Established in 1917, the National Hockey League has had numerous star players who wore the military uniforms of their respective countries. For these athletes, military service came in many different forms, with players serving in a variety of jobs and branches of the Armed Forces. The majority of these stars who served in the military throughout the league’s history were members of the American and Canadian Armed Forces during World War II.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has given Aurora Flight Sciences the green light to build a full-scale model of the X-65 — an experimental unmanned aircraft designed to be able to fly without flaps, rudders or other exterior-moving parts.
Aurora announced Wednesday that it has successfully completed the critical design review and begun fabricating the drone, part of DARPA’s Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program aimed at proving and maturing active flow control (AFC) technology.

Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tyler R. Fraser
The U.S. government is currently auctioning off a 175-foot-long, aluminum-hulled offshore support vessel named Nomad. The ship, which was first built around a decade ago, going up for sale is curious and plans to divest it do not appear to have been previously announced. Originally part of the Pentagon’s Strategic Capabilities Office’s Ghost Fleet Overlord program and then turned over to the U.S. Navy, Nomad had been in use since the late 2010s as a testbed for future large uncrewed surface vessels.
The U.S.

USN
A dozen nations on Wednesday issued a joint warning to the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, demanding that they cease attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The warning, however, does not specify what actions will be taken should these attacks continue. There have been 24 since Nov. 19, according to U.S. Central Command.
“We call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews” the U.S.

Col. Dillon Patterson resigned as the commander of the Arkansas Air National Guard’s 188th Air Wing, according to Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Air Force photo.
The commander of the Arkansas Air National Guard’s 188th Air Wing resigned late last month for what the state’s Governor said is a protest of the Pentagon policy that pays for reproductive medical expenses, which includes out-of-state travel for abortions.

The Army has awarded Bombardier Defense a deal for a jet aircraft as part of a prototyping effort for long-range intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and “deep sensing.

The acquisition of radars through an effort between the Netherlands and Lithuania is intended to strengthen security and cooperation.

The new OPVs will complement the navy’s four existing Viana do Castelo-class OPVs, which consist of NRP
Viana do Castelo
, NRP
Figueira da Foz
, NRP
Sines
(pictured above), and NRP
Setúbal. ( Victor Barreira)
An ambitious effort by the Portuguese Navy to deploy six new Viana do Castelo-class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) reached a milestone on 29 December 2023 with the award of a EUR299.7 million (USD329.2 million) contract to the local privately owned shipbuilder West Sea – Estaleiros Navais.

Finland has ordered 13 more Sisu GTP 4×4 off-road vehicles in addition to the 31 it is already procuring. (Sisu Auto)
Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen has authorised the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) to order 13 more Sisu GTP 4×4 off-road vehicles worth EUR9.7 million (USD10.6 million), the defence ministry announced in a press release on 27 December.
This is in addition to the 31 Sisu GTPs sold to the FDF in 2020 and 2022.

Through the implementation of alliances, modernisation initiatives, and economic synergy, Brunei is working towards achieving greater heights.

Seen in US Marine Corps service, the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter will shortly be flown by the Nigerian Air Force also. (Janes/Gareth Jennings)
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has confirmed the sale of the Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter to Nigeria, with a related contract notification posted on 19 December.
Having been approved for the sale of 12 helicopters in 2022, Nigeria’s procurement was confirmed with the announcement that Northrop Grumman had been awarded a USD7.

The UK has provided military equipment across all warfighting domains, with total support since 2022 to reach £4.6bn by end of financial year.

AtkinsRéalis have been appointed a prime contractor for cybersecurity under the Defence and IT Professional Services (DIPS) Framework.

Ashley Roque, BrDef
Next up will be the first test flight with the fully integrated prototype that will add in the payloads and mission system.

Andrew K. Blackley, Naval History Magazine
The World War II ‘legacy bases’ scattered across the Central Pacific are a testament to the U.S.

Michael Rühle, NIPP

Alistair Macdonald, et al.

Joe Buccino, RCDefense

The multi-million euro deal will secure domestic manufacturing capabilities and provide additional utility for Finland’s Defence Forces.

The Armado LSV (pictured above) is equipped with an in-service Global Positioning System (GPS), detachable and adjustable modular racks, an automatic grenade launcher, an electric winch, a high-frequency radio, and screen and window mesh protection.

The Houthi rebels and the Ukrainian military share a significant amount in common despite very different perceptions of their legitimacy. The Houthis have held civilian and military ships at risk in the Red Sea, causing the rerouting of commercial shipping and prompting the U.S. State Department to consider them a terrorist organization. Ukraine, by contrast, is viewed as a heroic front-line state standing against an unprovoked Russian invasion.

In a geopolitical chess game, the underwater arena is witnessing fierce competition between North and South Korea as they race to fortify their naval arsenals. The spotlight is on North Korea’s recent unveiling of its ballistic missile submarine, the “Hero Kim Kun-ok” number 841, while South Korea responds with the Dosan Ahn Changho-class submarines. Let’s dive into the depths of this maritime rivalry.

