Operation Windlord Cargo Load [Image 1 of 7]
U.S. Air Force airmen from the 452nd Logistics Readiness Squadron loaded a next‑generation nuclear reactor onto a C‑17 Globemaster III for Operation Windlord on Feb. 15, 2026. The aircraft, coordinated with the 15th Airlift Squadron and the 62nd Airlift Wing, flew the reactor from March Air Reserve Base to Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The mission supports a Department of War and Department of Energy partnership focused on nuclear‑energy testing and evaluation. The operation showcases the Air Force’s ability to move high‑value, sensitive cargo across the continent.

CISA Gives Feds 3 Days to Patch Actively Exploited BeyondTrust Flaw
U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has ordered all federal agencies to patch the actively exploited BeyondTrust Remote Support vulnerability (CVE‑2026‑1731) within three days. The flaw, an OS command‑injection that enables unauthenticated remote code execution, affects Remote Support 25.3.1...
When Second Best Is Good Enough: The Initial Defense Satellite Communications System
The U.S. Air Force launched the Initial Defense Satellite Communications System (IDSCS) as a low‑cost, quickly fielded alternative after the ambitious Advent program was cancelled. Program 369 employed small 45‑kg Philco satellites, initially designed for medium‑altitude orbits and later placed in...
Tame the Wolf, Release the Panda: The Case for US-China Space Cooperation
The Space Review argues that the United States should repeal the Wolf Amendment and open a cooperative space relationship with China. It contends that China’s space ambitions are driven primarily by prestige and a desire for status recognition rather than...

Low-Profile Chinese Launch Firm Conducts First Stage Static Fire
Zenk Space performed a first‑stage static‑fire test of its Zhihang‑1 rocket on Feb. 11 from a mobile sea platform off Shandong, confirming engine ignition and thrust stability. The 50‑metre, three‑stage vehicle uses four CASC‑developed YF‑102 kerolox engines and can deliver 4,000 kg...
Active Vehicle Protection Comes to the Forefront as Trophy and Iron Fist Secure Contracts
Israeli active protection systems Trophy and Iron Fist have secured new contracts, underscoring a rapid shift toward vehicle‑centric defense solutions. Originating from Russian concepts in the 1970s, APS technology matured in the 2000s thanks to Israeli innovation. Both systems are modular...

Leonardo to Provide Four C-27J MPAs for Saudi Arabia
Leonardo has secured a contract to deliver four C-27J maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense, marking the first C-27J variant equipped with integrated maritime weapon systems. The order follows Saudi’s earlier acquisition of two C-27Js for...

Republicans and Democrats Unite to Condemn Trump’s Attacks on Allies
At the Munich Security Conference, both Republicans and Democrats openly condemned President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda, unpredictable foreign‑policy moves, and his claim over Greenland. High‑profile figures such as Hillary Clinton, Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Elissa Slotkin and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez...

Rheinmetall CEO Warns Funding Slows Ukraine Aid
Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger warned that a lack of funding is curbing the German defence group’s ability to increase ammunition, air‑defence systems and tanks for Ukraine. He emphasized that production capacity remains ample and that additional weapons could be delivered...

U.S. Air Force Releases Details of APKWS Air-to-Air Conversion
The U.S. Air Force approved a $145 million contract to develop an air‑to‑air Dual‑Mode APKWS, targeting Group 3 unmanned‑aerial‑system swarms. The effort will produce 300 prototype rounds—100 for integration testing and 200 for operational evaluation—featuring a nose‑mounted LWIR seeker that can inherit...

Reintegrating the Western Balkans: EU and NATO Strategy
The EU and NATO are urged to accelerate Western Balkan integration to close a major security gap and curb Russian, Chinese, and Turkish influence. Persistent governance deficits, economic under‑development, and fragmented NATO membership leave the region vulnerable to external manipulation....

