DefenseNews

India boosts Southeast Asia military ties, Indo-Pacific role

January 7, 2026
NEW DELHI — India is tightening military ties with Southeast Asian countries with deals to sell advanced missiles and enhancing security cooperation in a region where several countries are involved in maritime disputes with China in the South China Sea. Analysts say New Delhi’s outreach to countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam marks its growing strategic role in the…
Read more
DefenseNews

Thailand’s tilt toward China tests treaty alliance with US

January 6, 2026
BANGKOK — On paper, the U.S. security alliance with Thailand is one of the strongest in Asia, dating back seven decades and backed up by military exercises each year with thousands of troops from both countries and many others. Thailand’s drift toward China over the past…
DefenseNews

Philippine Navy scrambles to shield vital undersea cables from spies

January 6, 2026
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Navy is exploring ways to monitor subsea cables as part of larger efforts to protect underwater infrastructure from sabotage and spying. Numerous submarine cables crisscross the Philippines’ underwater domain, including cables that connect Southeast Asia to the United States, India and Hong Kong. Data that passes through these channels is vital for…
Read more
DefenseNews

Venezuela’s Maduro never escaped his predecessor’s shadow

January 5, 2026
Nicolás Maduro, who rose from unionized bus driver to Venezuelan president and oversaw his country’s democratic undoing and economic collapse, was captured Saturday during an attack by U.S. forces on his capital. U.S. President Donald Trump, in an early morning social…
DefenseNews

US Air Force eyes autonomous Northrop Grumman drone for CCA program

January 5, 2026
The Air Force in December said Northrop Grumman’s new autonomous drone wingman, known as Talon, is a leading contender to join its collaborative combat aircraft program. The service also said in a Dec. 22 release that it gave Northrop’s Talon drone the designation YFQ-48A, making it the third CCA to receive an official designation. The Air Force in early 2025 dubbed the first round of CCAs…
Read more
DefenseNews

A year of strikes: US military operations surge under Trump

January 1, 2026
President Donald Trump has presided over a rapid surge of U.S. military activity abroad since returning to the Oval Office. In the first year of his second term, he has authorized a series of strikes ranging from the unprecedented use of bunker-buster bombs against Iran’s…
DefenseNews

Pacifist Japan moving from exclusive self-defense to military buildup

January 1, 2026
Japan is barreling forward with efforts to significantly boost its military capabilities to stand up to China’s growing threats by doubling annual arms spending. The goal comes as Tokyo’s main ally, the United States, pushes for more military assistance in Asia and a military hawk and ultra-conservative takes over Japan’s leadership. Japan says it is still a peaceful nation and the buildup…
Read more