The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command is built on a lineage of air commandos who show up where the odds are worst, and the margin for error is zero. From hacking improvised airstrips out of the Burmese jungle to flying lumbering gunships that can put a single round on a single truck in the dead of night, these airmen exist to solve problems no one else can.
They move special operations forces, pull the wounded out of places no helicopter should be, and turn the sky itself into close air support, often under fire and far from help.

The annual Army-Navy Game is one of college football’s biggest rivalries, and there’s a lot of history around the game, not only because of the 125-plus games the Midshipmen and Black Knights have played over the years, but also because of one man who might show up to watch: the President of the United States.
Related: 7 of the coolest things to watch for during the Army-Navy Game
No matter who occupies the Oval Office, the Commander-in-Chief showing up to watch these two service academy football teams on the gridiron is a big deal.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last week quietly ordered a name change to the military entity charged with influencing foreign audiences, reverting its title back to one used 15 years ago.
Since 2010, military activities designed to manipulate the behavior of foreign governments, combatants and even individuals have fallen under the unassuming title of “military information support operations,” or MISO. Now, those efforts will once again be part of “psychological operations,” or PSYOP, according to a memorandum Hegseth signed Dec. 2.

This video describes the military situation in

Since World War II, America’s universities have been part of the nation’s arsenal, forging the ideas, technology, and talent that underpin national defense. That engine of innovation never stopped running. John Beieler and John Paul Sawyer of the University of Maryland join Ryan to talk about the power of public–private partnerships in defense tech, quantum science, and AI, and how that work keeps American innovation humming just outside Washington. Image: Blacktupelo via Wikimedia Commons.
The post Building an Academic Arsenal appeared first on War on the Rocks.

The Royal Netherlands Army’s AMLC has awarded Renk Test System (RTS), a contract to supply a suite of test systems for military vehicles.

Rolls-Royce has secured an order from defence company KNDS to deliver more than 300 mtu MB 873 Ka-501 engines for new Leopard 2 battle tanks.

The Moment You Choose Strength — Military Mot

For its annual fitness competition, the Space Force has “Guardian Arena,” which tests both brains and brawn to measure the service’s unique requirements. It’s essentially the Army’s Best Squad competition, but for the most cerebral military branch.
And they are unique, with the Space Force being one of the few branches where one might need to triangulate the position of a satellite while in the middle of the combat zone in the Middle East or the Pacific under austere conditions.

As the anniversary of Operation Restore Hope approaches, Americans pause to reflect on one of the most significant humanitarian and military missions of the post–Cold War era. Launched in December 1992, this operation placed the United States Marine Corps at the forefront of a desperate global effort to save a nation devastated by famine that had already killed hundreds of thousands and left more than a million at risk.

Key Points and Summary: Eurofighter Typhoon Heads Close to Russia 
Germany has deployed five Eurofighter Typhoons and about 150 Luftwaffe personnel to Malbork in northern Poland to conduct NATO’s Air Policing mission, reinforcing the alliance’s eastern flank under Operation Eastern Sentry.

A German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon flies over Alaska during exercise Arctic Defender 24 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, July 8, 2024.

Defense One
The White House has greenlit a plan to design and build a frigate domestically as part of its proposed “Golden Fleet”

A. Zinni & J. McAbee & T.

Charles Richard, Proceedings
Everyone who has served on board a ship, submarine, or squadron can remember being jolted out of the rack by that announcement, knowing almost instinctively what…

Steve Cohen, RCDefense
Strike three! The Navy has struck out yet again.

NSJ

This video describes the military situation in

At sunrise in the Pacific, a fighter jet rolled to the end of the flight line as crew chiefs swarmed in final checks. Everything pointed to “ready.” Then a small crack was spotted — a hole that needed to be smoothed out. The maintainer sent a waiver request. Hours later: denied. The request was out of spec by a hair — imperceptible to the naked eye.The jet never launched — not for lack of training, skill, or threat. It stayed grounded because an engineer — far removed from the fight — saw red ink.

