The War Zone. Your daily source for military, defense, and geopolitics coverage.
F-35C
Plans To Finally Give F-35 External Fuel Tanks Emerge In New Air Force Budget
External fuel tanks for the F-35 have never materialized after past development efforts, but now they are back on program’s to do list.
Latest News
M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle Appears In Russia With Locally Made 30mm Cannon
The captured infantry fighting vehicle has had its Bushmaster chain gun swapped out for a Russian-made weapon.
Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week
Hot Pockets and Crystal Light for all!
Israel Vows To Maintain Air Superiority Over Iran
Israel’s defense minister ordered the IDF to devise a plan to keep Iran from restoring its ballistic missile capabilities and furthering its nuclear program.
AIM-260 Air-To-Air Missile Funding To Start Production Sought In New Budget
The AIM-260A is being developed as a far longer-ranged replacement for the workhorse AIM-120 air-to-air missile.
Pentagon “All In” On Air Force’s F-47, Puts Navy’s F/A-XX On Ice
The new DoD budget prioritizes F-47, slashing F/A-XX and planned purchases of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.
F-15EX Planned Fleet Size Grows To 129 Jets
The F-15EX has gotten a substantial boost from the Trump administration’s Pentagon budget request, going from a 98 to 129 aircraft fleet.
Largest Patriot Missile Salvo In U.S. Military History Launched Defending Al Udeid Air Base Against Iranian Attack
The Pentagon’s top officer offered new details about how air defense crews at Al Udeid Air Base knocked down incoming Iranian missiles.
Everything We Just Learned About The GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator Strikes On Iran
The strikes on Fordow were 15 years in the making, with that target being the primary driver behind the MOP’s development and evolution.
Claims Swirl Over Extent Of Damage From Attacks On Iranian Nuclear Facilities (Updated)
The result of 12 days of war and a U.S. bombing raid on Iran’s nuclear program remain hotly contested, spurred by conflicting intel reports.
B-2 Used As Decoy For Iran Strike Mission Is Stuck In Hawaii
One of the B-2s that captured the public’s attention as the real strike force made its way to Iran had to divert with an emergency into Honolulu.
B-2 Strikes On Iran: What We Know About Operation Midnight Hammer (Updated)
The mission that has been in contingency planning and rehearsal for many years included assets from below the waves to space.
More Latest News
B-2 Bombers Head West Across Pacific Amidst Iran Crisis
A major B-2 deployment was the key piece missing from the rapid U.S. military buildup ahead of possible strikes on Iran.
Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week
Relevant to the headlines.
Top Iranian Nuclear Scientists Killed By Secret Israeli Weapon: Report
The operation was designed to strike a major blow against Iran’s nuclear program where the targeted individuals would least expect it.
Secretive Russian-Made Mi-17 Helicopter Makes Unusual Appearance In Tucson
A recent U.S. military urban training exercise involved helicopters of the types used by a shadowy U.S. aviation unit.
China’s J-35 Naval Stealth Fighter Seen Like Never Before
As well as new imagery of the J-35, we have gotten our best look at the KJ-600 carrier-based airborne early warning aircraft that will operate alongside it.
U.S. Decision On Striking Iran To Be Made In “Next Two Weeks” (Updated)
Trump has been mulling over U.S. involvement in the kinetic operation against Iran, but the White House says they are still pushing for diplomatic solution.
World Waits As Trump Mulls Direct Military Action Against Iran
The U.S. president has reportedly approved a strike plan on Iran but has yet to make the final decision on moving forward with it.
Could Israeli C-130s Drop GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator Bunker Busters?
B-2s are the only aircraft that can employ MOPs to get at Iran’s deepest facilities, but C-130s may be a viable option with a similar weapon.
Boeing In Talks To Restart C-17 Production
The ability to operate from short fields and haul heavy loads at jet speeds is coveted, but a C-17 production restart would be far from easy.
Israeli Hermes Drone Shot Down In Iran, Trump Ramps Up Threats To Tehran
With increasing pressure on Iran’s leadership, the country’s beleaguered air defenses made their first confirmed kill of the war.
Iranian Government Aircraft Make Mysterious Dash To Oman
Iran’s presidential A340 and two A321s have flown to Oman days after Israel declared air superiority over the country.
Israeli Airstrikes Blunt Iranian Long-Range Ballistic Missile Threat (Updated)
As Israel claims to have destroyed a large portion of Iran’s long-range missile launchers, the number of weapons fired in each barrage has also plummeted.
Inspired By Ukraine War, Europe Is Developing Shahed-Style One-Way Attack Drones
European missile-maker MBDA is enlisting an automotive manufacturer to ensure the kamikaze drones can be rapidly built in mass.
U.S. Air Force Fighters Deploy To Reinforce Middle East
The Pentagon is expanding its tactical options by using the tankers it just deployed to flow additional fighters into the region.
Spike Missiles That Destroyed Air Defenses From Inside Iran Were Remotely Operated
Iran shows evidence of how Mossad’s anti-tank missiles and drones were deployed from inside the country during the war’s opening barrage.
Armada Of USAF Tankers Just Deployed East Over Atlantic Spurring Speculation (Updated)
The mysterious migration could signal a major contingency being put in place or even a change in U.S. policy on the Iran-Israel war.
The War Zone — also known by the shorthand TWZ — 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….
