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US Army abruptly cancels deployment of 4,000 soldiers to Poland
The Army has abruptly halted a planned deployment to Poland, bringing U.S. personnel numbers in Europe to pre-2022 levels — before Russia invaded Ukraine.
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.
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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The military must wait for manufacturers to fix or upgrade equipment, leaving them with outdated capabilities as technology evolves quickly, they said.
Ukraine’s battlefield integration surpasses US military’s, Army secretary says
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told lawmakers U.S. lags behind Ukraine in battlefield network integration.
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.
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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.
US Navy could run out of money by July, top officer warns
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle told lawmakers at a budget hearing Tuesday that the Navy might have to modify training and operations.
AI tool has ‘saved a lot of aircraft’ in Epic Fury, AFSOC chief says
Lt. Gen. Michael Conley said “necessity had been the mother of invention” in spurring the service to apply available machine learning tools in combat.
Marines mandate servicewide AI training by year’s end
The Marine Corps will require all Marines to complete a basic artificial intelligence course by the end of the year.
In other news
Role of Indo-Pacific air defenders has evolved dramatically, US Army commander says
Brig. Gen. William Parker, 94th AAMDC chief, recalled an old air defense building bearing a "Will work for food" sign, a stark contrast to the role today.
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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MORE STORIES
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.
By Michael Peck
Marines mandate servicewide AI training by year’s end
The Marine Corps will require all Marines to complete a basic artificial intelligence course by the end of the year.
By Daniel Terrill
Austrian jets intercept US military planes two days in a row
The May 10 intercept reportedly took place over the Totes Gebirge mountain range in Upper Austria, over 60 kilometers from the German border.
By Linus Höller
Ukraine’s battlefield integration surpasses US military’s, Army secretary says
Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told lawmakers U.S. lags behind Ukraine in battlefield network integration.
By Eve Sampson
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.
By Ellen Ioanes
Coast Guard bans kratom, similar drugs immediately
Kratom is not a federally controlled substance in the U.S. and is available legally in 44 states in vape shops, other retail stores and online.
By Patricia Kime
Defense contractors have donated millions to members of Congress, new report finds
The defense industry donations make up only a small percentage of the cash going to Congress, however, according to OpenSecrets.
By Ellen Ioanes
In an age of drones, Army Rangers will now stab through a new bayonet course
Soldiers in Georgia hoping to earn the Army’s coveted Ranger tab will now start the school by stabbing their way through Fort Benning’s new bayonet course.
By Eve Sampson
Army plans summer deployments to southern border
The 1st Armored Division is set to assume command of the southern border mission.
Arcade games satirizing Iran war appear at DC War Memorial
The game, “Operation Epic Furious: Strait To Hell,” was developed in response to the administration’s use of video game footage to share successes in Iran.
By J.D. Simkins