Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Rheinmetall has received an initial call-off from the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Infrastructure, Environmental Protection and Services (BAIUDBw) under the German Armed Forces Contractor Augmentation Program II – Static Accommodation (G-CAP II SU). In Lithuania, the group will now, as the main contractor, build a modular camp for up to 2,000 soldiers, which is due to become operational from mid-August 2027. Following commissioning, Rheinmetall will be responsible for facility management, including laundry, as well as catering. The order value for the construction of the modular facility amounts to €250 million, while the subsequent operation is valued at €40 million annually.…

Judged by the initial strategic goals set by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022, Russia’s military lost its war against Ukraine some time ago. Yet Russia’s armed forces have not stopped fighting and continue to prosecute large-scale combat operations in a brutalizing, protracted war sucking up much of Russia’s assets of national power, from pure military capacity to foreign policy priorities to considerable societal and economic resources. While Putin calls the most important strategic shots, it is Russia’s senior military elite that makes the strategic and operational decisions impacting warfighting outcomes every day. Who are these senior officers, where did…

Key PointsThe Air Force posted a notice on August 25 seeking companies able to maintain and update the AC-130J gunship’s targeting software.L3Harris ForceX Inc. built the software and remains the only current source for it, with responses to the Air Force due September 9, 2026.The AC-130J Ghostrider is one of the most heavily armed aircraft in the U.S. military, a modified cargo plane converted into a gunship that circles slowly overhead and rains down precision fire on ground targets. It carries a 30 mm cannon, a 105 mm howitzer, and a mix of guided bombs and missiles, all controlled through…

When a house exploded in Twentynine Palms, California, on Aug. 21, off-duty Navy corpsmen left dinner to rush to the scene, teaming up with local Marines to rescue residents.The corpsmen, assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Twentynine Palms, gathered at Kitchen in the Desert that night to honor Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Hareramdas Garcia, who was leaving the command.Around 8:30 p.m., an explosion rang out across the neighborhood.Hospitalman Mykrussel Dominguez Gonzales, an emergency department corpsman at Naval Hospital Twentynine Palms, recalled the moment. “We heard a loud explosion and immediately saw white smoke rising from the direction of…

The Navy is exploring two options for its Silent Anvil Air-Launched Torpedo and is seeking contractors that fit the bill.The first is a new torpedo launched from an aircraft or drone that glides into the water and acoustically homes in on the target.The other is a glide kit affixed to an existing torpedo. The concept seems similar to the Navy’s existing High Altitude Anti-Submarine Warfare Weapon Capability system, which added a glide kit to regular Mark 54 torpedoes that can be launched from P-8 Poseidon patrol planes flying as high as 30,000 feet. Or, the Air Force’s highly successful Joint…

Ocius Technology has signed agreements to integrate advanced sonar systems from ThayerMahan and Thales Australia across its growing fleet of Australian-made Bluebottle uncrewed surface vessels (USVs). Ocius Technology press release The sonar systems include fully retractable thin-line acoustic arrays (TLAs) which will be deployed to support persistent surface and subsurface intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) as part of the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) recent AUD$176 million Program of Record, as well as Ocius’ ongoing 24/7 operations to the north of Australia for Maritime Border Command. Under the Royal Australian Navy’s SEA1200 program to combat undersea threats, Ocius has awarded ThayerMahan,…

ARO – Blade-Tech Taser 10 Wrap The next in a series of new product launches, ARO has released a Wrap model for the Blade-Tech Taser 10 Holster. The Wrap is designed to allow the user to mount pouches to their retention holster. Previously, ARO has supported retention holsters for pistols, but customers have requested the same capability for their Taser holsters. This Wrap is the first released for the end user wanting that capability. Extremely low profile the Wrap is constructed from polypropylene sheets woven together for maximum strength and weight savings. By wrapping around the holster body, the bulk…

A U.S. Air Force officer and two Army Corps of Engineers civilians were among eight people killed in a plane crash in Western Alaska last week.2nd Lt. Leah R. Borsich, 23, was a project programmer in the 611th Civil Engineer Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, located in Anchorage, Alaska, according to a Monday base release.Borsich was among eight people killed Aug. 20 when a civilian-contracted aircraft crashed at Cape Newenham Long Range Radar Site Airport, roughly 450 miles west-southwest of Anchorage.“Lt. Borsich was a positive leader who brought tremendous energy and enthusiasm to our command,” Col. Timothey Meerstein, commander of…

Shortly after taking office last year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth polled the nation’s top commanders about cutting a program designed to protect civilians during U.S. military operations.Hegseth had bet senior officers would endorse his view that focusing on civilian security was “woke” and out of step with “maximum lethality,” current and former defense officials told ProPublica.Instead, every commander rebuffed the idea.The poll from early 2025, which has not been previously reported, cemented top-level military support for Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response, a relatively new program adopted after years of heavy civilian tolls in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. As part of…

Who is Pablo Molina, and why is his name attracting attention ahead of SENSHI 33 Grand Prix? On September 5, the Argentine fighter will step into the professional SENSHI ring in one of the two reserve bouts of the 95 kg Grand Prix tournament. Standing across from him will be Mike Kena from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and victory could mean much more than winning a single fight – the reserve fighters will be ready to enter the main tournament bracket if needed. Tickets for the event are available through Eventim.bg Behind Molina’s name already stand three consecutive KWU…