Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

An RAAF F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter launches from RAAF Base Amberley carrying a JASSM-ER on a weapon pylon. (ADF)Australia announced that its AGM-158C Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) and AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range (JASSM-ER) have achieved initial operational capability.The IOC milestone for the two air-launched, long-range, strike munitions for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was confirmed by the Department of Defence on 11 September.The JASSM-ER is a long-range, land strike cruise missile with a range of more than 900km, while the LRASM is designed to strike well-defended maritime targets beyond 370km.Both munitions were developed by…

This pilot Design Lab engaged clients, clinic leaders, and policy experts to identify barriers and strategies for expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder. Stigma, workforce shortages, regulatory complexity, and payment limitations emerged as key challenges. Expanding insurer reimbursement through a structured learning exchange was rated highest in impact and feasibility, suggesting cross-sector collaboration may advance access. This research was sponsored by the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts. This work was conducted in the Health Services and Outcomes Program of RAND Health.This publication is part of the RAND research report series. Research reports present research findings and objective analysis…

The U.S. Air Force has a $14 billion hole in supply for aircraft parts, affecting how the service acquires parts and looks at sustainment funding, service leaders said Wednesday.As the force grapples with supply chain and maintenance issues as well as long aircraft service lives, sustainment funding is becoming increasingly necessary to bridge the gap, service officials said in a panel at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2026 Air, Space & Cyber Conference.“If I can throw a number out there right now, we have a $14 billion hole in supply,” Commander of Air Force Materiel Command Lt. Gen. Linda…

Rheinmetall Canada marks its 40th anniversary with a groundbreaking ceremony to expand its Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, facility, reinforcing its long-term commitment to driving Canadian innovation and increasing its advanced manufacturing capacity. Rheinmetall’s expansion will increase the production space by 4830 m2 and grow the warehousing capacity by 2230 m2, which will significantly enhance the industrial foundation required to produce, integrate, and sustain advanced autonomous Uncrewed Ground Systems (UGS) in Canada. This increased footprint in the Montérégie, Quebec, region comes at an important time as Rheinmetall adapts to the growing demand of its land autonomy solutions. In the last year alone, Rheinmetall has…

Millbrook, Bedfordshire, 17 September 2026 – IDV, a Leonardo company, will bring the latest generation of its VIKING Uncrewed Ground Vehicle (UGV) to DVD 2026 in two advanced configurations, demonstrating how a common platform can deliver different battlefield capabilities. One vehicle, displayed on the IDV stand, will be equipped with precision effectors, while a second vehicle, showcased on the Leonardo stand opposite, will demonstrate an advanced electronic warfare capability. Together, these configurations highlight the versatility of the VIKING platform and its ability to support a wide range of missions through a common vehicle architecture. This adaptability is enabled by the…

Washington is preparing for the right war, but in the wrong theater. For years, U.S. strategic thinking has centered on the Indo‑Pacific: the militarized atolls of the South China Sea, China’s churning naval shipyards, and the tense waters of the Taiwan Strait. Yet the next phase of competition will likely play out on the Eurasian landmass, contested through pipelines, swing states, and shifting alignments along routes that overlap with the ancient Silk Road. This is where China is building alternative trade and energy corridors beyond the immediate reach of U.S. military power.Chinese strategists have long worried that, in a conflict…

As the Army faces queries for standing down its experimental drone battalion, service officials say the future of drone warfare is at every level of Army formations — not condensed into one designated unit. At a Thursday media roundtable, Army leaders told reporters that the service was working to distribute the technology across the force — down to the squad level — while maintaining that the trial unit, formed less than a year prior, was always meant to be temporary. The Army confirmed last month that it was shuttering the “Unmanned Assault Battalion,” a 600-member unit charged with learning from…

Before they can fight, they must weigh in.The UFC 331 early (and official) weigh ins will stream LIVE from the promotion’s host hotel in the embedded video above starting promptly at 12 p.m. ET. The festivities are expected to last roughly two hours but could end much earlier depending on how quickly all 24 fighters get to the scale. The promotion will also stage the UFC 331 ceremonial weigh ins later tonight (complete with fighter staredowns) live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Note: California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) affords a one-pound allowance in non-title…

The process of getting a Black Belt is an intense, refining process. The Black Belt Exam is like a furnace, an extreme heat that burns away the outer layers and impurities and leaves a strong, solid core impervious to external factors. It is a process during which the Black Belt candidate internalizes the principles of Hapkido and the martial arts and makes them a part of themselves. There is a story told of a farmer who was inspired to mine for diamonds, and this story makes me think of the search for a Black Belt. Once, a farmer lived on…

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a stunning indictment of the state of global health security. The epidemic should have been containable; few threats are as familiar to health officials and institutions as this one. Ebola viruses were first discovered in northern Congo (then Zaire) in 1976; since then, they have caused 16 outbreaks in that country and dozens more in the region. Ebola remains highly lethal, but over the past five decades, medical professionals and governments have learned how to diagnose the disease, detect its spread, and, when caught early, stop it. Yet the…