming at recruits— and it is one in which their drill instructors are well practiced.
Gunnery Sgt.

The US State Department has notified Congress of eight prospective FMS) to TECRO, with an estimated total value of $11.1bn.

The first Jackal 3 Extenda variant for the British Army have come off the production line at Babcock International Group’s facility.

It’s a hectic time of year, and the service member in your life might be difficult to shop for. If you’re scrambling at the last minute to get something wrapped under the tree or stuffed in a stocking, you’ve found the right list.
Whether you’re shopping for an infantryman or POG, private or colonel, soldier or sailor, these last-minute gift ideas are sure to delight anyone with a CAC and SGLI for less than $30. Even better, they can generally be found on Amazon or even tax-free at your local Exchange.
1.

Sempa, RCD
John Yoo, a former lawyer in the Bush 43 administration who

John Yoo, Civitas Like the classic Clint Eastwood western, the Trump Administration should have titled its National Security Strategy: “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Doug Truax, Restoration News
Less than a week after the White House released a National…

As part of an $11.1 billion in arms sale to the Republic of China Armed Forces approved by the U.S. Department of War, the United States is expected to transfer 420 ballistic missiles from the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) for deployment on Taiwan island, which will be specifically aimed at the Chinese mainland. The sale of 82 HIMARS rocket artillery systems and 420 ATACMS missiles are valued at over $4 billion, with broader arms sales including. anti-tank missiles, single use drones, howitzers and a wide range of other equipment.

Gen. Xavier T. Brunson is a busy man. As the senior U.S. military leader on the Korean Peninsula, he has three jobs, commanding U.N. Command, South Korean-U.S. Combined Forces Command and U.S. Forces Korea. What all this boils down to is, if the balloon goes up with North Korea, or another adversary in the region, the forces under his command are expected to be ready to “fight tonight.” During a visit to Washington, Gen. Brunson popped into WOTR HQ to discuss the security environment, his vision of command, and a host of other issues. This episode was supported by Legion.

Navy Times
Caudle subsequently outlined his priorities as CNO in his

Thomas Novelly, Defense One
The service defended its need for a SOCOM component. Defense experts said it’s redundant.

NGD
Over-the-shoulder is a new Patriot capability, allowing interceptors to engage ballistic and cruise missiles from any direction, features vertical cold-launch missiles, extended range,…

J. Trevithick, The WarZone
Sentinel A4 offers a boost in detection range and other capabilities, especially for spotting and tracking cruise missiles and drones.