Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. Two U.S. troops were killed in action and one remains missing in Jordan on Friday while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks, U.S. Central Command announced on X. Another “four American service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals. They have since been discharged. Other personnel who were evaluated for minor injuries have returned to duty.” “Out of respect for the families, CENTCOM is withholding additional information, including the identities of the fallen warriors, until 24 hours after the next…

After stealing the show in Tbilisi, Georgia, this past weekend, Real American Freestyle returns to the mat on July 18 (Saturday) at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a card featuring 12 back-to-back matchups. In the RAF 11 headliner, top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan, who is 7-0 in the RAF, takes on former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington (3-0 in the RAF) for the RAF inaugural crossover title. In the co-main event of RAF 11, MMA legend Ben Askren is set to return to active competition for a special one-off comeback bout. “Funky” survived a near-death health…

Aging is unavoidable, but the way your body ages is surprisingly flexible. Scientists now distinguish between chronological age, which is the number of birthdays you have celebrated, and biological age, which reflects how well your cells, organs, and systems are functioning. Two people who are both 60 years old can have dramatically different levels of physical performance, metabolic health, cognitive ability, and disease risk. Healthy aging is not about avoiding wrinkles or maintaining the appearance of youth. Instead, it is about preserving function. Researchers consistently find that people who maintain muscle strength, cardiovascular fitness, metabolic flexibility, cognitive performance, and emotional…

The Pentagon wants to move quickly with its review of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program, but plenty of questions swirl around what defense officials can do differently this time to balance compliance concerns for small businesses with the need to enforce cybersecurity requirements. The CMMC review team met for the first time on Thursday, July 16, Defense Department Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies told reporters that same day following a tour of the factory floor at Kform, a small defense manufacturer based in Sterling, Va. Davies was joined on the tour by Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler and Under…

To Megan Fotheringham, a small, circular plaque represents what the United States lost when the Trump administration shuttered the U.S. Agency for International Development last year.The plaque “was given to a USAID foreign service advisor in 1976 after the first recognized Ebola outbreak was contained in Zaire. For me, it represents 50 years of U.S. commitment to stop Ebola at its source before it reaches our shores,” Fotheringham, who served as the deputy director in USAID’s Office of Infectious Disease, told a crowd assembled before the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. “This plaque was on my desk during what became USAID’s last Ebola response effort. When I…

Colby Covington finally managed to snap Arman Tsarukyan’s 7-fight win streak in Real American Freestyle. Earlier tonight in the RAF 11 main event, Tsarukyan (7-0) returned to the mats to take on Covington (3-0) for the RAF inaugural crossover title.In the first period, Tsarukyan attempted a front headlock but failed to score any points, after which he was put on the shot clock. Yet the 29-year-old was unable to score. Thus, Covington secured a point. Late in the period, the former UFC fighter also managed to take a 3-0 lead.In the second period, Tsarukyan scored 2 points to narrow the…

Contents The era of the Global War on Terrorism has given way to the return of high-technology combat, with advancement in uncrewed military systems taking center stage. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has been at the forefront of this transformation. For decades, the company has delivered cutting-edge uncrewed aircraft systems that have changed the face of modern warfare. From persistent Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) to today’s emerging collaborative combat operations, GAASI’s  platforms are at the leading edge in defense and national security technology. David R. Alexander, president of GA-ASI, has been instrumental in driving the company’s vision forward.…

This is the fourth part (I, IIa, IIb, III) of our honestly-who-knows-how-many part series laying out some general guidelines for how pre-modern armies are organized. We’ve talked about how armies are recruited, equipped and paid for. In particular, as we’ve seen so far, the structure of recruitment, organization and payment (such as it was) is heavily dependent on the underlying civilian structures, often mirroring them quite closely. Armies cannot help but recreate their civilian social structures on the battlefield. The same is absolutely true for leadership and cohesion, essential for getting an army to fight effectively. Now we need to…

Introduction I grew up during the golden age of real-time strategy. The late 90s and the early 2000s were the best years the genre has ever seen, and it was then that the gold standard was solidified, and the all-time classics emerged. Unfortunately, from the late 2000s until 2015, aside from a few exceptions, came a time when the RTS genre went into a steep decline. Or better yet, a deep slumber. Now, it seems that this genre of strategy is fully awakened, and it’s coming out swinging in 2026 and 2027. This list focuses on the upcoming real-time strategy…

Two U.S. service members in Jordan have been killed and another remains missing following Iranian missile and drone attacks. The announcement, made Saturday afternoon by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), stated that U.S. military personnel and partner forces worked in cohesion to defend against Iranian attacks in the region. The services and ranks of the individuals were not disclosed. Another four U.S. service members were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals but have since been discharged. Other personnel evaluated for minor injuries have also returned to duty. Their services and ranks also were not disclosed. CENTCOM, following traditional protocols of notifying next…