The Department of Defense did not consistently hold Lockheed Martin accountable for F-35 poor sustainability performance in its 2024 contract, according to a Dec. 19 inspector general audit of the performance.
The F-35 Joint Program Office was found to not have adequately overseen contractor performance on the June 2024 air vehicle sustainment contract, resulting in paying Lockheed Martin $1.7…
Nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles enter active service, Russia says
December 31, 2025
Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service in Belarus, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday, as the U.S. efforts to broker a deal to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine have entered a pivotal stage.
The ministry released a video…
Ukraine peace plan ‘scares the bejesus out of us,’ officials say
December 30, 2025
KYIV, Ukraine — A maximum of 800,000. That’s how many soldiers Ukraine’s military would be authorized to have under the current 20-point peace framework — a 20% cut from the roughly one million currently under arms, but a significant increase over the 600,000…
Trump says US ‘hit’ facility where alleged drug boats ‘load up’
December 30, 2025
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…
China stages military drills around Taiwan to warn ‘external forces’
December 30, 2025
China’s military on Monday dispatched air, navy and missile units to conduct joint live-fire drills around the island of Taiwan, which Beijing called a “stern warning” against separatist and “external interference” forces. Taiwan said it was placing its forces on…
The United States airstrikes that targeted Islamic State group militants in northwestern Nigeria on Thursday marked a major escalation in an offensive that the West African’s overstretched military has struggled with for years.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on social…
Japan’s Cabinet OKs record defense budget that aims to deter China
December 29, 2025
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…
Lukashenko: Russian nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles now in Belarus
December 24, 2025
Belarus’ authoritarian president said Thursday that Russia had deployed its latest nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system to the country, a move that comes as talks to end the war in Ukraine have entered a crucial phase.
President Alexander Lukashenko said the Oreshnik…
Navy to begin constructing 2 ‘Trump class’ battleships
December 24, 2025
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…
Swedish air chief talks next-gen warplane, Gripen’s anti-drone role
December 24, 2025
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.