This video describes the military situation in

A Russian sniper shows off infrared shield and camouflage in Ukraine theater.
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Paramilitary units from multiple Islamist groups held a military parade in the Syrian capital Damascus on December 8, marking a year since their capture of the capital with Turkish, Western and Israeli support after a war effort of close to 14 years. The incident marked a turning point in the balance of power in the Middle East, and has had considerable geopolitical implications both for the region, and more broadly for theatres of geopolitical conflict from Central Asia to North Africa.

On December 8 near midday a Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 fighter was lost under unclear circumstances during a combat mission. The aircraft’s pilot Lieutenant Colonel Yevhenii Ivanov, senior navigator of the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade, was killed in action. The Su-27 is widely considered the most capable fighter type fielded by the Ukrainian Air Force, with its high weapons carrying capacity and long range making it highly prized for launching cruise missile strikes on Russian forces.

TOWSON, Md. — In light of renewed calls for procurement reforms across the Pentagon, the Defense Information Systems Agency is reworking how it rapidly buys and fields “functionally relevant capabilities,” according to the agency’s director.
“Functionally relevant capability means that I do not hand [Adm. Samuel Paparo, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command commander] a widget, but rather a fully integrated system-of-systems that solves a meaningful problem for the commander and his warfighting requirements,” Lt. Gen.

Key Points and Summary – The Pentagon has officially delayed the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX, the sixth-generation carrier fighter meant to replace the F/A-18E/F and fly alongside the F-35C.

-While the Air Force’s NGAD F-47 is already in full-scale development, the Navy’s program has been pushed into an undefined future after the CAPE office moved to cut and reprogram $454 million in FY25 funding.

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

-Senior officials worry the U.S.

Key Points and Summary – The F-35 just took a major step toward becoming Europe’s premier air-to-air killer. A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B has flown for the first time with the MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range missile, proving the weapon fits cleanly inside the jet’s weapons bay without compromising stealth.

-The UK-led integration effort, backed by Italy and other European F-35 users, aims to give both F-35A and F-35B variants access to Meteor’s 200-kilometer reach, high “no-escape zone,” and two-way data link.

Key Points and Summary – The Trump administration’s new National Security Strategy is landing very differently in Moscow and European capitals.

-Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov welcomed the document as “largely consistent” with Russia’s outlook, even as European officials saw a blueprint that sidelines the EU, backs “patriotic” nationalist parties, and downplays Russia as a threat.

President Donald J.

Key Points and Summary – The Eurofighter Typhoon began life as a pure air-superiority dogfighter, but Europe’s security environment and budget realities have turned it into something very different.

-Instead of sliding into legacy status, the jet is evolving into a “Super Typhoon” through rolling upgrades in sensors, engines, weapons, and electronic warfare.

A German Air Force pilot, assigned to the German Air Force Weapons School, conducts strafing runs with an Eurofighter Typhoon in conjunction with U.S.

The Trump administration is gearing up to launch an ambitious new plan to spur the military’s near-term adoption of artificial intelligence assets by supplying commercial options directly to users on the ground across three categories that reflect real-world operational needs, according to the Pentagon’s chief technology officer.

Image by Henrik Ishihara Globaljuggler

It’s easy to see where our members’ of Congress loyalties lie…and it’s not with the American people; it’s with the globalist agenda.
America deploying hundreds of thousands of troops overseas weakens our national security, and invites global war, involving our flesh and blood.
It’s time to end the practice but corrupt members of Congress don’t want to; they have other masters, and many make lots of money enabling this overreach.
Hopefully The White House will veto the measure below.

Every November, the halls of the Pentagon are torn apart in one of the biggest and oldest rivalries in college sports: the Army-Navy Game. While the outcome of the game may no longer determine who will win the College Football National Championship (and the combatants tend to be unranked anyway), it will affect interpersonal relationships within the Department of Defense for days, maybe weeks, afterward.

A version of the annual defense policy bill unveiled by lawmakers Sunday would require Pentagon leadership to form a new panel to look at the military implications of artificial general intelligence and other advanced AI capabilities.
The compromise version of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act hammered out by House and Senate conferees includes a provision that would mandate that the secretary of defense establish an “Artificial Intelligence Futures Steering Committee” comprised of top brass, no later than April 1, 2026.

