Actor Blair Underwood was in first grade the first time that he remembers his mother saying she wanted to write a book.
It could have been a fleeting memory, a random thought spoken by a military spouse juggling so many tasks. Underwood (“L.A. Law,” “Rules of Engagement”) never forgot it, though, mainly because Marilyn Ann Scales Underwood kept repeating it over the years.
Related: These military spouses were unsung heroes of American history
Marilyn’s husband, Frank Sr., spent 28 years in the United States Army and retired as a colonel.

A.

P. Tucker, Defense One
The U.S.

Colton Jones, DefBlog
The United States Navy confirmed plans to increase production of the Hammerhead anti-submarine mine system

Global Defense News
The United States is fast-tracking the deployment of directed energy weapons, including lasers and high-powered microwaves, to counter drone threats

NextGenDefense
The ARMD reached supersonic speeds using Ursa Major’s flight-ready Draper liquid rocket engine, developed in just eight months for scalable missile propulsion.

This video describes the military situation in

The Navy does not lack commitment, courage, or talent. It lacks time. That is especially true when it comes to material readiness.
Ships’ material condition suffer because of deferred maintenance. Scheduled maintenance windows stretch longer than planned. Critical decisions are made with incomplete or outdated data. None of this is due to a lack of effort by our dedicated Sailors or shipyard workers. It’s the result of 20th-century processes colliding with 21st-century demands.
As Command Master Chief at NAVSEA, I saw firsthand how maintenance delays ripple across the fleet.

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched a successful strike using single use attack drones to destroy an AN/FPS-117 air defence radar near Al-Qaisum airport in Saudi Arabia. The $20 million radar has a 460 kilometre detection range, with its targeting representing part of broader efforts by Iranian forces to single out the U.S. and its strategic partners’ radar networks to limit their situational awareness and their air defence capabilities. Following the U.S.

The Polish Air Force scrambled MiG-29 fighters to intercept a Russian Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft flying over international waters in the Baltic Sea, visually identifying the target and escorting it. The aircraft was reported to have been operating without a filed flight plan and with its transponder switched off, which represented its ninth such mission of the year.

Since the beginning of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, a key question constantly asked is how Beijing might react — assuming that China’s economy relies on oil imported from Iran and shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.In reality, however, China is 85 percent energy self-sufficient. While China imports more than 10 percent of its global oil total from Iran, its energy supply has long been diversified internationally and electrified domestically to avoid critical dependence on any single source. Beijing has built a cushion against a short-term supply shock from a war in the Middle East.

This video describes the military situation in

When Pakistan declared “open war” with Afghanistan in February 2026 and struck Taliban military installations in Kabul and Kandahar, it crossed a threshold: from targeting non-state militants to putting Taliban-governed Afghanistan’s assets on the table. This escalation was not impulsive. Months of indirect cost imposition through border closures, trade restrictions, and limited strikes on Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan camps failed to shift Taliban behavior, making direct military pressure a logical next step in Pakistan’s hybrid coercion strategy.

L Todd Wood talks with former Army Guard officer Mark Castillon on the push for accountability in DOW.
!function(r,u,m,b,l,e){r._Rumble=b,r[b]||(r[b]=function(){(r[b]._=r[b]._||[]).push(arguments);if(r[b]._.length==1){l=u.createElement(m),e=u.getElementsByTagName(m)[0],l.async=1,l.src=”https://rumble.com/embedJS/u2y1af”+(arguments[1].video?’.’+arguments[1].video:”)+”/?url=”+encodeURIComponent(location.href)+”&args=”+encodeURIComponent(JSON.stringify([].slice.apply(arguments))),e.parentNode.

The Republic of China Air Force has moved ahead with plans to significantly modernise the capabilities of its F-CK Ching-kuo lightweight fighters under the Falcon Project, with one the fighters having recently been seen a carrying a Sky Sword II radar guided air-to-air missile for high-altitude testing. The Sky Sword II is expected to serve as the primary air-to-air armament of the F-CK, and has broadly analogous capabilities to the U.S. AIM-120C-5, although it is considerably faster and is reportedly much more costly due to its far smaller production scale.

WTOC TV news in Savannah, GA spoke with an army veteran and his initiative to support single mothers raising sons.
“Charlton Jefferson believes the youth are a community’s greatest asset, and he’s putting that philosophy into practice through Entire Mentoring, a program designed to fill a critical gap in households headed by single mothers,” reported WTOC.
“Jefferson’s commitment to supporting single mothers stems partly from his own childhood,” continues the report.

+++
-* See the written news report about this initiative on the WTOC TV news website.

Earlier this month, an aircraft was approaching the Albuquerque airport, miles and miles and miles away from where a group of government officials had gotten together to test a secretive military laser in the New Mexico desert.
The high-energy laser was locked on to a simulated threat at White Sands Missile Range during what officials described as a “first of its kind” evaluation, “holding track” on its target when — unclear to testers in the moment — the system suddenly shut down.

