Aerospace & Defense
The latest coverage of the Defense Department, State Department and aerospace industry.
Lawmakers push to fulfill Trump’s request for War Department name
Sens. Rick Scott and Mike Lee and Rep. Greg Steube introduced legislation Friday to restore the Department of Defense’s original name, the Department of War, as President Trump prepares to sign an executive order calling for the change.
Hegseth vows narcotics traffickers could meet same fate as Venezuelan boat destroyed by U.S. strike
Only days after President Trump announced that U.S. military forces destroyed a drug-carrying boat that had left Venezuela, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said the mission was not a “one-off” and that other narco-traffickers heading to the U.S. could be targeted.
Hegseth tells new Army officers the Trump team ‘has their back’
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday told 77 of the Army’s newest officers that graduating from Officer Candidate School is an impressive feat but only the first step in their military career.
Japan to host Army Typhon missiles for exercises
The Army plans to deploy medium-range Typhon missiles to Japan for the first time during Marine Corps-led exercises later this month.
Xi dubs China ‘unstoppable’ as new ICBMs lead parade of advanced weapons
China’s military carried out a large-scale show of force on Wednesday, brandishing its growing arsenal of high-tech arms including missiles, tanks, warplanes and drones during a World War II anniversary parade in Beijing.
Iran increased stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium before Israeli attack, U.N. agency says
A confidential report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog circulated to member states and seen by The Associated Press said Wednesday that Iran increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels before Israel launched its military attack on June 13.
Hegseth: Bombing of narcotics boat just the start
A U.S. strike that destroyed a reported high-speed drug cartel boat in the Caribbean on Tuesday was part of what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called a Trump administration strategy against international narcotics traffickers.
Moscow forcing young Ukrainians in occupied regions into Russian army, say U.K. officials
The Kremlin has forcibly transported 20,000 to 35,000 Ukrainian children to mainland Russia or the occupied territory of Crimea since the start of its war in February 2022, British military officials said in their latest assessment of the battlefield.
Russia launches over 500 drones and missiles at Ukraine as Zelenskyy seeks more support
Russia fired more than 500 drones and two dozen missiles at Ukraine overnight, authorities said Wednesday, as Ukraine’s president and European leaders persevered with talks aimed at strengthening Ukrainian defenses and adding momentum to so far unsuccessful U.S.-led peace efforts.
A new axis developing? China reclaims Allied role in World War II’s victory
Beijing commemorated the 80th anniversary of World War II’s end Wednesday with a massive parade of goose-stepping soldiers and a display of high-tech weaponry designed to awe.
U.S. allies skip World War II parade in Beijing featuring Putin, Kim
U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue is expected to shun China’s major military parade Wednesday marking the anniversary of the end of World War II.
Trump says drug vessel out of Venezuela ‘shot out’
The U.S. military carried out a strike that “shot out” a ship operated by “narco-terrorists” in international waters carrying drugs from Venezuela, President Trump said Tuesday.
Trump moves Space Command to Alabama, reversing Biden decision
President Trump announced Tuesday that U.S. Space Command will move from Colorado to Alabama, a decision that was “seven years in the making.”
China, Russia condemn use of ‘snapback’ sanctions on Iran
China and Russia on Monday jointly condemned the effort by European leaders to reimpose U.N.-backed sanctions on Iran, calling the move illegal.
North Korea’s Kim Jong-un arrives in Beijing for military parade alongside Putin and Xi
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un arrived in Beijing by train on Tuesday to attend a military parade with his Chinese and Russian counterparts, an event that observers say could potentially demonstrate three-way unity against the United States.
Putin shores up ties with India and China while U.S., EU plan way forward on Ukraine
A defiant Vladimir Putin thumbed his nose at the West by embracing Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China’s Xi Jinping on Monday, leaving no sign of progress on Ukraine as President Trump’s peace deadline came and went.
Maduro mobilizes armed forces as U.S. warships prowl waters off Venezuelan coast
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday said he “would constitutionally declare a republic in arms” if the South American country were attacked by forces that the United States government has deployed to the Caribbean.
Ukraine-Russia peace appears distant as Zelenskyy hints at future strikes behind enemy lines
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy promised new strikes in the Russian interior, just a day after Moscow carried out a fresh wave of bombardments in southeastern Ukraine as the war shows no signs of slowing down in spite of U.S. efforts to the contrary.
European nations start process to impose a ‘snapback’ of Iran nuclear sanctions at U.N.
France, Germany and the United Kingdom started a process Thursday to reimpose United Nations sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, further isolating Tehran after its 12-day war with Israel saw its atomic sites repeatedly bombed.
At least 17 killed in major Russian attack that included rare strikes on center of Ukrainian capital
A major Russian air attack on Kyiv early Thursday, including a rare strike in the city center that damaged the European Union’s diplomatic offices, killed at least 17 people and wounded 48 more, authorities said.
Turkey unveils Steel Dome air defense system
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday unveiled the Steel Dome integrated air defense system.
China to reveal new weapons at upcoming parade
U.S. and allied intelligence agencies are set to closely monitor an upcoming military parade in Beijing where China’s military is expected to show off new weapons.
