The hierarchy of the United States Army is not known for its collective sense of humor.
Ivan Reitman, then an up-and-coming movie producer, knew this when he and his partner, Dan Goldberg, approached military brass in the early 1980s. They wanted to make a comedy about two besties who seek to escape the monotony of their daily lives by enlisting in the Army.
Also Read: It’s official: ‘Top Gun 3’ is in developmentThey wanted to shoot much of the film on a military base, which required the Army’s approval.

For the uninitiated, a bug-out bag (sometimes just called a “BOB”) is simply a backpack you keep packed with the essentials to survive for about three days or so. It helps if you suddenly have to get the hell out of Dodge for whatever reason. It helps you stay alive during a disaster like a storm, flood, or blackout or when you’re doing some secret squirrel stuff and your cover is blown.
Also Read: Your standard rifle can now be an anti-drone weapon. Seriously.

China’s H-20 stealth bomber is a mystery: If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, then China’s defense-industrial enterprises succeed in flattering about half the world.

The tendency of Beijing’s advanced weapons platforms to appear to be partially or completely reverse-engineered analogs of designs from other countries is well known.

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

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

Many analysts are still waiting to see a genuine, indigenous Chinese invention rather than a copy of someone else’s kit.

During the 1995–1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis, the United States did more than demonstrate political resolve. It demonstrated operational reach in a form Beijing could neither match nor meaningfully contest. Two aircraft carrier battle groups moved into waters proximate to Taiwan, establishing an immediate airpower presence and underscoring Washington’s ability to intervene on short notice.

For Chinese planners, the most consequential lesson was not diplomatic. It was military and deeply uncomfortable. The People’s Liberation Army struggled to consistently track those carriers.

Australia has committed an investment of A$750m for the manufacturing of 268 next generation Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles.

Playing Battlefield 6 online is like your boot-camp platoon: a mixed bag of great humans, massive turds, and everything in-between.
In some matches, you have players who want to work as a team. In others, you’re punching the air because they only care about their kill/death ratio. The former is definitely a lot more fun than the latter, but one thing is absolutely missing from most matches—support by fire.

19FortyFive loves the F-16 fighter and has spent a lot of time over the last 9 months or so taking as much original photography of the legendary warplane as you can see below. But times are changing: The Lockheed Martin F-21 is a proposed, advanced single-engine multi-role fighter jet based on the F-16 Fighting Falcon, specifically tailored for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

It features advanced avionics, including a modern AESA radar, new cockpit displays, and technologies derived from the F-22 and F-35.

19FortyFive spent a lot of time with this fighter jet (both fighters that were built, that is), and we have the photos in this essay to prove it. The YF-23, colloquially known as the Black Widow II, was a prototype stealth fighter developed by Northrop and McDonnell Douglas for the U.S. Air Force’s Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The Pentagon is proposing a massive spending increase for the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, or DAWG, which oversees the development of drones and other unmanned systems.
The Defense Department’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 asks for nearly $54 billion for the DAWG, up from just $225.9 million that it has received for the current fiscal year, budget documents show. 
The DAWG was created to unify the Defense Department’s efforts to quickly mass-produce unmanned systems for U.S. troops, a Pentagon official told Task & Purpose.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced in December that the U.S. Navy would pursue development of a new “Trump-Class Battleship.”

In a speech typical of the president, he declared it would be “the fastest, the biggest, and by far, 100 times more powerful than any battleship ever built.”

Iowa-Class 5-Inch Guns. Image by Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.

Those Iowa-Class Guns. Image Credit: Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.

Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at CSIS, wrote on December 23 that “this ship will never sail.”

Cancian is probably right.

The French firm Thales which was a primary developer of the SAMP/T NG has announced that the Danish Defence Ministry has signed a contract to purchase system, becoming the first client for the system outside the two developer countries France and Italy. Denmark will initially purchase four systems totally approximately €1.47 billion as part of the country national air defence plan, with a total budget of €7.8 billion.

