Top 5     ‘Risking billions’: US Navy’s massive shipyard overhaul lacks oversight, watchdog says (Military Times) The U.S. Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program will exceed $200 billion and take more than 50 years to execute, but the program is not regularly evaluated for its costs, risks and performance, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.       Trump administration obligates $307M for military aid to Ukraine (Reuters) The Trump administration has made legally binding commitments to spend almost all of the $400 million Congress approved for military aid to Ukraine late last year, ensuring that the money will not expire on Sept. 30, according to three sources familiar with the plan.       Ukraine’s deadly AI training platform for drone tech opens to UK companies (Defense News) The British Ministry of Defence has struck a partnership with Ukraine’s Avengers AI Labs, an information-rich platform built to train AI for battlefield drones, marking the first time that Kyiv has opened up its trove of wartime data to an outside government, according to officials in London.       Terror suspects wanted to do ‘big damage’ to air base used by US, Trump says (Reuters) British police on Sunday arrested five men near an air base used by U.S. forces on suspicion of explosive and terrorism offenses after a tip that three vans were heading to the military airfield, which has been used to strike Iran.       US appeals court upholds Pentagon’s blacklisting of Anthropic (Reuters) A federal appeals court on Friday upheld the Pentagon’s blacklisting of Anthropic from military contracts, handing a victory to President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in their battle with the AI startup over safety guardrails on its technology.   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     Trump asked Xi Jinping if China would like to buy US weapons, American ambassador says (The Guardian) David Perdue’s remarks come after a Taiwanese minister spoke of the ‘severe’ military threat posed by Beijing to the self-ruled island.   Your Military     Northcom’s next counter-drone demo will be its first in an urban area (DefenseScoop) U.S. Northern Command’s next Falcon Peak exercise will focus for the first time on safely integrating and demonstrating counter-drone capabilities in a dense city setting that’s bustling with human activity, Brig. Gen. Jason “Ox” Rueschhoff told DefenseScoop on Thursday.   Army     Former Fort Hood soldier sentenced to nearly six years for hacking, extortion plot (Task & Purpose) A former soldier was sentenced to 70 months in prison last week for a spree of various cybercrimes spanning years, while he was an active-duty soldier stationed at Fort Hood.   Marine Corps     ‘Genetic tolerance to the heat and humidity’: Marines search for next Parris Island mascot (Military Times) The Marine Corps is looking for its next recruit: small in stature and between 8 and 16 weeks old by the time paws meet yellow footprints.   AIr Force     Airmen discover body in charred vehicle near Eglin Air Force Base (Military Times) A person was found dead in a burnt vehicle at the edge of Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, early Wednesday morning.       ‘Misaligned’ fan blades, loss of thrust caused Thunderbird F-16 crash (Military Times) The crash of an F-16 late last year in California during a routine training flight that prompted the pilot to eject was caused by “misaligned” fan blades, which prompted engine failure.       Four airmen receive the Distinguished Flying Cross for Kabul evacuation actions (Task & Purpose) The crew of a C-17A cargo plane received Distinguished Flying Crosses this month for their actions during the U.S. evacuation of Afghanistan in 2021.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard rescues person after boat runs aground on Santa Rosa Island (Tribune News Service) The U.S. Coast Guard rescued one person after a sailboat was stranded Thursday on Santa Rosa Island off the Southern California coast, officials said.   National Guard     Idaho National Guard carries out 3 isolated rescues in 4 days (Military Times) The Idaho Army National Guard supported three successful search-and-rescue missions last week, rescuing four people in some of the state’s most challenging and remote terrain.   Defense Industry     US Navy stands up hub to prepare unmanned systems for combat (Defense News) The U.S. Navy announced Thursday a new development center that will train sailors to use autonomous technology in preparation for robotic systems to deploy across the entire fleet.       Thales in ‘quite advanced’ talks with NATO countries on AI-powered command software (Defense News) French defense-technology firm Thales is “quite advanced” in discussions with a number of NATO countries about using its artificial intelligence-powered command-and-control system HexaForce, said the company’s vice president for multi-domain operations, Patrick Moreau.   Ukraine     Russia says it struck military infrastructure, vessels in Ukraine (Reuters) The Russian defence ministry said on Sunday its ?forces had carried out overnight drone ?strikes on logistics centres, port and transport infrastructure, as well as communications centres and vessels that ?Moscow said were linked to the ?Ukrainian military.   International     US F-35 fighters to debut in Indian multinational air exercise (Military Times) The U.S. Air Force’s F-35 fighter jets are joining a multinational air exercise hosted by India, bringing a fifth-generation fighter to Indian air drills for the first time and giving the Indian Air Force and other participants direct exposure to operating alongside an advanced stealth aircraft.       Desolate Arctic outpost likely to host US troops under new Greenland deal (Reuters) At a windswept gravel airstrip in eastern Greenland, a small Danish military detachment has quietly kept watch for decades.       France to send military to protect Saudi Arabia on Red Sea oil route, Macron says (Reuters) France will send troops and defense systems to Saudi Arabia to help protect the Red Sea port city of Yanbu, which is key for energy transport, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.   Video     Boeing nets $552 million for new uncrewed refueling aircraft | Defense Dollars (Defense News) The Navy taps the arms maker for a novel approach to aerial refueling, and a startup offers a drone with long-range strike capability.       Get a look at the Jungle Operations Training Course in Panama (Defense News) Soldiers in the new 18-day jungle training course in Panama test themselves against the heat, sweat, foliage and water as part of a recent partnership.       First Look: New designs for Space Force mess dress uniforms (Defense News) Space Force officials showed off new designs for mess dress uniforms for Guardians at a recent conference. The uniforms are still in testing before rollout.       Join our reporter in Panama for new jungle training course (Defense News) What’s the Army’s new jungle training course in Panama like? Former Army officer and Military Times reporter Eve Sampson joins the troops to find out.       Pulling duty in the heat? Product lets you put ice on your back, then drink it (Defense News) Meet the IcePlate — a container of ice that fits in your body armor plate carrier and promises to cool you for hours… before you drink the contents.   Commentary & Analysis     The Military Spouse Commission: Viable solution or classic bureaucratic dog-and-pony show? (Military Times) Military families do not need another forum that acknowledges their struggles without confronting the policies responsible for them.       As Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day approaches, words matter (Military Times) On Sept. 27, our nation will observe Gold Star Mother’s and Family’s Day — a time for remembrance, gratitude and asking whether the words we use still retain their meaning.       Tracing the future soldier’s tech stack (War on the Rocks) Movies, shows, and books have long been at the forefront of imagining the future of war. If you were to picture the “future soldier,” you’d likely picture the genetically engineered super soldiers that have captivated — and horrified — audiences for decades.       The stalemate with Iran is not sustainable (Foreign Affairs Magazine) For six months, the war with Iran was disruptive but manageable.       North Korea’s irregular warfare Aater Ukraine (War on the Rocks) Pyongyang has a long history of conducting irregular warfare and asymmetric operations: Look no further than the 1968 Blue House raid or the 1996 submarine incursion as the most pressing examples. More often than not, North Korea failed to achieve the intended objectives of its missions and lost its commandos.       Iran’s regime is weaker than it looks (The Cipher Brief) For five and a half years, I was a hostage of the Islamic Republic of Iran. During that time, I came to believe something about the regime that may seem improbable from the outside: It is far weaker than it looks. Today, I believe we are closer to its end than many Americans realize.