Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla.— U.S. Air Force Col. Ryan Thulin, 325th Fighter Wing commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Erik Bensen, 325th FW command chief, established their strategic vision and expectations for the “Checkertails” during an all-call at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, July 14, 2026.In their first official gathering as the wing’s command team, the leaders emphasized readiness, personal responsibility and the installation’s ongoing transformation into an operational F-35A Lightning II wing.Thulin, a career pilot who transitioned to the F-35A in 2015, brings extensive experience from operational assignments at Kunsan, Aviano, and Misawa air bases, as well as combat…

Abstract  American military units often treat all training as equally valuable, despite clear differences in impact on readiness. This article applies a novel analytical framework designed to identify and isolate low-yield training events, and applies the Pareto Principle—a statistical hypothesis that suggest around 80% of outcomes come from a “vital few” 20% of causes—to show that a small subset of training activities produce most readiness gains. It offers a simple framework: Commanders prioritize high-impact training to improve effectiveness under constraint.  The Problem with How We Prioritize Training  U.S. Military units often overtrain the wrong things simply to train “harder.” Military readiness is therefore degraded not…

Transgender service members are on the precipice of being allowed back into the military after a federal court ruled that the Trump administration’s ban against them was unlawful.As troops look toward a future when their service might be welcome once again, individuals affected by the policy told Military Times that the year and a half time period upended their lives.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit said in a June 1 ruling regarding Talbott v. USA that the Pentagon’s transgender military ban was unconstitutional and that the 30 enlisted plaintiffs involved in the case could continue to serve.That…

When one has spent any time in tank circles, particularly those online, it’s almost inevitable that when discussing World War Two Allied armor somebody will mention how inferior Allied tanks were, and how they were crushed beneath mighty German treads at every opportunity. There is a particular emphasis on the poor M4 Sherman, which, of course, would spontaneously ignite at the mere sight of a Tiger coming over a hill, resplendent in its legendary Krupp steel. The Sherman, you will be informed, was invariably called the “Ronson”, with its puny guns, weak armor and extremely flammable petrol engine and ammunition.…

ELT Group took part in TASK FORCE X-CENTRAL MEDITERRANEAN (TFX-CentMed), a NATO Allied Command Transformation initiative led by the Italian Defence General Staff dedicated to testing emerging technologies in a multi-domain scenario in the Central Mediterranean, presenting an operational solution for electromagnetic spectrum management in support of air, naval and land defence. For the occasion, ELT Group presented a demonstration focusing on operations within the electromagnetic spectrum in a multi-domain, multi-threat scenario. The scenario envisaged the employment of advanced Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations Command and Control capabilities (EMSO C2) through surveillance, early warning, and the countering of aerial and naval threats,…

Editor’s note: This is the third article in a limited series celebrating American defense technologies born from wartime and their effects on broader national security, politics, and society. This series will run for several weeks to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, and winners will be selected by a reader vote undertaken through our newsletter later this summer. Prior installments can be found at the Arsenal of Innovation page. In the half-century since the Gates Commission established the all-volunteer force — and especially over the last 25 years — the relationship between the American soldier and the state has changed profoundly. Military service has become…

Department of Homeland Security personnel twice dismissed signs of cyber intruders inside the agency’s Homeland Security Information Network as harmless activity, allowing hackers to remain undetected inside for weeks and eventually steal credential files, according to an internal incident readout viewed by Nextgov/FCW.HSIN was breached about two months ago, Nextgov/FCW first reported in late June. The network houses sensitive, unclassified data that’s shared between federal, state, local, industry and overseas partner organizations.Department investigators have still not determined the affiliation of the hackers, according to two people with knowledge of an ongoing probe into the incident. DHS may send staff to…

UFC bantamweight Adrian Yanez is excited about a positive future ahead in the wake of his win over Cody Garbrandt at UFC 329. Last weekend, Adrian Yanez may well have sent Cody Garbrandt into retirement with an emphatic and impressive performance. It was the kind of showing that reminded everyone why Yanez was once viewed as a potential title contender in the division, and it certainly gives him a lot of options for the remainder of the year and beyond. At the age of 32, with his 33rd birthday coming up later this year, Adrian Yanez knows that if he…

There was a moment following his brutal first round loss to Adrian Yanez at UFC 329 where it looked like Cody Garbrandt might retire. That’s not the case, according to a new statement from the former bantamweight champion.Garbrandt reached the top of the mountain in 2016, taking the 135 pound belt off Dominick Cruz in a masterclass of a performance. He lost the strap in his first defense against T.J. Dillashaw and never managed to regain his footing. Series health issues caused by COVID impacted him greatly, and he’s gone 3-5 over the past five years. That includes this latest…

ZeroUSV has reached another major milestone with the delivery of  its next-generation Oceanus class uncrewed surface vessel (USV). The first Oceanus17, which is 17 metres in length, has now been delivered following the completion of Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT). Constructed at Manor Marine’s shipyard in Portland, Oceanus17 has now arrived at ZeroUSV’s headquarters at Turnchapel Wharf, Plymouth, where final fitout and payload integration will be undertaken prior to the official naming ceremony on the opening day of the British National Firework Championships, next month. Oceanus17 is the latest and largest USV in ZeroUSV’s growing Oceanus range, and builds on the…