News
Military requests pulling 200 troops back from California protest duty
top military commander in charge of troops deployed to Los Angeles to respond to protests against immigration raids has asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if 200 of those forces could be returned to wildfire fighting duty, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Monday.
Navy destroyers intercepted Iranian missiles, service confirms
U.S. Navy warships conducting operations in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea disrupted several Iranian air strikes, according to a release issued by the service Sunday.
‘We won’t be able to make ends meet’: Congress proposes tighter rules for food assistance for veterans
Navy veteran Juan Saro, who is disabled from a head injury that he suffered when his ship encountered 16-foot swells in the Sea of Japan, depends on his service benefits and food stamps to cover costs for groceries, housing and other basics for himself and two school-age children.
US military gets new combatant commanders for Centcom, Eucom
The Senate on Sunday night confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominees to lead U.S. Central Command and U.S. European Command.
Blackbeard ‘cheap’ hypersonic strike missile being developed for US Army
The U.S. Army wants to see if a startup founded three years ago by former SpaceX employees can deliver a lower-cost ground-launched missile, dubbed Blackbeard, capable of engaging targets hundreds of miles away at hypersonic speeds.
Air Force
US Air Force uses leftover ICBM funds to revamp Qatar plane
The Air Force plans to use leftover funds from the LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile program to help pay for refurbishing a Qatari-donated plane into a new Air Force One presidential transport aircraft.
Minot Air Force Base is overrun by squirrels
Thousands of saboteurs have reached Minot Air Force Base. They are known for their ability to tunnel underground, their stealthy nature and small size and the risk they pose to base infrastructure. They are squirrels and the personnel at Minot can’t stand them.
Air Force to manage new militarized zone along US-Mexico border
The U.S. Air Force is slated to manage a new militarized border zone in Texas along the southern border with Mexico, the service announced.
Tangled straps likely caused Air Force instructor pilot’s death, report finds
An instructor pilot killed in a training mishap last year died after accidentally pulling the handle on his ejection seat, while not fully strapped in, Air Force investigators found.
Plans to finally give F-35 external fuel tanks emerge in new Air Force budget
Range-extending external fuel tanks for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter have re-emerged as part of the ongoing Block 4 modernization effort for those aircraft, years after a requirement for streamlined drop tanks was eliminated.
Air Force wants to retire the rest of its A-10s in 2026
The Air Force wants to get rid of its remaining A-10 Warthogs in fiscal 2026 rather than gradually phase them out, a move the service hopes will open up funding for new weapons that are better suited for a future fight.
Air Force cuts Alternate PT drills for trainees amid ‘complete rewrite’ of BMT
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on, physically demanding scenarios to prepare Airmen for future conflict, officials said.
Searchers recover body of South Korea-based airman who died while kayaking in Alaska
A search team in Alaska has recovered the body a U.S. airman whose kayak overturned Friday evening on the Chena River in Fairbanks.
Space Force
Space Force eyes maneuverable satellites and cloud-based control software to outpace threats in orbit
The U.S. Space Force is working to develop a new generation of military satellites designed to maneuver unpredictably through space, in contrast to the traditional approach of parking spacecraft in fixed orbits where they can be easily targeted by adversaries.
Defense
EXCLUSIVE: HII, C3 AI ink agreement to boost shipyard production using artificial intelligence
Navy shipbuilder HII and the enterprise software firm C3 AI have entered a strategic partnership focused on using artificial intelligence to improve productivity at HII’s two major shipyards, executives from both companies exclusively told Breaking Defense in an interview.
St. Louis-area Boeing workers authorize strike if contract talks fail
The union representing St. Louis-area Boeing workers says its members have authorized a strike if contract negotiations fail with the company.
Boeing names former Lockheed CFO as new finance chief
Jesus “Jay” Malave, Lockheed Martin’s chief financial officer, is departing the world’s largest defense contractor for a similar role with rival Boeing, according to a Monday corporate announcement.
Veterans
LA Army veteran with Purple Heart self-deports to South Korea under threat of deportation
An Army veteran who grew up in Van Nuys and was awarded a Purple Heart self-deported to South Korea last week as he was threatened with being detained and deported by federal immigration forces.
