Saab has secured an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for a mobile and modular counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS), valued at about Skr2.6bn ($273m).

A video released by the U.S. military shows how sustained air support secured their second airman until extraction – eliminating anyone who attempted to approach him.
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By the summer of 1945, World War II had reached its most dangerous crossroads.
Nazi Germany had surrendered in May, but the war in the Pacific continued with relentless intensity. American forces had fought their way island by island toward Japan, encountering fierce resistance at Iwo Jima and Okinawa that stunned even veteran commanders. Japanese military doctrine emphasized surrender as dishonor, and civilians were being prepared to resist invasion.

This video describes the military situation in

D1
Almost none of the $17.

Hoff, RCD
In an era defined by increasing geopolitical conflict and rapid technological change, the United States faces an uncomfortable reality: its defense spending is misaligned with…

Tyler Rogoway, The WarZone
At least one burned-out AH/MH-6 Little Bird can be seen in photos of the austere airfield that served as a hub for the rescue of the F-15E WSO.

AP
The head of intelligence for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Maj. Gen.

Vera Bergengruen, et al., The Wall Street Journal
As Iranians closed in on injured airman, U.S.

The past several years have produced a quiet but consequential shift in how the United States understands, and fails to understand, time. American strategy has gradually weakened through bureaucratic cuts, institutional downgrades, and political incentives that privilege immediacy over endurance and partisanship over long-term statecraft. The temporary elimination of the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment last year is particularly emblematic.

Editor’s note: This article is the fifth in an 11-part series examining how the United States should organize, lead, and integrate economic statecraft into strategy, defense practice, and the broader national security ecosystem. This special series is brought to you by the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies and War on the Rocks. Prior installments can be found at the War by Other Ledgers page. Debates over defense budgets and economic statecraft are not a distraction from warfighting. They reflect a basic reality: Military power does not exist in isolation.

The annual Sikh military festival Holla Mohalla

Chairman and Managing Director of the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Dr. D.K. Sunil has provided details on ongoing plans for the license production of the Su-57 fifth generation fighter in the country, 14 months after it was confirmed that talks for such a deal were underway. “I think presentations have been made regarding the Su-57 to the Air Force team by the Russian team regarding the capabilities of the aircraft. We have had one estimation of the capacity of our Plants for the Russian equipment.

Pete Blaber, a former Delta Force Commander, breaks down what it would actually take to go after cartel networks and why the approach isn’t as simple as most people think. Drawing from real-world experience targeting figures like Pablo Escobar and helping gather intelligence that led to the downfall of the Cali cartel, Blaber explains why cartels operate differently than terrorist organizations and how money-driven motivations change the battlefield entirely.
This is one segment of a 12 hour interview with Ryan.

American special operations forces located and extracted the missing F-15E crew member in southwestern Iran overnight. The complex recovery mission involved hundreds of troops, a forward operation point inside the country and multiple aircraft being flown in — with some being destroyed by the U.S. after they failed on the ground. 
The complex rescue operation in a mountainous part of the country came nearly two days after a two-seater Air Force F-15E was shot down over Iran. Overnight U.S.

Eerily reminiscent of Desert One mission under President Carter, only this time with successful outcome

After evacuating the second crew member of the downed F-15E, the U.S. had to destroy two HC-130J Combat King II rescue aircraft and two helicopters that, for unknown reasons, were unable to leave Iran.
The aircraft were blown up on the ground to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands after landing at an improvised refueling site. 
Three additional HC-130J Combat King II aircraft were then dispatched to continue the combat search-and-rescue mission.
The wreckage of a U.S.

The Liberty Bell is one of the most recognizable artifacts associated with the founding of the United States.
Today it stands silently in Philadelphia, its crack instantly identifiable and its message understood around the world. Yet during the era of the American Revolution, the bell was not originally intended to become a national symbol. It began as a civic instrument meant to call lawmakers and citizens to order. Over time, however, it became intertwined with the struggle for independence and the larger revolutionary ideals of liberty, self-government, and public participation.

America’s Naval Shipyards Run on WWII-Era Infrastructure — The CBO Says Labor Shortages Will Persist for the Next 25 Years
About 40 percent of all US Navy attack submarines are out of service due to maintenance delays, according to the US Naval Institute’s report.

In essence, nearly half of the Navy’s essential underwater strike capability has been sidelined during peacetime.

This isn’t caused by a major war, but by ongoing neglect from the US government toward America’s critical naval shipyards.

SILVERDALE, Wash. (Oct.