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Idaho is the eighth Virginia-class boat in the Block IV configuration

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American officials are considering foreign designs and having U.S.

Diana Stancy, BD
Aircraft carriers George HW Bush, Abraham Lincoln and Gerald R Ford are now operating in the Middle East amid Operation Epic Fury.

Stefano D’urso, The Aviationist
The U.S.

Kris Osborn, 1945
The U.S.

The “Juniper” series of events are designed to test collective US-Israeli readiness and improve the interoperability of defense systems. Photo courtesy of the IDF Spokesperson’s Office. Source: DVIDS.

A real policy push has emerged in the United States to extend certain legal protections to Americans who serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). In 2024, members of Congress introduced H.R. 8445, a bill that would amend federal law “to provide for the eligibility of United States citizens who serve in the Israeli Defense Forces for certain protections relating to such service.

This video describes the military situation in

Senior officials in the Department of War claim that the Golden Dome missile defence shield is ahead of schedule and within budget.

The term “affordable mass” entered public defense discourse in 2021 as a munitions concept, which the Air Force adopted in 2023 to describe its effort to field large numbers of lower-cost, semi-autonomous aircraft to complement crewed fighters. The term has since spread in defense reporting, think-tank commentary, service initiatives, and even on War on the Rocks.

The military modernization and technological ambitions of the People’s Republic of China dominate headlines in Washington. Hypersonic missiles, AI breakthroughs, and an expanding navy are the visible symbols of competition with the Chinese Communist Party. But if the United States is serious about long-term competition, it should prioritize — or at least pay equal attention to — the Chinese Communist Party’s other weapon: united front.  Understandably, military power and advanced technology feel urgent and concrete.

On the night of Aug. 9, 1942, an Allied fleet of 17 warships guarded the approaches to Guadalcanal. The fleet was newer, larger, and better equipped than the Japanese force bearing down on it. It had six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and nine destroyers. It carried radar, a technology that should have detected the enemy long before any lookout could spot a ship through the darkness. By the numbers, the Allied squadron was on average 10 years newer and outweighed its opponent by more than 85 percent in total displacement. On paper, the result should have been straightforward.

The Army kickstart their title defence against

The most iconic Forces sport fixture takes plac

United States Ambassador to Peru Bernie Navarro has confirmed that the Peruvian Defence Ministry has committed to procuring F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft, following the sudden resignation of both Defence Minister Carlos Díaz and Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela. The sale has been made as the U.S. has struggled to market the F-16 abroad, and as serious production and delivery delays have caused major controversies in client countries.

L Todd Wood talks with John Konrad of GCaptain about the firing of the Secretary of the Navy.
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The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy has deployed a carrier strike group led by the aircraft carrier Liaoning for operations in the South China Sea. The ships are holding exercises near the Philippines, where the Philippines Armed Forces, alongside forces from the United States, Japan, Australia, Canada, France, and New Zealand, have been jointly holding the Balikatan joint military exercise from April 20.

The command overseeing the top special operations units in the military is looking for industry partners — companies, research groups and non profits — to work with to develop new technologies for use in missions. 
On Friday, April 24, U.S. Special Operations Command put out a broad solicitation on the SAM.gov website looking for participants to “accelerate” the use of high-tech tools as part of the Advancing Naval Capabilities through Holistic Opportunities and Resources (ANCHOR) Initiative.

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The U.S. Army and Navy are cooperating in the Pacific to develop new tactics and concepts of operation to support a fast-increasing number of mobile land-fired weapons systems, such as the Typhon Mid-Range-Capability (MRC) missile system. The Typhon has been sent to the Philippines and Japan. 

In development for several years, the Army’s Typhon MRC is capable of firing the Army’s emerging Precision Strike Missile, as well as land-fired variants of the Standard Missile (SM)-6 and Tomahawk.

