Top 5     US costs of Iran war rise to over $47 billion, according to Pentagon estimate (Military Times) The U.S. military has spent over $47 billion so far to prosecute the war in Iran, more than 25% higher than the Defense Department’s estimate in July, according to Pentagon data obtained by Reuters.       Trump’s Russian diesel deal benefits Moscow more than US consumers, experts say (Military Times) American diesel prices rose for a second straight week as Russia’s seaborne crude exports reached their highest weekly value since the country launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.       Military childcare staffing shortages leave families struggling to find care (Military Times) Low wages, lengthy hiring processes and limited availability are leaving some military parents unable to work and making it difficult for childcare centers to recruit and retain staff.       US Navy reports highest number of Class A aviation, afloat mishaps in 10 years (Military Times) The U.S. Navy announced that fiscal 2026 brought the most unplanned catastrophic events involving aircraft and vessels in a decade.       Premiums for Tricare Young Adult to rise by an average 11% in 2027 (Military Times) Premiums for a health program that covers military dependents ages 21 to 26 will range from nearly $400 to almost $900 a month next year.   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.   Pentagon     Hegseth fires a top general (The Atlantic) Earlier this week, the Pentagon’s chief planner, Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia, was ousted from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. No explanation was given. This comes at an inopportune moment, given that President Trump may be planning to relaunch the war on Iran. Sylvia, the former commander of the 101st Airborne Division, becomes the latest in a long line of senior officers who have been shown the door since Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived at the Pentagon almost two years ago.   Congress & Politics     ‘Netanyahu fatigue’ in Washington after Israel vote (Politico) Israel’s election deadlock has dashed hopes in Washington for a quick reset of the U.S.-Israel relationship — an alliance that has frayed across party lines during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s long tenure.   Army     Army considers 3D-printed construction for child care centers (Stars and Stripes) Robots that conduct 3D printed construction work March 26, 2026, at Fort Bliss, Texas. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes)   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     ‘Ground is hard’: Autonomous ground vehicles overcome challenges to provide troops’ new capabilities (Stars and Stripes) Byron Boots envisions a future where U.S. Army commanders provide teams of autonomous ground robots with basic instructions to operate ahead of or alongside ground units and then conduct their missions with little to no human interaction.   Defense Industry     UK’s Healey says government will fill defense plan gap by ‘reprioritizing’ (Defense News) Finance minister John Healey said on Wednesday “reprioritization” in other departments would fill a £4.7 billion ($6.3 billion) gap in Britain’s Defence Investment Plan, a blueprint government hopes shows its NATO commitment.       Finlands defense minister talks NATO, Ukraine and fishing (Defense News) Finland’s Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen visited New Zealand on Oct. 21 to discuss security issues with officials there. His travel agenda also included Australia and Japan, signaling the Northern European country’s interest in the region despite the geographical distance.       If Canada picks the Gripen fighter, these local firms would help Saab deliver the jets (Defense News) Saab will collaborate with several of Canada’s top aerospace firms to build the Gripen fighter jet in Canada if the aircraft is selected by the Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government.       Ethiopia gets 12 Russian Su-35 fighters, eyes S-400 air defenses (The War Zone) In a surprising development, Ethiopia has taken receipt of 12 Russian-made Su-35 multirole fighters, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced, adding a significant new capability to the Ethiopian Air Force. The agreement also calls for four batteries of Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system, although their delivery schedule remains unclear.   Ukraine     Putin hails Elon Musk’s ‘genius’ amid plans for Russian version of Starlink (The Guardian) Vladimir Putin praised Elon Musk’s genius and said he was in touch with Starlink’s controlling shareholder as Russia develops its own satellite communications for its military to use against Ukraine.   International     US, South Korea begin 2 weeks of airpower training over the peninsula (Stars and Stripes) The United States and South Korea kicked off their biannual Freedom Flag combined air exercise this week, days after the peninsula’s top U.S. military commander stressed the need for year-round training to maintain readiness.       US Army Pacific prepared for what may come for Taiwan in 2027 (Stars and Stripes) U.S. Army Pacific has prepared the Indo-Pacific theater under the assumption that China will have the capacity — and possibly the intent — to seize Taiwan by military force next year, its commander said Tuesday.       