It has been nearly a month since Israel sent more than 100 jets and drones to strike Iranian military bases, and the world is still waiting to see how Iran will respond. It is a loaded pause in the high-risk conflict this year between the two Middle East powers. Israel’s counterattack came more than three weeks after Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles—most of which were shot down—on Oct. 1 to avenge the killings of two top Hezbollah and Hamas leaders.
The Kremlin fired a new intermediate-range ballistic missile at Ukraine on Nov. 21 in response to Kyiv’s use this week of American and British missiles capable of striking deeper into Russia, President Vladimir Putin said.
The Space Force has put a defense contractor on a blacklist intended to hold companies accountable for poor performance and program delays. “There is a company on the watch list today. I won't say who it is,” Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant, commander of Space Systems Command, told reporters at a Defense Writers Group event.
Whether it’s perfecting supply chain logistics, sorting out the intricacies of a complex wargame, or planning key operational moves in a campaign, data holds the key to better decisions for the U.S. Air Force. Learn more about how industry and the military are better using data to improve outcomes.
Next year, the Pentagon’s Office of Small Business Programs (OSBP) will launch a pilot project to create creating a secure, cloud-based enclave for small contractors, who often struggle to meet DOD’s extensive cybersecurity requirements.
During his second full day of events at a summit for Asian military leaders and their international partners, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin unveiled a first-of-its-kind vision statement outlining the United States’ near-term plans for deepening cooperation and accelerating modernization with allies in the region.
“One of the most pressing national security issues facing the incoming Trump administration is the resilience of our defense industrial base. The United States has the most lethal and capable fighting force in the world. However, recent experiences have demonstrated profound difficulties in our industrial base,” writes Jerry McGinn, executive director of the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting in George Mason University’s Costello College of Business.
In a modern, connected military, software is crucial to every step of every operation, from planning to coordination and logistics to target engagement. But as threats and requirements change, software needs to change too. If requirements change faster than developers can deploy new code, the entire system can break down.
Defense technology firm Anduril has won a $99.7 million U.S. Space Force contract to modernize the Space Surveillance Network (SSN), leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance space domain awareness and threat detection.
Vietnam this week received the first of 12 military training aircraft scheduled for delivery through a U.S. program to strengthen partner nation militaries facing China. The commander of Pacific Air Forces, Lt. Gen. Kevin Schneider, was at the controls of one T-6C Texan II—a single-engine turboprop, next-generation trainer made by Beechcraft—when it landed Nov. 20 at Phan Thiet Air Base, according to a PACAF release.
Republicans senators projected optimism Thursday that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s controversial pick to be the next Pentagon chief, will ultimately be confirmed, despite a 2017 sexual assault allegation against him.
The leaders of Italy, Japan, and Britain have discussed a potential broadening of the GCAP jet fighter project to other countries, the office of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Nov. 19. Italy, Britain, and Japan agreed in December 2022 to collaborate to build an advanced front-line fighter to enter service around the middle of the next decade.
The Defense Department and Department of Veterans Affairs have taken steps to make it easier for veterans and their designated caregivers to access military facilities for medical appointments, shopping, and more.