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TWZ. Where the cutting-edge of military technology, tactics, strategy, and geopolitics collide.

Gen. Michael Guetlein has now warned that work on Golden Dome could abruptly end, at least for a time, regardless of its total price tag, if a huge budgetary hurdle is not overcome. War In Space

Golden Dome Missile Defense Shield At Risk Of Grinding To A Halt Due To Budget Impasse

The top officer in charge says "if they don't figure it out, there is no Golden Dome because there is no funding."

Latest News

The U.S. needs to fuse missile warning and missile defense to better defeat these threats says the Deputy SPACECOM Commander.
Space

U.S. Must Fuse Missile Warning And Defense To Defeat Future Threats: SPACECOM Deputy Commander

SPACECOM is working to dissolve traditional silos of operations and thinking in order to speed-up swatting-down increasingly complex missile threats.

Panzermuseum East, a privately run museum in Denmark specializing in Soviet and Warsaw Pact armor, announced that it has completed its first shipment of armored vehicles to Ukraine.
Ukrainian Army

Ukraine’s Latest Armor Donor? A Military Museum

Scouring the globe’s arsenals to provide Ukraine with Soviet-designed materiel is nothing new, but sourcing systems from museums is less common.

The U.S. Army swatted down more than 1,400 Iranian missiles and drones in Epic Fury and the 12-Day War
Iran

Army Downed More Than 1,400 Iranian Missiles And Drones During Epic Fury And 12-Day War

The Army’s air and missile defense boss offered new context about how the service defended against Iranian threats in the two most recent Middle East conflicts.

MDA's main desire now is to find a more mobile radar system to make them less susceptible to enemy missile and drone attacks.
Land-Based Ballistic Missile Defense

Hunt For New Mobile Missile Defense Radar Reinforced By Lessons From Iran War

A successor to the AN/TPY-2 radar has to be far easier to move in order to survive against the ever-growing threat of missiles and drones.

This photo released by the US Navy 17 Decmeber 2001 shows flight deck personnel aboard USS John C. Stennis with "FDNY" (Fire Department of New York) inscribed on the cranial (headgear) while observing an F-14 "Tomcat" coming in for an arrested wire landing. Stennis and her embarked Carrier Air Wing Nine (CVW 9) are supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. AFP PHOTO/Jayme PASTORIC (Photo by JAYME PASTORIC / US NAVY / AFP) (Photo by JAYME PASTORIC/US NAVY/AFP via Getty Images)
News & Features

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TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG)
Carrier Tracker

Where Are The Aircraft Carriers: August 11, 2026

More than 20 American warships, including two carrier groups, remain on station in the Middle East with less than a week left for negotiations under the U.S.-Iran memorandum.

Lockheed Martin has unveiled the PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector (ACE), a lower-cost interceptor for the Patriot surface-to-air missile system. By leveraging the existing PAC-3 fire-control architecture and Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS), the company says the new interceptor will cost less than half as much as the in-production PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) while providing a rapidly fielded, high-volume option for defeating aircraft, cruise missiles, and shorter-range ballistic missile threats.
U.S. Army

PAC-3 Adapted Capability Effector Is Lockheed’s New Low-Cost Patriot Interceptor

PAC-3 ACE is around half the price of a current PAC-3 MSE and still has the ability to engage short-range ballistic missiles.

Ukraine, short on Patriot interceptors, can't down Russian ballistic missiles.
Russia

Pentagon’s Ability To Supply Ukraine With More Patriot Interceptors Questioned By Congress (Updated)

The Senate action comes amid deep concerns about how the U.S. can provide enough Patriot interceptors for itself and allies.

The U.S. Space Force has awarded SpaceX a $4.16B deal to help accelerate work on what could be a game-changing space-based air moving-target indicator (AMTI) sensor network.
U.S. Space Force

Pentagon’s Plans To Track Aircraft From Orbit Accelerated With New $4B SpaceX Deal

A satellite network to track aircraft could offer unprecedented ability to surveil the skies globally and make AEW&C aircraft redundant.

Lockheed Martin’s Master Plan For Accelerating Munitions Production

Lockheed Martin’s Master Plan For Accelerating Munitions Production

Branded Content: A holistic approach to ramping production of missiles aims to meet exploding demand and the Pentagon’s new way of doing business.

BARB is a robot that helps build Pratt & Whitney engines.
Air

Meet BARB, The Robot That’s A Glimpse At Future Jet Engine Assembly

There’s a new laborer on Pratt & Whitney’s jet engine production line, and it doesn’t need lunch breaks or vacation days.

Raytheon has called attention to a new domestic order for PAC-2-series interceptors for the Patriot surface-to-air missile system. This is the first time the U.S. military has not bought any new PAC-2s in more than 30 years, according to the company.
U.S. Army

U.S. Army Is Buying Older PAC-2 Patriot Missiles For The First Time In Decades

PAC-2 GEM-T missiles are not generally as capable as their PAC-3 counterparts, but the Army needs all the Patriots it can get.

