The Strait of Hormuz Is a Vital Route for Oil. Closing It Could Backfire on Iran
The Strait of Hormuz is between Oman and Iran, which boasts a fleet of fast-attack boats and thousands of naval mines as well as missiles that it could use to make the strait impassable, at least for a time.
Pacific Partnership 2025 Commences Mission Stop in the Kingdom of Tonga
Pacific Partnership has returned to the Kingdom of Tonga to conduct the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster response readiness mission present in the Indo-Pacific region, June 18, 2025.
Fred Smith, FedEx founder and Marine Corps veteran, dies at 80
Fred Smith, FedEx Corp. founder and Marine Corps veteran who revolutionized the express delivery industry, has died, the company said. He was 80. A 1966 graduate of Yale University, Smith joined the Marines after college and was commissioned a second lieutenant. He left the military as a captain in 1969 after two tours in Vietnam, where he was twice wounded and earned the Silver Star for combat va...[Read More]
FRCE Innovation Lab manufactures quick win for F-35 fleet
At the Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) Innovation Lab, a team of two fulfilled a request from the F-35 Joint Program Office to use additive manufacturing – commonly referred to as 3D printing – to produce an O-ring installation tool used for all three variants of the fifth-generation fighter jet. With innovative thinking and the use of forward-leaning technology, FRCE helped fill the gap and pu...[Read More]
Afghanistan War Commission hears from vets as it tackles troop surge
At the peak of the war in Afghanistan, following President Barack Obama’s troop surge in late 2009, about 110,000 service members were deployed to the country at a given time. At least some of those troops were gleaning insights from their vantage point on the ground that would take senior leaders back stateside years more to uncover. That’s a core contention of the Afghanistan War Commission, a c...[Read More]
Tripoli Arrives in Sasebo, Japan
SASEBO, Japan – The America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA 7) arrived in Sasebo, Japan, June 23, as part of a scheduled rotation of forces in the Indo-Pacific.
BALTOPS 25 concludes in Kiel, Germany
BALTIC SEA – Sixteen NATO Allies concluded the 54th iteration of exercise Baltic Operations 2025 (BALTOPS 25), in Kiel, Germany, June 20, 2025.
Blue Ridge Returns to Japan After Summer Patrol
YOKOSUKA, Japan – U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) returned to Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, June 23, marking the completion of the scheduled patrol in the Indo-Pacific region.
Congressional defense plans slowed by unsettled reconciliation debate
Senate Republicans will try this week to finalize their draft of the budget reconciliation bill before heading into their July 4 break, but numerous legislative obstacles remain. The measure includes a $150 billion boost in defense spending that White House officials have used in their calculations for military funding increases next fiscal year. If the reconciliation plan doesn’t pass, Pentagon p...[Read More]
How the US Bombarded Iranian Nuclear Sites Without Detection
“Our B-2s went in and out and back without the world knowing at all,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters Sunday.
How the US bombarded Iranian nuclear sites while avoiding detection
It was an unprecedented attack years in the making, with some last-minute misdirection meant to give the operation a powerful element of surprise. U.S. pilots dropped 30,000-pound bombs early Sunday on two key underground uranium enrichment plants in Iran, delivering what American military leaders believe is a knockout blow to a nuclear program that Israel views as an existential threat and has be...[Read More]
Survey shows surge in support for US leadership in foreign affairs
A new national survey shows nearly two-thirds of Americans want U.S. leaders to take a larger role in international engagement and foreign affairs, a sharp increase from the number of respondents who expressed that desire just two years ago. Officials with the Ronald Reagan Institute’s periodic survey on national defense issues also found increases in the number of citizens who want U.S. leaders t...[Read More]