Summary and Key Points: Defense analyst Jack Buckby evaluates the ongoing aircraft carrier obsolescence debate through the lens of Operation Epic Fury in 2026. Some argue the carrier is nothing more than old ‘battleship’ in today’s world of missiles and cheap drones.

-While the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln have established air dominance over Iran, Buckby asserts that neutralizing a regional power with an “obliterated” navy does not simulate the high-threat A2/AD environment of the Indo-Pacific.

Aircraft Carrier in the Sunset. Image Credit: U.S. Navy.

Approximately 40 government, academic, and independent researchers met at a private workshop last year to standardize processes for capturing, sharing and studying narrative data on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), which is the modern term for UFOs that accounts for maritime and transmedium objects. 
The Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) set up and sponsored the invite-only event. It was officially hosted by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI) in the Washington, D.C. area in early August.
The 2025 workshop marked a notable step in the U.S.

The USS Nimitz began its long career stuck in a time warp. It now seems to be finishing the same way, with its official retirement date pushing into the future.
Just five years into its service in 1980, the ship was the setting and in some ways the star of “The Final Countdown,” a sci-fi time travel film in which the ship and its air wing are transported back to Dec 6, 1941. The next day, of course, would be the attack on Pearl Harbor.

This video describes the military situation in

Momentum is building for the rugby Inter Servic

Summary and Key Points: Defense analyst Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, evaluates reports that researchers at the China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center have identified potential stability flaws in the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider.

-Utilizing a proprietary AI simulation tool called PADJ-X, Chinese scientists are processing open-source flight data—including recent aerial refueling footage—to model the B-21’s aerodynamic performance.

The B-21 Raider was unveiled to the public at a ceremony Dec. 2, 2022 in Palmdale, Calif.

Summary and Key Points: Defense expert Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, evaluates the persistent threat of Iranian mobile missile launchers and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) despite the 15,000 strikes conducted during Operation Epic Fury.

-While CENTCOM and the IDF have achieved air dominance and suppressed 95% of launches, Iran’s decentralized “mosaic defense” leverages hardened, mountainous facilities to preserve an estimated 500 ballistic missiles.

A U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II flies over the Gulf of America, September 16, 2025.

The uniform distinctions between the Union and Confederate soldiers were many, but the colors of their Civil War uniforms became the iconic identifier in historical lore. Simply saying “blue” and “gray” was enough to connect either side in both speeches and in stories, but it wasn’t always that way.
As states seceded at the beginning of the Civil War, officers and soldiers alike chose sides. While the United States fully split into two, many on both sides still wore the Union blue.

Summary and Key Points: National security analyst Jack Buckby evaluates the strategic logic of extending Ohio-class SSGN service lives following the 2027 extension of the USS Nimitz (CVN-68).

-As Operation Epic Fury consumes Tomahawk (TLAM) stocks at a rate of 168 missiles per 100 hours, the retirement of the USS Ohio, Michigan, Florida, and Georgia would eliminate over 600 vertical launch cells.

SILVERDALE, Wash. (Oct. 27, 2025) Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) arrives at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor following routine operations at sea, Oct. 27, 2025.

Ireland and the UK sign a refreshed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance bilateral defence cooperation.

Summary and Key Points: Journalist Georgia Gilholy evaluates the “stagnation” of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II’s Technology Refresh-3 (TR-3) update.

-Despite the 1,100th delivery in 2026, the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) reports that the upgrade—designed as the backbone for Block 4—suffers from chronic stability deficiencies.

Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson, F-35 Demonstration Team pilot and commander performs aerial maneuvers during the Wings Over Houston Airshow Oct. 18, 2019, in Houston, Texas.

As the Royal Navy continues its transformation

Summary and Key Points: National security analyst Steve Balestrieri evaluates the MBT-70 (KPz-70), a 1960s joint venture between the United States and West Germany designed to replace the M60 Patton and Leopard 1.

-The project collapsed due to fundamental disagreements: the U.S. insisted on a 152mm XM150 gun/launcher for Shillelagh missiles, while Germany prioritized the 120mm Rheinmetall smoothbore.

MBT-70. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

MBT-70 Tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

-Technical friction over SAE vs. Metric units and Continental vs.

Summary and Key Points: Defense expert Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, evaluates the retirement of the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruisers, the “quarterbacks” of the Carrier Strike Group.

-Despite their 122 VLS cells, the aging fleet faces prohibitive maintenance costs, leading to a planned phase-out by 2027—though the USS Gettysburg, Chosin, and Cape St. George have received extensions through 2029.

Tomahawk Block IV Missile. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Tomahawk Launch. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

OCCAR has awarded a £53m ($70m) contract to Artec for the long-lead production of 37 weapon systems for the British Army’s RCH 155 artillery.

The US Army has entered into an massive enterprise contract with Anduril, with a value of up to $20bn, deliverable over the next decade.

Summary and Key Points: National security analyst Steve Balestrieri examines the Dassault Mirage 2000-5F’s critical 2026 role as France expands its military support for Ukraine.

-The Ukrainian Air Force expects to double its operational fleet to four airframes, primarily utilizing MBDA MICA and Magic 2 missiles to intercept Shahed-type drones and Kh-101 cruise missiles.

