Defense News and Headlines
Defense News and Headlines
Defense Pulse
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EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
European intelligence agencies report that Russia and Iran are increasingly recruiting ordinary citizens to conduct espionage, sabotage and disinformation campaigns. The Netherlands has responded by expanding its anti‑espionage law and creating a dedicated police unit to enforce it. Recent arrests of three teenagers for mapping diplomatic sites illustrate how low‑level actors are being used for hybrid‑warfare tasks. This trend marks a shift from professional spies to “crime as a service" models that operate largely online.
The U.S. Air Force is re‑evaluating how many Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) it will produce, with a decision expected this summer that could push deliveries beyond the original 100‑unit target for 2029. General Dale R. White indicated the service is...
A fragment of an Iranian missile landed in Tel Aviv’s newly built Wavegarden wave pool after Israeli air defenses intercepted most of the incoming barrage. The debris caused no injuries and the facility resumed operations within hours, while minor shrapnel...
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that an Iranian projectile struck near the Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates on March 17, 2026. The impact caused a small fire that damaged an accommodation block and a medical facility, but...
Apple has rolled out its first Background Security Improvements update to address WebKit vulnerability CVE‑2026‑20643 across iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. The flaw allowed malicious web content to bypass the Same Origin Policy via the Navigation API, and was patched...
The U.S. Department of Justice defended the Pentagon’s decision to label AI developer Anthropic a supply‑chain risk, effectively barring its Claude models from warfighting systems. Anthropic sued, claiming the designation violates its First Amendment rights and threatens billions in expected...
Lite Coms, a seven‑year‑old satcom firm, has deployed almost 1,000 tactical VSAT terminals for U.S. and allied forces. Its core strategy centers on multi‑orbit, constellation‑agnostic terminals that operate across GEO, MEO and LEO networks, highlighted by the upcoming 2026 Ku/Ka...
Pentagon comptroller Jules Hurst confirmed that nearly all of the $153 billion reconciliation fund has been allocated, leaving just $1.3 billion unspent. Lawmakers are debating a $50 billion supplemental package to fund potential strikes on Iran, while the White House is expected to...
The 2026 assessment of operational intercontinental ballistic missiles shows a reshaped strategic picture. Russia’s heavyweight RS‑28 Sarmat remains non‑operational after a series of test failures, while China has rapidly loaded over 100 DF‑31‑class missiles into new silo complexes, marking its fastest...
U.S. Central Command confirmed that on March 17, 2026 it deployed multiple 5,000‑pound deep‑penetrator bunker‑buster bombs against hardened Iranian missile sites along the coast of the Strait of Hormuz. The strikes targeted underground launch and storage facilities that could threaten...
Ursa Major has shifted from a launch‑engine startup to a diversified propulsion supplier focused on defense and hypersonics. Its Hadley engine achieved repeated Mach‑5 reusable flights with Stratolaunch and secured a $32.9 million follow‑on contract, while the Draper storable liquid engine...
The U.S. Space Force is introducing Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs) to manage groups of systems tied to specific missions rather than individual programs. Four initial portfolios—infrastructure, battle management, satellite communications/positioning, navigation and timing, and missile warning and tracking—will give PAEs...
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom condemned a strike that hit the area adjacent to the metrological service building at Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant. The incident caused no injuries and radiation levels remained within normal limits, according to Iranian officials....
Joe Kent, the top U.S. counterterrorism official, resigned publicly, stating Iran posed no imminent threat to the United States. His letter directly contradicted President Trump’s claim that Iran was about to launch a nuclear strike and that its missiles could...
Argentine President Javier Milei denounced Iran at a ceremony marking the 34th anniversary of the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires. He reiterated Argentina’s support for the United States and Israel amid the ongoing US‑Israeli military campaign...
At RSAC 2026, husband‑and‑wife team Rebecca and Kevin Grapsy will present on the critical role of clear communication in cybersecurity. Their talk highlights how technical brilliance alone fails without translating insights for non‑technical stakeholders. They introduce the “Five Points of...
