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ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The first F-15EX Eagle II designated for Kadena Air Base departed Boeing’s St. Louis facility August 28, 2026 en route to Portland, marking another milestone toward the permanent stationing of the U.S. Air Force’s newest Eagle variant in Japan. At Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon, the aircraft will undergo additional preparations before its eventual movement to Kadena Air Base. The F-15EX represents continued U.S. investment in Kadena and the modernization of its permanent fighter force, reinforcing the enduring U.S.-Japan defense partnership and readiness in an evolving security environment. “This is an important next step toward…

The Department of Veterans Affairs is nearly tripling the ceiling on its contract with Oracle to modernize the agency’s electronic health record system, yet lawmakers left a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing Wednesday without clear answers about why the increase is necessary or how much taxpayers will ultimately pay.VA’s original electronic health record contract had a ceiling of roughly $10 billion. The department has increased that ceiling to roughly $27 billion, an increase of about $17 billion.The nearly $27 billion figure discussed repeatedly during Wednesday’s hearing is not money VA has already spent. It is the maximum potential value of…

The former UK amphibious ship HMS Bulwark is being transferred to the Brazilian Navy. (Crown copyright/UK Ministry of Defence, 2012)The UK has announced the transfer of the former Royal Navy (RN) amphibious ship HMS Bulwark to the Brazilian Navy.The landing platform dock (LPD) vessels Bulwark and sister ship HMS Albion were in RN service – providing the amphibious assault capacity for the UK Royal Marines Commandos – until 2024. The 18,000-tonne vessels entered service in 2003 (Albion) and 2005 (Bulwark).In a press statement on 28 August confirming the transfer, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) noted the strong relationship between the UK and Brazil as defence…

Two recent federal policies establish funding prohibitions and research review requirements for certain life sciences pathogen or toxin research. Based on the definition of dangerous gain-of-function research (DGOF), the authors recommend that relevant federal agencies adopt an objective, transparent decisionmaking framework with defined DGOF criteria. This framework builds on previous RAND work to assess high-risk research. This publication is part of the RAND working paper series. RAND working papers are intended to share researchers’ latest findings and to solicit informal peer review. They have been approved for circulation by RAND but may not have been formally edited or peer reviewed.This…

In his endless quest to break into the top of the bantamweight rankings, Song Yadong finally made a quantum leap.Song knocked out Umar Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC Shanghai this past Saturday, not only becoming the first fighter to finish Nurmagomedov and just the second-ever to beat him, but also scoring arguably the biggest upset of 2026. Let’s ponder that for a moment.Up until this point, the Song narrative was straightforward: Talented fighter. Heavy hitter. Young, still developing.Not good enough to beat the best.That might sound harsh, but consider the evidence. Wins over Henry Cejudo, Marlon Moraes, and…

The sudden recent escalation of the Iran war has cast renewed attention on its civilian toll after Iran reported 18 dead in the last U.S. assault, including four killed and dozens wounded at a wedding.Iran’s health minister said 18 people were killed and 108 wounded in Tuesday night’s U.S. strikes across Iran. The Iranian Red Crescent said four people were killed and 67 wounded at a wedding ceremony near the coast of the Strait of Hormuz.The return of combat operations has alarmed countries throughout the region, as Iran launched missile and drone attacks against what it said were U.S. assets…

ITDS processor, paired with Northrop Grumman’s ATHENA sensor, will enhance aircraft and aircrew survivability ASHBURN, Va. – Sept. 1, 2026 – Curtiss-Wright announced today that it was awarded an approximately $14 million contract from Northrop Grumman to provide sensor processing equipment supporting the Phase II development of the U.S. Army’s Improved Threat Detection System (ITDS), the future threat warning system designed to protect aircraft from air defense systems. The program aims to deliver advanced missile warning and threat detection capabilities across current and future U.S. Army aviation platforms, including the AH-64 Apache and MV-75 Cheyenne Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft. Curtiss-Wright’s…

ANKARA, TURKIYE – AUGUST 16: Mayor of Kecioren Mesut Ozarslan (not seen) receives a Chechen delegation including Olympic and world champion athletes, along with UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev, at the municipality building in Ankara, Turkiye, on August 16, 2026. (Photo by Ahmet Serdar Eser/Anadolu via Getty Images) Anadolu via Getty Images

“Field Tested” immerses audiences in the field environments where Soldiers build confidence, teamwork, and skills for the Army and beyond At a Glance The U.S. Army’s new marketing campaign, “Field Tested,” immerses audiences in the real-world training environments where Soldiers gain hands-on experience and proven skills that prepare them to take on whatever comes next. “Field Tested” speaks to young adults who are navigating an uncertain landscape by showing how Army training equips Soldiers with the skills, confidence, and resilience needed to succeed in any future. Three headlining films follow real Army Soldiers through the field as they demonstrate leadership,…

Listen to the article 2 min This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. North Carolina Railroad Company plans to invest up to $600,000 in rail infrastructure for lumber company Great Southern Wood-NC’s new manufacturing facility in the state, according to an Aug. 25 press release. NCRR’s investment will help fund the construction of on-site rail infrastructure for Great Southern Wood-NC’s upcoming lumber treatment facility located at Laurinburg-Maxton Airport in Scotland County, North Carolina. The lumber company expects to invest $40 million into the project. “Once operational, Great Southern Wood-NC will use the rail project to receive and…