Torpedo training in action🚀
HMS St Albans te

Following the shootdown of a U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter over Iranian territory, the United States Armed Forces’ efforts to recoverthe two airmen that ejected and parachuted into Iran have resulted in losses of aircraft on a scale unprecedented in the post-Cold War era. After the U.S.

The post BREAKING CONFIRMATION: Second F-15E Crewmember Rescued In Iran, Extraction Team Exfiltrated Safely After Massive Firefight appeared first on Armed Forces Press.

The post BREAKING CONFIRMATION: Second F-15E Crewmember Rescued In Iran, Extraction Team Exfiltrated Safely After Massive Firefight appeared first on Armed Forces Press.

This video describes the military situation in

A former Air Force master sergeant pleaded guilty to defrauding the Air Force out of $37 million in a scheme surrounding information technology contracts. On Wednesday, Alan Hayward James, 51, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rig bids, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and bribery as part of a nine-year-long fraud plot. According to the agreement and the indictment against him, James, who called himself “Al Capone,” took part in the scheme while in the military and after retiring.
And much like the historic Capone, he got caught for the money scheme.

RAF landed a knockout🥊🔥
First Inter Servi

As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, Americans are reflecting not only on the triumphs of the Revolutionary Era but also on the sacrifices that made independence possible.
Commemorations across the nation highlight the battles, leaders, and ideals that shaped the struggle for liberty. Yet amid these celebrations, it is important to pause and remember those whose suffering unfolded far from the glory of the battlefield.

“‘Sum Function’ is not a sports story, and it’s not a war story. It’s a raw, unflinching look at survival, connection, and the fight for access in a world that isn’t built for people with disabilities.”—official press release of “Sum Function”
The teammates of the Oscar Mike Militia—the nation’s only all-veteran wheelchair rugby team—have learned to survive great loss.
Every athlete on the team is impaired in all four limbs due to war, illness, or life-altering events. But now these military vets are rediscovering their strength and resiliency through sports.

Wings of distinction!

Mike Coté, Providence
… criticism of the efficacy of Epic Fury at neutralizing the threat posed by Iran, the most common argument against this war is that it is simply not in America’s…

Francis P. Sempa, AllOTSEGO
The United States is at war with Iran.

Anthony Capaccio, Bloomberg
The Pentagon’s proposed fiscal 2027 budget blueprint is seeking 85

Jacob W. Brantley, RealClearDefense
… the U.S. lags in establishing constant Arctic presence but even with the U.S.

WSJ
A search-and-rescue operation was under way after Iran shot down an F-15E. The other crew member was rescued earlier.

This video describes the military situation in

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has led an extensive purge of the U.S. Armed Forces leadership with few precedents in recent history, dismissing U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, and multiple other senior generals including David Hodne and William Green. Hegseth commented that George’s position needed to be filled by someone better able to “implement President Trump’s vision,” fuelling considerable speculation that opposition from the military leadership to plans for a ground invasion of Iran were a primary factor in the decision to replace them.

Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz has stated that the country will not provide either of its two U.S.-supplied MIM-104 Patriot long range air defence systems to support the U.S.-led war effort against Iran. “Our Patriot batteries and their armament serve to protect Polish airspace and NATO’s eastern flank. Nothing changes in this regard, and we have no plans to move them anywhere! Our allies are well aware and understand how important our tasks are in this region. Poland’s security is an absolute priority,” he stated.

After today’s partially successful combat search and rescue mission in Iran, we thought it would be interesting to learn where these tactics were developed — the Vietnam war.
The Sikorsky HH-53 “Super Jolly Green Giant” is a version of the Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopter for long-range combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopters. It was developed to replace the HH-3 “Jolly Green Giant”. The HH-53s were later upgraded as MH-53 Pave Low series. The United States Air Force’s MH-53J/M fleet was retired in September 2008.

Images from Kuwait show a US Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter reportedly struck yesterday, reports Israeli journalist Amir Tsarfati.

During the combat search and rescue mission today which saw the shoot down of an F-15E, and two MH-60s damaged by anti-aircraft fire, a U.S. A-10 crashed while providing close air support for the search-and-rescue mission for the F-15E crew when it was hit by Iranian fire. 
The ‘Sandy’ A-10 aircraft made it to Kuwait but crashed after the pilot ejected, reported ABC.

The French Army has deployed Leclerc main battle tanks for live fire exercises in Romania, alongside French and Polish infantry units. The exercises have occurred as the United States has recently bolstered its presence in Romania with the deployment of M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks and AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, and at a time of high tensions between Russia and NATO over the ongoing war effort in Ukraine across Romania’s eastern border.

