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Minesweeping technology in the Middle East is ‘a very good package,’ Caudle says
The U.S. Navy has three Independence-class littoral combat ships with a mine countermeasures mission package homeported in the Middle East.
USS George H.W. Bush deploys amid Iran war
The Navy didn't provide details on its destination, but with the USS Gerald R. Ford currently sidelined, there is a warship vacancy in the Middle East.
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Hegseth reveals secret trip to Middle East amid escalating Iran war
Hegseth said morale is high and service members are determined to “finish the mission."
The US Navy brought a ‘one-of-a-kind’ laser weapon back from the dead
The U.S. Navy's lone 150 kW laser weapon is back in action – sort of.
Limited missions, big risks: What a US ground fight in Iran could become
Military analysts point to several possibilities of what ground operations could entail, including coastal assaults and nuclear site raids.
US Navy commissions fast-attack submarine USS Massachusetts
The newest addition to the U.S. Navy fleet is the 12th Virginia-class submarine and the fifth vessel to be named after the U.S. state.
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Pentagon & Congress
Trump says massive military complex to be built beneath White House ballroom
The new White House ballroom "essentially becomes a [shield] for what's being built under by the military," Trump said.
The ‘March of Folly’: America’s headlong lurch into Vietnam began with just 3,500 Marines
“Johnson’s idea was to fight and negotiate simultaneously. The difficulty was that the limited war aim … was unachievable by limited war," wrote Tuchman.
Hegseth reportedly removes 2 Black, 2 female Army officers from 1-star promotion list
Hegset has blocked promotions of four Army officers — two Black men and two women — to the rank of brigadier general, the New York Times reported Friday.
A war zone, minus the war: One year later, has the military really secured the US-Mexico border?
An investigation into how Trump’s emergency declaration expanded military power, blurred legal lines and helped spread the use of military-grade tech.
In other news
The Nationals honor baseball players turned citizen soldiers in Arlington tribute
Arlington National Cemetery placed official MLB baseballs — courtesy of the Nationals — on the gravesites of six men, all former baseball players.
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Staying ahead in the space domain | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 3.31.26
At the crux of modern military capabilities is a crucial element — sending information to and from space. How can the U.S. stay ahead? A top official weighs in.
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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?
By Clay Beyersdorfer
When veterans take the pen, war stories start to change
Hollywood has never lacked war stories. But it has often lacked veteran storytellers telling them.
How MREs inspired today’s meal-delivery industry
The MRE has to survive heat, cold, impact and time. And it has to do all of that at scale. Sound familiar?
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MORE STORIES
US Navy commissions fast-attack submarine USS Massachusetts
The newest addition to the U.S. Navy fleet is the 12th Virginia-class submarine and the fifth vessel to be named after the U.S. state.
By Riley Ceder
Thousands of US Army paratroopers arrive in Middle East as buildup intensifies
The paratroopers add to the thousands of additional sailors, Marines and Special Operations forces sent to the region.
By Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart, Reuters
The US Navy wants you ... to make ‘Drone Killer’ ammunition
The Navy designed the Drone Killer Cartridge to address the emerging threat of small quadcopters. It now wants ammo makers to make millions of the rounds.
By Daniel Terrill
Senator stalls 3 ‘unfit’ officer promotions in retort to Hegseth
The senator made clear the holds were a direct response to Pete Hegseth's decision to block the promotions of two Black and two female officers.
By Hope Hodge Seck
Japanese destroyer can now fire Tomahawk missiles, extending nation’s combat punch
Japan’s Tomahawk orders are unlikely to be affected immediately, but longer military campaigns in the Middle East could cause setbacks, one analyst said.
Pentagon reportedly preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran
The report comes as U.S. military assets — most recently the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group and embarked 31st MEU — continue to flood the region.
By J.D. Simkins
USS Tripoli, embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit arrive in Middle East
The Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group and the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit entered CENTCOM waters Friday.
By J.D. Simkins
Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford arrives in Croatia for repairs
The warship has been deployed for nine months and also took part in operations against Venezuela in the Caribbean prior to arriving in the Middle East.
By Reuters
12 US troops wounded in Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Airbase
Two of the personnel are reportedly in serious condition.
By J.D. Simkins
Hegseth reportedly removes 2 Black, 2 female Army officers from 1-star promotion list
Hegset has blocked promotions of four Army officers — two Black men and two women — to the rank of brigadier general, the New York Times reported Friday.
By Ellen Ioanes