Aerospace & Defense
The latest coverage of the Defense Department, State Department and aerospace industry.
Navy sending USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group to the Middle East amid tensions with Iran
The Navy is sending a third aircraft carrier strike group to the Middle East for what is expected to be an extended deployment amid rising tensions with Iran.
Navy’s newest aircraft carrier nearly complete, undergoing at-sea training with crew
Construction of the USS John F. Kennedy is 99% complete and the aircraft carrier is ready for at-sea training while the shipbuilder completes final testing before delivery next spring, officials said.
Trump aims to expand efforts against cartels as effectiveness of deadly boat strikes draws criticism
President Trump is leaning into his plan deploying lethal force against “ISIS”-like drug cartels, dismissing critics who say the operation hasn’t reined in enough drug consumption in the U.S. to justify its costs.
Defense Secretary Hegseth to cut number of generals, admirals by 20% in major shake-up
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will announce plans Wednesday to cut the number of positions for generals and admirals by 20% during his State of the Force address to the troops at Quantico, Virginia.
NATO races to solve missile shortage as wars drain Western stockpiles
Rocket-launch and advanced radar systems on display at Europe’s largest defense fairs are multiplying quickly, but finding enough actual missiles to put in the systems is proving increasingly difficult.
Navy investigates after two aviators eject during carrier landing off the Virginia coast
The Navy is investigating the cause of a landing “mishap” aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on Monday, when two aviators ejected from their aircraft off the coast of Virginia.
Iran officials renew call for deal to open Hormuz despite Trump’s peace plan rejection
Iran’s foreign minister met with mediators on Monday in New York City to review the latest proposals from both sides and exchange views about the current state of his country’s war with the U.S. and Israel, according to reports, just days after President Trump rejected Tehran’s latest peace plan.
Trump denies offering to sell U.S. arms to China at Xi summit
President Trump on Monday said he did not discuss an offer to sell U.S. weapons to China during the recent summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
A new ‘Last Supper’? Why America’s defense tech boom may be slowing
The bullet train of growth in the advanced defense tech sector may be slowing down, as a perfect storm in Washington, Silicon Valley and Wall Street could spark a wave of consolidation in an industry that until recently seemed poised for endless expansion.
Air Force Thunderbirds’ F-16 lost power, crashed last year due to ‘misaligned’ engine fan blade
An F-16 jet fighter from the Air Force’s “Thunderbirds” flight demonstration team lost power and crashed into the desert about 120 miles west of Las Vegas last year because of misaligned fan blades in the engine, according to a recently released Air Force investigation into the mishap.
SpaceX’s supersized Starship launches toward orbit for the first time
SpaceX launched its enormous Starship into orbit for the first time Monday, aiming for six full laps around Earth to prove its readiness for NASA’s Artemis moon program.
Call for U.S. to pull back on Asia alliances, defer to China has Indo-Pacific on edge
A potential U.S. strategy long feared by America’s Asian allies has been given shape.
Trump rejects Iranian ceasefire offer
President Trump has turned down a seven-day ceasefire proposed by Iran.
GAO: Navy must refine plan to upgrade 4 nuclear-capable shipyards
The Navy’s plan to modernize the nation’s four public nuclear shipyards will cost more than $200 billion and take 50 years to complete, according to a new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Russian Secret Service tech vendor posed as American to sell to U.S. security agencies
A Northern Virginia software CEO duped U.S. front-line defense agencies, including the president’s personal security team, by boasting American ownership when Russians actually owned and operated the tech company and built the codes, new court files show.
Coast Guard nabs huge cocaine haul, arrests suspected drug smugglers
A Coast Guard cutter seized more than 25,000 pounds of cocaine in three incidents last month as part of Operation Pacific Viper, a counternarcotics mission in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, military officials said this week.
‘We are paying a heavy price’: Egyptian FM says U.S.-Iran war straining regional economy
Egypt and its neighbors across the Middle East are paying a heavy economic price for the simmering U.S.-Iran war, Egypt’s top diplomat said in an exclusive interview, urging de-escalation and appealing to President Trump as a “man of peace” capable of ending the conflict.
Netanyahu dismisses opponents, praises Trump in brash speech at United Nations
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called allegations of genocide in Gaza “the biggest lie of the century” as dozens of world leaders walked out during his speech Thursday at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Navy sticking with jets’ electromagnetic launching from carriers despite Trump pushback
The Navy appears to be standing by its choice of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launching System over legacy steam catapults for Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, despite President Trump’s criticism of the cutting-edge system.
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BOOM! U.S. military turns ISIS targets to rubble
Gallery: 14 Photos
U.S. airstrikes have devastated Islamic State targets.
