Gulf tensions escalate as Iran hits Kuwait, US strikes near Hormuz
CENTCOM said it had carried out a new round of defensive strikes in southern Iran, while an Iranian drone attack on the Kuwait airport killed one person.
At a NATO range in Latvia, hits and misses mark Europe’s counter-drone journey
Drone technology is “a couple of steps ahead” of countermeasures, one officer said, with interceptors having to work every time to prevent losses.
Future presence of US troops in Lithuania is ‘under review,’ says minister
U.S. troops presently stationed in the country are now leaving as expected, but the next scheduled group is not arriving, the defense minister said.
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Air
US tells Europe, Canada to boost NATO air and naval forces
“Nations just need to assign the capabilities they have to NATO,” a spokesman for the alliance's military headquarters said.
Land
Not ‘just a gun’: New SOCOM rifle allows barrel swapping and cartridge changes
At SOCOM’s request, the rifle features a swappable barrel, allowing operators to change between legacy cartridges and the newer 6.5mm Creedmoor.
Pentagon
Pentagon chief sounds ‘alarm’ over China’s buildup, urges allies to boost defense spending
Hegseth urged Asian allies to ramp up military spending to counter China’s growing power.
US general holds rare meeting with Cuban military officials near Guantanamo Bay
The meeting is the first in recent memory by a head of U.S. Southern Command and comes amid growing concerns in Cuba of a possible U.S. military attack.
How far is there to go until the US and Iran end the war?
A tentative deal has been reached to end the war and restart transit in the Strait of Hormuz, and then negotiations on more difficult issues would begin.
MilTech
Pentagon looks to reinvent the bunker-buster bomb
The goal is to go beyond the traditional brute-force approach of giant bombs and instead manipulate shock waves to destroy targets.
Quad nations step up Indo-Pacific push with new initiatives
The announcement to build port infrastructure in Fiji comes amid China’s deepening ties with the South Pacific island, which straddles vital sea lanes.
US troops are reportedly being targeted using location data, Pentagon says
U.S. forces deployed to war zones have been targeted using commercially available location data, according to reports fielded by military officials.
Naval
US, NATO allies to launch scaled-back Baltic Sea drills
Officials say the smaller footprint reflects operational realities rather than waning commitment.
Space
Germany touts pan-German space command amid European push to supplant US tech
Austria’s Defense Minister Claudia Tanner reaffirmed that Austria plans to put three operationally designated military satellites into orbit next year.
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Russia supplies Iran with cyber support, spy imagery to hone attacks, Ukraine says
Russian satellites have made detailed imagery surveys of military facilities to help Iran strike U.S. forces, according to a Ukrainian intel assessment.
By Tom Balmforth and John Irish, Reuters
US Navy seeks 1,200% increase in Tomahawk missile procurement for 2027
The U.S. Navy is requesting $3 billion to replenish its stockpile of Tomahawk missiles that have been depleted over the course of the Iran war.
By Riley Ceder
Iran’s other would-be WMD program lies in ruins following strikes by Israel and the US
“It almost seems like an afterthought and lower priority to the war planners,” said Jim Lamson, a former Iran analyst for the CIA of 23 years.
By Linus Höller
US hits military targets on Iran’s Kharg Island
Vice President JD Vance said the strikes were not a change in U.S. strategy.
By Reuters
‘A whole civilization will die tonight,’ Trump says as Iran defies deal
A former U.S. State Department legal advisor said the remarks “could plausibly be interpreted as a threat to commit genocide.”
By Parisa Hafezi and Trevor Hunnicutt, Reuters
Outpaced by the US, China’s military places selective bets on artificial intelligence
China may have surpassed the United States in AI for drone swarms, one Taiwan-based analyst said.
By Military Times staff
Israel to sell PULS systems to Greece for $750 million
The deal between the two countries includes dozens of launchers and rockets.
Ukraine missile maker targets ‘game changer’ air defense system by 2027
Fire Point, maker of Ukraine’s Flamingo cruise missile, is in talks with European companies to launch a new air defense system by next year.
By Max Hunder and Daniel Flynn, Reuters
US special forces rescue second F-15 airman from Iran
The airman, the weapons officer of an F-15 jet shot down on Friday, was wounded but “will be just fine,” President Trump announced.
By Phil Stewart and Menna Alaa El-Din, Reuters
Iran leaves door open for peace talks as hunt for missing US pilot continues
The prospect of a U.S. service member alive and on the run in Iran comes days after Trump threatened to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages.”
By Hatem Maher and Phil Stewart, Reuters