Military News

Warning shots reported in Channel incident A Russian Navy frigate fired warning shots in the English Channel after a UK-flagged yacht approached it, according to Russia’s defense ministry and UK media reports. The vessel involved was identified as the yacht Bright Future, and the Russian ship as the frigate Admiral Grigorovich. The incident occurred late at night south of the Isle of Wight, with one report placing it about 20 miles from the island and outside UK territorial waters. No injuries o

B-52 Crash at Edwards Kills Eight A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff from Edwards Air Force Base in California on Monday, killing all eight people on board. The crash occurred at about 11:20 a.m. local time. Col. James Hayes, deputy commander of the 412th Test Wing, said the crash was “unsurvivable.” In an earlier update, the wing said, “Initial indications are that the crash was not survivable.” Emergency response personnel were sent to the scene, and officials b

House panel releases FY27 defense spending bill The House Appropriations Committee has released its fiscal 2027 defense bill, described in the provided reports as roughly $1 trillion to $1.1 trillion. The measure covers most of the Pentagon’s $1.15 trillion discretionary request, while military construction funding is handled separately. The Defense subcommittee is scheduled to mark up the bill on Thursday, with full committee consideration set for June 24. According to the bill, it would fund a

Navy expands MUSV competition The U.S. Navy has selected seven companies to advance to prototype testing for its Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel program: Sea Machines, Leidos, Saronic Technologies, Galliano Marine Services, PacMar Technologies, Birdon, and Huntington Ingalls Industries. According to the Navy, vessels that successfully complete at-sea trials will receive $15 million and become eligible for follow-on production. The service said testing is expected to conclude by October, with an i

FY26 active-duty goal reached ahead of schedule The U.S. Army said May 23 that it has met its fiscal year 2026 active-duty recruiting target, signing contracts with more than 61,500 future soldiers. According to the Army, the goal was reached four months before the end of the fiscal year. The announcement was issued by Army Public Affairs and applies specifically to active-duty enlisted recruiting. Factors cited in recruitment results In the release, the Army attributed the result to a combinati

Carrier Enters Caribbean Following South Atlantic Operations The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz entered the Caribbean this week, expanding the U.S. naval presence in Latin American waters as Washington increases pressure on Cuba. U.S. Southern Command said the carrier and elements of its strike group moved into the region after conducting operations with Brazil. The deployment includes the destroyer USS Gridley, the oiler USS Patuxent, and Carrier Air Wing 17 embarked aboard Nimitz. SOUTHCOM confir

GAO Finds Gaps in Military Suicide Prevention Training Oversight A Government Accountability Office report released Wednesday found that the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps generally do not regularly track completion of required annual suicide prevention training or fully assess whether the instruction is effective. The Air Force was the only service identified as tracking completion data and maintaining an evaluation plan, though the GAO said that the effort still contains significant gaps. Servic

On-Chain Investigation Flags High-Accuracy Iran War Bets A cluster of nine linked Polymarket accounts generated roughly $2.4 million by placing highly accurate wagers on U.S. military actions tied to Iran, according to a Decrypt report citing blockchain analytics firm Bubblemaps. Bubblemaps said the accounts appeared coordinated and won about 98% of their bets. The wallets were created only days before the United States’ initial bombardment of Iran in late February, the firm said, and then proce

Mid-air collision during Idaho air show Four naval aviators ejected safely after two U.S. Navy E/A-18G Growlers collided during an aerial demonstration at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. Cmdr. Amelia Umayam, a spokesperson for Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, said all four crewmembers were recovered after ejecting and were being evaluated by medical personnel. First responders were sent to the scene following the accident. The aircraft were part of the Navy’s E/A-18G Growler Demonstr

Presidential Unit Citation Presented in Norfolk The Ford Carrier Strike Group has been awarded the Presidential Unit Citation, the U.S. military’s highest collective unit honor, for actions during combat operations against Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presented the award in Norfolk, Virginia, as USS Gerald R. Ford returned to home port following a 326-day deployment. The citation, signed by Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao, recognizes “outstanding performance in action against enemy forces

Deployment Reversed for Fort Drum Missile Battalion The Pentagon has canceled a planned deployment of the Army’s 3rd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery Regiment to Germany, reversing a move that had been in development for roughly two years. A defense official confirmed the decision after earlier reporting by CNN, which cited a May 1 memo that also halted the rotational deployment of about 4,000 soldiers from the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, to Poland. The 3rd Battalion, 1

Ford Set to Return After 324 Days Underway The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is scheduled to return to Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday, concluding one of the longest U.S. carrier deployments in decades. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti said the ship will come home after 324 days at sea, following its departure on June 24, 2025. Aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing 8, which deployed aboard Ford, returned to their home naval air stations on Monday, according to the Navy. The