DARPA Launches Biomass-to-Chemicals Fleetwood Program
DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office has issued a special notice to start the Fleetwood program, a 24‑month effort aimed at creating novel catalysts that transform lignocellulosic biomass, especially lignin, into carbon‑based industrial chemicals. The initiative will fund multidisciplinary teams to develop...
Indian Air Force Instructors Teach Fast Jet Training at RAF Valley
The UK Ministry of Defence will temporarily assign three qualified flying instructors from the Indian Air Force to RAF Valley to teach fast‑jet training on the Hawk T2 and Texan T1. The move addresses a severe shortage of UK instructors while leveraging...
World Defense Show 2026: Airbus Details A400M Upgrade as Second Indonesia Aircraft Delivery Looms
Airbus announced a major A400M upgrade at the World Defense Show 2026, targeting a payload increase from 37 tonnes to 40 tonnes through software and trim‑flight‑control enhancements. The company highlighted that 137 aircraft have already been delivered to ten customers, with 41...

Google Patches First Chrome Zero-Day Exploited in Attacks This Year
Google has issued emergency updates to patch CVE‑2026‑2441, a high‑severity use‑after‑free flaw in Chrome’s CSSFontFeatureValuesMap implementation. The vulnerability, confirmed to be exploited in the wild, can cause crashes, rendering issues, or data corruption. Google back‑ported the fix to stable desktop...
Terra Now Valued at over $100 Million, as It Extends Funding to $34 Million
Terra Industries, an African defence‑technology startup, extended its Series A round to $34 million after adding $22 million in fresh capital, pushing its valuation past the $100 million mark. The round was led by Lux Capital and attracted new angel investors such as actor...

Cellula Robotics Among Shortlisted Companies for Vimy Forge Black Flight Cohort I
Cellula Robotics, a maker of fuel‑cell powered autonomous underwater vehicles, has been shortlisted for Vimy Forge’s inaugural Black Flight Cohort I. The accelerator, Canada’s sovereign defense‑innovation hub, helps SMEs overcome market entry barriers such as limited end‑user access and fragmented...

Ukrainian Civilian Casualties Surged by 26% in 2025, Say Researchers
Researchers at Action on Armed Violence reported a 26% increase in Ukrainian civilian casualties in 2025, with 2,248 deaths and 12,493 injuries attributed to Russian explosive attacks. The average strike wounded or killed 4.8 civilians, 33% higher than the previous...

Lotus Blossom Hackers Breach Official Notepad++ Hosting Infrastructure
Between June and December 2025, the state‑sponsored Lotus Blossom group compromised the shared hosting provider that delivered Notepad++ updates, turning the popular text editor into a covert espionage conduit. By exploiting weaknesses in the older WinGUp updater, attackers redirected update...

The Price of Peace in Ukraine
Four years after Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s original goal of restoring its 1991 borders has become unattainable following the stalled 2023 counteroffensive. Western leaders now accept Russia’s de facto control of Crimea and most of the Donbas, yet they continue to...

Canada Goose Investigating as Hackers Leak 600K Customer Records
Canada Goose disclosed that a 1.67 GB dataset containing over 600,000 customer records was posted by the ShinyHunters extortion group. The leak includes personal identifiers, shipping details, IP addresses and partial payment‑card information, but the company says it found no evidence...

Windows 11 KB5077181 Fixes Boot Failures Linked to Failed Updates
Microsoft has released Windows 11 update KB5077181, fully fixing the UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME boot failure that struck some enterprise machines after recent security patches. The bug, linked to a failed December 2025 update and exacerbated by the January 13, 2026 KB5074109 rollout, affected devices running 25H2...

Simulation Shows That Nuking Earth-Bound Asteroids Might Be Safe
Researchers from the University of Oxford and deflection startup OuSoCo used the HiRadMat particle accelerator to expose a Campo del Cielo iron meteorite sample to intense radiation, mimicking a nuclear blast. The sample first softened, then flexed and ultimately restrengthened,...

CTM360: Lumma Stealer and Ninja Browser Malware Campaign Abusing Google Groups
CTM360 uncovered an active campaign that hijacks more than 4,000 Google Groups and 3,500 Google‑hosted URLs to distribute credential‑stealing malware. The threat actors deliver Lumma Info‑Stealer to Windows devices and a trojanized “Ninja Browser” to Linux systems, embedding organization‑specific keywords to boost...

