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The Air Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt IIs have escaped retirement, again.Air Force Secretary Troy Meink announced in an X post Monday that the Warthogs will keep flying through 2030 to “preserve combat power until the Defense Industrial Base ramps up combat aircraft production.” The announcement comes as the Pentagon continues to use A-10s for rescue and close air support missions in the ongoing Iran war.The service plans to extend three squadrons of A-10s. An active-duty squadron from Moody Air Force Base in Georgia and a reserve unit at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri will be kept operational until 2030, a…

The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. For the first time since at least the launch of Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28, an Iranian-linked vessel was interdicted in the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) region, the Pentagon confirmed to The War Zone. The boarding of the Botswana-flagged oil tanker M/T Tifani came just days after Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine told reporters, including from The War Zone, that the U.S. would “actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran” anywhere in the…

BKFC 90: Tierney vs. Franco II is set to transpire on May 30th for the BKFC interim welterweight crown, and a former conqueror of Franco has weighed in on the high-stakes title bout. The combatant in question is LT Nelson, who recently defended his BKB middleweight crown against United Kingdom-based slugger Mark Tiffin at BKB 53 via emphatic knockout. Nelson has quite the history of fighting standout UK fighters, with his first bare-knuckle boxing match being against Rico Franco where ‘Smash’ secured a huge scalp over an already established vet in ‘BonBon’. Nelson stopped Franco at BYB 10 in the…

The Health and Human Services Department is adding back a majority of the positions it slashed last year, with the head of the agency telling lawmakers on Tuesday the hiring spree is necessary to conduct its work. Secretary Robert Kennedy made the comments despite also telling a panel of the Senate Appropriations Committee there was no degradation in the quality of service after HHS cut 20,000 employees in 2025. The department pushed out the employees because it had grown too much during the Biden administration, he said, though it is now going through a “rightsizing.” “I do not,” Kennedy said, when asked…

4/21/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary | Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University wpDiscuzInsert

SAN DIEGO – 20 April 2026 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has conducted a series of flight tests aimed at certifying the MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) for Flight Into Known Icing (FIKI). The flight tests began last year, and all planned testing was successfully completed in early April from GA-ASI’s Flight Test & Training Center (FTTC) near Grand Forks, North Dakota, using a company-owned MQ-9B. The FIKI flights build on earlier successful flight tests to evaluate flight characteristics with simulated ice shapes adhered to the aircraft as well as the aircraft’s successful Cold Weather Validation and flights…

A coalition that includes the National Association of Minority Contractors and several higher education groups on Monday filed a lawsuit to block a recent Trump executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs at federal contracting companies. “For centuries, minority-owned businesses have faced discrimination. This executive order is aimed at undermining the very policies that work to address that discrimination and move the nation toward fairness and inclusion,” said Wendell R. Stemley, national president of NAMC, in a statement. “These policies are not always successful, but we know one thing for sure, we will not have success if we do not…

For years, comedian Jeff Dye built his career on sharp wit, observational humor, and an infectious stage presence. But behind the laughs, the funnyman was battling a quieter struggle. It was one that many individuals, especially those in entertainment, can deeply relate to: relying on alcohol as a shortcut to personal connections. Now more than two years sober, Dye is candid about how stepping away from drinking has reshaped his relationships, creativity, and perhaps most importantly, his health. In a comedy culture in which late nights and cocktails are an everyday part of the job, Dye’s newfound journey toward sobriety…

INKAS® is proud to announce the release of its first-ever armored Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II, marking a significant milestone in the company’s expansion into next-generation ultra-luxury vehicle platforms. As one of the most refined SUVs in the world, the Cullinan Series II represents the pinnacle of automotive craftsmanship. INKAS® enhances this platform with a fully integrated armoring solution, engineered to deliver comprehensive protection while preserving the vehicle’s original design, performance, and driving experience. At the core of the build is a precision-engineered armored capsule, providing 360° ballistic protection through the integration of certified ballistic steel, multi-layer armored glass, and advanced…

Bottom lines up front WASHINGTON—In the first week after his party’s victory in Hungary’s national elections on April 12, the prime minister-apparent, Péter Magyar, vowed to bring independence to state media and counter corruption, including by joining the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.  Hungary’s pro-European turn was far from certain. As recently as the 2022 parliamentary elections, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party secured its highest vote share since Hungary’s transition from communism in 1989. Orbán’s sixteen-year tenure was widely described as corrupt, illiberal, and aligned with Moscow, and protests against Orbán’s government were a mainstay of the Hungarian opposition. Under Orbán, Hungary…