Not ‘Just a Gun’: New SOCOM Rifle Allows Barrel Swapping and Cartridge Changes
U.S. Special Operations Command will begin fielding the MK24 Medium Range Gas Gun Assault (MRGG‑A) before the end of the fiscal year, replacing the legacy MK17 SCAR. The rifle, built by LMT Defense under a $92 million, ten‑year contract, features a quick‑change barrel that lets operators switch between 7.62 mm NATO and 6.5 mm Creedmoor cartridges in about a minute. SOCOM highlights the 6.5 mm Creedmoor for its superior accuracy beyond 1,000 meters, positioning the system as a modular deployment package for special‑operations forces.
Trump-Class Battleships Should Not Be Built Until Weapons Technology Is Ready, Lawmakers Say
Congress added a provision to the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act requiring the Navy to certify that weapon systems reach a mature technology readiness level before any contract for the lead Trump‑class battleship can be signed. The bill ties the...
Marine ACV Crews to Face ‘Thinking Adversaries’ in New VR Simulator
The U.S. Marine Corps awarded XR Training a $5.1 million OTA contract to develop a virtual‑reality crew‑gunnery trainer for the new Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV). The system replicates driver, commander and gunner stations, uses VR headsets and a digital twin of...
Army Develops Exoskeleton for Lower-Limb Injuries on the Battlefield
The U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command unveiled the Intrepid Battlefield EXoskeleton (IBEX), a shoulder‑to‑foot brace that lets soldiers with tibia, ankle or foot fractures stand, walk and fire while awaiting evacuation. Weighing just seven pounds and folding to...
US Arms Sales Pause Would Push Taiwan Toward Asymmetric-Defense Tech: Analysts
U.S. President Donald Trump appears to have delayed a $14 billion weapons package for Taiwan following his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Analysts say the pause could weaken Washington’s political credibility and deterrence value in the Taiwan Strait. In response,...
Pentagon Looks to Reinvent the Bunker-Buster Bomb
The Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has issued a Request for Information seeking revolutionary bunker‑buster concepts that manipulate shock waves rather than rely on sheer mass. Traditional weapons like the 30,000‑lb GBU‑57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator depend on gravity...
Pentagon Eyes Drone Testing Ground in Mississippi
U.S. Special Operations Command is proposing an "Autonomous Warfare Proving Ground" at Mississippi’s Stennis Space Center to test air, sea and ground drones alongside electromagnetic systems. The solicitation, issued this month, opens participation to industry, academia and national labs, aiming...
US Munitions Depleted by Iran War Will Take Years to Restore, Analysis Finds
The Center for Strategic International Studies warns the United States will need at least three years to rebuild key missile inventories depleted during the 38‑day Iran campaign. More than 1,000 Tomahawk missiles were launched, far exceeding the typical annual procurement...
US Army Receives First Lightweight Javelin Launchers
The U.S. Army has taken delivery of the first Lightweight Command Launch Unit (LWCLU) for the Javelin anti‑tank system, a joint RTX‑Lockheed Martin effort. The new launcher is 30% smaller and 25% lighter than legacy units while offering twice the...
DARPA Launches Search for Robot Medics to Treat Battlefield Casualties
DARPA has issued a Small Business Innovation Research solicitation for autonomous, swarm‑capable robot medics that can drag wounded soldiers, administer lifesaving drugs, and form self‑assembling tourniquets. The robots must move casualties at least 10 meters, either individually or by linking...
US Lawmakers Weigh Aviation Fuel Cost Increase From Iran War in Fiscal 2027 Defense Hearing
U.S. lawmakers are confronting a sharp rise in aviation fuel costs triggered by the Iran war as they review the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. The Air Force budget, which earmarks $9.9 billion for 1.1 million flying hours, was based on...
Scarlet for Ya: Irish Team Takes First Place on Bradleys in US Army’s Armor Competition Despite Having None at Home
An Irish Defense Forces crew captured first place in the Bradley Fighting Vehicle division of the Sullivan Cup, the U.S. Army’s premier armor competition held at Fort Benning, Georgia. The team achieved the upset despite the Irish Army not fielding...
‘Thank the Gods of War’: D-Day Success Hinges on Weather Forecast in ‘Pressure’
The new war drama “Pressure,” debuting May 29, dramatizes the 72‑hour lead‑up to D‑Day, focusing on meteorologist Group Captain James Stagg’s decisive forecast. Stagg warned Eisenhower that a storm would hit the English Channel on June 5, prompting the invasion to...
Poland Joins Pentagon’s Counter-Drone Marketplace Amid Unexpected US Deployment Cancellation
Poland has signed a statement of intent to join the Pentagon’s counter‑drone marketplace, a U.S.-run platform that links allies with emerging anti‑drone technologies. The move comes after the Army abruptly cancelled a planned rotational deployment to Poland, even as Washington...
The US Navy Is Full Speed Ahead on Building a Laser Fleet
U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle told Congress that high‑energy laser weapons are essential to free up Vertical Launch System cells for offensive missiles. Current destroyers, even the new Flight III Arleigh Burke class, lack the power and...