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The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. A deal engineered by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) allowing Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to leave the prison from where they have been under siege by Syrian government forces is a move that will protect U.S. troops in that country, a U.S. official told The War Zone Friday morning. There are still about 1,000 U.S. troops in Syria, tasked with continuing the fight against ISIS, the official added. The Syrian government has been battling the Kurdish-led, U.S.-backed SDF fighters for weeks as it…

Optimized for Rifles with Short Rails; Pro Model Features Flexible Jack Cap® Tail Switch EAGLEVILLE, PA, January 22, 2026 – Streamlight®Inc., a leading provider of high-performance lighting and weapon light/laser sighting devices, introduced the ProTac® Rail Mount 1L-X and the ProTac® 1L-X Pro, multi-fuel tactical lights with a compact design to fit short-barreled rifles, submachine guns, and carbines with limited rail space for both light and pressure pad. The new high-output lights, which also are available in USB configurations, deliver up to 850 lumens for extreme brightness. They will debut at SHOT Show 2026 in Las Vegas, where attendees can…

WASHINGTON—The past year was a dynamic one for transatlantic relations, and the Western Balkans were no exception. In 2025, countries in the region continued to look to the United States, the European Union (EU), and each other for increased economic investment, expanded infrastructure connectivity, and greater regional stability. At the same time, Washington delivered several mixed signals about the scope and durability of its future engagement with Europe, while Brussels remained ambiguous about the timeline for EU accession for several Western Balkan countries. If the trends evident in 2025 persist into the year ahead, then Western Balkan countries may increasingly…

MMA retirements never last long, and Dustin Poirier may end his soon.On Saturday night, Justin Gaethje battered Paddy Pimblet in the main event of UFC 324, claiming an interim lightweight title. Gaethje is now expected to unify his belt with undisputed champion Ilia Topuria sometime later this year, but after that, maybe he’ll get an opportunity for a trilogy bout with his greatest rival.Poirier and Gaethje had a memorable pair of fights in the UFC, with Poirier winning their first encounter by TKO in 2018, and Gaethje getting his revenge with a knockout in 2023, claiming the “BMF” title in…

UFC 324 kicked off Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) new year last night (Sat., Jan 24, 2026) inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the first event with Paramount+. In the main event of the evening, Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett each put it all on the line in a five-round war, which saw “The Highlight” win a unanimous decision to become the new interim Lightweight champion (highlights here). In the co-main event of the event Sean O’ Malley defeated Song Yadong via unanimous decision to snap his two-fight losing streak (see it again here).Who He Should Face Next: Ilia TopuriaThere…

A private-sector tech leader tapped by the Trump administration to improve the federal government’s online presence is setting an ambitious goal — overhauling about 27,000 dot-gov websites. Joe Gebbia, chief design officer of the United States and co-founder of Airbnb, said in a podcast interview Tuesday that the White House set out this goal when President Donald Trump signed an executive order last summer creating the National Design Studio. “We’re fixing all of them,” Gebbia said Tuesday on the American Optimist show. Many of the federal government’s websites, he added, “look like they’re from the mid-90s.” Gebbia began working with…

Sputnik News 20260124 TEL AVIV (Sputnik) – The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) commander, Adm. Brad Cooper, on Saturday arrived in Israel amid threats of escalation with Iran and the buildup of US forces in the region, Israeli Army Radio Galei Tzahal reported, citing a US military source. It will be a brief visit, with meetings with Israeli top security leadership scheduled on Saturday, the report said. Cooper arrived in the Middle East to address recent developments in Syria, in particular, the Syrian army takeover of territories previously held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, and the transfer of thousands…

If airpower had a heartbeat, aerial refueling would be it. Fighters don’t loiter, bombers don’t roam continents, and humanitarian missions don’t stretch across oceans without gas in the sky. That’s where the KC-46 Pegasus slips into the picture, often unnoticed, rarely glamorous, but absolutely decisive.At first glance, the KC-46 Pegasus doesn’t scream “revolution.” It’s not stealthy. It doesn’t break speed records. No flashy airshow stunts. Yet this aircraft sits at the center of how modern air forces actually function.Think of it less like a sports car and more like the circulatory system, quietly moving fuel, people, and supplies so everything…

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. — The beloved military working dog known across the force for greeting users when logging in to military devices is now retired from active service. Affectionately called “Doggles,” MWD Nick served eight years in the U.S. Army, seven of those here. Nick specialized in explosives detection, where he helped technicians as they confronted and defeated explosives around the world. Some of the biggest assignments that Nick and handler Staff Sgt. Justin Peyton have worked include 58 United States Secret Service missions, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Summit, the Democratic National Convention, the Army’s 250th anniversary…

It is generally accepted that there are three key criteria in tank design, the so-called ‘iron triangle’ of firepower, protection and mobility. In this article our interest is firepower, the current state of tank armament and its potential future evolutionary path. Central to this purpose is understanding how we got to the current state of play as regards tank armament. Western Cold War efforts Both the US and the British would introduce heavy tanks with large guns in response to the threat of the IS-3 (ИC-3; ENG: Iosif Stalin 3), a late–Second World War Soviet heavy tank and its successors…