Top stories
US Navy wants helicopter sonar that can detect subs – and mines
Instead of separate tech to spot mines and subs, the Navy is exploring the convenience of having one sonar that allows a single helicopter to do both.
US Navy destroyer fires on cargo vessel attempting to sail to Iranian port
The USS Spruance "disabled Touska’s propulsion by firing several rounds from the destroyer’s 5-inch MK 45 Gun into Touska’s engine room," CENTCOM stated.
Latest
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower experiences small fire while undergoing maintenance
The aircraft carrier has been sidelined since it began planned maintenance availability at Naval Support Activity Portsmouth on Jan. 8, 2025.
How the US military could clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz
An arsenal of drones, explosive‑laden robots and helicopters can help reduce risk, though de‑mining crews could still be vulnerable to Iranian attacks.
US Navy destroyer intercepts Iranian-flagged vessel trying to skirt blockade
Zero vessels have broken through the U.S. Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since it began Monday, U.S. Central Command stated.
USS Gerald R. Ford breaks record for longest post-Vietnam deployment
The world's largest aircraft carrier has been deployed for a historic 296 days after departing Naval Station Norfolk on June 24, 2025.
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MilTech
After watchdog slams understaffing, AI to vet Pentagon-backed professors’ China ties
AI’s confusion over the nature of DOD research partnerships may mask real espionage if humans are not the final judge of foreign influence, experts warn.
Unregulated prediction market may endanger US national security, experts and lawmakers warn
With how futures markets are structured, officials could place bets anonymously and influence combat operations to ensure they get a payout, experts say.
US Marine Corps releases video showcasing new Medium Landing Ship design
The service's new Medium Landing Ship is designed to move troops, equipment and supplies to shorelines without relying on established ports.
Opinion
How chest-thumping rhetoric erodes service member safety
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's brash rhetoric is profoundly destabilizing for actively-serving military families, this military spouse argues.
In other news
Advocates press for preventive programs, VA benefits for struggling vets
Representatives from specialty courts and veterans’ legal organizations pressed Congress Wednesday for expansion of the Veterans Treatment Courts system.
VIDEOS
Beating UAV threats starts with time—and better radar
Leonardo DRS explains how radar range and speed are critical to countering UAV threats.
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Defense News is covering the evolving military, strategic, and regional implications of tensions and operations involving Iran.
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Read up on tips and tricks in Military Times’ 2025 Permanent Change of Station Guide.
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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?
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MORE STORIES
How the US military could clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz
An arsenal of drones, explosive‑laden robots and helicopters can help reduce risk, though de‑mining crews could still be vulnerable to Iranian attacks.
By Cassell Bryan-Low, Reuters
White House offers no hint of Iran war cost as it seeks military funding surge
"I don't have a ballpark," White House budget director Russell Vought told lawmakers Wednesday about the cost of the Iran war.
By Nolan D. McCaskill and David Morgan, Reuters
US Navy destroyer intercepts Iranian-flagged vessel trying to skirt blockade
Zero vessels have broken through the U.S. Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz since it began Monday, U.S. Central Command stated.
By Riley Ceder
Suicide rates among military families continue to climb
The total overall number decreased, a drop that coincides with smaller overall force numbers.
By Patricia Kime
USS Gerald R. Ford breaks record for longest post-Vietnam deployment
The world's largest aircraft carrier has been deployed for a historic 296 days after departing Naval Station Norfolk on June 24, 2025.
By Riley Ceder
Amid focus on Strait of Hormuz, experts sound warning on Yemen’s Houthis and Red Sea
Foreign policy experts warn that the strait is not the only potential choke point that Iran and its proxies could leverage amid the war.
By Tanya Noury
Bill from vets in Congress would keep military roles open to women
The bill, which lacks Republican sponsors, is explicitly described as a response to the Pentagon review of women in ground combat roles.
By Hope Hodge Seck
US blockade halts ship traffic to Iranian ports, CENTCOM says
No ships entered or exited Iranian ports in the first 24 hours of a U.S. blockade involving more than 10,000 troops.
By Eve Sampson