Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Credit: AerovironmentDefense Feeds – Washington. The AeroVironment Wins $117M Deal for New Army Recon Drone contract marks another significant investment in the U.S. Army’s push to enhance battlefield intelligence and long-range reconnaissance capabilities through advanced unmanned systems.AeroVironment has secured a contract valued at approximately $117 million to provide its P550 unmanned aircraft system to the U.S. Army. The award supports the service’s growing demand for long-endurance drones capable of delivering real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) across increasingly complex operational environments.As modern warfare becomes more dependent on rapid information gathering and battlefield awareness, military planners are prioritizing platforms that can…

The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. For decades, the massive MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter has served as the Navy’s primary airborne mine countermeasure platform, dragging massive mine hunting sleds through waters all around the globe. However, the Sea Dragon’s days are now numbered, with the last 11 aircraft scheduled to sunset sometime next year. With the MH-53E’s demise on the horizon, we reached out to one of its former pilots, Steve Jones — a man who came to know this monster intimately during the Global War On Terror.…

Armada explored the SMART Kill, or Spectrum Measures Against Radio Frequency Threats, concept back in November 2024. How has the concept developed during the intervening years? Alasdair ‘Gilly’ Gilchrist, a former Royal Navy Electronic Warfare (EW) practitioner and an EW subject matter expert, has been developing his SMART Kill concept for several years. He was previously a guest on the Radioflash! podcast to discuss this subject in late 2024. The global security picture, notably the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the recent conflict involving Israel and the United States, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, underscore SMART Kill’s necessity and…

Bryce Mitchell had to endure a nasty weight cut for his bantamweight clash with dangerous prospect Santiago Luna this weekend at UFC Vegas 118, but at least “Thug Nasty” had UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland to lean on.This weekend is a big one for Mitchell as he makes his second appearance at 135 pounds as a member of the UFC roster. Mitchell is coming off a win over Said Nurmagomedov back in July 2025. Another victory this Saturday and “Thug Nasty” should find himself in the UFC bantamweight rankings next week. Things almost took a turn for the worse as…

If you’re just now beginning to discover Ace Combat or, for the first time, actually considering giving it a shot, you’re likely not alone. Despite the fact that the series began over three decades ago, many players jumped on board for the first time only seven years ago, when Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown’s multi-platform launch allowed it to reach a broader audience—and it certainly helped that it arrived with a lower barrier to entry than previous installments. According to an official statement from Bandai Namco, Ace Combat 7 managed to reach 7.5 million players worldwide, making it the biggest…

The Trump administration’s motivations for going to war in Iran remain in question. But amid all the debates over the state of the Iranian nuclear program and the condition of the regime, one crucial factor has been overlooked: the United States launched a war more than 6,000 miles from its borders because it could.States—even those with large and capable militaries—are supposed to struggle to project military power far away. Guns and aircraft have limited ranges, and it is difficult to resupply a distant front. Yet in the past year alone, the U.S. military has struck targets in Venezuela, Nigeria, Somalia,…

Street Fighter 6 is currently celebrating its third anniversary this week, and we now can see what the future of the game is going to hold for the next year. During the Summer Game Fest 2026 showcase today, Capcom announced that Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy 7, Bosch, Yasmine and Arjun will be coming to the game in Season 4. This will be the first Street Fighter 6 season…

The unemployment rate for veterans dipped to 3.2% in May, bolstered by a gains among women veterans despite fears that artificial intelligence could trigger layoffs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly jobs report Friday released Friday.The jobless rate for all veterans fell from 3.7% in April to 3.2% in May. The rate for the post-9/11 veterans ticked up from 4.0% in April to 4.1% in May but was still down from 4.5% in March, the bureau’s report said.One trend in the report was the continuing improvement among the nation’s 2.1 million women veterans, as shown by a three-month…

Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made his first official trip to Venezuela this week, five months after the high-risk U.S. military operation that removed the country’s strongman leader, Nicolás Maduro, from power.Caine held bilateral discussions with senior leaders of the interim government and with U.S. embassy personnel. During those meetings, he underscored the importance of Venezuelan stability, broader security across the Western Hemisphere and the military’s commitment to implementing Trump’s “three-phase plan,” Joe Holstead, a spokesman for Caine, said in a statement.The plan focuses on avoiding chaos, bolstering an economic recovery and — eventually…

FORT HUNTER LIGGETT, JOLON, CALIF. — Fort Hunter Liggett partnered with local, state, and federal fire agencies during the week of May 27, 2026, to execute a series of prescribed burns. These operations aim to reduce wildfire risk and protect critical training lands ahead of California’s fire season. The burns removed hazardous vegetation from some high-use training areas and ranges, reducing potential training interruptions ahead of upcoming Combat Support Training Exercise (CSTX) operations. The effort also provided valuable opportunities for firefighters from multiple agencies to train and work together. Firefighters from Fort Hunter Liggett (FHL), CAL FIRE, Big Sur Fire,…