Aerospace & Defense
The latest coverage of the Defense Department, State Department and aerospace industry.
Ukrainian defense firms on the fast-evolving global drone arms race: ‘Time to market is zero’
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, pushing relentlessly for a macho, muscular military, might be nonplussed to hear that some of Ukraine’s deadliest warriors don’t sport the Spartan physiques of elite commandos.
Russia stepping up attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid as winter approaches: British military analysis
Russia launched about 5,500 one-way attack drones at Ukrainian targets in September, a “significant” increase from the 4,410 launched in August, according to a British military analysis.
Russian attack on power facilities kills electricity to thousands in northern Ukraine
Hundreds of thousands of people in northern Ukraine were without power and water Tuesday following a massive Russian missile and drone attack on the country’s energy grid.
Vance is in Israel to shore up the fragile ceasefire in Gaza
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance arrived in Israel on Tuesday to shore up the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza that has teetered over the past few days following a burst of deadly violence and questions over how to move forward with the plan for cementing a long-term peace.
Artillery misfire during Vance visit to Marine base prompts accusations, investigations
The California Highway Patrol said shrapnel from an artillery shell that detonated prematurely struck a squad car and a police motorcycle that were part of Vice President J.D. Vance’s protective detail during his visit over the weekend to a Marine Corps base near San Diego.
Iraq keeping a small contingent of U.S. military advisers due to the Islamic State threat in Syria
Iraq’s prime minister said Monday that a small contingent of U.S. military advisers will remain in the country for now to coordinate with U.S. forces in Syria combating the Islamic State group.
Zelenskyy returns to White House, this time with a proposition
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday proposed the swap of Ukrainian drones for American Tomahawk missiles, yet President Trump signaled he’s not ready to commit to providing Kyiv with the long-range weapons it says it needs.
New communications tech the linchpin for modern warfighters, Army secretary says
Current communication systems relied upon by U.S. war fighters are too “old” and “outdated,” according to Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll, who says a concerted push is underway to accelerate private industry’s delivery of advanced technology and the Army’s acquisition process.
Zelenskyy to pitch long-range missiles for Ukraine during White House visit
President Trump will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday in Washington to discuss supplying Kyiv with long-range Tomahawk missiles, while also preparing for an unexpected summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has warned that the Tomahawks would be a major escalation.
China expels No. 2 general and 8 others from the ruling Communist Party in anti-corruption drive
China’s second-highest ranking general and eight other senior officials were expelled from the ruling Communist Party and the military on suspicion of serious official misconduct linked to corruption, the Defense Ministry said Friday.
Gaza’s new war: Armed clans challenge Hamas as executions mount
CAIRO — Gaza’s fragile ceasefire is unraveling as Israel lashes back at attacks on its soldiers armed clan militias challenge the remnants of a still-lethal Hamas, which has tried to retain some control over the territory with a brutal crackdown that has left dozens of suspected traitors and rivals dead, some of them publicly executed.
Head of Latin America-focused command steps down amid U.S. attacks on suspected drug boats
The four-star admiral in charge of U.S. military operations in Latin America is stepping down, less than a year into what is normally a three-year tenure as head of U.S. Southern Command.
Trump speaking with Putin on phone ahead of Friday’s meeting with Zelenskyy
President Trump said he was speaking with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a “lengthy” phone call on Thursday.
L3Harris, Israel Aerospace Industries to develop low-cost surveillance aircraft for Israeli military
U.S. defense contractor L3Harris Technologies and Israel Aerospace Industries have signed an agreement to integrate L3Harris’ light-attack reconnaissance aircraft into the Israeli military’s Light-Attack Aircraft program.
Partnership of U.S.-Israeli companies offers new self-destructing drone capability for soldiers
New self-destructing drones, developed by U.S. and Israeli military contractors, will soon be in the hands of Army soldiers.
AI modernizing nuclear warheads
The Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration is using artificial intelligence as part of an extensive modernization program for nuclear warheads.
Trump says India agreed to stop buying Russian oil
President Trump said India has agreed to stop buying oil from Russia, a move he had heavily criticized as keeping alive the war between Russia and Ukraine.
