News

New mortgage support program for struggling veterans set to become law
Senate lawmakers finalized plans Wednesday for a new home loan safety net program designed to prevent veterans from facing foreclosure, replacing a similar but controversial effort canceled by Veterans Affairs officials earlier this year.

25th ID converts cannon artillery to rockets in its push to transform
Soldiers with the 25th Infantry Division are swapping out cannon artillery for rockets as the division continues to transform its capabilities to meet new challenges.

House panel adds ban on restoring Confederate base names as it advances major defense bill
After hours of debate that culminated in a rebuke of the Trump administration’s efforts to restore Confederate names to military bases, the House Armed Services Committee voted late Tuesday to advance the annual must-pass defense policy bill that endorses a pay bump for service members.

Air Force claims $10.4B in DOGE savings, most from consultants and contractors
The Department of the Air Force is claiming more than $10 billion in savings as part of President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Secretary Troy Meink.

Bussiere, Bratton tapped For Air Force and Space Force Vice Chief roles
The Air Force and Space Force are both set to have new No. 2 officers. Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere has been nominated for Air Force Vice Chief of Staff and Lt. Gen. Shawn N. Bratton has been nominated to receive a fourth star as the Vice Chief of Space Operations.

 

Air Force

USAF denies it refueled Israel’s fighters during war with Iran
The U.S. Air Force also previously made it clear to us that during a 2022 exercise modeled on an Iranian contingency operation with the U.S. and Israel air arms working together that it didn’t provide aerial refueling support for the IAF then, either.

Incoming Ellsworth Commander Criticized Air Force base’s culture in B-1B Lancer crash report
An Air Force colonel set to take over Ellsworth Air Force Base’s 28th Bomb Wing later this month harshly criticized the culture of the South Dakota bomber squadrons he’s preparing to oversee in a scathing crash report last year.

 

Space Force

Resolute Space exercise focuses Guardians on countering ‘realistic’ threats to satellites
The US Space Force’s largest exercise to date, called Resolute Space 2025, is focusing on “orbital warfare,” and includes live jamming of satellite systems to help Guardians better understand how to fight through enemy attacks, according to service officials.

Space Force accepts new GPS control system after years of delays
A decade and a half after contracting for a new ground control system to manage its GPS satellites, the Pentagon has finally gotten its hands on the thing.

Solestial wins $1.2M SpaceWERX contract
Solar energy startup Solestial won a $1.2 million Space Force contract to develop novel arrays for small satellites.

 

Defense

Germany requests US long-range weapons as bridge to European tech
The German government this week notified Pentagon leaders of an interest to buy the U.S. Army’s Typhon missile launcher system, which can fire missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers, while a European initiative to make such weapons continues to ripen.

Airbus, Kratos team to pitch German Air Force drone wingmen
European conglomerate Airbus and American defense manufacturer Kratos announced today that they are teaming up to pitch drone wingmen to the German Air Force, which the partnership plans to have “combat ready” by 2029.

GM Defense hopes for ‘first win’ in Europe through UK vehicles race
GM Defense has partnered with British company NP Aerospace to offer American platforms in a bid for the United Kingdom’s Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) tender.

UK’s Shadow Defence Minister Mark Francois slams Boeing and demands clarity on Wedgetail
Shadow Defence Minister Mark Francois has issued a stark warning over the UK’s lack of airborne early warning capability, accusing Boeing of presiding over a troubled and delayed E-7 Wedgetail programme and demanding urgent answers from the Ministry of Defence.

‘Significant impact’: Senators warn White House over Reciprocal Defense Procurements
A bipartisan duo of senators is ringing alarm bells about a special trade agreement process that allows the Pentagon to negotiate directly with foreign counterparts, saying the deals could be detrimental to the US defense industry.

Lockheed reveals second low-cost cruise missile ‘Truck’ and successful flight tests
Lockheed Martin is developing a second version of its Common Multi-Mission Truck (CMMT) system—a low-cost vehicle meant to carry a variety of payloads—and both variants have been tested successfully in recent weeks, the company said.

Britain unveils design for new fighter jet demonstrator
The UK’s next-generation combat aircraft project has reached a major milestone, as the Ministry of Defence and its industry partners revealed the design of the new Combat Air Flying Demonstrator and confirmed that two-thirds of its structural weight is now in manufacturing.

 

Veterans

Warrior Games to return to Colorado Springs, giving disabled veterans a space to heal
The Department of Defense’s Warrior Games are returning to Colorado Springs for the seventh time on Friday, celebrating 15 years of uplifting and empowering disabled U.S. veterans.

Veterans advocates, nonprofit health groups argue over merits of VA care vs. private care
Professional caregivers and veterans groups argued over the merits of private medical care versus care at the Department of Veterans Affairs during an emotional House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing that examined how demand for community-based health services is shifting billions of dollars from the VA.

Will RFK Jr.’s push for psychedelics help or hurt the emerging field?
For decades, proponents of psychedelic drugs have come to Washington with a provocative message: Illegal, mind-altering substances like LSD and ecstasy should be approved for Americans grappling with depression, trauma and other hard-to-treat conditions.

Legislation introduced to expand benefits for atomic veterans on 80th anniversary of first bomb test
As the world marks 80 years since the first atomic bomb was detonated in the New Mexico desert, a Nevada congresswoman introduced new legislation Wednesday intended to streamline benefits for those military veterans exposed to radiation while supporting nuclear programs or working on cleanups.