DefenseNews

US Army’s ‘Tropic Lightning’ Division ponders transformation lessons from Philippine war games

June 18, 2026
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — The U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division (25th ID) has undergone a veritable metamorphosis in the past few years, but Maj. Gen. James Bartholomees, its commanding general, explained even more transformation is coming. Speaking to Defense News from the Philippines, Bartholomees confirmed that, as an original Transformation in Contact division, four of his five brigades…
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DefenseNews

KNDS proposes mixed French-German tank to replace France’s Leclerc

June 17, 2026
PARIS — KNDS is proposing a main battle tank with a turret and gun developed in France and mounted on the hull of Germany’s Leopard 2 as an intermediate solution to replace the French Army’s aging Leclerc tanks, which are expected to reach the end of their service life before the arrival of a next-generation tank. The tank proposal unveiled at the Eurosatory defense show on Monday featured…
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DefenseNews

Iran, US agree to halt war and reopen Hormuz

June 16, 2026
The United States and Iran have reportedly agreed to terms to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, news that brought relief to markets — although the pact may hinge on an end to hostilities in Lebanon and defers talks on Tehran’s nuclear program. While still a…
DefenseNews

Australia forges ahead with 155mm ammo production

June 16, 2026
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Amid efforts to ramp up ammunition production in Australia, the government announced a A$72 million – around US$51 million – contract to set up an M795 155mm artillery projectile production line there. The deal with Rheinmetall Nioa Munitions (RNM) was announced on June 8. It will see the joint venture forging 155mm shells for the Australian Army and others at its…
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DefenseNews

Only 1 in 4 F-35s is fully mission capable, GAO finds

June 15, 2026
The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter’s readiness rates continued to decline through fiscal 2025, with the fleet’s full mission capable rate falling to 25%, according to a new Government Accountability Office report released Thursday. The mission capable rate, which…
DefenseNews

Ukraine’s defense AI chief predicts ‘new paradigm’ of warfare

June 15, 2026
KYIV — Warfare in Ukraine and beyond faces a paradigm shift in the coming years as artificial intelligence systems integrate into unified networks that speed up decisions on the battlefield, a senior Ukrainian official said. Ukraine, in the fifth year of fighting a full-scale Russian invasion, is already using AI for a plethora of battlefield functions, from flying drones at targets to helping…
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