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

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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.

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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…

Lisa Martin, The Interpreter
Officials from the U.S.

S. L. Nelson, RealClearDefense
General Mark Milley is probably the most prominent architect of subsuming the military’s integrity in the hubris of his own ego.

Howard Altman, TWZ
New details paint a troubled picture aboard the USS Gettysburg prior to it shooting down a Super Hornet and nearly another.

A Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk was in a festive mood over the weekend, issuing a holly jolly “Ho-ho-ho” in the skies. As spotted by the Flightradar24 flight tracking site and shared on its X account, the Coast Guard helicopter was flying over the Caribbean Sea just off of the coast of Puerto Rico and decided to write out a holiday message. It flew in a few loops and sharp turns to spell out Santa Claus’s go-to exclamation.
The Coast Guard confirmed it was intentional, and happened while the aircrew on the MH-60 Jayhawk had some VIPs on board and some time to kill on Sunday morning.

The U.S. Air Force has received its first T-7A Red Hawk trainer aircraft, which arrived at Joint Base San Antonio Randolph to serve under the 99th Flying Training Squadron.

This video describes the military situation in

Who wins in the latest chapter between these tw

Can UKAF finish off a spectacular 2025 with a w

At a moment where many Navy shipbuilding programs are stalling, the Constellation-class guided missile frigate stands out as the most behind schedule, the most over budget, and the most emblematic of the systemic faults plaguing naval shipbuilding. Last week, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan canceled the program — one that has spent billions of dollars over five years and still has years of work to deliver a single ship.Earlier this year, I explained which of the most expensive, delayed programs should be canceled. The Constellation-class frigate made my list.

This video describes the military situation in

Why did so many downplay the risk of a Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 despite mounting indicators, such as troop build-ups, major exercises, and increasingly aggressive rhetoric from Moscow?Even hours before the first strikes, major media outlets argued that an invasion was unlikely, as it seemed to contradict President Vladimir Putin’s cost-benefit calculus. They assumed he would conclude that the costs of heavy Western sanctions, together with the risk of significant battlefield casualties, outweighed the potential gains.

The leaking of an original set of technical blueprints of the Soviet Object 195 main battle tank has provided new insight into the ambitious program to preserve the country’s qualitative armour advantage into the 21st century. 3D artist Gustiiz3D produced a set of renders “based on an authentic album of schematics that recently leaked online” that provided further details on the tank type, which was known colloquially as the ’T-95.” It would have been the first major clean sheet design to join the Soviet Army since the T-64 in 1964.

Following the deployment of a Chinese carrier strike group built around the aircraft carrier Liaoning for operations near Japanese waters, considerable attention has been drawn to the capabilities of the warships and aircraft forming the core of the group’s combat capabilities.

The carrier strike group led by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy warship Liaoning on December 7 began training flights in the Pacific Ocean, after the ships passed through waters off Japan’s southernmost prefecture of Okinawa. Takeoff and landing drills from the aircraft carrier were the first to be confirmed in waters near Japan in several months, and have been speculated to have been initiated in response to a rise in tensions between the two countries.

The Royal Norwegian Air Force has concluded a deployment of F-35A fifth generation fighter aircraft as part of an integrated air and missile defence mission under NATO’s Allied Air Command. The deployment was initiated in August in response to rising tensions with Russia, amid ongoing Western participation in the Russian-Ukrainian War.

Public Domain

For decades, the Air Force has deployed and operated two elements of America’s nuclear triad – bombers and land-based ICBMs (Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles). The Navy controls the third leg – submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). As a part of deterring missile attacks on America and on US forces overseas, the Army plays a vital role in defending against incoming missiles.

The Navy is the latest service to get into the information warfare fight. On Friday, Naval Information Forces stood up the Information Warfare Squadron Two, the first of a new kind of naval intelligence unit meant to support carrier strike groups.
The new unit, to be based on the East Coast, was officially activated in a ceremony on Dec. 5 in Norfolk, Virginia, according to a release shared by the Navy on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, or DVIDS.
Plans for the new type of squadron were approved in June by the Fleet Commanders’ Readiness Council.  Vice Adm.

