Top stories
Iranian strikes target the infrastructure behind US airpower
Iran has struck radar systems, satellite communications and mission-critical aircraft at US bases across Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
USS Gerald R. Ford will likely notch record-setting deployment, Caudle says
The world's largest aircraft carrier is currently in Croatia undergoing maintenance after a non-combat fire broke out in its main laundry room.
Latest
‘Infrastructure is the weapon’: Inside the race to build portable interceptor factories
As the Iran war drives global demand for interceptor drones, defense startups are betting they can fit a production line into a shipping container.
Kid you not: Army aviators suspended for helo flyby of musician’s home
Kid Rock posted a video of an Apache helicopter hovering by the deck of his "Southern White House" on Saturday.
USS George H.W. Bush deploys amid Iran war
The Navy didn't provide details on its destination, but with the USS Gerald R. Ford currently sidelined, there is a warship vacancy in the Middle East.
Marines warn of ICE presence at Parris Island boot camp events
Citing “increased force protection measures,” visitors at the Marine Corps recruit depot can expect ICE personnel posted outside the base.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Iran Coverage
Defense News is covering the evolving military, strategic, and regional implications of tensions and operations involving Iran.
Insurance Guide
Military Times has the latest information about car insurance, renters insurance, and life insurance for troops.
2025 PCS Guide
Read up on tips and tricks in Military Times’ 2025 Permanent Change of Station Guide.
2025 Benefits Guide
Learn how your military benefits — including health care, retirement pay and more — have changed in 2025.
EDITOR'S PICKS
Your Military
Hegseth appears to reverse pilots’ suspensions after viral flyby of Kid Rock’s home
In a post on social media, Hegseth thanked the rocker and said “pilots suspension LIFTED. No punishment. No investigation. Carry on, patriots.”
Minesweeping technology in the Middle East is ‘a very good package,’ Caudle says
The U.S. Navy has three Independence-class littoral combat ships with a mine countermeasures mission package homeported in the Middle East.
Fewer service members died by suicide in 2024 than year prior, report finds
The report on 2024 suicides found a decrease in the total force suicide rate, though active component rates have steadily increased from 2011 to 2024.
Italy turns away Middle East-bound US military aircraft from Sicily stopover
Use of the Sigonella air base for the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran falls outside of the scope of agreements, requiring parliamentary approval in Rome.
In other news
Marine charged with stealing and selling Javelin Missile Systems, ammunition
The Marine was charged with stealing weapons and ammunition “so lethal that the public cannot legally possess it."
Master Chief actor condemns use of character in White House’s Iran war hype video
“I demand that the producers of this disgusting and juvenile war porn remove my voice immediately,” Steve Downes wrote in a post on X.
‘War Machine’ review: Finally, a training scenario with aliens
The sci-fi flick raises the premise: What if the final phase of U.S. Army Ranger selection suddenly involved fighting a giant alien robot?
By Clay Beyersdorfer
When veterans take the pen, war stories start to change
Hollywood has never lacked war stories. But it has often lacked veteran storytellers telling them.
How MREs inspired today’s meal-delivery industry
The MRE has to survive heat, cold, impact and time. And it has to do all of that at scale. Sound familiar?
Don't miss
VIDEOS
Staying ahead in the space domain | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 3.31.26
At the crux of modern military capabilities is a crucial element — sending information to and from space. How can the U.S. stay ahead? A top official weighs in.
Featured Videos
MORE STORIES
Marines warn of ICE presence at Parris Island boot camp events
Citing “increased force protection measures,” visitors at the Marine Corps recruit depot can expect ICE personnel posted outside the base.
By Hope Hodge Seck
Hegseth reveals secret trip to Middle East amid escalating Iran war
Hegseth said morale is high and service members are determined to “finish the mission."
By Tanya Noury
Marine charged with stealing and selling Javelin Missile Systems, ammunition
The Marine was charged with stealing weapons and ammunition “so lethal that the public cannot legally possess it."
Italy turns away Middle East-bound US military aircraft from Sicily stopover
Use of the Sigonella air base for the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran falls outside of the scope of agreements, requiring parliamentary approval in Rome.
By Tom Kington
The US Navy brought a ‘one-of-a-kind’ laser weapon back from the dead
The U.S. Navy's lone 150 kW laser weapon is back in action – sort of.
By Jared Keller
Limited missions, big risks: What a US ground fight in Iran could become
Military analysts point to several possibilities of what ground operations could entail, including coastal assaults and nuclear site raids.
By Eve Sampson
Trump says massive military complex to be built beneath White House ballroom
The new White House ballroom "essentially becomes a [shield] for what's being built under by the military," Trump said.
By Tanya Noury
Trump interested in calling on Arab states to help pay for Iran war, White House says
“I think it’s something the President would be quite interested in calling them to do,” press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.
By Reuters
The ‘March of Folly’: America’s headlong lurch into Vietnam began with just 3,500 Marines
“Johnson’s idea was to fight and negotiate simultaneously. The difficulty was that the limited war aim … was unachievable by limited war," wrote Tuchman.
US Navy commissions fast-attack submarine USS Massachusetts
The newest addition to the U.S. Navy fleet is the 12th Virginia-class submarine and the fifth vessel to be named after the U.S. state.
By Riley Ceder