President Zelensky said Russia has launched at least 500 missiles and suicide UAVs of all kinds in air strikes against Ukraine over the past 5 days.

“I had a phone call with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about Russia’s air campaign against Ukrainian cities. I am very grateful to Britain for its comprehensive aid packages to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities, especially with radar, missiles and anti-unmanned aircraft (UAV) systems,” President Volodymyr Zelensky said on January 2.
Mr.

Chinese media released a video showing three sliding rails of the electromagnetic catapult system on the Fujian aircraft carrier manufactured by this country.

ChannelChina’s CCTV released a video on January 2 showing a tugboat moving the Fujian aircraft carrier, with tugboats on both sides of the warship’s bow to stabilize the course. The Fujian warship has just completed mooring trials, which involve checking the operation of the main propulsion system when the ship is anchored in place.

The KAI TA-50 Block 2 includes improved avionics and a radar system, in addition to the capability to integrate combat air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry. The aircraft pictured is a TA-50 Block 1 aircraft in service with the RoKAF. (Korea Aerospace Industries)
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has delivered the first Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) TA-50 ‘Golden Eagle’ Block 2 lead-in fighter trainer/light attack aircraft to the Republic of Korea Air Force (RoKAF).

DAPA said on 1 January that the delivery was made on 28 December 2023.

A Glimpse into Cold War Ingenuity
In the throes of the Cold War, the United States showcased its technological prowess by ingeniously repurposing the AIM-9C air-to-air missile into the formidable AGM-122 anti-radar weapon. This conversion, born out of necessity during the 1980s, not only breathed new life into mothballed AIM-9C units but also demonstrated the nation’s commitment to staying ahead in the arms race.
AIM-9C: The Sidewinder Radar Revolution
The journey began in the early 1960s with the creation of the AIM-9C, affectionately known as the “Sidewinder radar.

Treason, Inc.

Public Domain

Seeing so many businesses, people, and politicians effortlessly “switch” away from fundamental human ideals and American values makes me believe that evil is at work. It is incredible what individuals will do to gain power and wealth.
No government agency or media outlet wants to discuss even the possibility that COVID-19 is a bioweapon. Like the contention of fraud in the 2020 election, the subject is taboo. Taboo because they all point in a direction no one wants to go. The likely repetition is too horrifying.

(Task and Purpose composite image).
2023 was a year of transition at Task and Purpose. We said heartfelt goodbyes to longtime teammates, welcomed a few new faces to the newsroom, and grappled every day with how to best report the news and tell good stories both for and about America’s service members in a rapidly changing digital media landscape. The challenges were many, but we met them head-on and put in long hours tackling heavy topics to tell stories that deserve to be heard at the highest levels.

Stocktrek Images via Getty Images
A French-owned, Malta-flagged container ship became the latest target of an attack by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia on Tuesday. Three missiles were fired at the ship from Yemen, but it was not hit, according to the Ambrey Analytics maritime security firm. Ambrey declined to name the vessel targeted during the incident.
The attack occurred around 10 p.m. local time and took place about 15 miles southwest of Mocha, Yemen, in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

CCTV screen cap
Video footage released by China has given us the latest and best view of the country’s new aircraft carrier Fujian. The ship, which is the first fully Chinese-designed carrier, is set to also become the first People’s Liberation Army Navy, or PLAN, carrier to launch aircraft via catapults rather than by a ski jump. The new visuals are yet another indication that sea trials are on the horizon for the warship.
The video in question, which was released by China’s state-run CCTV network today, shows the carrier head-on as part of a short segment.

Rafael/Leonardo DRS
For years now, armed forces around the world have been adding hard-kill active protection systems to their tanks and other armored vehicles. These systems are primarily designed to physically destroy or at least disrupt incoming anti-tank guided missiles and other infantry anti-armor weapons, such as shoulder-fired rockets and rocket-propelled grenades.

In Russia’s military modernization, the Zircon hypersonic cruise missile emerges as a pivotal force. With an extraordinary speed of Mach 8, the Zircon stands as the pinnacle of Russian hypersonic capabilities. Capable of piercing protective barriers with unprecedented efficiency, its sheer velocity poses a formidable threat to existing defense systems.
Speed Redefined: Zircon’s Strategic Significance
The ongoing progress in Zircon’s development underscores Russia’s financial and strategic commitment to hypersonic technologies.

A detailed analysis of AM General’s new JLTV A2, its design, capabilities and its impact on military operations.

AM General’s JLTV A2 prototype and its Strategic Design
AM General has revealed its latest development in the tactical vehicle sphere: the A2 Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) prototype. This vehicle was presented at the AUSA exhibition in Washington in October, marking a milestone in the evolution of military tactical vehicles.

