DefenseNews

Army’s clock must now start ticking faster when a soldier goes missing

A new U.S. Army directive orders commanders to act within hours — not days — when a soldier goes missing, giving them three hours to classify a service member as “absent-unknown” and eight hours to notify the soldier’s family once the absence is discovered. The change, issued by Army Secretary Dan Driscoll last week, compresses what sometimes can be a slow, inconsistent process for…
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DefenseNews

Two drones swoop near Estonian base housing US troops, 1 shot down

Two drones raised alarms in the South Estonia region of Estonia on Oct. 17 when they appeared near the Reedo military barracks, resulting in one of the drones being shot down, according to an Estonian press report this week. The base, home to Estonia’s 2nd Infantry Brigade, currently houses U.S. troops of the Army’s 5th Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment. Defense News requested a comment from…
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DefenseNews

Soldiers take new mobile 81mm mortar system for test drive

The Army’s latest effort to modernize its formation took shape on the training grounds of Hawaii last week, as soldiers tested a new “shoot and scoot” mobile mortar system designed to make units more agile in combat. Members of the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment simulated wartime scenarios and trained with the Scorpion Light 81mm mortar system for five days, beginning Oct. 20…
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DefenseNews

Cuba's Military Agreements with Russia Uncovered

BERLIN — Ukraine has closed its embassy in Cuba and censured the government in Havana over allegations that the Caribbean dictatorship is complicit in sending troops to fight in Russia’s war against Ukraine. The move comes just weeks after Russia and Cuba signed a…
DefenseNews

Israel’s IAI shoots for land-based, space-based Golden Dome business

WASHINGTON — Executives at Israel Aerospace Industries are awaiting news on the U.S. Golden Dome missile shield architecture, hoping that defense leaders here will consider the company’s Arrow interceptor technology for two layers of the project, according to IAI chief executive Boaz Levy. The hopes extend beyond the land-based capabilities of the currently fielded Arrow-3, which could be…
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