Israel Defense Forces says a body returned by Hamas is not one of its hostages
A body returned to Israel by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas as part of the first phase of the ceasefire deal is not one of its hostages, the Israel Defense Forces said Wednesday, potentially imperiling the fragile truce in Gaza.
Defense Secretary Hegseth calls on NATO allies to purchase more U.S. weapons for Ukraine
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday encouraged NATO members to spend more on U.S. weapons for Ukraine’s defense, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calls for more aid.
Saudi-Pakistan defense pact signals shift as Gulf states hedge bets on U.S. security guarantees
President Trump’s efforts to bring peace to Gaza earned the United States enormous credibility in capitals across the Middle East — but this week’s flex of American diplomatic muscle was too little, too late for one Gulf power upset over Israel’s stunning early September strike on Qatar.
News organizations, including Hegseth’s former employer Fox, reject new Pentagon reporting rules
Fox News, the former employer of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has joined a near-unanimous outpouring of news organizations rejecting new rules for journalists based in the Pentagon.
China’s global control over rare earth metals a strategic goal since the 1990s
China’s new export controls on rare earth minerals and products made from them reflect a bid to dominate world markets for the strategic materials since the 1990s and have now emerged as a major tool in an escalating trade war with the United States.
Cracks appear as Middle East receives Gaza peace plan with cautious optimism
The cold, harsh realities of the Gaza war and the prospect of an ongoing conflict loomed over the Middle East Tuesday, just a day after the region rejoiced at the release of hostages and President Trump’s celebratory signing of the major Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal.
Trump confirms 5th ‘lethal’ attack on alleged drug boat off Venezuelan coast
President Trump said Tuesday he ordered another strike on a vessel off the coast of Venezuela, killing “six male narcoterrorists” and marking the fifth time he used lethal force to stop an alleged drug boat.
NATO chief Mark Rutte warns allies not to underestimate Russia, says Kremlin beset with problems
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says shouldn’t underestimate the threat posed by Russia, which remains “deeply dangerous” despite sustaining more than 1 million casualties since launching its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Iran rejects Trump’s peace overtures in his Knesset speech
Iran on Tuesday dismissed President Trump’s proclamation of peace in the Middle East in his speech before the Israeli government, saying his words don’t align with his administration’s actions.
Russian aerial attack hits a Ukrainian hospital, days before Zelenskyy meets Trump
Russian forces launched powerful glide bombs and drones against Ukraine’s second-largest city in overnight attacks, hitting a hospital and wounding seven people, an official said Tuesday, as European military aid for Kyiv dropped sharply and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prepared to ask U.S. President Trump for Tomahawk missiles.
How the U.S. Army and defense industry will build new generation of counter-drone weaponry
It’s an urgent mission for the Pentagon and its defense industry partners: Build cost-effective tools — lots of them — to counter the increasingly cheap and lethal tactical attack drones wielded by America’s adversaries abroad or terrorists targeting events at home.
‘I’m good at making peace’: Israel-Hamas accord cements Trump’s legacy as peacemaker president
Aboard Air Force One, en route to the Middle East to sign a landmark peace agreement between Israel and Hamas, President Trump was already planning his next intervention: Stopping a brewing war between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Trump ushers in ceasefire, peace plan: ‘At long last, we have peace in the Middle East’
President Trump declared the war in the Gaza Strip over as he and other world leaders signed a peace deal, ushering in an elusive truce between Israel and Hamas to end one of the bloodiest and devastating chapters in the volatile Middle East.
Army Secretary Driscoll lays out vision for the future at AUSA conference
Army Secretary Daniel P. Driscoll slammed the defense acquisition system on Monday, saying it prioritizes the desires of government bureaucrats and defense lobbyists over the needs of the American soldier.
World leaders gathering in Egypt throw their weight behind the Gaza ceasefire deal
The U.S. and Egyptian presidents are chairing a gathering of world leaders dubbed “Summit for Peace” on Monday to support ending the more than two-year Israel-Hamas war in Gaza after a breakthrough ceasefire deal.
Chinese coast guard rams and damages a Philippine vessel off an island in the South China Sea
A Chinese coast guard ship used a powerful water cannon on Sunday then rammed and slightly damaged an anchored Philippine government vessel off an island inhabited by Filipinos in the disputed South China Sea, the Philippine coast guard said.