Unauthorized Overflights Trigger Austrian Alert Austria activated “Priorität A,” its highest peacetime air-defense alert, after four U.S. Air Force intelligence aircraft entered Austrian airspace without the required diplomatic clearance, according to reporting published by Welt on May 12 and statements from the Austrian Ministry of Defence. The incidents occurred on May 10 and May 11 in Upper Austria and near the Totes Gebirge. Austrian officials said the aircraft involved were two U-28A Draco

Deployment Halted After Initial Movement The Pentagon has canceled the planned deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, to Europe after elements of the unit had already begun moving into the theater, according to U.S. officials. A Defense Department memo issued May 1 stopped the rotation, which was expected to send nearly 4,000 soldiers to central and eastern Europe for several months, primarily in Poland. Officials said a portion of the brigade’s advanced echelon

Budget plan expands Coast Guard specialized forces The U.S. Coast Guard is seeking about $80 million in its fiscal 2027 budget proposal to expand its Deployable Specialized Forces and establish a new Special Missions Command, according to service officials and budget documents. The plan would add more than 650 personnel, including 130 assigned to the new command and 525 distributed across operational units. A Coast Guard spokesperson declined to provide the current size of Deployable Specialized

FY27 plan seeks limited overseas shipbuilding authority The U.S. Navy’s Fiscal Year 2027 Shipbuilding Plan asks Congress to allow a limited use of allied shipyards for auxiliary vessels and selected components of combatant ships, framing the move as a way to supplement domestic capacity rather than replace it. According to the plan, building and maintaining ships in the United States remains central to President Donald Trump’s shipbuilding agenda and to efforts to strengthen the U.S. industrial

Final Freedom-Class Ship Delivered The future USS Cleveland (LCS 31) has arrived in Ohio ahead of its scheduled commissioning on May 16, 2026, concluding the U.S. Navy’s Freedom-class littoral combat ship production run. Cleveland is the 16th and final Freedom-variant ship built for the Navy by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine, and the fourth Navy vessel to bear the Cleveland name. Its commissioning will also set a precedent: the Navy says Cleveland will be the first U.

Marine Corps launches Campaign – Alaska The Marine Corps has announced “Campaign – Alaska,” a new Arctic-focused initiative that expands the service’s presence and training activity in the state. The effort combines a new Marine Rotational Force – Alaska, or MRF-Alaska, with a permanent Supporting Arms Liaison Team – Alaska, or SALT-Alaska. Marine Corps leaders described the move as part of a broader effort to prepare forces for cold-weather and High North operations. The service said

Pentagon Orders Reduction in Germany The Department of Defense said Friday that the United States will withdraw roughly 5,000 service members from Germany, with the drawdown expected to take place over the next six to 12 months. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the order was issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth following what he described as a review of U.S. force posture in Europe. “This decision follows a thorough review of the Department’s force posture in Europe

Proposal submitted for FY27 defense bill The Pentagon has asked Congress to formally rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War through a legislative proposal tied to debate over the fiscal 2027 defense policy bill. The request would change the department’s legal name, which remains fixed in statute unless Congress acts. Department officials said the revision would reinforce what they described as the department’s core mission: fighting and winning wars. The proposal arg

Navy Review Targets Next Ford-class Carrier Design Per a USNI report, the U.S. Navy is completing a study of the Ford-class aircraft carrier program that could shape the design and procurement approach for CVN-82 and CVN-83, the next two ships planned in the class. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan said the review is examining cost, design, and onboard systems to determine whether changes are needed before future contract decisions. Speaking during a media roundtable at the Navy League

Service Life Extended to 2030 The U.S. Air Force will keep the A-10C Thunderbolt II in service through 2030 after combat operations against Iran highlighted the aircraft’s continued utility in close air support and related missions. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink confirmed the decision on April 20, 2026, reversing an FY2026 plan that had called for retiring all 162 remaining A-10s. Under the revised plan, two operational squadrons will remain active through 2030 and one through

Budget Request Released The Department of War on Tuesday released President Donald J. Trump’s Fiscal Year 2027 defense budget request, seeking $1.5 trillion in total spending. The department said the proposal represents a 42% increase over current funding levels. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the request is intended to expand U.S. military capacity while maintaining readiness. “We are delivering on President Trump’s commitment to expand American military dominance for decades to c

U.S. Permits Russian Tanker to Deliver Oil to Cuba The United States allowed a Russian-flagged tanker carrying crude oil to dock in Cuba on March 30, marking a notable adjustment in Washington’s recent enforcement posture toward fuel shipments to the island. The decision follows weeks of tightened restrictions that had effectively created a de facto blockade on oil deliveries to Cuba. President Donald Trump confirmed the administration’s position, stating that the U.S. had “no problem”