Top 5     US launches new strikes on Iran after reinstating oil sanctions over shipping attacks (Military Times) The U.S. military unleashed a new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday and revoked a license allowing the country to sell oil after three tankers were hit in the Strait of Hormuz, putting pressure on an already fragile ceasefire.       Squadron commanding officer identified as Navy aviator killed in downed helicopter (Military Times) The U.S. Navy identified the missing sailor from an emergency helicopter landing in the Arabian Sea on July 1 as the commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5.       Chinese ballistic missile test is said to undermine nuclear weapons-free zone in South Pacific (Defense News) China’s test this week of a submarine-launched ballistic missile follows a growing trend of nuclear powers hollowing out the integrity of nuclear weapons-free zones such as the South Pacific, analysts say.       US troops could restart Poland deployments in the ‘coming weeks’ (Task & Purpose) A Polish defense official said the U.S. military will resume rotating troops into Poland in the “coming weeks,” two months after the Pentagon abruptly canceled an Army deployment of nearly 4,000 soldiers to the country.       Long-serving transgender service members seek retirement benefits in court challenge (Stars and Stripes) A lawsuit brought by 17 long-serving transgender service members challenging an order that rescinded their early retirement benefits was argued in an initial hearing Tuesday in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims.   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     US will lift sanctions on Turkey, possibly sell F-35 fighter jets, Trump says (Defense News) U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that Washington would lift U.S. sanctions on Turkey that were imposed in 2020 over Ankara’s purchase of Russian defense missiles, while expressing a willingness to sell the fellow NATO ally F-35 fighter jets.   Army     US Army tests autonomous mass mine-laying (Military Times) When mounted to a vehicle, the U.S. Army’s Volcano mine dispenser can blanket roughly 32 acres with up to 960 mines. Now, the service is testing a system that can do the same thing without a driver behind the wheel.   Navy     US Navy fears ballistic missile subs can be hit by drones, anti-tank rockets (Military Times) When hidden deep in the vastness of the ocean, America’s ballistic missile subs are practically invulnerable.   Marine Corps     Marines recognized for response during North Carolina nightclub shooting (Military Times) Two U.S. Marines were recognized last month for their response in providing emergency aid during a fatal nightclub shooting in Wilmington, North Carolina.       Marine Corps creates new small drone training unit (Military Times) The Marine Corps this month announced the creation of a new unit charged with standardizing training, doctrine and tactics for the service’s small drones and counter-small unmanned aerial systems.       Contractor curbs on repair data causing Marines ‘significant’ issues (Roll Call) The Marine Corps is facing “significant” challenges keeping some of its most important weapons in working order, because Marines too often must rely on contractors for equipment upkeep, the service’s second-ranking general recently wrote to a Senate panel.   AIr Force     US airman accused of exposing himself to 16-year-old girl avoided British trial (The Guardian) Hannes Marschalek, who allegedly exposed his penis to four other women in Cambridgeshire, tried via U.S. court martial   Veterans     VA’s top health administrator departs post, temporary replacement named (Military Times) Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Health John Bartrum left his job Monday after less than seven months on the job.   Defense Industry     NATO to add up to five Northrop Grumman Triton drones for maritime surveillance (Defense News) NATO will add up to five MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicles to its network of aerial sensors, Secretary-General Mark Rutte said during the alliance’s Defence Industry Forum here today.       Eight NATO allies launch HALO satellite constellation initiative (Defense News) NATO nations will venture to field a multinational satellite constellation aimed at facilitating military operations from communications to surveillance, officials said at the alliance summit taking place here this week.       UK, Poland see progress over new European defense financing tool (Bloomberg) The U.K., Poland, Netherlands, and Finland said they were making “significant progress” over a joint defense financing initiative aimed at creating cost-efficiencies during a massive military build-up to deal with escalating security threats from Russia.       Germany set to become first international site for ATACMS missile production (Defense News) Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall have signed an agreement to co-produce the U.S. Army Tactical Missile System at Rheinmetall’s Unterlüß site in northern Germany, marking the first time the ballistic missile is set to be manufactured outside the United States.       Polish defense giant PGZ to produce Anduril’s Barracuda cruise missile (Defense News) U.S. defense-technology company Anduril Industries has joined forces with Polish state-run defense giant PGZ to initiate local assembly and manufacturing of the surface-launched Barracuda-500M cruise missile.   Ukraine     Zelenskyy says Ukraine’s drone expertise makes it vital to NATO (Stars and Stripes) Ukraine’s superior ability to defeat drone attacks on a massive scale makes the country indispensable to Europe’s security, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday as NATO leaders gathered for the opening of a two-day summit in Turkey.       Netherlands has maxed out its military support for Ukraine (Bloomberg) The Netherlands has no more scope to offer direct military support to Ukraine, Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Ye?ilgöz-Zegerius said.   International     US is ‘really invested’ in keeping troops in Europe, Latvia says (Bloomberg) The U.S. has “really invested interest” to keep its troops in Europe, Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze said as NATO allies await the outcome of Washington’s review of its military presence on the continent.       Mexico military might fails to curb fentanyl trade, report says (Bloomberg) Mexico’s military deployment to the state at the heart of the country’s drug trade has failed to curb fentanyl exports and bring down the homicide rate among young people, according to a report.       Pirate attacks spike off the Horn of Africa (The War Zone) Somali pirate attacks on shipping in the Gulf of Aden region are on the rise, according to the U.N., a naval task force and a joint naval communications operation.   Video     GWOT Memorial Foundation president on proposed design: 'We're listening' (Defense News) Head of the group behind the forthcoming Global War on Terrorism memorial says first public renderings are not the "final concept," and changes are expected.       Fighting on a battleship in 2026? Service group hosts jiu-jitsu event on USS New Jersey (Defense News) The We Defy Foundation hosted a unique training event aboard a decommissioned battleship to raise funds and awareness for its combat veterans program.       Teledyne Flir unveils the First Look: a throwable, tracked drone (Defense News) The drone and sensor company debuts a new terrestrial drone controlled by the same system that drives the Black Hornet mini aerial drone.       Pentagon grants Mike Rowe foundation $10 million for skilled trades program (Defense News) Looking to reenergize the defense industrial base and promoting "AI-proof, six-figure jobs," the DoD partnered with the former "Dirty Jobs" host for advocacy.       Watch US and partner forces sink a decommissioned ship in the Pacific in live-fire training. (Defense News) Crews from Japan and New Zealand also took part in the exercise, known as SINKEX.   Commentary & Analysis     Gathering clouds: Building digital strategic depth in the compute age (War on the Rocks) The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have exposed a strategic reality that military planners are only beginning to confront: In a data-centric age, digital infrastructure has become part of the battlespace.       Sinews of war at sea: The armed services need a common watercraft family (War on the Rocks) To sustain future maritime operations, the U.S military will need to run supplies through an environment that spans thousands of miles of open ocean, denied ports, contested straits, and archipelagic chokepoints against adversaries that have spent decades studying how to target American logistics. That problem does not require one identical vessel for every mission. It does require a more common family of watercraft.