DefenseNews

Trump says US ‘hit’ facility where alleged drug boats ‘load up’

President Donald Trump has indicated that the U.S. has “hit” a dock facility along a shore as he wages a pressure campaign on Venezuela, but the U.S. offered few details. Trump initially seemed to confirm a strike in what appeared to be an impromptu radio interview Friday, and when questioned Monday by reporters about “an explosion in Venezuela,” he said the U.S. struck a facility where…
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DefenseNews

Japan’s Cabinet OKs record defense budget that aims to deter China

Japan’s Cabinet on Friday approved a record defense budget plan exceeding 9 trillion yen ($58 billion) for the coming year, aiming to fortify its strike-back capability and coastal defense with cruise missiles and unmanned arsenals as tensions rise in the region. The draft budget for fiscal 2026, beginning April, is up 9.4% from 2025 and marks the fourth year of Japan’s ongoing five-year…
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DefenseNews

Navy to begin constructing 2 ‘Trump class’ battleships

President Donald Trump announced Monday the U.S. will build a new generation of “Trump class” battleships, in an effort to advance his vision of building a “Golden Fleet.” Trump, flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Navy Secretary John Phelan and Secretary of…
DefenseNews

Swedish air chief talks next-gen warplane, Gripen’s anti-drone role

Maj. Gen. Jonas Wikman has served as commander of the Swedish Air Force since December 2022, overseeing a major modernization program for new combat capabilities while shaping the country’s new NATO membership. He leads more than 2,700 military personnel and a growing fleet of Gripen fighter jets, with a goal to operate 120 in total in the long-term, mixing older C/D models with new E variants.
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DefenseNews

Pentagon counter-drone task force plans Golden Dome link

The Joint Interagency Task Force 401, established by the Pentagon as the military’s lead counter-drone organization, plans to share data with the Golden Dome missile defense project to defend against threats from larger drones, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Matt Ross, director of…
DefenseNews

Sweden hastens Gripen deep-strike punch with Taurus missiles

MONTREAL — Sweden will soon have the capability to conduct deep strikes far behind enemy lines, as the Gripen will be integrated with the German-made Taurus cruise missile earlier than planned, the Swedish air chief said. “We have reprioritized and done work to ensure that our industry, FMV, and the Air Force’s work on this overlaps as much as possible, resulting in the original timeline…
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