Trump's Greenland Grab Is Part of a New Space Race – and the Stakes Are Getting Higher
President Trump’s push to expand U.S. presence in Greenland highlights the island’s emerging role as a strategic gateway for space operations. High‑latitude launch sites in Greenland enable efficient polar and sun‑synchronous orbits, making the territory attractive to private launch firms...

U.S. Air Force T-7A Program Raises Cost Concerns
The U.S. Air Force is scrutinizing the T‑7A Red Hawk trainer program’s cost structure as it nears the Milestone C decision that will trigger full‑rate production. The $9.2 billion fixed‑price contract has generated over $2 billion in Boeing‑reported losses due to engineering and...

UK Reports Progress on Challenger 3 Tank Export Talks
The UK Ministry of Defence announced that it has made "significant progress" in exploring export opportunities for the Challenger 3 main battle tank, though it did not identify any prospective customers. Challenger 3 is an extensive upgrade of the Challenger 2 fleet, featuring...

U.S. Military Advances Compact Nuclear Reactor Program
The U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Energy airlifted Valar Atomics' compact WardZero nuclear reactor to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, for testing. The effort fulfills Executive Order 14301, which mandates domestic nuclear innovation and sets a July 4 2026 deadline...

4X Hiroshima Blast: How U.S. Humiliation at Suez Forced France To Go Nuclear with “Gerboise Bleue”
In 1960 France detonated Gerboise Bleue, a 60‑70 kiloton device that made it the world’s fourth nuclear power. The test was accelerated after the 1956 Suez Crisis, which exposed French reliance on U.S. approval and spurred a push for strategic autonomy....

Russian Military Aircraft Maker Reports Heavy Financial Losses
TANTK Beriev, Russia’s premier airborne early‑warning aircraft manufacturer, posted a 2025 net loss of roughly $65 million after revenue collapsed to $49 million, a 3.8‑fold year‑over‑year decline. Production costs fell more slowly, squeezing gross profit to just $3 million. The firm’s debt rose to...

Russia Destroys Ukraine’s Cruise Missile Production
Ukraine’s domestically‑developed FP‑5 Flamingo cruise missile production line was hit by a Russian missile strike, temporarily halting output. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the damaged facility has been relocated and production has already resumed. The Flamingo, touted for a 3,000‑kilometre range, has...

Ukraine’s Political and Military Presence in Africa
Ukraine is rapidly expanding its political and military footprint across Africa, building on decades of UN peacekeeping deployments and a post‑Soviet non‑aligned foreign policy. After Russia’s full‑scale invasion, Kyiv announced plans for roughly twenty new embassies and a Ukraine‑Africa summit...

Trump, Netanyahu Back Plan for US Pressure on Iran to Cut Oil Sales to China, Agree to Go ‘Full Force’...
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed to intensify economic pressure on Iran by targeting its oil exports to China, which account for more than 80% of Tehran’s sales. The coordinated effort is intended to force...

China Expanding Aid for Russia’s War, Western Officials Say
China has stepped up its support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, expanding exports of dual‑use components and critical minerals that fuel Russian drone production. Western officials say Beijing’s assistance is now essential for Moscow to sustain its military effort, describing...

Elbridge Colby: ‘NATO Is Actually Stronger Than Ever.’
Elbridge Colby, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for policy, told the Munich Security Conference that NATO is stronger than ever and is evolving into a "NATO 3.0" model that shifts conventional defense responsibility to Europe while the United States underwrites the...

Russia ‘Not Serious’ About Peace Deal, Lindsey Graham Says
Senator Lindsey Graham told reporters at the Munich Security Conference that Russia is not serious about a peace deal, contradicting President Donald Trump’s optimism. Graham argues Moscow believes it can win the Donbas militarily and will only negotiate after securing...

Snail Mail Letters Target Trezor and Ledger Users in Crypto-Theft Attacks
Physical letters masquerading as official communications from Trezor and Ledger are being used to lure hardware‑wallet owners into scanning QR codes that lead to counterfeit setup sites. The sites prompt victims to enter their 12‑, 20‑, or 24‑word recovery phrases...