Diego García has reported drone sightings.
Indo-Pacific

Drone Sightings Are Happening At Diego Garcia, America’s Remote Strategic Island Outpost

The sightings highlight concerns about drone attacks from the sea, especially at a time of extreme hostility between Iran and the U.S.

The U.S. Navy is planning to acquire 31 E-130J Phoenix II aircraft to replace 16 E-6B Mercury planes now in service, nearly doubling the number of planes configured to perform the Take Charge And Move Out (TACAMO) mission.
E-6

Navy ‘Doomsday Plane’ Fleet To Almost Double In Size With New E-130Js

A much bigger fleet of smaller turboprop E-130Js is set to replace the smaller fleet of larger E-6B jets, but the Navy has also acknowledged risks.

Inside the A-10 weapons school as it prepares to shut down once and for all.
A-10

The Last Days Of The A-10 Warthog Weapons School

The Weapons Instructor Course has been the center of excellence for the A-10 and its missions for nearly 50 years, but that’s about to end.

The Navy has confirmed to TWZ directly that one of two Block V Virginia class submarines without the new Virginia Payload Module will have a one-of-a-kind seabed warfare configuration.
Virginia Class

Navy Is Getting A Unique Virginia Class Seabed Espionage Submarine

One Block V Virginia class submarine will be unlike any other, capable of highly specialized intelligence and sabotage missions on the seafloor.

30 March 2026, Hamburg: The Kraken K3 Scout drone drives through the port while Federal Minister of the Interior Dobrindt meets Hamburg's Senator of the Interior Grote. Topics of the meeting include the expansion of civilian defense capabilities, security in the Port of Hamburg and effective defense against hybrid threats and attacks.
Royal Navy

Chinese Components In Royal Navy’s New Drone Boat Raise Cyber Security Concerns

The issue highlights supply-chain risks amid growing concerns over Beijing’s cyber access to Western military capabilities.

The Nimitz class USS Theodore Roosevelt has become the first U.S. Navy supercarrier with a Unmanned Air Warfare Center (UAWC) fully capable of supporting the forthcoming MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone.
USS Theordore Roosevelt (CVN-71)

USS Theodore Roosevelt Is The First Carrier With A Drone Control Center Ready For MQ-25 Stingray Ops

While Theodore Roosevelt is ready now, the Navy is not aiming to start flying the MQ-25 operationally until 2029, years behind schedule.

More Latest News

U.S. Marines with 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, 3d Marine Division patrol through an underground tunnel in support of offensive operations during the Korean Marine Exercise Program 25.1 at Camp Stanley, South Korea, March 10, 2025. KMEP is a semi-annual exercise that provides iterative opportunities for Republic of Korea Marine Corps and U.S. Marine Corps units to train together, improving their combined capabilities to deter threats and maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kendrick Jackson)
Bunker Talk

Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

Sorry, the dust is staying.

A KC-135 Stratotanker damaged in a mid-air collision over Iraq is now undergoing full repairs at Tinker Air Force Base.
KC-135

KC-135 That Lost Its Tail In Deadly Collision Over Iraq Now At Tinker AFB Repair Shop

The KC-135 made an emergency landing in Tel Aviv with half its tail sheared off following the collision that occurred during an Operation Epic Fury sortie.

Jet-Powered JDAM Production Is A Go For The U.S. Navy
Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)

Jet-Powered JDAM Production Is A Go For The U.S. Navy

Putting JDAM-LR into production will give the Navy an important new stream of lower-cost standoff munitions for its carrier air wings.

Officially designated an offshore patrol vessel (OPV), the Falaj 3 carries a weapons suite that would be impressive on a missile corvette and, in some respects, even a light frigate. At around 680 tons full load displacement, it may be one of the most heavily armed warships anywhere in the world for its size.
Uncategorized

The Falaj 3 May Be The World’s Most Heavily Armed Patrol Boat

Officially an offshore patrol vessel, the compact design carries the kind of combat capability normally associated with well-armed corvettes or even frigates.

The Houthis have launched a large-scale attack on Saudi-aligned forces in Yemen.
Red Sea

Houthis Stage Large-Scale Attack On Saudi-Aligned Forces In Yemen

The strikes are yet another escalation in Houthi-Saudi hostilities roiling the Red Sea region.

A full look at the F/A-18F from VX-31 carrying the AIM-260.
Royal Australian Air Force

Australia To Become First Foreign Operator Of AIM-260 Air-To-Air Missile

The procurement marks a major step in Canberra’s push to prepare for high-end conflict in the Indo-Pacific.

