Top stories
Pentagon bows to criticism, admitting ‘mistake’ over new religious list
The Pentagon revised its abridged list of officially recognized faith affiliations after Utah lawmakers balked at the omission of Mormonism.
US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet strikes, disables oil tanker in Gulf of Oman
An F/A-18 Super Hornet assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln fired a precision munition into the vessel's engineering and steering spaces.
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US approves Kuwait request to buy nearly $2 billion of counter-drone platforms
Following recent Iranian strikes on Kuwait, the U.S. approved a potential foreign military sale of counter-UAS platforms made by Anduril.
US troops, families adjust to new normal of Iran war
“To maintain this constant state of ‘Level 10’ alert vigilance, to be ready to go at the drop of a hat, is a very stressful ... operational mission."
US must learn lessons from Ukraine, innovate faster and cheaper: Anduril president
Anduril President Christian Brose discussed the need to develop cheaper weapons systems at scale to avoid quick depletion of exquisite munitions.
Joint Chiefs head makes first official visit to post-Maduro Venezuela
The visit comes five months after the high-risk U.S. military operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
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Pentagon & Congress
House panel quashes attempt to stop integration of US, Israel defense tech sectors
"Only the United States Congress would dream up at this moment, ‘Let’s actually do more for Israel,’ not less," argued Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.
US strikes Iranian sites after Iran launches drones, in latest Gulf flare-up
U.S. forces struck Iranian coastal radar sites on Saturday after shooting down drones launched by Iran toward the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military said.
Huge fascist-era underground cisterns draw Western special forces to Italy for tunnel training
After resisting 150 bombing runs by the Allies in the Second World War, the cisterns continued to be used by the Italian Air Force to hold aviation fuel.
US forces board sanctioned tanker in Indian Ocean, Pentagon says
U.S. forces have intercepted multiple commercial and oil tankers in the Indian Ocean in recent months.
In other news
The US Army wants thousands of air defense missiles to replace the Stinger
A new Army Request for Information seeks to identify companies that can deliver 11,000 next-gen, short range interceptors beginning in Fiscal Year 2028.
Sailor reportedly finds dead rat in finished energy drink
The sailor said medical personnel informed him, “with the chemicals that are in Monster, that it should be OK.”
That time the Air Force proposed making a ‘gay bomb’
The Air Force once explored the idea of a chemical weapon that would make enemy soldiers sexually irresistible to one another — striking a blow to morale.
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?
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Lawmakers move to require chaperones for ‘sensitive’ appointments in military health system
Under the provision, a trained third party would have to be present for exams conducted by obstetrician-gynecologists at military treatment facilities.
By Patricia Kime
AI companies have a responsibility to safeguard models against exploitation, Pentagon chief technology officer says
After Trump's recent executive order on AI, Emil Michael said that the weaponization of models is concerning.
House panel votes to reinstate non-Confederate base names and adopt ‘Department of War’
The House advanced a measure to return the names of nine U.S. military bases to those recommended by a congressional commission in 2023.
By Patricia Kime
Pentagon must divulge cost of Iran war under House proposal
A measure advanced Friday would require the DoD to report on the total financial cost of operations in Iran, including damaged or destroyed U.S. property.
Huge fascist-era underground cisterns draw Western special forces to Italy for tunnel training
After resisting 150 bombing runs by the Allies in the Second World War, the cisterns continued to be used by the Italian Air Force to hold aviation fuel.
By Tom Kington
US forces board sanctioned tanker in Indian Ocean, Pentagon says
U.S. forces have intercepted multiple commercial and oil tankers in the Indian Ocean in recent months.
By Reuters
House advances measure to give troops a discount on gas
The proposal would authorize the defense secretary to offer a discount on fuel at military exchanges that's equivalent to the price of the federal gas tax.
The US Army wants thousands of air defense missiles to replace the Stinger
A new Army Request for Information seeks to identify companies that can deliver 11,000 next-gen, short range interceptors beginning in Fiscal Year 2028.
By Michael Peck
The US needs drones, not Trump-class battleships, Democrats argue
Lawmakers struck down a Democratic measure Thursday that would've scrapped $1 billion in defense funding to begin work on the Trump-class battleship.
By Riley Ceder