How Chocolate Became One of the US Military’s Most Important WWII Rations
During the Revolutionary War, the Continental Army used chocolate as a portable, high‑energy comfort food. In World War II the Army commissioned Hershey to produce the Field Ration D, a 600‑calorie, heat‑resistant bar deliberately made bitter to discourage casual eating. When...

Ukraine Says Troops Destroyed Half of Russian Pantsir Systems
Ukraine’s Security Service announced that its Alpha special‑operations unit eliminated roughly half of the Russian Pantsir mobile air‑defence systems deployed in 2025. The campaign, aimed at degrading short‑range air‑defence coverage, is credited with destroying about 38 verified Pantsir units and...

Rubio to Europe: ‘We Care Deeply’
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a sweeping address at the Munich Security Conference, urging a renewed, values‑based transatlantic partnership. He blamed de‑industrialization, unchecked migration, and climate‑policy mandates for eroding Western sovereignty and called for a joint push to...

American Admiral: You Don’t Want to Fight Alone
Retired Admiral William H. McRaven warned that the United States risks fighting alone if it undervalues its NATO partners. He cited President Trump’s comment that allies were “holding back” in Afghanistan, noting it sparked outrage among European leaders. McRaven highlighted the...

NAVAIR Issues RFI for Marine Corps Medium Range Tactical UAS
The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) issued a Sources‑Sought notice seeking a Medium‑Range Tactical (MRT) unmanned aircraft system for the U.S. Marine Corps. The RFI calls for a rugged, VTOL‑capable platform under 20 lb gross weight, with at least 2.5 hours endurance,...

Enemy Weapons Detector in the Hands of Soldiers Five Years Early
The British Army will field Leonardo UK’s SONUS acoustic weapon‑locating system five years ahead of schedule, with a rollout to frontline units within the next 12 months. Weighing 70% less than its predecessor, SONUS can be deployed in under three...

Trump Reveals US Helicopter Pilots Were Wounded in Maduro Raid
President Donald Trump publicly disclosed that U.S. helicopter pilots were seriously wounded in the February raid aimed at capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The operation, dubbed Absolute Resolve, deployed more than 200 troops and 150 aircraft, with pilots sustaining severe leg...

Zscaler-SquareX Deal Boosts Zero Trust, Secure Browsing Capabilities
Zscaler announced the acquisition of Singapore‑based startup SquareX, adding its Chromium‑based browser extension to the Zero Trust Exchange platform. SquareX’s browser detection and response (BDR) technology provides real‑time threat detection inside browsers on managed and personal devices. The deal, closed...

US Army to Debut FPV Bumblebee V2 Drone Interceptor Next Month
The U.S. Army’s Global Response Force will start evaluating the Bumblebee V2 drone interceptor in March after a $5.2 million contract with Perennial Autonomy. The FPV quadcopter uses AI to autonomously detect and physically collide with hostile UAVs, delivering a kinetic...

‘My Dream Job Has Turned Into a Nightmare’: Ex-Feds and Public Service Experts Testify to Congress on How to Rebuild...
House Democrats held a hearing on the Trump administration’s Schedule P/C, a rebranded version of Schedule F that removes civil‑service protections for thousands of policy‑related federal workers. Former officials and experts warned that politicizing the workforce erodes merit‑based hiring and could deter...

GSA Aims to Publish Results on USAi Program, Official Says
The General Services Administration announced it will publish documentation on the USAi program, detailing how federal agencies are testing and deploying artificial‑intelligence tools. Chief AI Officer Zach Whitman said the agency will release a six‑month performance report and form a...

US Army Leaders Say Future European Fight Could Mean 1,500 Targets Daily
U.S. Army leaders warned that a future large‑scale war in Europe could generate up to 1,500 targets per day, a pace drawn from observations in the Russia‑Ukraine conflict. The projection, shared during the Dynamic Front 26 multinational exercise, underscores the...

Milan-26: India’s Maritime Diplomacy Comes of Age
India’s 13th Milan naval exercise, Milan‑26, will run Feb 18‑25 in Visakhapatnam, coinciding with the International Fleet Review and the IONS summit, forming the “Vizag trifecta.” The biennial drill has grown from four regional navies in 1995 to 70 confirmed participants...