Top 5     Iran and the US harden their positions as Tehran keeps its grip on the Strait of Hormuz (The Associated Press) Iran and the United States appeared at an impasse Thursday, hardening their positions over ceasefire talks and setting the stage for more potential escalation in the Middle East war as thousands more U.S. troops neared the region.       Pentagon reportedly weighs diverting Ukraine military aid to Middle East (Reuters) The Pentagon is weighing whether to redirect weapons originally meant for Ukraine to the Middle East, as the war in Iran strains supplies of some of the U.S. military’s most critical munitions, the Washington Post reported Thursday, citing three people familiar with the matter.       US deploys uncrewed drone boats in conflict with Iran (Reuters) The United States has deployed uncrewed drone speedboats for patrols as part of its operations against Iran, the Pentagon said, the first time Washington has confirmed using such vessels in an active conflict.       Senate rejects proposal to overturn VA’s abortion ban (Military Times) The U.S. Senate squashed an effort Wednesday by Democratic lawmakers to overturn the Department of Veterans Affairs’ ban on abortions or abortion counseling for VA patients.       Nominee to head US nuclear forces sees no need for warhead tests (Reuters) The Navy admiral tapped as the new head of U.S. nuclear forces on Thursday endorsed a finding by the Energy Department and Pentagon that the U.S. nuclear arsenal is safe and reliable and there is no need to conduct nuclear warhead tests.   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.   Pentagon     Hegseth prays for ‘overwhelming violence’ during Pentagon Christian service (Military Times) During the Pentagon’s monthly prayer service Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prayed for “overwhelming violence” against “those who deserve no mercy.”       Pentagon splits combined US Forces Japan forces and 5th Air Force into two commands (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Pentagon formally split the combined U.S. Forces Japan and the Fifth Air Force into separate commands, ending a dual-hatted arrangement that had been in place for more than 60 years.   Congress & Politics     59% of Americans feel US military offensive against Iran has ‘gone too far’ (Military Times) Most Americans deem the United States military’s strikes on Iran excessive, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released Wednesday.       House Armed Services Committee backs sweeping aviation safety reforms (Military Times) The House Armed Services Committee voted Thursday to approve broad aviation safety legislation that includes a myriad of safety recommendations issued after a deadly 2025 midair collision between a regional jet and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter near Washington, D.C., that killed 67 people.   Your Military     Feds sue towing company for allegedly illegally auctioning off troops’ cars — including many towed from base (Military Times) The Justice Department has filed suit against a California towing company for allegedly illegally auctioning off service members’ vehicles — many of which had been towed from Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.       A war zone, minus the war: One year later, has the military really secured the US-Mexico border? (The War Horse) An investigation into how President Trump’s emergency declaration expanded military power, blurred legal lines and helped spread the use of military-grade technology.   Army     3D-printed barracks will open within 6 months at Fort Bliss (Stars and Stripes) Massive construction robots are working around the clock here to transform a vacant stretch of land into 10 barracks buildings capable of housing 560 soldiers in open bays within six months.   Navy     Sailor injured during flight operations aboard carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (Military Times) A sailor was injured on March 25 aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln while the carrier was conducting flight operations in the Arabian Sea, the Navy announced.       US Navy launches new Golden Fleet-era USV program, terminates old one (Military Times) The U.S. Navy announced a new chapter of unmanned surface vessel acquisition that seeks to accelerate development of autonomous capabilities and ditch its previous program.   AIr Force     Brother and sister are charged after an explosive device was found outside a Florida Air Force base (The Associated Press) A man who fled to China after leaving an explosive device outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa has been indicted along with his sister in Florida on federal charges, and their mother has been detained pending deportation for overstaying her visa, a federal prosecutor said Thursday.   Space Force     Space Force seeks proposals for physical test and training range (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Space Force is moving ahead with plans to build a physical test and training range that will feature a mix of ground and space-based systems, releasing a formal solicitation for a multi-vendor contract worth $981 million to design, develop, integrate, and sustain those capabilities.       Space Force mitigating impacts to programs amid grounding of Vulcan rocket (DefenseScoop) The Space Force is looking to revise launch plans for a number of upcoming national security missions following a recent issue with a United Launch Alliance rocket that could take months to resolve, according to a senior official.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard operations, capabilities damaged by continued shutdown, says vice commandant (Military Times) Active-duty Coast Guard personnel have been paid through the partial government shutdown but the standoff is affecting civilian employees, recruiting, maintenance and non-emergency operations, the service’s vice commandant said Wednesday.   Veterans     100-year-old Navy veteran to be honored at New York Mets opening game (Stars and Stripes) The New York Mets will honor World War II Navy veteran Arthur Grabiner, a 100-year-old lifelong New Yorker, during the team’s home opener Thursday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field, in Queens.       Former VA executive charged with accepting $16K worth of gifts (Military Times) A senior Veterans Affairs official who once oversaw the department’s transition to an electronic health records system has been charged with failing to disclose gifts he received from contractors involved in the project.