Section
Defense
Oreshnik missile raises pressure on Ukraine air defences
Oreshnik missile use over Kyiv points to a bigger problem for Ukraine: mixed salvos can drain scarce interceptors faster than allies can replace them.
Chinese ship leaves Pratas after two-day Taiwan standoff
A Chinese coast guard ship left waters near Taiwan-held Pratas after a two-day standoff, exposing a new pressure point in the northern South China Sea.
Japan Tomahawk delays show US strain from Iran war
Japan Tomahawk delays show how the Iran war is draining US missile stocks, testing alliance credibility in Asia and pushing Tokyo to diversify.
Britain readies Strait of Hormuz mission if Iran deal holds
Britain's Strait of Hormuz mission would hinge on drones, escorts and coalition cover, because a ceasefire claim alone will not bring ships back.
Oreshnik missile threat tests Ukraine after Putin vow
Oreshnik missile threat is forcing Kyiv and its allies to weigh how quickly Moscow could turn Putin's retaliation order into a harder-to-stop strike.
US pauses $14bn Taiwan arms sale for Iran war munitions
Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao told the Senate the $14 billion weapons package for Taipei is on hold to conserve stockpiles for Operation Epic Fury.
Russian jets fly within metres of RAF plane over Black Sea
Russian jets flew within six metres of an RAF surveillance plane over the Black Sea, Britain said, warning the intercept risked escalation.
Taiwan arms package clouds Pentagon visit to Beijing
Taiwan arms package tensions are clouding a Pentagon visit to Beijing as China presses Washington over a planned $14 billion sale.
Russia, Belarus stage nuclear drills as NATO tensions rise
Russia and Belarus held joint nuclear exercises on Thursday for the first time, a show of force as tensions with NATO escalate over the war in Ukraine.
Ukraine strikes on Russian oil raise Moscow's war costs
Ukraine strikes on Russian oil and rear-area air defenses are forcing Moscow to protect refineries, fuel flows and front-line logistics at once.
Two Navy jets collide at Idaho air show, crews eject safely
Two Navy EA-18G Growler jets collided during an air show in Idaho on Sunday, but all four crew members ejected safely and were reported stable.
Chinese rare-earth ban threatens Pentagon weapons supply chain
Chinese rare-earth ban could hit Pentagon suppliers before new US magnet capacity is ready, turning decoupling into a weapons test.
Britain turns Typhoons into low-cost drone interceptors in Middle East
The RAF's decision to arm Typhoons with APKWS in the Middle East shows how cheaper drone interceptors are becoming central to air defence.
Lawmakers press Trump on Taiwan after Xi summit
Lawmakers urged Donald Trump to clarify support for Taiwan after he left Beijing without resolving a delayed arms package, turning summit optics into an immediate test of deterrence policy.
Trump stays open on Taiwan weapons after China trip
Trump said after his China trip that he had not decided whether to approve more weapons for Taiwan, leaving a pending package in limbo after the Xi summit.
US fires Typhon missile in Philippines as China warns
The first Tomahawk live-fire from the US Typhon launcher in the Philippines turned a disputed deployment into a demonstrated capability and triggered a sharp Chinese warning.
Pentagon abruptly cuts US combat forces in Poland, officials say
The Pentagon has abruptly canceled the deployment of an armored brigade combat team to Poland, cutting US combat power on NATO's eastern flank by nearly half as the Trump administration accelerates a drawdown of American forces across Europe.
China Gains Major Edge on US Amid Iran War, Intelligence Report Finds
A classified US intelligence assessment prepared for the Joint Chiefs chairman warns that China is exploiting America's war with Iran to gain military, economic and diplomatic advantage.
Hegseth faces bipartisan fire over $29bn Iran war cost as Congress demands exit plan
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced a bipartisan grilling in back-to-back House and Senate Appropriations hearings as the Pentagon disclosed the cost of the 11-week Iran war had climbed to $29 billion with no clear end game.
GOP presses Hegseth on Iran war munitions, costs
Defense Secretary Hegseth pushed back on GOP concerns about Iran war munitions, saying the Pentagon has plans for escalation and exit.
Hegseth targets Kelly as alarm grows over US missile stockpiles
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has threatened a Pentagon legal review of Senator Mark Kelly after the Arizona Democrat disclosed concerns about US munitions depletion in the Iran conflict, a move national security experts called a diversion from the substance of the stockpile problem.
Pentagon $1.5tn budget pushes weapons makers to fund their own factories
The Trump administration's $1.5 trillion defence request would force contractors to fund their own factory expansions and meet binding production targets under multi-year deals lasting up to seven years. The framework targets the Valley of Death gap between prototype and fielded weapons.
Trump eyes Italy and Spain for next round of NATO troop cuts
President Trump is weighing further US troop withdrawals from Europe, with Italy and Spain in the frame after 5,000 service members were pulled from Germany. Allied capitals are bracing for the announcement and coordinating contingency plans as Madrid faces particular pressure.
NATO braces for deeper Trump troop pullback after Germany cuts
European allies expect President Donald Trump to follow his 5,000-troop withdrawal from Germany with cuts in Italy and Spain, possibly scrapping a planned long-range missile deployment and rerouting forces to Poland. Diplomats see the moves as punishment for allies that refused help in the Iran war.
Pentagon puts Iran war cost at $25 billion, defends $1.5 trillion budget
Pentagon Acting Comptroller Jules Hurst III told the House Armed Services Committee on April 29 that the U.S. has spent about $25 billion on its war against Iran, mostly on munitions. Senate Democrats called the figure lowballed and put the actual running cost at $40 billion to $50 billion.
