ROME — The F-35B fighter can take off on a very short runway, hover in the air and land vertically, but the Italian navy is about to find out whether it can also outrace a Ferrari.
In an unusual race planned next month at the Navy’s air base at Grottaglie in southern Italy, one of its F-35Bs will go head-to-head with a Ferrari SF90 to see which has the punchier acceleration.
“We are used to…
CENTCOM has become a battle lab for unmanned systems
September 23, 2026
When a U.S. Army helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz in June, an unmanned U.S. Navy vessel went looking for the crew.
The Corsair, operated by U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59, helped recover two U.S. service members. A month later, three Corsairs were used for…
South Korea faces no good choices in sending forces for Trump’s unpopular Iran mission
September 23, 2026
MANILA, Philippines — As Washington presses South Korea to contribute to securing the Strait of Hormuz, experts said Seoul is facing a military capacity dilemma, as forces could get stretched amid escalating threats from North Korea.
The worry comes as Washington exerts…
The United States is watching China’s presence in its Arctic zone “very closely” amid concerns regarding the security of the U.S. homeland, a senior U.S. Arctic military official said.
So far in 2026, four Chinese research vessels have conducted work offshore in the U.S. Arctic, compared to a total of five in 2025, Rear Adm. Bob Little, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Arctic District…
Hegseth to chair Pentagon’s new Homeland Defense advisory board
September 22, 2026
After overseeing a purge of Pentagon advisory committees last year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is adding a new one to the list, focused on homeland security and defense.
Announced in the Federal Register Sept. 11, the Homeland Defense Board aims to fill a gap Hegseth…
COPENHAGEN — Denmark, Greenland and the United States are set to sign a deal on Greenland’s security on Tuesday, an agreement Denmark says will put Arctic security under NATO’s watch rather than leaving it solely to Washington and Copenhagen.
The agreement, expected to…
US Navy should target carriers in fight with China, report says
September 20, 2026
China is devoting enormous efforts — from submarines to ballistic missiles — to destroy America’s aircraft carriers.
The strategy prompted a U.S. think tank to ask why America couldn’t do the same and sink China’s growing fleet of carriers.
The think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, devised a plan to target Chinese carriers by using many of the same tactics that…
Pentagon, Lockheed sign framework deal to boost AIM-260 production
September 20, 2026
The U.S. Defense Department and Lockheed Martin signed a framework agreement on Thursday to expand production of the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, or JATM, laying the groundwork for a future multiyear buy of the classified long-range air-to-air weapon.
The…
US Air Force renews efforts to ensure units have accurate spouse contact information
September 20, 2026
It’s been a problem as long as the existence of modern communications: Despite the need for commands to have accurate contact information for military spouses, some service members, military wives or husbands simply don’t want to be reached.
The failure of troops to…
US clears way for $24.3 billion fighter jet sale to Saudi Arabia
September 19, 2026
The U.S. Department of State said on Thursday it had approved the potential sale of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom is drawn deeper into war in the Middle East.
A sale would mark a significant policy shift from the U.S., potentially altering the balance of military power in the Middle East and testing Washington’s definition of maintaining its…
