All articles tagged with #military and defense
The USS Abraham Lincoln is scheduled to dock in San Diego this week after a record-breaking deployment of over 300 days, including 286 consecutive days at sea without a port call. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth acknowledged the extension of the deployment but defended the mission, while critics highlight severe mental health issues and supply shortages aboard the ship.
Nine US service members injured in a March 2026 Iranian drone strike at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, have publicly criticized the Department of Defense for failing to provide adequate medical care. The soldiers allege that bureaucratic errors, such as incorrect combat-wounding codes, prevented them from being admitted to major military hospitals like Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Instead, many were sent to barracks and forced to seek outpatient care independently. The Pentagon maintains that all troops were evaluated according to standard practices, but critics point to years of disinvestment in Middle East medical facilities as a root cause.
Families of six U.S. soldiers killed in a March 1 Iranian drone strike at Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, are divided over a White House memorial event. While some relatives declined invitations or did not receive them, others criticize the administration's handling of the conflict. The Army has not released its completed investigation findings, citing redactions, while wounded troops report significant failures in medical care and documentation.
US and Canadian forces conducted joint exercises in Alaska and Greenland to test rapid deployment of F-35s, HIMARS, and naval assets in extreme Arctic conditions. Commanders cite melting ice and increased Russian and Chinese military activity as primary drivers for these drills, aiming to ensure deterrence and rapid response capabilities across the northern approaches to North America.
Trump says the 250-foot arch near Arlington National Cemetery will be converted into a top-grade military complex housing drones, snipers and ammunition at the Pentagon’s request for national security; the plan faces opposition from veterans groups and historic preservationists, and there has been no comment yet from the White House, Pentagon or Interior Department.
U.S. Central Command estimates the Iran war has cost about $43.6 billion through early September, including $28 billion to replace munitions and more than $4.3 billion in equipment lost or damaged, with Air Force costs around $6.6 billion, Navy about $2.2 billion, and Army about $1.6 billion; the tally excludes rebuilding costs at U.S. facilities and ongoing monthly spending, and comes after CBO estimates of roughly $38 billion through July.
A Congressional Budget Office report says the Iran war has cost about $38 billion from late February through July, with ongoing monthly costs of roughly $2 billion to $3 billion expected; the administration has asked for $67 billion to restock munitions and patch budget gaps, while shortages and bottlenecks in munitions supply and higher oil prices reflect wider economic impacts of the conflict.
A Pentagon inspector general report finds Iranian strikes damaged hundreds of structures at U.S. bases across the Middle East and caused about $184 million in damage to U.S. diplomatic facilities, while detailing significant shortfalls in U.S. munitions stockpiles, marking the first comprehensive public accounting of the war’s cost and military impact.
A freelance journalist on a Kyiv-to-the-border train recounts a low-flying drone strike that damaged a carriage and nearby gas station, evacuating passengers—including former CIA director David Petraeus—as the Russia-Ukraine war intensifies; Petraeus called the attack an escalation and said its timing aimed to deter foreign officials from visiting Kyiv.
Ukraine’s war outlook has grown bleaker as Kyiv faces relentless Russian air power, a $27 billion defense-budget gap, and shortages of air-defense interceptors, while corruption allegations and internal political divisions threaten international support amid renewed discussions of peace talks.
The Washington Post reports that the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has Iran’s proxies activating in Yemen and Iraq, blocking two major energy corridors and pushing oil prices higher as the global economy reels; Trump expresses optimism about achieving “peace,” while the conflict deepens regional instability and draws in key Middle Eastern players.
Covenant, the defense startup backed by Peter Thiel, says it will produce Anthem, a heavy-payload long-range cruise missile, quickly and at low cost to help address a U.S. weapons shortage. The company has about $150 million in orders for deliveries starting in 2027 and is expanding with a 105,000-square-foot Dallas plant, plus planned facilities in Germany and Israel.
President Donald Trump tapped Adam Telle, the Army’s civil-works chief, to serve as acting secretary of the Army after Dan Driscoll resigned amid clashes with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, bypassing under secretary Michael Obadal in the process.
Iran fired missiles and drones at Kuwait as U.S.-led strikes resumed against Iranian launchers, Kuwait said its air defenses repelled the attacks, and Tehran accused Washington of bombing a wedding and called for an investigation. The renewed strikes illustrate escalating tensions in the Gulf as the Iran-U.S. confrontation continues.
The Pentagon pulled decades of classified documents from the Secret SIPRNet after The Washington Post reported senior officers’ concerns about sustaining the Iran war, removing them from an internal portal and restricting access to materials that could affect military planning.