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The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. The U.S. Navy’s Nimitz class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has been underway for 210 straight days – well over half a year – in support of Operation Epic Fury and the subsequent blockade of Iran. This looks to be a record-setting milestone. Lincoln, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 3 (CSG-3), is currently operating in Middle Eastern waters. Aircraft attached to Carrier Air Wing 9 fly over the flight deck of USS Abraham Lincoln, June 28, 2026. U.S. Navy photo U.S.…

On 9 June 2026, the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) signed a contract with the Arbeitsgemeinschaft (ARGE) HEL of MBDA Deutschland GmbH und Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH for the development of a high-energy laser weapon system for the German Navy. A joint venture between MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH is currently being established for this purpose. The laser weapon system will be operational in 2029. The contract is worth hundreds of millions of euros. It covers the development of a complete system for maritime applications and will encompass the entire…

Washington’s alliances are under immense strain. Many allies and partners are subject to increased threats from great-power adversaries, and they are coming to doubt whether they can rely on the United States. The response to these pressures is to rearm. Like the United States itself, U.S. partners across Asia, Europe, and elsewhere are building up their defense industrial and technological bases to improve their ability to project power, deter enemies, and prevail in a protracted conflict.The problem is that both the United States and its partners have treated their defense buildups primarily as domestic projects when what they need, in…

Credit: US NavyDefense Feeds, Berlin – The expansion of Stinger missile production Europe marks another sign that NATO is reshaping not only its military posture but also the industrial base that supports it.Raytheon is moving to significantly increase European production of the FIM-92 Stinger missile, a decision aimed at restoring depleted inventories while creating a more resilient supply chain for one of the alliance’s most widely used short-range air defense weapons.The announcement comes after several years of sustained demand for portable air defense systems, prompting NATO members to rethink where critical munitions are manufactured. Rather than relying almost entirely on…

UFC star Paddy Pimblett has discussed the narrative shift he has seen since Justin Gaethje became the undisputed UFC lightweight champion. On Saturday night at UFC 329, Paddy Pimblett takes on Benoit Saint Denis in the co-main event of arguably the biggest card of the year (perhaps outside of the White House). In his most recent outing prior to that, the Liverpudlian went toe to toe with Justin Gaethje, and ‘The Highlight’ was able to pull off the win and claim the interim title. From there, Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC Freedom 250 to win…

Choosing a web host is one of the most fundamental decisions you will make for your website. It affects everything from performance and security to how much maintenance you’ll do.  A great hosting provider helps your site thrive, so you can spend less time troubleshooting and more time building. When you’re weighing what to consider when choosing a web host, start by matching your site’s needs with the performance, maintenance, support, and cost you’re comfortable managing. A personal blog, a growing business site, and an online store need different things — and the right host should give you room to…

“The Baddy” returns to action this weekend (Sat., July 11, 2026) at UFC 329 opposite Benoit Saint-Denis in a pivotal Lightweight matchup that could help decide the next title challenger. It will be Pimblett’s first bout since losing to “The Highlight” back in January, but it’s fair to say that loss has aged well. Pimblett stood toe-to-toe with Gaethje for five full rounds, whereas his longtime rival Ilia Topuria was stopped at the end of the fourth (highlights here).Debatably, Pimblett had the stronger performance versus the current champion, which makes it a little surprising that Gaethje still firmly believes that…

Department of Housing and Urban Development Chief Information Officer and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Sidle is expected to soon take up the Department of Interior’s top tech post after the latter agency’s CIO departed, according to two people familiar with the matter.He is finalizing the paperwork process and could be onboarded in the next one to two weeks, said both people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the selection has not been made public.Sidle joined HUD in May 2025 after serving in the private sector for a number of years in a variety of tech-specific roles. He previously…

The Secret Service has been updating how it tracks employee working hours and assigns agents to protective operations, as a new report reveals the extent to which the agency grappled with understaffing and relied on incomplete workforce data amid high-profile security incidents in recent years. The Department of Homeland Security inspector general’s partially redacted June 30 report puts the Secret Service’s well-known staffing challenges under a microscope. The redacted report found the Secret Service was understaffed by an average of 21.4% across fiscal 2023 and 2024. The staffing challenges and “inadequate planning,” the IG found, led to the Secret Service…

Patraeus: Taiwan’s Ukraine Problem Isn’t Procurement | Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University wpDiscuzInsert