Big pharma executives and investors have gotten rich – very rich – off a system that makes people sick and keeps them sick. Nowhere is this broken and corrupt system more obvious than when it comes to anti-inflammatories.
Globally, the sales of anti-inflammatory drugs exceed $130 billion, and is expected to reach over $270 billion by 2034. This is an incredible lucrative pharmaceutical sector driven by aging populations and the disturbing rise in chronic inflammatory conditions like arthritis.

This video describes the military situation in

The Maven Smart System is increasingly at the heart of the U.S. military’s plan to fuse all its sensors and assets across a single, flexible network, Deputy Defense Secretary Steve ​Feinberg suggested in a March 9 memorandum that elevates Palantir’s widely-used software platform to an official Pentagon program of record.

The U.S. Navy Still Has 11 Carriers, Virginia-Class Submarines, and 250 Years of Combat Experience — None of That Stops the Decline
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is a highly capable force and the world’s largest navy by hull count. The service plays a key role in China’s anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) strategy in the western Pacific.

The PLAN has modernized rapidly in recent years. Its leading platforms include advanced, versatile destroyers, such as the Types 055 and 052D, as well as a growing submarine fleet.

CV-18 Fujian aircraft carrier from China.

The USS John C. Stennis Entered Newport News Shipbuilding in May 2021 — The RCOH Won’t End Until October 2026 at the Earliest
The USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) is named for Senator John C. Stennis of Mississippi and is the seventh of the Nimitz-class of nuclear-powered supercarriers in the United States Navy.

She was commissioned on December 9, 1995. Her temporary home port is Norfolk, Virginia, for her scheduled refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH), which began in 2019. After her overhaul is completed, she is expected to return to Bremerton, Washington.

U.S. military officials have yet to publicly confirm any information about an F-15E that appears to have crashed in Iran on Friday or the status of the aircraft’s crew amid media reports that one of two airmen onboard may have been rescued.
Official silence from U.S. officials is fairly typical when U.S. troops are in active combat, and it would match reports that a major rescue operation to find the crew was underway by mid-afternoon on Friday in the U.S., well past nightfall in Iran.
Task & Purpose confirmed on Friday that a plane was lost.

Chandra Donelson has announced that she is leaving her position as the Space Force’s chief data and artificial intelligence officer.
“Over the past two years, I’ve been surrounded by the finest service members and civilians across our nation,” Donelson wrote Thursday in a LinkedIn post announcing her departure. “Together, we have remained focused on what matters most: the warfighter. We have modernized legacy systems, advanced AI-enabled capabilities, and enhanced space domain awareness to enable decision advantage. That mission has never been more critical.

President Donald Trump is requesting a large budget increase for Navy shipbuilding in fiscal 2027, including initial funding for a new class of battleships.
The White House Office of Management and Budget officially released documents about the administration’s spending proposals for fiscal 2027 Friday. The administration wants $65.8 billion for shipbuilding, including money for 18 battle force ships and 16 non-battle force ships.
By comparison, the fiscal 2026 budget request allotted just under $42 billion for new construction of 19 battle force ships.

The Zumwalt Was a $23 Billion Mistake With No Mission — Hypersonic Missiles Traveling Mach 6 Might Finally Give It One
The U.S. Navy has been developing the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) hypersonic weapon for several years, and the service plans to arm its fleet of three Zumwalt-class destroyers with the missiles within the coming year.

the stealthy destroyers with hypersonics could breathe new operational life into that small, embattled fleet. It could greatly increase the speed and range of attacks from ships, as part of a paradigm-changing set of attack options.

The F-47 Will Quarterback a Swarm of Collaborative Combat Aircraft From Standoff Distance Using AI-Enabled Command and Control
The yet-to-be-fully-seen F-47 will operate an unprecedented number of drones from the cockpit, enabling aerial command and control in a way never before seen. While a manned host platform such as the F-47 remains at a standoff distance, its drones can test enemy air defenses, blanket areas with surveillance, or even launch attacks when directed by a human.

The U.S. military often can’t fix parts of jets, ships, infantry fighting vehicles, and other equipment because they are not allowed to under the contracts the Pentagon signs with manufacturers. Instead, only the manufacturer can fix the equipment, which is a problem in a combat zone or out on a far-flung training exercise. 
That means fighter jets worth tens of millions of taxpayer dollars wind up grounded for months on a deployment. The Navy pays millions to fly contractors out to sea and make repairs that sailors aboard those very ships could make themselves.