The Dassault Mirage 2000 is a single-engined fourth-generation fighter developed by Dassault Aviation in the 1970s and introduced into French service in the 1980s.

Though the jet was initially developed as an air-defense and interceptor aircraft, it eventually evolved to serve a number of specialized roles for France and, more successfully, for international operators—indeed, the Mirage became one of France’s more successful fighter exports.

Mirage 2000 Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The Russian S-500 “Prometheus” is a mobile surface-to-air and anti-ballistic missile system designed to counter a wide range of threats, including aircraft, ballistic missiles, and even low-orbit satellites.

It is the next generation of Russian air defense systems, intended to supplement and eventually replace the S-400. The S-500 is developed by Almaz Antei and is known for its ability to intercept hypersonic missiles and its potential anti-satellite capabilities.

A U.S.

There is a number that should worry the White House more than any roll call this month. That number is one. As in: one vote. That is the margin by which the United States House of Representatives, on April 16, 2026, rejected a war powers resolution that would have ordered President Trump to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran absent explicit congressional authorization. The final tally was 213 to 214, almost entirely along party lines. One Republican — Thomas Massie of Kentucky — voted yes. One Democrat — Jared Golden of Maine — voted no.

On February 24, the United States announced that at least one U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit from the 509th Bomb Wing joined Navy Carrier Air Wing’s eleven fighters for a long-range maritime strike exercise off California.

The drill highlights how stealth bombers and carrier aviation are integrating to counter anti-access threats and reinforce U.S. power projection in a contested Indo-Pacific environment.

B-2A Spirit On Display. Image by Editor Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.

B-2A Spirit Stealth Bomber USAF Museum. Image Credit: Harry J. Kazianis/National Security Journal.

The Ohio-Class Submarine Crisis, Explained: A U.S. Navy guided missile submarine (SSGN) is a lethal war machine that stretches the length of two football fields and can carry as many as 154 Tomahawk missiles. Named the Ohio-class, they are among the most powerful subs to ever slip below the ocean waves.

The undersea war platform’s massive firepower brings land-attack support to any military campaign.

The guided missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) arrives in Souda Bay, Greece, May 21, 2013, for a scheduled port visit. The Florida was underway in the U.S.

The naval battles of World War II marked the rise of the aircraft carrier, and the United States has led carrier development.

Today, with the supercarriers of the Nimitz and the Ford classes, that trend has continued. But the US isn’t the only country with outstanding nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

Charles de Gaulle Aircraft Carrier. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

190424-M-BP588-1005 U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS (April 24, 2019) A U.S.

The German-made Leopard 2 is widely considered one of the most capable main battle tanks ever built. Some even say it might be the best tank on Earth today.

With a powerful 1,500-horsepower engine, advanced optics, and a lethal 120-mm cannon, it has long been regarded as the gold standard of Western armored warfare.

Soldiers with the Hellenic Army fire a 120mm round from a Leopard A2 tank while scanning their sector during offensive operations for the Hellenic Tank Challenge 2021 at Petrochori Range, Triantafyllides Camp, Greece, Nov. 2, 2021.

As modern air defenses become more sophisticated, the U.S. Air Force has increasingly focused on weapons capable of penetrating advanced anti-access/area denial networks.

When paired with a next-generation fighter such as the F-47, the fast-evolving, air-launched Stand-in-Attack Weapon (SiAW) could significantly enhance the aircraft’s ability to suppress enemy defenses and enable broader air operations.

F-47 NGAD Artist Impression. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

F-47. X Screenshot.

The U.S. military still fields some of the most advanced weapons systems in the world. But across multiple services, and especially the U.S. Army, major procurement programs are increasingly running into the same problem: new platforms take years to develop, cost far more than expected, and often arrive with compromises that force the Pentagon to rethink them before they even reach full production.