User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA) leverages machine‑learning to model normal activity across users, devices and applications, then flags deviations that indicate threats. By ingesting logs, configuration files and network telemetry, UEBA can spot lateral movement, compromised credentials, insider abuse,...
The Air Force is scaling back the B‑52 Radar Modernization Program, delivering a minimum‑viable product and postponing the new wideband nose radome. It will continue testing the Raytheon AN/APQ‑188 radar with the legacy radome, aiming for a low‑rate production decision...
BAE Systems has secured a contract from the U.S. Air Force to sustain and modernize the AN/ALQ‑221 Advanced Defensive System on the U‑2 Dragon Lady fleet. The agreement covers field service support, repairs, and software upgrades to counter evolving electronic threats....
Acting CISA director Nick Andersen told an Auburn University event that agencies should stop rigidly adhering to the traditional sector risk‑management agency (SRMA) designations when engaging with critical infrastructure. Instead, the lead should be the entity with the strongest relationship...
National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent resigned in protest of the U.S. war against Iran, issuing a letter that blamed high‑ranking Israeli officials and the American media for steering President Trump into conflict. The article dismantles Kent’s narrative, showing that...
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President Donald Trump criticized NATO allies for refusing to join the U.S.–Israeli military effort against Iran, calling the decision a “very foolish mistake.” He urged nations to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran’s attacks have threatened a key...
During a House Armed Services Committee hearing, lawmakers questioned Southern Command leader Gen. Francis Donovan about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “no quarter” rhetoric and whether any orders to deny survivors of strikes had been issued. Donovan affirmed no such directive exists...
Commonwealth Bank of Australia has deployed two custom AI agents to augment its cyber‑defence operations. The threat‑hunt agent automates up to 70% of routine investigations, shrinking a multi‑day analysis to roughly 30 minutes and even launching hunts overnight. A second...
The Pentagon announced that Operation Southern Spear, a six‑month campaign of lethal boat strikes against alleged drug smugglers in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, is only the beginning of a broader counter‑narco effort. Since September, 157 people have been killed...
Joe Kent, the Senate‑confirmed director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned on Tuesday, citing conscience objections to the Trump administration’s war in Iran. His departure, the most high‑profile protest resignation of the second Trump term, underscores a growing rift within...
U.S. officials told Congress that the ongoing war with Iran has not delayed weapons shipments to Taiwan, and U.S. policy toward the island remains unchanged. The conflict, which began with airstrikes on Feb. 28, raised concerns about a potential backlog,...
Evolve Dynamics has hired former Dyson product leader Paul Finn‑Kelcey as its inaugural Chief Product Officer. The move is aimed at industrialising the company’s small uncrewed aerial systems—FOXE, WOLFE and SKY MANTIS 2—for the British Armed Forces and NATO allies. Finn‑Kelcey will...
Israel announced that its jets struck a Tehran suburb, killing Ali Larijani, Iran’s de‑facto security leader, along with Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani in separate raids. The Israeli government framed the operation as part of a broader campaign to destabilise Tehran and...
President Donald Trump has presented a shifting set of justifications for a military strike on Iran, ranging from nuclear threats to regime change. The article argues that these contradictory goals reveal a lack of strategic clarity and an over‑reliance on...
The Air Force’s sixth‑generation F‑47 and the Navy’s F/A‑XX will not be operational until the mid‑2030s, according to Rep. Rob Wittman. In the interim, the services must keep legacy platforms such as the F‑18 and F‑22 flying to bridge the...
The Pentagon has lifted the Golden Dome missile‑defense program’s cost estimate to $185 billion for the next ten years, adding $10 billion to accelerate space‑based satellite procurement and data‑link networks. The initiative aims to integrate ground, air and space sensors, interceptors, and a...
Parrot announced that NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has issued its first call‑off orders for the ANAFI UKR micro‑UAV, with deliveries scheduled for Q1 2026 in batches of 100‑500 units and potential scaling to thousands. The initial orders serve the Finnish...
