Trump proposes massive increase in 2027 defense spending to $1.5T
President Donald Trump on Wednesday proposed setting U.S. military spending at $1.5 trillion in 2027, citing “troubled and dangerous times.” Trump called for the massive surge in spending days after he ordered a U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and spirit him out of the country to face drug trafficking charges in the United States. U.S. forces continue to mass in...[Read More]
Navy introduces combat fitness test for SEALs, fleet divers, others
The U.S. Navy has introduced new evaluation standards to measure the physical readiness of combat arms personnel such as SEALs and explosive ordnance disposal service members. The service released a breakdown of the new combat fitness test on the MyNavyHR website on Dec. 30, the same day it issued a fact sheet outlining a shift in policy for sailors throughout the service. That sheet said the Navy...[Read More]
US seizes 2 oil tankers linked to Venezuela
President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday sought to assert its control over Venezuelan oil, seizing a pair of sanctioned tankers transporting petroleum and announcing plans to relax some sanctions so the U.S. can oversee the sale of Venezuela’s petroleum worldwide. Trump’s administration intends to control the distribution of Venezuela’s oil products globally following its ouster of Pre...[Read More]
Naval Research Lab Sharpens Navy’s Sights with a Domain-Centric Path for Smarter Sensing
The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) launched a remote sensing experiment to sharpen artificial intelligence (AI) applications in hyperspectral imaging across the Department of the Navy and broader scientific community.
During his 78th mission, this pilot came up against an unexpected foe
Even in its formative years during World War I, military aviators became aware that their worst enemy was anti-aircraft fire. And if one made it through that gantlet, the next worst thing a pilot could do was to return to his designated target, where an aroused and ready enemy waited. In the case of Capt. Merlyn Dethlefsen, however, mission came first, even if it set him against all the surface-to...[Read More]
DOD launches review of ‘effectiveness’ of women in ground combat roles
The Pentagon has launched a formal review of the “effectiveness” of women in ground-combat positions, nearly a decade after the Department of Defense ended a ban that had excluded them from front-line infantry, armor and artillery units. The six-month assessment, first reported by NPR on Tuesday, will require Army and Marine Corp leaders to submit data on readiness, training, performance, casualti...[Read More]
DOD launches review of ‘effectiveness’ of women in ground combat roles
The Pentagon has launched a formal review of the “effectiveness” of women in ground-combat positions, nearly a decade after the Department of Defense ended a ban that had excluded them from front-line infantry, armor and artillery units. The six-month assessment, first reported by NPR on Tuesday, will require Army and Marine Corp leaders to submit data on readiness, training, performance, casualti...[Read More]
‘This was surgical’: The tactics behind the Maduro mission
The entire mission hinged on a narrow break in Venezuela’s weather. When that window opened, the U.S. military moved fast, launching more than 150 aircraft from 20 bases in a high-risk operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from the country’s populated capital over the weekend. After a tightly synchronized mission that lasted less than five hours from authorization to exfiltration, ...[Read More]
‘This was surgical’: The tactics behind the Maduro mission
The entire mission hinged on a narrow break in Venezuela’s weather. When that window opened, the U.S. military moved fast, launching more than 150 aircraft from 20 bases in a high-risk operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from the country’s populated capital over the weekend. After a tightly synchronized mission that lasted less than five hours from authorization to exfiltration, ...[Read More]
He turned down a trip home from the Korean War, then earned the MOH
On Oct. 28, 1951, 1st Lt. Lloyd Burke was at his unit’s command post, looking at the ticket in his hand. His 13-month tour of duty in Korea was ending and two miles to the rear an airplane was waiting to fly him out. He’d soon be reunited with his wife and infant son back in Arkansas. At that very same time, however, his unit, G Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, w...[Read More]
Why Trump is claiming the US ‘needs’ Greenland for Arctic security
Location, location, location. Greenland’s position above the Arctic Circle makes the world’s largest island a key part of security strategy. But for whom? Increasing international tensions, global warming and the changing world economy have put Greenland at the heart of the debate over global trade and security, and U.S. President Donald Trump wants to make sure his country controls this mineral-r...[Read More]
Why Trump is claiming the US ‘needs’ Greenland for Arctic security
Location, location, location. Greenland’s position above the Arctic Circle makes the world’s largest island a key part of security strategy. But for whom? Increasing international tensions, global warming and the changing world economy have put Greenland at the heart of the debate over global trade and security, and U.S. President Donald Trump wants to make sure his country controls this mineral-r...[Read More]