US intel warns China’s space-based directed energy weapons could soon threaten satellites (The War Zone) By the end of the decade, China could threaten satellites with space-based directed energy weapons, according to a new report from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). This would add a dangerous new anti-satellite (ASAT) capability to Beijing’s arsenal, which already includes ground-based directed energy weapons that can disrupt, degrade, or damage satellites. The report, released Monday, offered another glimpse into what is to come as the potential for conflict in space only continues to grow.       North Korean howitzers spotted near southern border amid increasing tensions (Stars and Stripes) North Korea has reportedly moved several self-propelled howitzers near its southern border after threatening last week to deploy offensive military assets there.   Video     Could the military get genetically enhanced working dogs for future missions? (Defense News) A new defense tech startup aiming to produce genetically enhanced dogs for military and law enforcement use launched Friday with $200 million in seed.       Cost estimate for Iran war rises to more than $47 billion (Defense News) The U.S. military has spent about 25% more on the war in Iran than estimates projected in July, according to Pentagon data obtained by Reuters.       Inside MSI’s next generation of counter-drone defense (Defense News) MSI discusses its EAGLS air defense platform, development of EAGLS X and new approaches to modular, cost-effective counter-drone capabilities.       Cost estimate for Iran war rises to more than $47 billion (Defense News) The U.S. military has spent about 25% more on the war in Iran than estimates projected in July, according to Pentagon data obtained by Reuters.   Commentary & Analysis     Jihadism’s global struggle, and where it’s gaining (War on the Rocks) In 2018, Barak Mendelsohn wrote, “Bound to Fail: Transnational Jihadism and the Aggregation Problem,” where he argued that transnational jihadist groups like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State would continue failing to turn local victories into a lasting caliphate, allowing counterterrorism forces to contain them without costly U.S.-led interventions. Eight years later, we asked Barak to revisit his arguments.Image: Adam Jones/FlickrYour article opened with al-Baghdadi’s 2018 call for lone-wolf attacks in the West, and you argued that Islamic State-inspired attacks at that time consistently failed to generate the self-sustaining momentum al-Suri envisioned. In the years since, has individual jihad achieved anything substantial for       Iran war’s critics highlight eight-month milestone (Roll Call) Eight months into the Iran war — and less than a week ahead of the midterm elections — congressional Democrats spotlighted the unresolved conflict’s costs.       F-35 fallacy: Jets alone will not save us (The Cipher Brief) NATO Allies have bet the future of European skies on the world’s most sophisticated combat aircraft. NATO Allies are buying the world's most advanced fighter but many are neglecting vital investments in hard security, ground crews, and support systems that will keep it flying.       The US space industry will suffer for Ukraine’s Starlink outage, experts say (Defense One) Elon Musk’s decision to hobble satellite services to Ukraine’s military, and his shifting explanations for doing so, have undermined the U.S. space industry and the country’s diplomatic and intelligence partnerships, say lawmakers, foreign officials, and former senior members of the U.S. military.       How Elon Musk turned on Ukraine (The Atlantic) On October 11, a confidential memo went out to military officers across Ukraine, urging them to brace for a catastrophe. Donald Trump had decided earlier that week to ease U.S. sanctions on Russia and to begin buying its diesel fuel. Based on that shift in White House policy, the memo foresaw another act of American betrayal: the loss of access to the Starlink satellite network, which Ukraine uses to operate its drone fleet.       The next Congress needs to reclaim its oversight of the Department of Defense (War on the Rocks) Since returning to office in January 2025, the Trump administration has aggressively exercised executive authority across the federal government. Meanwhile, Congress has not adequately applied its oversight role to rein in the executive branch, particularly over the Department of Defense. We have watched these dynamics with specific interest, in discussions with congressional staff over bills and appropriations, and in conversations with our clients.Congress adjourned at the end of September until after the midterm elections following an unproductive summer legislative session, particularly on foreign policy. While Congress passed a long-debated Russia sanctions bill in September, President Donald Trump has already issued       The special ops podcasts changing the narrative of the war on terror (The New York Times) Veterans’ complaints about the rules of engagement have reached Pete Hegseth and a generation of new recruits.