Top 5     Iran and Israel say they will pause strikes but warn of retaliation if ceasefire breached again (BBC News) Israel's PM says his country is holding fire "at the moment", after Iran's armed forces said they had stopped military action.       Pentagon bows to criticism, admitting ‘mistake’ over new religious list (Military Times) The Department of Defense — which is poised to slash its number of officially recognized faith affiliations from more than 200 to just 31 — updated its classifications following criticism from Republican lawmakers over its omission of The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints from the Christian category.       US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet strikes, disables oil tanker in Gulf of Oman (Defense News) The U.S. military on Monday disabled an oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman that U.S. Central Command said “violated the ongoing blockade against Iran by attempting to sail to an Iranian port.”       US says BYD, Baidu, Alibaba and other tech giants are aiding China's military (Reuters) The U.S. on Monday added Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, internet search provider Baidu, and automakers BYD and Nio, to a list of companies it believes are aiding Beijing's military, in a move that could inflame tensions between the countries.       Combatant commands generating war plans ‘faster and sooner’ with AI (DefenseScoop) The U.S. military’s nuclear and mobility forces are using AI to generate higher-quality options for logistics and sustainment maneuvers and operations, according to two combatant commanders who lead them.   US Strikes in Caribbean and Eastern Pacific     A list of US military strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels (Military Times) Since early September 2025, the U.S. military has conducted strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean in support of what the Pentagon has called continued counternarcotics efforts.   Operation Timeline     The human impact of policy changes at the DOD and VA (The War Horse) An ongoing timeline of the Trump administration’s actions focusing on the military and veterans.   Congress & Politics     House panel quashes attempt to stop integration of US, Israel defense tech sectors (Military Times) A House panel advanced a measure to increase cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli defense technology sectors after one lawmaker’s Friday attempt to halt the proposal fell flat.       Trump’s edict making 8,000 feds at-will employees draws swift outcry (Defense One) Organizations representing federal workers and good government advocates were quick to decry President Trump’s move this week to formally strip around 8,000 federal workers of their civil service protections, making them at-will employees, though the exact contours of the initiative’s scope remain unclear.       House panel backs A-10 Warthog through 2030, eyes autonomous successors (Military Times) U.S. House lawmakers want the Air Force to keep the A-10 Warthog flying and combat-ready through its planned 2030 retirement while testing autonomous aircraft that could eventually take over the aging jet’s close air support mission.   Army     Army touts ‘Mortars App’ for soldiers to fire rounds via smartphone, tablet (DefenseScoop) The Army developed an app meant to help mortar crews calculate and launch rounds, the service said, replacing software for decades-old platforms with a fire control system that can fit in their pockets.   Navy     Navy investigating shooting death of sailor aboard USS John F. Kennedy (Military Times) The U.S. Navy announced a probe into the Saturday morning death of a service member aboard the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy.       Sailor charged with attempting to finance ISIS attack on US troops (Military Times) A federal court filed charges Thursday against a U.S. sailor and two other individuals for attempting to finance an ISIS attack against American troops overseas.   Marine Corps     Chokepoint busters: Marines seek toolkit to help aviators clear way for amphibs (Military Times) The Marine Corps is searching for airpower methods that can be used to blast a path for amphibious groups to steam through chokepoints at sea.   AIr Force     New commander takes the reins at Air Force research lab (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Air Force Research Laboratory installed its newest commander, Brig. Gen. Douglas Wickert, in a June 3 ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.   Space Force     SpaceX knocks out sunrise Space Coast launch with record-setting booster (Stars and Stripes) A SpaceX launch at sunrise on Monday was business as usual, especially for the booster on the flight, which had made the trip 34 times previous.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     US must learn lessons from Ukraine, innovate faster and cheaper: Anduril president (Military Times) The U.S. needs to ramp up focus on building a variety of cheaper weapons systems at scale to ensure sufficient supply for future fights, according to Anduril’s president and chief strategy officer.   Defense Industry     Chinese military hovered as global executives flocked to Taiwan tech show (Reuters ) As AI heavyweights including Nvidia, Inel, and SK ?Group last week championed Taiwan's significance as a crucial hub for the global supply chain, a hostile exchange with China was brewing ?at sea.       