Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

The Pentagon has given major defense contractors 21 days to submit plans showing that they can produce and deliver critical weapons systems at a much higher pace, as recent combat operations around the globe have severely dwindled some stockpiles. Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg issued the directive in an Aug. 5 memo to industry leaders. The memo calls for companies to propose an uptick in production for such weapons systems deemed critical. “Years-long development cycles are not acceptable,” Feinberg wrote. “We must dramatically accelerate our program schedules and expand our production capacity now.” The memo was directed toward major defense…

Europe has long viewed the South Caucasus through a narrow security lens: a region shaped by Russian influence, energy vulnerabilities,  and persistent instability driven by the “frozen conflicts” of Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia. Today however, this region (Europe’s near neighbourhood), is quickly evolving into something more strategically important. Once seen as Europe’s periphery, the region is increasingly becoming a key geopolitical crossroads linking Europe to Central Asia, and beyond.  At the centre of this transformation sits the so-called “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), an emerging transport and connectivity initiative that could reshape the regional balance of…

The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. The U.S. Army is on the hunt for a new lower-cost strike missile capable of hitting targets more than 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) away. The Affordable High Speed Strike (AHSS) missile could be more of a traditional ballistic missile-like weapon or feature an air-breathing propulsion system. AHSSs could be fired from new uncrewed launcher vehicles that the Army is pursuing separately, as well as certain existing crewed types like the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The service sees these future…

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AFNS) —   Qilin Wu, a Chinese national who returned to Whiteman Air Force Base after being warned not to photograph the installation, was sentenced to six months in federal custody following a case built on a 76-year-old executive order signed by President Harry Truman. The conviction showed how a Cold War-era legal framework can be used against repeated, unauthorized photography around sensitive military installations, and how Special Agents will investigate similar cases before they develop into something more. “For our Special Agents, this isn’t about a single case,” said Col. David Bethel, commander of the Air…

Dana White is hyped to see what Bella Mir can do when she fights on the Contender Series this August 25th.Mir, the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, is an NCAA Division I champion and already holds a 4-0 pro MMA record with three first round submissions. She was originally pushing to enter the UFC at 19 years old, but White convinced her to delay until after going to college. Now she’s graduated, and that’s bad news for all the women in combat sports.“She is an absolute freak of nature and incredibly special,” White said at the UFC…

Chidi Njokuani wasn’t having any of the commission’s nonsense at weigh-ins.On Saturday night, Njokuani scored an upset win over Joel Alvarez at UFC 330. But before the fight ever took place, Njokuani’s first battle was with the Pennsylvania athletic commission at weigh-ins the day before.When Njokuani first weighed in, he came in a half-pound over the 171 limit and looked surprised at his miss. And apparently that’s because he says someone on the athletic commission screwed up.“They make us weigh in on the digital scale in the back first,” Njokuani told reporters in his post-fight scrum. “They double-check to make…

BATURAJA COMBAT TRAINING CENTER, Indonesia – U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers with the 766th Engineer Construction Company (ECC), 841st Engineer Brigade, 412th Theater Engineer Command transformed impassable jungle roads into a new and improved combat road and helicopter landing zone in just 10 days in support of Exercise Ksatria Warrior 26. The 766th ECC, arrived at Baturaja Combat Training Center (BCTC) Aug. 5, 2026 and began construction operations in support of the bilateral exercise with the Indonesian Army, or Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Darat (TNI-AD). The project includes repairing and improving roads and constructing a helicopter landing zone, or HLZ,…

8/16/26 National Security and Korean News and Commentary | Small Wars Journal by Arizona State University wpDiscuzInsert

Raul Rosas Jr. has his next assignment.The 21-year-old bantamweight prospect is set to headline UFC Vegas 121 on Sept. 21 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas, where he takes on veteran Raoni Barcelos (22-5) in the main event.Check out the official announcement below.This marks the first UFC main event booking for both fighters.Rosas (12-1) has been one of the most talked-about fighters on the UFC roster ever since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022 just one month shy of his 18th birthday. That made Rosas the youngest fighter ever to sign with the UFC.He then became…

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is continuing its breakneck pace for DLC character launches here in Season 3 following Rick Strowd last month. Now it’s finally Duck King’s time to shine after many years on the sidelines, and SNK just dropped the dance master’s gameplay trailer for City of the Wolves. Despite being a series staple since the first Fatal Fury, it’s been nearly 30 years since Duck King…