(National Archives and U.S. Army composite image).
As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The U.S. military occasionally takes that idea to an extreme, using some equipment every day that has been around for decades. 
Task & Purpose asked the services to name some of the oldest pieces of equipment they still use to this day. Here’s what we found: 

Ensign Ryan Ellis uses a protractor to map out the ship’s position in the pilothouse of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt on Nov. 17, 2022.

Captain Paden Sickles is transitioning out of the Army after almost 10 years as a soldier to pursue her apparel business full-time. It all started with a ruck. 
“I was finishing up Air Assault School and the last part was this 12-mile ruck,” Sickles shared. “My feet were absolutely destroyed by the end of it. I was walking into graduation limping, my feet still bleeding and absolutely miserable. I made it but I could barely walk across the stage.”
Photo courtesy Sickles.
With a background in engineering and economics and her MBA, Sickles’ brain started trying to find solutions.

Amid a global competition for cyber experts, one Air Force wing is looking at new and different ways to recruit and retain service members with the right know-how.
Attracting and maintaining top talent is becoming even more critical as the Air Force must provide six additional cyber mission force teams on behalf of U.S. Cyber Command.
“I would anticipate CMF growth, continuing through the years. We know we probably don’t have the capacity [that] we likely really need,” Col. Sean Kern, commander of 67th Cyberspace Wing, told DefenseScoop in a December interview.

SBU
Ukraine’s security service (SBU) claims it used a Sea Baby uncrewed surface vessel (USV) armed with rocket launchers for the first time to attack Russian ships near Sevastopol. The Ukrainian Pravda (UP) news outlet on Monday published a video provided by the SBU that it says shows the system’s first use. Still, the practicality of such a concept is questionable, with very limited use cases at best.

Carter Burwell, a Public Interest Declassification Board board member, moderated a discussion with Erin Mahan, Chief Historian at the Office of the Secretary of Defense; Adam Howard, the director of the Office of the Historian at the U.S. Department of State; and John Fox, a historian at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The conversation discussed the role of historians and archivists inside the U.S. government, the role that historians play in preserving institutional knowledge, and how that role intersects with classification/declassification issues. Image: The U.S.

Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas Dural, 20, was killed on Dec. 19 while on duty as a Marine Security Guard assigned to the U.S. Embassy Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, his father said. (Photo courtesy of Kimberly Dural).
A Marine embassy guard who was honored last year for disarming a knife-wielding attacker at a Virginia Chick-fil-A restaurant died just before Christmas while on duty in Africa. 
Marine Lance Cpl. Nicholas Dural, 20, was killed on Dec. 19 while assigned to the U.S. Embassy Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, his father Dalton confirmed to Task & Purpose.

Photo by Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Russia has launched another large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukraine, one of the largest since the all-out invasion began.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, the latest wave included 10 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles, 70 air-launched cruise missiles, including Kh-101s, and three ship- or submarine-launched Kalibr cruise missiles. The air force said that Ukrainian air defenses destroyed all the Kinzhals and Kalibrs as well as 59 of the subsonic air-launched cruise missiles.

Denmark’s Army, Air Force, and Navy come together to build a strong defense front, which ranges from budget surges to tactical triumphs.

While the front lines have not shifted as much as expected in 2023, a lot has happened in Ukraine and the war. Defenders in Ukraine have made gains, but troops in multiple salients and vulnerable positions need constant supply to maintain their footing. And Russian attackers rely on multiple supply lines that are little more than drinking straws.
If Ukraine can close more Russian supply lines, especially the Kerch Bridge, a Russian collapse in the south is likely.

The Iran-backed Houthi insurgency in Yemen has increased its activity in the Red Sea following the start of the 2023 Israel-Hamas War. Formerly designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the movement’s official slogan is, “God is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, A Curse Upon the Jews, Victory to Islam.” Supporting Iran-backed Hamas, Houthis have deployed missiles and UAVs across the Red Sea towards Israel since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks on Israel.
USS Carney engages Houthi aerial targets with its Phalanx CIWS (U.S.

231 service members and veterans have signed a letter to inform military leaders that there is a group of troops and vets pledging to the American public that they will do everything lawfully within their power to stop the willful destruction of our military by its own…

This is a very big deal and all Flag officers (active & retired) need to pay heed to it.
This is not another letter signed by a bunch of generals and admirals (or senior intel officials), this is penned and signed by members of our military’s rank and file.
This is a very… https://t.

DefenseN.

Zita Ballinger Fletcher, History Net
This classified document sheds light on U.S.

The Editorial Board, The Wall Street Journal
An independent study puts to rest another false media narrative.

AP

Andrew J. Bacevich, Responsible Statecraft
If so, that would mean employing U.S.

South Korea regards its Lockheed Martin F-35A fleet as being a critical component of its ‘Three-Axis’ kill-chain system. (South Korea Ministry of National Defense)
South Korea has signed a letter of acceptance (LOA) to acquire additional Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation fighter aircraft.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said on 1 January that the LOA was signed in December.