Top 5     Airstrike killed senior ISIS commander in Syria, CENTCOM says (Military Times) A senior Islamic State leader was killed by an airstrike last week, Central Command announced on Wednesday, as the region grapples with a fraught security landscape amid U.S. base closures in Syria and the escape of ISIS personnel from detainment.       F-35 program chief warns fleet has outgrown its support system amid record-low readiness (Military Times) The F-35’s program chief conceded to senators Tuesday that the fighter has outgrown the system built to support it, weeks after a GAO report put readiness at the lowest level on record.       White House asks Congress for $87.6 billion, mostly for Iran war (Reuters) President Donald Trump’s administration asked the U.S. Congress on Wednesday for $87.6 billion in additional funding, most of it for “urgent needs” related to the Iran war, as well as for a response to the Ebola outbreak in Africa.       In shift, Pentagon grants flu vaccine exceptions to military services, some federal agencies (Military Times) The Pentagon has recently updated the guidance on the influenza vaccination, offering exceptions to policy to military services and select federal agencies.       Military families paying $1,000 out of pocket for moves, survey shows (Military Times) More than 60% of active-duty families who made moves in the past two years paid more than $1,000 out of pocket for expenses related to their move, according to a new survey.   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     Rubio tries to reassure Gulf allies on US-Iran deal details (Al Jazeera English) Rubio tours Gulf in bid to allay allies' security concerns over the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.   Army     Gen. Christopher Donahue to unexpectedly relinquish command of Army Europe and Africa (Defense News) U.S. Army Gen. Christopher Donahue, who oversaw the service’s operations across Europe and Africa and became known as the last U.S. soldier to leave Afghanistan, will unexpectedly relinquish command next week after just 18 months in the role, the Pentagon confirmed Wednesday.       US Army sergeant sentenced to six life terms for shooting spree at Georgia base (Military Times) A U.S. Army sergeant was sentenced to six life sentences for shooting and wounding his fiance and four other soldiers at a Georgia base last August, the service said in a Tuesday statement.   Navy     Missing sailor found dead near Naval Station Norfolk (Military Times) A U.S. sailor who was reported missing in mid-June was discovered dead on Friday in the water near the piers on Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, the service confirmed.       Navy announces E-6 sailors of the year, meritorious chief advancements (Military Times) The U.S. Navy this month announced a slate of E-6 personnel the service is recognizing as their respective commands’ sailors of the year, with each soon advancing to join the chiefs mess.   Veterans     VA to fire employee for alleged abuse of disabled vet at a state-run veterans home (Military Times) A Persian Gulf War veteran with Alzheimer’s disease was pushed, punched and shoved violently into his wheelchair in a state-run veterans home this spring — allegedly by his caretaker, a man who also worked at a nearby Veterans Affairs hospital and was allowed to remain employed there after being fired from the state facility because of the abuse.       Massive veterans bill nears a vote, and Democrats, labor groups vow to fight it (Stars and Stripes) Democratic lawmakers, some veterans’ groups, and a coalition of labor unions expressed strong opposition to a Republican-led package of veterans’ benefits called the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act that is on a fast track to a final vote in Congress.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     AI is meant to speed up ‘kill chain,’ not control it, commanders say (Task & Purpose) U.S. military leaders have repeatedly tried to assure troops and the American public that artificial intelligence, or AI, is not going to replace human beings as the final decision-makers on when to carry out a military strike. But the extent to which AI will be involved in the “kill chain” remains fluid, even as the technology continues to be used in combat.   Defense Industry     Germany scraps F126 frigate program, pivots to MEKO warships amid cost and contractor chaos (Defense News) Germany’s Defense Ministry has canceled its troubled F126 frigate program, scrapping plans to build six specialized anti-submarine warships and opting instead to procure eight MEKO A-200 frigates from ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, the ministry announced Wednesday.       Tank maker KNDS plans stock market listing, Germany to buy 40% stake (Defense News) French-German tank builder KNDS plans to list its shares on the Paris and Frankfurt stock markets in an operation that will see existing shareholders selling about 20% of the company to institutional investors and Germany buying a 40% share.       