On February 13, 2026, the 419th Fighter Wing Reservists executed Operation Windlord, the first-ever military airlift of a containerized microreactor. The mission moved a reinforced steel‑framed nuclear power unit from March Air Reserve Base, showcasing the Department of War’s ability to...
The United States faces a historic chance to revive its relationship with Lebanon by mediating a cease‑fire and supporting the Lebanese government’s push to curb Hezbollah’s armed influence. The article argues that robust, sustained diplomacy—including a new special envoy, LAF...
The United Arab Emirates’ air‑defence forces have engaged 304 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles and 1,627 UAVs since Iran’s attacks began, part of the wider Operation Epic Fury conflict involving Israel and the United States. On 16 March, UAE interceptors shot...
The UK Ministry of Defence has selected Threod Systems’ Cata aircraft launcher for the British Army’s ASGARD one‑way effector programme. A £4.99 million contract will see the first units delivered in the first quarter of 2026 after successful 2025 mobility, safety...
The U.S. Air Force issued three Request for Information (RFI) notices to find technologies that will strengthen command, control and communications (C3) after losing four aircraft during Operation Epic Fury under non‑hostile, unclear circumstances. The losses—three F‑15 fighters and a KC‑135 tanker—highlighted...
The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) issued a request for information (RfI) on anti‑tank mines, with supplier responses due by 7 April 2026. The move builds on a joint procurement with Germany and Latvia for DM‑22 mines expected to arrive around 2027....
Joseph Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned on Tuesday, citing conscience objections to the U.S. war in Iran. Kent argued Iran posed no imminent threat and accused the administration of yielding to Israeli lobby pressure. The resignation...
Israel announced it eliminated Iran’s national security chief Ali Larijani, describing him as the head of a "gang of gangsters" that runs Tehran. The claim, made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz, has not been confirmed by...
The Michigan Army National Guard’s 246th Transportation Battalion completed a multi‑day validation exercise at Camp Grayling, earning certification as a component of the state’s National Guard Response Force (NGRF). The validation, part of a nationwide effort mandated by Executive Order...
Iran is deepening its proxy relationship with the Polisario Front, the Sahrawi separatist movement fighting Morocco over Western Sahara. Tehran has supplied the group with weapons, training and ideological support since recognizing the self‑declared SADR in 1980. This partnership gives...
UN‑backed Gang Suppression Force will replace Kenyan police with Chadian troops in Haiti. Chadian soldiers are currently training in the United States, and Kenya will begin a phased withdrawal in April. The force aims to reach 5,500 personnel by October...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on 16 March that Kyiv had thwarted Russia’s planned strategic offensive in the Donbas. Leaked Russian operational plans for 2025‑2027 outlined unrealistic goals, including full control of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Odesa. Intensive Ukrainian assaults...
French cybersecurity startup Lupin & Holmes, founded by 23‑year‑old former bug bounty hunter Roni Carta, closed a $5.9 million pre‑seed round led by 20VC and Seedcamp. Carta, who earned nearly $800,000 hunting vulnerabilities for FAANG firms, built Depi, an upstream security...
US robotics startup Foundation sent two Phantom MK-1 humanoid robots to Ukraine in February for battlefield testing. The robots, 5'9" tall and weighing 175‑180 lb, are tasked with reconnaissance to evaluate performance under combat conditions. This marks the first known front‑line...
Joe Kent announced his resignation as director of the National Counterterrorism Center, citing conscience objections to the ongoing war in Iran, which he argues poses no imminent threat to the United States. In his X post, Kent blamed a misinformation...
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Warlock ransomware group is expanding its post‑exploitation tactics, leveraging a bring‑your‑own‑vulnerable‑driver (BYOVD) exploit against Microsoft SharePoint servers and deploying tools such as TightVNC and the Yuze reverse‑proxy. The group now uses the NSecKrnl.sys driver to disable security products at the...
Russia’s foreign ministry declared unwavering solidarity with Cuba after President Donald Trump publicly said he would "take" the island and hinted at further pressure. Trump’s rhetoric follows a renewed U.S. oil embargo that has crippled Cuba’s aging power grid and...
