Top stories
Crew members safely ejected after Navy jets collide at Idaho air show
Two E/A-18G Growler jets collided in mid-air Sunday during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show, the Navy said.
Coast Guard plans new medal for fittest troops
As the Coast Guard rolls out its first-ever universal physical fitness test, leaders are eyeing incentives for acing it.
Latest
USS Gerald R. Ford to return from 11-month deployment on Saturday
The world’s largest aircraft carrier is finally returning home after etching its name into Navy history books.
Future aircraft carrier Doris Miller delayed until 2034
A Navy official said the delay was the result of construction delays with another Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, the future USS Enterprise.
Lawmakers push for domestic shipbuilding fixes as US Navy explores overseas options
The service released its fiscal 2027 shipbuilding plan on Monday, outlining the possibility of the U.S. manufacturing ships at foreign shipyards.
Barracks improvements, installation safety top priorities for military construction budget
The $21.5 billion budget request for military barracks would address a backlog of construction and repairs, logistics leaders said.
EDITOR'S PICKS
Pentagon & Congress
ISIS leader killed in Africa as US commander raises force reduction concerns
Despite recent operations, U.S. force reduction moves have ignited concerns over America's ability to stifle terror plots emanating from the continent.
US Navy commissions final littoral combat ship after years of issues
The USS Cleveland was commissioned on Saturday, becoming the fourth vessel to bear the name of the Ohio city.
The F4F Wildcat: The little fighter that could
Many Allied aircraft achieved greatness during WWII, but the Wildcat, usually outnumbered and almost always outclassed, proved to be a stubby hero.
Historian’s nearly two decade quest to piece together America’s last major offensive in Vietnam
James Smither spent nearly two decades piecing together what actually occured during the Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord.
In other news
Army leaders in hot seat over Poland deployment cancellation
Lawmakers questioned the timing and the reasons, lambasting the order that Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said sent a “terrible message to Russia and our allies.”
VIDEOS
DARPA eyes breakthrough with synthetic human blood | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 5.19.26
Pushing the biotech envelope, DARPA and researchers are on the cusp of a massive breakthrough in emergency battlefield medical care.
Featured Videos
SPECIAL FEATURES
Iran Coverage
Defense News is covering the evolving military, strategic, and regional implications of tensions and operations involving Iran.
Insurance Guide
Military Times has outlined helpful information about car insurance, renters insurance, and life insurance for troops.
2025 PCS Guide
Read up on tips and tricks in Military Times’ 2025 Permanent Change of Station Guide.
2025 Benefits Guide
Learn how your military benefits — including health care, retirement pay and more — have changed in 2025.
Sailor reportedly finds dead rat in finished energy drink
The sailor said medical personnel informed him, “with the chemicals that are in Monster, that it should be OK.”
That time the Air Force proposed making a ‘gay bomb’
The Air Force once explored the idea of a chemical weapon that would make enemy soldiers sexually irresistible to one another — striking a blow to morale.
Master Chief actor condemns use of character in White House’s Iran war hype video
“I demand that the producers of this disgusting and juvenile war porn remove my voice immediately,” Steve Downes wrote in a post on X.
‘War Machine’ review: Finally, a training scenario with aliens
The sci-fi flick raises the premise: What if the final phase of U.S. Army Ranger selection suddenly involved fighting a giant alien robot?
Don't miss
MORE STORIES
Army leaders in hot seat over Poland deployment cancellation
Lawmakers questioned the timing and the reasons, lambasting the order that Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said sent a “terrible message to Russia and our allies.”
By Patricia Kime
USS Gerald R. Ford to return from 11-month deployment on Saturday
The world’s largest aircraft carrier is finally returning home after etching its name into Navy history books.
By Riley Ceder
Future aircraft carrier Doris Miller delayed until 2034
A Navy official said the delay was the result of construction delays with another Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, the future USS Enterprise.
By Riley Ceder
China fires verbal warning shot at US over Taiwan
Any misstep over Taiwan could push the U.S. and China toward direct confrontation, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told President Donald Trump.
By Tanya Noury
Lawmakers push for domestic shipbuilding fixes as US Navy explores overseas options
The service released its fiscal 2027 shipbuilding plan on Monday, outlining the possibility of the U.S. manufacturing ships at foreign shipyards.
By Riley Ceder
‘West-side Skid Row’: Pests, crime, litigation plague plans for VA’s Los Angeles campus
Pests and crime threaten VA's efforts to expand housing for homeless veterans at its sprawling west Los Angeles campus.
By Patricia Kime
Iran military threat is diminished but not eliminated, CENTCOM chief says
Adm. Brad Cooper said the U.S. had severely degraded Iran’s warfighting capacity, including the elimination of roughly 90% of its inventory of naval mines.
By Tanya Noury
Barracks improvements, installation safety top priorities for military construction budget
The $21.5 billion budget request for military barracks would address a backlog of construction and repairs, logistics leaders said.
By Patricia Kime
Admirals to be scored first on Coast Guard’s first-ever PT test
For the first time in service history, the Coast Guard is set to roll out physical fitness testing requirements to the entire force.
By Hope Hodge Seck
Energy secretary: Iran ‘frighteningly close’ to nuclear weapon despite Operation Epic Fury
“They are weeks — a small number of weeks — away to enrich that to weapons-grade uranium," Energy Secretary Chris Wright told a Senate committee.
By Tanya Noury