Details are still limited, but a Kratos Valkyrie drone in a "test configuration" has crashed at the U.S. Army's Dugway Proving Ground in Utah.
Drones

XQ-58 Valkyrie Crashes At Dugway Proving Ground In Utah (Updated)

The stealthy autonomous drone’s manufacturer, Kratos, said it went down upon takeoff while in a “test configuration.”

The Houthis have expanded their attacks on Saudi Red Sea shipping.
Iran

Houthis To Expand Shipping Attacks To Northern Red Sea

If the Houthis start hitting ships heading toward the Suez Canal, it could be another catastrophic blow to world energy supplies.

Boeing and Northrop Grumman are laying the groundwork to take teaming between the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol plane and the MQ-4C Triton long-endurance maritime surveillance drone to a new level.
MQ-4C

P-8 Poseidon Crews Controlling MQ-4C Triton Drones Becoming A Reality

The P-8A and MQ-4Cs were designed to work in concert, but direct in-flight control of Tritons will open new tactical possibilities and greatly extend the Poseidon’s reach.

President Donald Trump ordered a redo of the White House helipad construction project.
VH-3

Trump Orders White House Helipad Construction Redo: Report

The helipad was initially expected to be finished by the time Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in September.

In a decisive moment for U.S. military testing and evaluation capabilities, Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) successfully supported a full-scale, live-fire hypersonic warhead test out of a cannon base test system, establishing a critical testing capability for modern national security initiatives.
U.S. Army

Army Revives Giant Cannon to Advance Hypersonic Testing

The Army is transforming its canceled long-range supergun into a test platform that could speed hypersonic development while reducing reliance on costly flight tests.

Iran is seeking to cement its hold on the Strait of Hormuz as a shaky ceasefire enters a sixth day.
Iran

Iran And Oman Working To Control Strait Of Hormuz, Shaky Ceasefire Still Holding

The U.S. and Iran aren’t exchanging blows as Trump says he’s given his final chance at a deal, and the strait remains the most urgent sticking point.

The U.S. Air Force's X-62A test jet was able to use its artificial intelligence (AI) driven 'brain' to autonomously spot and track other aircraft in flight, and then move to intercept them, in recent testing.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft

X-62A Toting Infrared Search And Track Pod Used Its AI ‘Brain’ To Autonomously Intercept An ‘Enemy’ T-38

Being able to autonomously use onboard sensor data to engage aerial threats is exactly what the USAF wants from its future CCA drones.

TWZ’s weekly carrier tracker monitoring America’s flattop fleet, including deployed Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) and Amphibious Ready Groups (ARG).
Carrier Tracker

Where Are The Aircraft Carriers: August 3, 2026

USS George Washington visits Vietnam, the first time a U.S. carrier has done so since 2023, meanwhile two carriers hold the blockade line in the Arabian Sea.

Future subvariants of the U.S. Navy Virginia class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) fitted with Virginia Payload Modules (VPM) will now be categorized as guided missile types (SSGN) instead.
Virginia Class

Stretched Virginia Class Recategorized As Guided Missile Submarines (SSGNs)

The Navy will no longer categorize enlarged Virginia Block V and VI types as attack submarines ahead of Ohio class guided missile boats’ retirements.

A Russian navy submarine is seen in the Bay of Sevastopol on March 9, 2014. Russian President Vladimir Putin has told Western leaders that the government of Crimea, which wants to hold a referendum on breaking away from Ukraine and joining Russia, is a legitimate body, the Kremlin said.
Diesel-Electric Submarines

This Soviet Sub’s Bizarre ‘Double-Barrel’ Bow Was Built To Test Exotic Weapons

The strange looking testbed helped develop Soviet submarine-launched missile-torpedoes during the Cold War.

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Must Read Features

The Definitive Answer On Why F-16s Carry AIM-120 AMRAAMs On Their Wingtip Rails
F-16

The Definitive Answer On Why F-16s Carry AIM-120 AMRAAMs On Their Wingtip Rails

U.S. Navy

15 Questions With One of VP-5’s ‘Mad Foxes’ on Flying the P-8 Poseidon

F-23

The YF-23’s Weapons Bay Layout Was One Of Its Best Features And One Of Its Worst

Fighters

Blending Live Enemies With Virtual Ones Is Transforming The Way Fighter Pilots Train

SEE MORE

TWZ — previously known as The War Zone — has become an essential resource for the defense industry, the national security community, and the interested public at large since it was launched in 2016.

 

From its early beginnings to the present day, TWZ’s purpose remains the same.

 

The site stands at the nexus of military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. As a full-spectrum defense news and analysis website, TWZ covers the air, sea, land, space, and cyber domains of warfare, with an infusion of geopolitical context and technological analysis to offer readers deeper, yet easy-to-consume, insights than what they will find anywhere else….

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