December 7, 1941, is a date which will live in infamy. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor took the lives of 2,403 Americans, wounded 1,178, and served as the catalyst for America’s entry into World War II. Multiple factors, like Japanese misinformation, American focus on the war in Europe, and the fact that the attack took place on a Sunday, contributed to the high loss of American life that day. Despite the surprise nature of the attack and the low state of readiness of American military forces in Hawaii, American servicemen fought back valiantly.

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Every year on Dec. 7, we pause to commemorate the attack on Pearl Harbor. But here’s the thing: it’s more than a history lesson. For anyone wearing the uniform today, Pearl Harbor isn’t just about what happened more than 80 years ago. It’s about what could happen tomorrow morning if we’re not paying attention.
Related: Today in military history: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor
The numbers still hit hard. In just over an hour on that Sunday morning in 1941, Japanese forces killed 2,403 Americans and wounded another 1,178. They sank or damaged 19 ships and destroyed more than 180 aircraft.

This video describes the military situation in

A Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy J-15 carrier based fighter operating from the aircraft carrier Liaoning formed a radar lock on a Japanese F-15 fighter over international waters southeast of Okinawa Island on December 6. Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi quickly confirmed the incident, with the Japanese government issuing a protest through diplomatic and defence channels. This was the first time Japan publicly disclosed an incident in which a Chinese military aircraft directed its radar at a Japanese aircraft.

The Ukrainian Mavic captured the moment when an enemy drone attempted to locate the entrance to the dugout and destroy the position using its optics. The FPV circled above the shelter for about 40 seconds and almost reached its target, but the covering soldier reacted in time and destroyed the drone with two accurate shots.
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I sat down for a short time last week with Under Secretary Of War For Research And Engineering Emil Michael.
BIO: Mr. Emil Michael serves as the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (USW(R&E)) and Chief Technology Officer for the Department of War(DoW), spearheading the Department’s efforts to ensure U.S. military technological superiority and keep the DoW at the forefront of innovation.

Half a year after it was in the eastern Mediterranean Sea helping to shoot down Iranian ballistic missiles, the guided-missile destroyer the USS Thomas Hudner is at sea once again, this time in the Caribbean.
The destroyer arrived in the region earlier this week, becoming the latest warship to arrive in the last four months, as the U.S. Navy continues to maintain a large armada in the sea. The arrival, first reported by USNI News, brings the number of surface warships to 12, according to that outlet’s fleet tracker.

What is it about government officials and their shoddy email practices? Several members of the Trump Administration were discovered to have used personal or unclassified email accounts for classified emails. Using a private server as Secretary of State might have cost Hillary Clinton the 2016 presidential election. And then: shoddy email practices led to the convictions in the Iran-Contra Affair decades prior.
Email hasn’t really been around as a communication tool for very long, but it seems to land a lot of America’s top politicians in hot water on a regular basis.

On Oct. 5, 1986, a cargo plane running a covert resupply mission to the Nicaraguan Contras was shot down by Sandinista forces. The lone survivor, Vietnam veteran Eugene Hasenfus, promptly told the world he’d been working on a CIA-linked airlift, exposing the secret effort to support the Contras despite a Congressional ban on funding the right-wing rebel group.

Image by Swadim

The Pentagon wants allies in Europe to take over the bulk of defense responsibilities on the Continent no later than 2027, according to a new report that could carry significant implications for how American troops are deployed.
Defense Department officials told their Western counterparts in Washington this week about the new deadline, Reuters reported Friday, citing five unidentified sources.
U.S.

We at Task & Purpose care deeply about issues affecting active-duty military and veterans. We also love a good tank name. “ASVAB Waiver,” “Divine Intervention” and “Bye Felicia” are just a few that light up our day. And now we can add “Executioners Finest” to the list. 
The M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank is assigned to the 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. It was recently photographed taking part in 1st Armored Division’s Iron Heroes Competition at the Dona Ana Range complex in New Mexico last month. The Army photo by Sgt.

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This video describes the military situation in

Lawson, NatInterest
The Trump administration has rightly reoriented U.S. foreign policy toward domestic renewal, more balanced alliances, and hemispheric protection.