Canada-led brigade in Latvia moves beyond tripwire role, commander says
“Right now I have a brigade, there is nothing on the other side of the border that can take out this brigade,” the unit commander told Defense News.
US Marines practice seizing remote islands in Philippine exercise
Based on Oahu, MADIS crews face limitations when live-firing at home, so Konien was enthusiastic about the opportunity to fire rounds and missiles abroad.
DoD faces mounting pressure to pass clean audit for the first time
To date, the DoD has never passed a full, clean audit since they first became mandated in 2018.
Near Russian border, NATO grapples with ground robots in combat
“We are a little bit behind because we’ve been using only the air drones,” a Latvian commander said.
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Air
Israel to extend F-35I range amid war with Iran
Elbit Systems was awarded the development contract, valued at approximately $34 million (100 million NIS).
Land
US Army to receive thousands of Barracuda-500M cruise missiles in Anduril deal
The Pentagon’s Low-Cost Containerized Missiles program aims to obtain over 10,000 low-cost cruise missiles over a three-year span.
Pentagon
Army leaders in hot seat over Poland deployment cancellation
Lawmakers questioned the timing and the reasons, lambasting the order that Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said sent a “terrible message to Russia and our allies.”
China fires verbal warning shot at US over Taiwan
Any misstep over Taiwan could push the U.S. and China toward direct confrontation, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told President Donald Trump.
Iran military threat is diminished but not eliminated, CENTCOM chief says
Adm. Brad Cooper said the U.S. had severely degraded Iran’s warfighting capacity, including the elimination of roughly 90% of its inventory of naval mines.
Industry
Pentagon reaches agreements with defense firms on containerized missiles
The Pentagon is announcing framework agreements with Anduril, CoAspire, Leidos and Zone 5 to acquire over 10,000 containerized missiles.
US special operations leaders frustrated by inability to modify their own equipment
The military must wait for manufacturers to fix or upgrade equipment, leaving them with outdated capabilities as technology evolves quickly, they said.
Trump’s Golden Dome missile shield estimated to cost $1.2 trillion
A national missile defense system would cost $1.2 trillion to build and maintain over the next 20 years, a nonpartisan federal agency estimated.
Naval
USS Gerald R. Ford to return from 11-month deployment on Saturday
The world’s largest aircraft carrier is finally returning home after etching its name into Navy history books.
Space
US Space Command provides update on phased headquarters relocation to Alabama
The command plans to break ground on a new headquarters facility on an approximately 60-acre site near the center of Redstone Arsenal in 2027.
VIDEOS
‘Deal Team Six’ enters the chat | Defense Dollars
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Army leaders in hot seat over Poland deployment cancellation
Lawmakers questioned the timing and the reasons, lambasting the order that Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said sent a “terrible message to Russia and our allies.”
By Patricia Kime
Canada-led brigade in Latvia moves beyond tripwire role, commander says
“Right now I have a brigade, there is nothing on the other side of the border that can take out this brigade,” the unit commander told Defense News.
US Marines practice seizing remote islands in Philippine exercise
Based on Oahu, MADIS crews face limitations when live-firing at home, so Konien was enthusiastic about the opportunity to fire rounds and missiles abroad.
DoD faces mounting pressure to pass clean audit for the first time
To date, the DoD has never passed a full, clean audit since they first became mandated in 2018.
By Ellen Ioanes
Near Russian border, NATO grapples with ground robots in combat
“We are a little bit behind because we’ve been using only the air drones,” a Latvian commander said.
Iran military threat is diminished but not eliminated, CENTCOM chief says
Adm. Brad Cooper said the U.S. had severely degraded Iran’s warfighting capacity, including the elimination of roughly 90% of its inventory of naval mines.
By Tanya Noury
Blacklists, corruption and frontline needs: Ukraine tackles an arms-export puzzle
After years of struggling to arm its one million active-duty soldiers, Kyiv has been wary of allowing its domestic producers to sell their weapons abroad.
By Katie Livingstone
Israel to extend F-35I range amid war with Iran
Elbit Systems was awarded the development contract, valued at approximately $34 million (100 million NIS).
Japan fires first-ever missiles from Philippine soil
The first Type 88 missile hit its target – a former minesweeper dating from WWII – 47 miles away after a six-minute flight.
US Army recovers remains of second soldier reported missing during Moroccan exercise
The Army identified the remains of Spc. Mariyah Symone Collington, 19, one of the two soldiers reported missing on May 2.
Contractor awarded $3.5 billion to build out US Coast Guard’s Arctic Security Cutters fleet
The five cutters to be delivered by Davie Defense will represent a new class of Arctic icebreakers.
Air Force MQ-9 fleet drops to 135 aircraft after Iran combat losses
The Air Force is seeking to backfill the inventory of MQ-9 Reapers and field a cheaper, more expendable replacement.
By Michael Scanlon