The U.S. Army’s cancellation of the M10 Booker combat vehicle in 2025 is the latest example of that pattern.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Month of the Military Child, which was first established in 1986 by then-Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger.
It’s a time to take the entire month of April to celebrate the estimated 1.6 million military children around the globe by honoring them with celebrations, recognitions, and events, providing our military-connected children opportunities to raise awareness of their ongoing transitions, challenges, and triumphs.

Ukrainian drone operators saved a Ukrainian Babushka walking under fire, as she hobbled with her canes. Heartwarming.
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The United States is facing a growing shipbuilding crisis that, if not fixed, could prevent the U.S. from expanding its fleet fast enough to meet emerging global threats.

Multiple programs are running over budget and budget schedule or have been canceled outright, and the number of operational ships has stagnated despite rising spending on naval construction.

A U.S. Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet aircraft assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 14 participates in an air power demonstration near the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) April 24, 2013, in the Pacific Ocean.

For the first time in 70 years, two players from the U.S. Naval Academy were selected in the professional football draft.
On Saturday, seniors Eli Heidenreich and Landon Robinson were both picked in the seventh round of the NFL draft. They are the 20th and 21st midshipmen to be drafted into the NFL over the last 80 years. They’re also the first pair of midshipmen to get drafted in the same year since George Welsh and Ron Beagle both were picked for the Chicago Cardinals in 1956.
Robinson is heading to the Cincinnati Bengals. He was the 226th overall pick in this year’s draft.

Left: cropped view (with our highlighting) of a page in Philip Johnson’s FBI report. (See link to archive.org version below.) Right: early 1930s photo portrait of Philip Johnson.
Fun, or rather interesting fact: Philip Johnson, an architecture and design curator at the then-fledgling Museum of Modern Art in New York in the early 1930s, aspired to become “The American Hitler”, his secretary told the FBI.

Ever since they replaced battleships as naval capital ships during World War II, aircraft carriers have kept that place as the ultimate power projectors of the U.S. Navy.

This is especially true of nuclear-powered supercarriers (CVNs) such as the venerable Nimitz-class warships and their anointed successors, the bigger and mightier Gerald R. Ford-class CVNs. These vessels are marvels, both for their sheer size and technological capabilities.

The Ford-class is the largest warship ever constructed.

(April 14, 2017) The aircraft carrier Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) USS Gerald R.

In Europe, only France and the United Kingdom field aircraft carriers. France maintains only one nuclear aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, which has been in service for more than 20 years.

With its lone carrier aging, France has been working on its replacement: the Porte-Avions de Nouvelle Génération (PANG).

The carrier has been in development since 2018 and recently received the official green light to begin construction in December 2025.

Charles de Gaulle Aircraft Carrier, France. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The new carrier will reportedly match the size of a U.S.

Ohio-class SSGNs (guided-missile submarines) are nearing their retirement window. Converted from SSBN (ballistic missile) boats in the early 2000s, the Ohio carries a large payload of Tomahawk cruise missiles, sparking debate over whether to retire the sub on schedule due to age and cost, or extend its service life to take advantage of its added firepower.

With the Indo-Pacific coming into strategic focus and rising concerns about magazine depth, the question is especially relevant.

The U.S. Department of Defence is considering plans to procure foreign destroyer and frigate designs, and build warships in overseas shipyards, in response to the serious hindering of the U.S. Navy surface fleet’s capabilities resulting from the limited capacities of the U.S. shipbuilding industry. The Fiscal Year 2027 budget proposal includes $1.85 billion in research and development funding for studies on building frigates and destroyers overseas.

Chinese aerospace researchers say they have identified potential aerodynamic and stability weaknesses in the US Air Force’s next-generation stealth bomber, the B-21 Raider.

The claim comes from a study conducted at the China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center, one of China’s major military aviation research institutions.

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

A second B-21 Raider test aircraft takes off, Sept. 11, from Palmdale, Calif., to join the Air Force’s flight test campaign at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.