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Ex-NSA leaders say Americans are becoming ‘numb’ to cyber threats (Defense One) American society is becoming increasingly apathetic to major cyberattacks, and the U.S. has still not achieved a hardline strategy to deter foreign adversaries and their hacker operatives, former NSA and Cyber Command leaders said.   Defense Industry     China's top chipmaker has supplied chipmaking tech to Iran military, US officials say (Reuters) SMIC, China's largest chipmaker, has sent chipmaking tools to Iran's military, two senior Trump ?administration officials said on Thursday, raising questions about Beijing's stance in the month-old U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.       MBDA to double Aster air-defense missile output in 2026 (Defense News) MBDA, Europe’s biggest missile maker, plans to double production of its top-of-the-range Aster air-defense missile in 2026, an “absolutely massive” jump in response to surging demand, Chief Executive Officer Éric Béranger said.       US Army seeks sled-mounted air defense for light infantry (Defense News) The U.S. Army wants mobile short-range air defense for light infantry forces that lack the ability to transport heavy equipment.       Navy creating new marketplace for maritime drones as it looks to ‘surge capacity’ for Golden Fleet (DefenseScoop) The Navy is setting up a one-stop-shop for medium unmanned surface vessels (MUSVs) that carry swappable, containerized payloads in faster, multi-mission deployments, as it reshapes its model for buying autonomous watercraft that navigate, handle cargo and carry out certain military operations with little to no human input.       Europe can’t rely on US for air-defense missiles, top EU official says (Defense News) Europe can’t rely on the United States to supply the continent with sufficient quantities of air-defense missiles, and needs to step up local production of interceptors, European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said at the Paris Defense and Strategy Forum.       France to boost munitions spending by nearly $10 billion through 2030 (Defense News) France plans to spend an additional €8.5 billion (U.S.$9.8 billion) to buy munitions through to 2030, with the return of high-intensity warfare in the Middle East and Ukraine showing a need for more mass, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told parliament on Wednesday.       Volkswagen in talks to make Iron Dome parts at struggling German auto plant: report (Defense News) Volkswagen is in discussions with Israeli defense company Rafael Advanced Defence Systems to convert its factory in Osnabrück, Germany, into a production site for components of the Iron Dome air defense system, the Financial Times reported this week, citing multiple sources familiar with the plans.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Lebanese fear another occupation as Israel threatens to use Gaza tactics in the south (The Associated Press) As Israel trades fire with Hezbollah, calls for mass evacuations and sends ground troops deeper into Lebanon, its leaders have hinted at a long-term occupation modeled on the devastating conquest of much of Gaza after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.   Ukraine     Iran war deflects attention from Ukraine as an emboldened Russia starts spring offensive (The Associated Press) The Iran war has deflected global attention from Russia’s all-out invasion of its neighbor Ukraine as Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II enters its fifth year and an emboldened Kremlin undertakes a spring offensive.   International     Russian tanker near Cuba tests US resolve on blockade (France 24) Russian officials confirmed Wednesday that Moscow is sending fuel to Cuba as humanitarian aid, intensifying geopolitical tensions as a Russian oil tanker likely bound for the island approaches the Caribbean. Moscow’s announcement comes amid a US effort to choke off oil supplies to Havana that has led to a worsening energy crisis and an unfolding humanitarian disaster.       Pakistan resumes military operations against Afghanistan (Reuters) Pakistan's ?military resumed operations against Afghanistan after a temporary pause, Pakistan's foreign ministry said ?on Thursday, dashing hopes of a permanent ceasefire.       US, Iran harden positions as ceasefire push appears to falter (The Hill) The U.S. and Iran are standing by their hardened positions as the push to bring a ceasefire to the Middle East conflict appears to dissipate. President Trump early Thursday accused Iranian negotiators of "begging" to reach a deal with the U.S. after the Iranians submitted their peace plan and rejected the Trump administration's 15-point peace...   Military Culture & History     These 7 foreigners helped win the American Revolution (Military Times) Sure, we’ve all heard the tales of George Washington’s exploits, Paul Revere’s famous “one if by land, two if by sea ” ride, Benjamin Franklin’s role in well, just about everything. But what about the foreign fighters that served with distinction, nay, may have even saved the revolution?   Commentary & Analysis     The military’s fabled ‘human in the loop’ for AI is dangerously misleading (Military Times) Recently it was reported that Amazon convened an internal “deep dive” after a string of outages disrupted its retail site, apparently caused by AI assisted coding tools. The meeting followed several highly visible failures and a growing recognition inside the company that safeguards around generative AI in production systems are inadequate.       How advanced is Iran's nuclear program? Here's what we know. (CBS News) President Trump launched military strikes on Iran after several rounds of talks over the country's nuclear program and uranium stockpiles. Here's what to know about the nuclear program.       Why hasn’t the US military used force to secure the Strait of Hormuz? (The Conversation) Since the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran in late February, Iran has retaliated by targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, effectively shutting down the narrow channel of water.       The war in Ukraine transformed conflict. Iran is the proof. (The New York Times) Open-ended military conflict in Europe could, at some point, intersect with open-ended military conflict in the Middle East.       Iran was always going to close the Strait of Hormuz (The Conversation) The five-day deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz handed to Iran by Donald Trump on Monday expires some time Friday and the Islamic Republic needs to “get serious before it is too late” – or so the U.S. president has announced on his TruthSocial platform.