The Duke of Edinburgh has presented Nato operat

More than 70 years after he took part in the longest dogfight in Navy history, scoring four aerial victories, Royce Williams might finally get the Medal of Honor. 
Over the weekend, Congress released the text for the compromise National Defense Authorization Act, the annual defense policy bill outlining spending plans and goals. This year, it is a record $901 billion. Nestled into the large defense appropriations bill is Sec. 591, which would upgrade Williams’ Navy Cross to the Medal of Honor for “acts of valor during the Korean War.

into the teeth

Public Domain

As a kid, I grew up hearing about he exploits of the Wild Weasels from the Vietnam War.
If you’re not familiar with their origin story, “First in, Last Out” is superb.

From F-100s to F-105s to F-4s and now F-16s, they are still making the magic happen, giving the USA a capability unmatched by other nations.
They’re still leading the way.
In case you missed it, a great story from the strikes in Yemen.

The UK has unveiled a new advanced hybrid naval

As power dynamics evolve and tensions increase

The Defense Department would require that senior leaders have secure mobile phones, that personnel would get cybersecurity training that includes a focus on artificial intelligence and that cyber troops would have access to mental health services under a compromise annual defense policy bill released over the weekend.
The deal between House and Senate negotiators on the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a massive piece of legislation that runs the gamut of the Pentagon, including a record-breaking $901 billion topline figure.

Volodymyr Zelensky met Sir Keir Starmer and Eur

Congress is set to finally rescind the authorizations for use of force that served as the legal basis for the Persian Gulf and Iraq wars, but in terms of reining in the president’s abilities to send U.S. troops into combat at will, here’s what’s likely to change: Nothing.
On Sunday, lawmakers released the final version of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Authorization Act, an annual defense policy bill, which would officially revoke the authorizations for use of military force in 1991 and 2002 that Congress passed prior to both wars in Iraq.

The US Army have agreed to purchase 240 more AMPVs to prevent a potential break in production cycles at BAE Systems’ facility.

The conference version of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act would require the Pentagon to try to set up a new joint program with Taiwanese officials, with the aim of fielding more drone and counter-drone technologies.
The legislation, released Sunday, comes amid concerns that China might try to invade the island of Taiwan. American officials envision robotic systems — including unmanned aerial vehicles and uncrewed maritime platforms — playing a major role in such a conflict, and U.S. lawmakers are taking steps to address the threat in the annual defense policy bill.

Finnish conscripts and reservists have been tak

Growing up a military brat isn’t just a vibe; it’s a lifestyle. While other kids were measuring their height on the same doorframe for 18 years, you were treating North America like a series of unfortunately decorated holding cells.
You didn’t have regular family traditions; you had stickers on a moving box. You didn’t have parents; you had sponsors. Now, as a grown adult, you might still have some quirky habits that you can’t quite shake.

Ever since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the headlines have been filled with HIMARS rockets that can hit targets nearly 200 miles away; hypersonic missiles that can reach Mach 11, and loitering munitions and one-way attack drones that can literally put warheads on foreheads.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Marine Corps traded two-thirds of its howitzer batteries for rockets and anti-ship missiles, and the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division started down a similar road this summer.

The US State Department has approved two separate potential FMS to Denmark, involving IBCS and AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM.

This video describes the military situation in

Australia is set to begin manufacturing GMLRS missiles at a newly opened plant in Port Wakefield, South Australia by the end of 2025.

The stage is set for one of sports’ greatest rivalries on Saturday, Dec. 13th at 3:00 PM ET, when the Army Black Knights (6-5, 4-4 AAC) and nationally ranked Navy Midshipmen (9-2, 7-1 AAC) converge on M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore for their 126th meeting. A rivalry dating back to Nov. 29, 1890, Navy leads the all-time series with a record of 63-55-7. In their most recent showdown on Dec. 14, 2024, the Midshipmen defeated the Black Knights 31-13 in Landover, Maryland.

Andrew Latham, National Security Journal
The U.S. Army is misaligned with a battlefield transformed by drones, AI, and precision fires.

AT
The Army is standing up a new Western Hemisphere Command effective Friday, consolidating three major commands under a single headquarters as part of the sweeping restructuring of the…