US approves Kuwait request to buy nearly $2 billion of counter-drone platforms (Defense News) The U.S. Department of State approved a possible sale of nearly $2 billion worth of counter-unmanned aerial systems to Kuwait.       Polish-Ukrainian startup develops radar to track elusive, low-flying drones (Defense News) Polish-Ukrainian anti-drone radar company Molfar Defence said it is developing a new generation of tactical radar systems for drone types that have doggedly managed to penetrate Ukrainian defenses.       Germany and France drop joint fighter jet project (Defense News) The leaders of France and Germany have agreed to scrap a landmark project to develop and build a new-generation fighter jet, two German officials said on Monday, ending one of Europe’s most ambitious defense programs.   Ukraine     ‘They are isolated … they are alone’: Zelenskyy on Russia, Putin’s lies – and fighting back (The Guardian) In a wide-ranging interview, an upbeat Ukrainian president also discusses Donald Trump, King Charles, and how Kyiv is prepared to share its experience of drone warfare with the west.   International     NATO expands Arctic presence with new Nordic battlegroup (Stars and Stripes) NATO’s newest multinational battlegroup began operations in Sweden and Finland over the weekend, giving a boost to the alliance’s force posture on its northern and eastern edges.       French jet on NATO mission shoots down drone in Latvian airspace (Defense News) A French military Rafale fighter jet shot down a drone that entered NATO member Latvia’s airspace from Russia on Monday, the latest in a series of such security incidents along Europe’s eastern border regions.       French Army has recruitment surplus but lacks equipment, deputy chief says (Defense News) The French Army has so many applicants that it has had to slow recruitment, while at the same time lacking hardware in areas ranging from spare parts to deep-fires weaponry and counter-drone defense, said deputy chief of staff Gen. Patrick Justel.   Military Culture & History     Relatives of WWII US airmen attend unveiling of rare memorial in Germany (Stars and Stripes) Relatives of U.S. airmen whose planes were downed over central Germany in World War II witnessed the recent unveiling of a rare memorial honoring both the Americans and some of those they fought against.   Video     More new tech and gear from Modern Day Marine | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 6.9.26 (Defense News) A remote turret that keeps you on target in heavy seas, and lightweight belt-fed options. Plus, advice from MOAA.       Stay on target, even in rough seas with this remote-controlled weapon station from Sig Sauer (Defense News) Sig Sauer showcases a remote controlled weapon station that can keep you on target in rough conditions while keeping the gunner safely out of view.       Belt-fed firepower the size of your M4 (Defense News) Fightlite Industries showcases belt-fed machine gun conversions that work with your existing M4 lower receiver.       New counter-UAS tech — Kongsberg brings new capabilities to existing weapon systems (Defense News) Defense manufacturer Kongsberg brings new capabilities to existing weapon systems in the ongoing fight to keep troops safe from the threat of drones.       Best and worst states for military retirees? (Defense News) Benefits and headlines from the Military Officers Association of America.       What’s driving your credit card interest rate — Money Minute (Defense News) Jeanette Mack from Navy Federal Credit Union is here to help you understand what is influencing your credit card interest rate.   Commentary & Analysis     Netanyahu and Trump are at odds over the war they started together (The Associated Press) Israel’s latest strikes on Lebanon and Iran have made clear that U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who started the war in lockstep, want different things.       What makes an effective intelligence chief? A former DNI official points to the answer (GovExec) President Donald Trump’s choice for acting director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, has proved controversial. Pulte’s lack of background in national security matters has sparked resistance from Democrats on Capitol Hill, which is not surprising. But some Republicans, too, have expressed dismay at the president’s choice, a Trump loyalist who currently runs the Federal Housing Finance Agency.       What Beirut’s port scanners miss about militant supply chains (War on the Rocks) At the Port of Beirut, the new scanners did exactly what they were built to do. They saw the lithium batteries. They saw the drone propellers. They saw the fiber optic cable. They matched the scans against the paperwork, found no obvious deception, and cleared the cargo. That was the problem.       Iran dragged out the 1979 hostage crisis to humiliate the US. It could be doing the same to Trump now (The Conversation) The weekend exchange of strikes between Iran and Israel has put US President Donald Trump under even more domestic and international pressure to end the unpopular war he launched with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu more than three months ago.       The European Union has got a $2 trillion Taiwan problem (Bloomberg) Just before dawn on Jan. 17, a Chinese military drone crossed for the first time into Taiwanese airspace above a disputed coral reef in the South China Sea. The reconnaissance aircraft lingered over Pratas Island for a few minutes, while the Taiwanese issued warnings to leave over international radio frequencies.