Mirage 2000 Fighter. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

-However, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu faces a strategic crisis; high-tempo Rafale interceptions in the UAE have depleted MICA stockpiles.

Could you tell the difference between real war

Summary and Key Points: National security expert Harrison Kass analyzes the U.S. Navy’s decision to extend the service of USS Nimitz (CVN-68) until March 2027.

-As the lead ship of its class, the 51-year-old supercarrier is shifting homeports to Norfolk to begin a $96 million inactivation process at Newport News Shipbuilding.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower conducts rudder turns during sea trials.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower conducts rudder turns during sea trials. Dwight D.

Welcome to The Ukraine Compass, a weekly digest of Ukrainian commentary and analysis from across the political spectrum only for War on the Rocks members. Each Monday, we bring you a curated selection of articles from Ukrainian media offering insight into how Ukrainians themselves debate the issues shaping their country.American coverage often narrows the view to the battlefield — these pieces widen it, revealing the texture of daily life, politics, and public argument in a nation at war.

Summary and Key Points: National security columnist Steve Balestrieri analyzes the U.S. Army’s strategic cancellation of the M1A2 SEPv4 Abrams and the M10 Booker programs.

-Facing a “weight-gain crisis” where platforms reached a prohibitive 80-ton threshold, the Pentagon is pivoting to the M1E3.

Soldiers with 1st Battalion, 68th Armor regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division execute platoon live fire exercises Dec. 7, 2021, Fort Carson, Colorado.

Summary and Key Points: National security journalist Stephen Silver examines the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, the definitive Cold War nuclear standoff. Initiated by the discovery of Soviet MRBMs and IRBMs in Cuba via U-2 surveillance, President John F. Kennedy implemented a naval “quarantine” to force the removal of offensive weapons. The crisis reached DEFCON 2 before a secret deal—brokered between Robert Kennedy and Anatoly Dobrynin—swapped the removal of Soviet missiles for the withdrawal of American Jupiter missiles from Turkey.

Summary and Key Points: National security columnist Steve Balestrieri examines the U.S. Army’s decision to bypass the AbramsX technology demonstrator in favor of the M1E3 Abrams upgrade.

-While General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) designed the AbramsX with a hybrid electric diesel engine, AI-driven targeting, and an unmanned turret, the Army prioritized logistical agility over high-tech complexity.

AbramsX Tank U.S. Army Image.

The Department of Defense released the names of the six airmen who died when their LC-135 Refueling plane crashed in western Iraq on Thursday. 
They are: Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington.; and Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky, who were all assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing. Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana.; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing.

Summary and Key Points: National security journalist Stephen Silver reports that the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) and Carrier Strike Group 10 have successfully completed their Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) as of March 5, 2026.

-Under the command of Rear Adm. Alexis Walker, the strike group is now certified for major combat operations, likely joining the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East to attack Iran.

A U.S. Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 9 transfers ammunition between aircraft carriers USS George H.W.

Editor’s Note: The USAF leadership has tried hard to get rid of the A-10, good thing they were not successful
The A-10 Thunderbolt II, known as the Warthog, has once again demonstrated its enduring utility, despite repeated retirement efforts by the U.S. Air Force. Originally engineered during the Cold War to counter massed Soviet armored formations in Central Europe—primarily through its GAU-8/A 30mm Avenger cannon and AGM-65 Maverick missiles—the platform has repeatedly adapted to evolving operational demands.

It’s not stealthy, it’s getting up there in years and it doesn’t have the payload of fifth-generation fighter jets. Despite that, the MQ-9 Reaper drone system isn’t going to the bone yard.
In fact, the Reaper is a reliable and frequently used weapon in the U.S. military’s arsenal, popping up among forward-deployed forces in conflict zones around the world. Most recently, the Pentagon revealed it was one of several airframes taking part in the war in Iran, or Operation Epic Fury, as the military calls it.

The dime is getting a new look for the 250th anniversary of the United States, and keen eyes have noticed the Mint dropped an important symbol of American power: the olive branch. Although it was released before Operation Epic Fury kicked off, new scrutiny comes at a time when many Americans are concerned about the U.S. military’s increasing foreign interventions.
Also Read: A Marine general led a fictional Iran against the US military—and won
American currency is big on symbolism.

Kris Osborn, Warrior Maven
Decades of proven power, the Tomahawk missile’s evolution now enables in-flight retargeting and destruction of moving targets, safeguarding naval dominance.

Bea Castañeda, The Defense Post
It’s not a plane built for airshows or dogfights — it’s a machine built to keep others flying longer, farther, and faster.

The Aviationist
A-10s armed with a mixed anti-air and anti-surface armament have been flying attack missions against insurgent groups aligned with the Iranian government in Iraq.

Mallory Shelbourne, USNI News
Big deck amphibious warship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) and its embarked Marines are heading to the Middle East as the U.S.

NextGenDef.
The US Army has taken a major step in expanding the reach of its long-range fires arsenal, completing the first flight test of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 2.