Top stories
Congress seeks to limit US Navy vessels built in foreign shipyards
The Senate Armed Services Committee seeks to strip the waiver authority granted to the president to approve offshore ship construction.
US Navy must improve process for developing autonomous systems, watchdog says
The U.S. Government Accountability Office on Monday released an unclassified version of a 2025 classified report that analyzed the Navy's RAS progress.
Latest
Lawmakers aim to ease state-to-state moves for military homeschoolers
The Republican proposal would exempt military families from conflicting state laws on homeschooling, as long as they remain in compliance with one state.
Navy ‘in a fight for the narrative’: Hung Cao presses service to unify public messaging
The secretary of the Navy’s announcement comes as tensions mount between U.S. media and the second Trump administration.
As tick threat grows, Navy lab investigates ‘gummy bear’ bug repellent
A new bug repellent solution that was developed at the Naval Research Laboratory is awaiting investment.
Navy to reevaluate religious accommodations for facial hair
The DoD released a memorandum in March calling for service members to provide proof of their religious beliefs to qualify for facial hair waivers.
EDITOR'S PICKS
Pay & Benefits
Has the military been miscalculating spouse unemployment?
A recent report suggests that the Pentagon has overstated spouse unemployment rates and obscured factors unique to a military lifestyle.
Pentagon demands human performance data from services in fitness overhaul
The Pentagon has quietly set in motion a yearlong strategy to unify the military services’ approach to achieving what it calls “Total Force Fitness.”
Fair winds, INDOPACOM: Pentagon returns command name to US Pacific Command
U.S. Pacific Command was the formation's official name until 2018, when it was changed to U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
Opinion
Not just a ‘flawed design’: Charting a new course for the GWOT Memorial
A GWOT Memorial Foundation founder argues in this op-ed that concerns over the proposed memorial extend beyond design and into organizational priorities.
In other news
Navy officer, 67, becomes oldest on record to earn Fleet Marine Force pin
Watching his son graduate as a U.S. Navy officer inspired Westerberg in 2022 — at the age of 64 — to also pursue a commission in the sea service.
VIDEOS
Underwater special forces gear and long-range JDAMs | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 6.16.26
Defense News Weekly gets a look an emerging underwater gear for special forces operators, and Boeing advances standoff munitions. Plus, defense finance updates.
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
German Spy chief warns Russia stoking anti-government mood
German security agencies have disrupted many plots in recent years by groups accused of planning attacks on government targets and critical infrastructure.
By Frank Jordans, The Associated Press
Hopes for debt limit deal as June deadline looms
Defense and veterans hearings on Capitol Hill for the week of May 22, 2023.
Zelenskyy denies Ukrainian city of Bakhmut occupied by Russian forces
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russian forces weren’t occupying Bakhmut, casting doubt on Moscow’s insistence that the city had fallen.
By Zeke Miller, Susie Blann and Elise Morton, AP
How US support for pilot training could pave path to F-16s for Ukraine
President Joe Biden endorsed plans to train Ukrainian pilots on U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets at the Group of Seven Summit, according to U.S. officials.
By Lolita C. Baldor, AP and Tara Copp, AP
US and allied naval commanders in Mideast transit Strait of Hormuz
The Mideast-based chiefs of the U.S., British and French navies have transited the Strait of Hormuz aboard an American warship.
By Jon Gambrell, AP
Ukraine’s Zelensky at G7 summit as world leaders sanction Russia
The Ukrainian leader is in Japan to talk with world leaders as they tighten sanctions to punish Moscow over its 15-month invasion of Ukraine.
Wagner Group claims Bakhmut fallen; Ukraine says fighting continues
In a video posted on Telegram, Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said the city came under complete Russian control at about midday Saturday.
By Susie Blann, Associated Press
How QuikClot went from drug company reject to front-line ‘miracle’
Clotting agent QuikClot has helped save lives on the battlefield and beyond. This excerpt from “In the Blood” explores its use in the Iraq War.
By Charles Barber