Top 5     US launches fresh strikes on Iran after days-long pause, amid fears the war is widening (The Guardian) Trump vowed to hit Iran "very hard" after it targeted a base in Jordan that hosts U.S. troops, a day after joint U.S.-Saudi strikes on militants in Iraq.       US military may require some troops in Mideast to surrender cell phones, sources say (Military Times) The top U.S. commander for the Middle East has warned troops that cellphone videos shared online can help Iran target American bases, and sources told Reuters some deployed personnel could soon be ordered to surrender their phones.       House-passed defense bill includes controversial US-Israel tech measure (Defense News) The House of Representatives passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act last week, leaving in place a controversial provision that would encourage co-development and co-production between the U.S. and Israeli defense industrial bases.       Pentagon has ‘kicked off’ review of US force posture in Europe (Military Times) The Pentagon has formally launched the Europe force posture review Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced last month, beginning a process to examine U.S. military troop presence, force posture and basing across Europe.       Trump, Zelenskyy discuss Patriot deal and reviving talks with Russia (Defense News) U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday discussed reviving peace talks with Russia and plans for Ukraine to produce Patriot missile interceptors, then attended the funeral of a U.S. senator who had been one of Kyiv’s most vocal backers.   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     Pentagon commits over $120 billion for Patriot missiles, submarines (The Wall Street Journal) The U.S. military’s megadeals with Lockheed Martin and shipbuilders aim to guarantee availability of equipment over time and stabilize suppliers The Pentagon on Wednesday earmarked more than $120 billion for contractors to step up production of Patriot missiles and long-delayed submarines to support …   Congress & Politics     West Point professors free to comment publicly as school declines to appeal ruling (Washington Post) West Point professors may still comment freely as the military academy declined to appeal a judge's ruling that blocked the school from enforcing a restrictive policy on public speaking and writing.   Your Military     Military heatstroke cases still on the rise as units push tech, awareness (Military Times) For a second year, cases of military heatstroke increased in 2025, according to new data published by the Defense Health Agency. That’s despite nearly a decade of intensive efforts to address and prevent heat injuries through awareness, training and deployment of body-worn devices that can flag symptoms of heat risk before they turn deadly.       Program offering free food to moving military families expands to four more states (Military Times) Military families relocating to four more areas can receive a $125 grocery stipend to redeem for food, beverages and baby essentials, according to the nonprofit Military Family Advisory Network.   Navy     US Navy deploys GARC uncrewed surface vessel in first live-fire training exercise (Defense News) The U.S. Navy is rapidly advancing its unmanned surface fleet.   Marine Corps     Marines offering early separations for select jobs (Military Times) The U.S. Marine Corps is offering early separation to enlisted Marines in two dozen military occupational specialties as part of a force-shaping effort tied to budget constraints.       US Marine Corps welcomes delivery of final MV-22B Osprey (Military Times) A staple of the skies during the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Marine Corps’ MV-22B Osprey began its final chapter in service on Tuesday with the delivery of the last model.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard icebreaker Healy towed to Washington after engine failure (Military Times) The Coast Guard’s medium icebreaker Healy was towed to Port Angeles, Washington, earlier this month as a result of a “significant engineering casualty,” according to a release.   National Guard     National guard officer pleads guilty to sham double marriage, government theft of $54,000 (Military Times) An officer in the D.C. National Guard admitted Tuesday to an international sham marriage, false immigration documents and tens of thousands of dollars in stolen government funds to support a woman he married abroad and brought back to the U.S.   Defense Industry     Pentagon puts out call for robot boats that launch attack drones (Military Times) Spurred on by the threat of unmanned boats and small drones in contested waters such as the Persian Gulf, the Pentagon has set out to quickly find a cheap countermeasure.       Ford, GM Defense, BC Customs to compete for US Army’s new infantry squad vehicle (Defense News) The U.S. Army has pitted three manufacturers against each other to build competing prototypes of its future infantry squad vehicle.       Boeing attributes $280 million loss in second quarter to Air Force One program (Military Times) Boeing’s Air Force One program caused the defense company to lose $280 million in the second quarter of 2026, according to earnings the contractor released Tuesday.       Space Force to launch 18 comms and targeting missions by end of 2027 (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Space Force awarded SpaceX a $1.6 billion contract to conduct 18 launches for communications and targeting satellites by the end of 2027.   Ukraine     Deadly strikes on Ukrainian cities after Zelenskyy warns of ‘massive’ Russian attack (The Guardian) Six dead in Kryvi Rih including two children and fires in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, after wave of ballistic missile launches   International     US joins forces with Saudis to strike Tehran-backed militias in Iraq (The Guardian) Oil price spikes after flare-up of fighting and claimed Iranian attacks on three tankers in Strait of Hormuz.       China fires YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile from smaller destroyer (The War Zone) Evidence has emerged indicating that China’s YJ-20 hypersonic anti-ship missile is now also being fielded aboard the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Type 052D class destroyers.   Military Culture & History     ‘A whole brand-new country’: Korean War vets revisit the nation they helped defend (Stars and Stripes) During the Korean War, Burnell Jarvis fought from the deck of a U.S. Navy cruiser and never once stepped ashore. More than seven decades later, the 96-year-old veteran finally set foot in the country he helped defend.   Video     South Carolina base to be renamed after Lindsey Graham (Defense News) Joint Base Charleston to be renamed for the former Republican Senator from the state, who died recently.   Commentary & Analysis     US-Iran conflict enters new phase as Saudi Arabia helps hit proxies and diplomacy stalls again (The Associated Press) The stop-start fighting between the United States and Iran appears to have entered a new phase as Saudi Arabia has publicly joined military escalations against Tehran-backed proxies. At the same time, an already untenable diplomatic effort to end the war has faltered once again as mistrust deepens between the longtime adversaries.       Why US military prosecutes alleged rapes of women in UK as ‘sexual assaults’ (The Guardian) Experts say lower-severity charges for American service personnel are deepening traumatic impact on survivors.       How Mexico locked in its militarized police state (War on the Rocks) In 2021, Andrew Ivey wrote, “‘I Have Other Data’: The Guardia Nacional and the Entrenchment of Mexico’s Militarization’,” where he warned Mexico was headed toward a militarization trap. Five years later, amidst increased pressure from the Trump administration and the election of a new Mexican president, we asked Andrew to revisit his arguments.Image: Sitio Oficial de Andrés Manuel López ObradorIn your 2021 article, you warned that Mexico was headed toward an entrenched militarization trap. In 2024, the Chamber of Deputies passed a constitutional reform formally placing the National Guard under military control, with President Claudia Sheinbaum embracing the change. Has       Will the F-47 have to fly initially with inferior engines? (The War Zone) The U.S. Air Force says a prototype jet engine developed under the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program could be ready for integration onto an actual aircraft in 2030.       How the UK is helping Ukraine hit Russian targets (Defense One) A new tech-sharing agreement allowing Ukrainians to make a British-designed radar jammer called Stone Cloak may soon help Ukraine accelerate drone strikes on Russian targets.       Experts see urgent need to defend bases from drone attack. Here’s what USAF is doing (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Air Force is racing to create a “Point Defense” force of Airmen, specially trained and equipped to protect air bases from unmanned attack more effectively than ever before. But in a new report, an expert says even more is needed to defeat the large-scale enemy drone attacks already wreaking havoc on today’s battlefield.