Space Force seeks fresh bidders for satellite-control antennas (Space News) After terminating $1.7 billion contract, Space Force to relaunch SCAR   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israel says it has trapped Hezbollah fighters underground in southern Lebanon (The New York Times) The Israeli military says thousands of troops have surrounded a large tunnel network in southern Lebanon. The standoff is at the center of intense clashes in the area recently.   Ukraine     Ukraine attacks on Russian-occupied Crimea trigger power cuts in Sevastopol (Al Jazeera English) The largest city on the Russia-controlled peninsula has been left without power after an attack on energy facilities.   International     US, UK, France, Germany raise alarm about Chinese patrols off eastern Taiwan (Reuters) The United States, Britain, France and Germany raised the alarm on Wednesday over recent Chinese activities off the east coast of Taiwan where China has mounted Coast Guard patrols, saying they threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation.       Alibaba sues Pentagon over blacklist designation (CBS News) Chinese tech giant Alibaba has filed a federal lawsuit against the Defense Department for designating it a military-linked firm.       Canada to send warships to Indo-Pacific, defense minister says (Bloomberg) Canada plans to send warships to the Indo-Pacific in two deployments this year, its defense minister said, part of a move to deepen military ties with regional allies even as Ottawa also endeavors to build closer trade relations with China.       US, French troops team up in Atlantic fleet exercise (Stars and Stripes) Nearly 250 years after French Admiral François Joseph Paul de Grasse helped secure America’s victory at Yorktown, French and American troops are once again operating side by side along the Atlantic coast.   Video     Navy in space? Naval Research Laboratory commander outlines new tech goals (Defense News) Capt. Randy Cruz from the Naval Research Laboratory gives an update on areas his office is looking to develop tech - including in space.       Autonomy to rule the seas? Retired admiral provides analysis (Defense News) The Center for Maritime Strategy’s Jamie Foggo sits down with Defense News’ J.D. Simkins to talk about the increasing role of unmanned platforms in the Navy.       Global defense spending hits a new record… again | Defense Dollars (Defense News) A tally of international defense spending shows continued budget increases around the globe. Plus, the Air Forces orders up more advanced fighters.       Navy looks to expand tech, autonomy for future fleet | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 5.5.26 (Defense News) The commander of the Naval Research Laboratory outlines goals for the fleet at Sea-Air-Space 2026. Plus, global defense spending updates for the year.   Commentary & Analysis     I once made my VA therapist cry. Then an AI chatbot got me talking about war and guilt (The War Horse) I tried to schoolyard-taunt an AI language model once.       Can the US military preserve decades of wartime experience? (Military Times) The order had already come down. The assault on a fortified Mahdi Army position in the Iraqi city of Karbala was off.       Caught in its own doctrine: Why Israel cannot win, stop, or endure the Iran war (Small Wars Journal) Israel’s war with Iran was not imposed upon it. It was chosen, planned, and lobbied for.       China studied US stealth aircraft — and learned the wrong lessons (Military Times) If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then China’s embrace of stealth aircraft technology is a compliment to American ingenuity.       From Vietnam to Iran: Wartime diplomacy and secret deals (War on the Rocks) Wars rarely end in a single act of diplomacy. More often, they pass through a succession of ceasefires, frameworks, understandings, as well as provisional and even secret arrangements before anyone can determine whether peace is actually at hand. The Trump administration’s memorandum with Iran is best understood in those terms. In both form and logic, it recalls an earlier American effort to negotiate an exit from an unpopular conflict: the Paris Peace Accords of 1973.The four primary parties to the Vietnam War (1965 to 1975) — the United States, South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the       Will a peace deal between Iran and the US hold? Lessons from ancient Rome and Persia (The Conversation) “Making peace with Iran may be just as painful as winning the war,” a recent CNN report noted. As negotiations roll on during a shaky ceasefire, what a deal between the US and Iran might look like and whether it holds is anyone’s guess.       AI agents and the unseen work of war (War on the Rocks) Armies run on more than what happens at the front. Behind every operation is a vast amount of coordination, administration, logistics, and judgment. Bill Pessin, senior vice president of national security at Salesforce and a former U.S. Army logistics officer, joins Jonathan to discuss how military organizations can use AI agents, what makes these tools different from ordinary software, and why safety and accountability matter when new technology enters national security work. They also discuss what Pessin learned early in his Army career about the gap between plans, systems, and the people who have to make them work. Image: Petty