Top 5     Trump weighs pulling some US troops from Europe amid NATO strains, official says (Military Times) U.S. President Donald Trump, upset at NATO allies’ failure to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and angry that his plans to acquire Greenland have not advanced, has discussed with advisers the option of removing some U.S. troops from Europe, a senior White House official told Reuters on Thursday.       Pentagon’s ouster of Anthropic opens doors for small AI rivals (Reuters) Small defense industry artificial intelligence startups are suddenly fielding calls from generals, combatant commanders and deep-pocketed investors, after the souring relationship between the Pentagon and its once-favored AI vendor, Anthropic, reinforced the need to diversify and increase the number of AI providers for the military.       High-stakes talks set for Islamabad over US-Iran war: What to know (The Hill) High-stakes talks are set for Islamabad this weekend where U.S. and Iranian officials plan to meet to negotiate the terms of a tenuous ceasefire to end the war in Iran. The White House called the talks “ongoing” but any agreement remains extremely fragile as fighting continues across the Middle East.       UK says it deployed military to deter Russian submarines from attack on undersea cables (Reuters) Britain deployed military vessels to prevent any attacks on cables and pipelines by Russian submarines which spent more than a month in and around British waters earlier this year, its defense minister John Healey said on Thursday.       Court voids latest Pentagon press restrictions (Politico) A federal judge has rejected Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s renewed effort to restrict press access to the Pentagon, calling it an attempt to dictate media coverage that smacks of “an autocracy, not a democracy.”   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     Pentagon plays down rift with Vatican despite Pope’s criticism (Bloomberg) The Pentagon and the Vatican denied allegations of a rift following Pope Leo XIV’s criticism of the Trump administration and a news report of a contentious meeting between a papal envoy and a top US defense official.   Congress & Politics     Trump again chides NATO for failing to back US operations in Iran (Military Times) President Donald Trump on Thursday again chided NATO for its reluctance to support U.S. operations in Iran, just a day after a tense private meeting with Secretary General Mark Rutte at the White House.       House appropriators delay Defense markup plans amid uncertainty (Roll Call) House appropriators have pushed back plans to mark up a fiscal 2027 Defense spending bill by about a month because of uncertainty over how to finance a massive surge in Pentagon funding sought by the Trump administration, according to sources familiar with the planning.   Army     Army survivors of deadly attack in Kuwait dispute Pentagon's account (CBS News) Survivors of an Iranian attack that killed six U.S. service members have disputed the Pentagon's description of events and said their unit in Kuwait was left dangerously exposed.       Army moves toward contractor-run pilot training after years of safety concerns (Military Times) The U.S. Army has advanced at least two bidders in its rotary-wing pilot training overhaul, moving closer to outsourcing how it trains new pilots.       Charges mount for Army OB/GYN accused of sexual assault (Military Times) An Army doctor at a Texas base is now facing an expanded set of sexual assault and misconduct charges involving 73 victims.       Army accepts first delivery of its new service rifle, the XM8 Carbine (Stars and Stripes) The U.S. Army has accepted the first delivery of its new service rifle, the XM8 Carbine, from Sig Sauer.   Navy     Navy dishes out awards for top mess halls (Military Times) The U.S. Navy announced the winners of its annual award recognizing excellence in food service among the branch’s vessels, boats and installations.       US Navy introduces free Wi-Fi to barracks in Greece, Italy (Military Times) The U.S. Navy continues to provide high-speed Wi-Fi to service members living in unaccompanied housing across the globe with the addition of free internet in Italy and Greece.       Former USNS Carson City skipper accused of 2021 rape surrenders license (Military Times) Three years after the captain of a military sealift command ship was accused of raping an assistant engineer in her quarters during a port visit, he has left the merchant mariner field — and, for the first time, been publicly identified.   Marine Corps     Marine Corps to phase out civilian family readiness coordinators by 2030 (Stars and Stripes) The Marine Corps plans to eliminate a civilian position that helps families access financial and counseling services during deployments, shifting those responsibilities to uniformed personnel and volunteers.   AIr Force     The Air Force is putting big money behind its effort to keep aviators in the service (Military Times) Eligible active-duty U.S. Air Force aviators can receive up to $50,000 per year in bonuses for shorter contract lengths in an effort from the service to retain airmen with “critical skills that are highly sought after.”   Coast Guard     Coast Guard wants contractors to provide and operate drone services from cutters, shore-based sites (DefenseScoop) Coast Guard officials are trying to identify contractors that can provide drone equipment and services to support intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations.   Veterans     VA's failure to use its new authority to boost pay for doctors draws bipartisan criticism (GovExec) Doctors at the Veterans Affairs Department have yet to receive a pay bump despite a recent law authorizing the increases, which has drawn bipartisan criticism from lawmakers.       Vietnam veterans honored at Washington Nationals game (Stars and Stripes) Fifteen Vietnam-era veterans representing the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Women’s Army Corps were recognized Wednesday at the Washington Nationals game against the St. Louis Cardinals.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     OpenAI national security lead endorses ‘appropriate human judgment’ in AI (Nextgov) Workforce transformation and the application of “appropriate human judgment” will be necessary when incorporating advanced artificial intelligence capabilities into defense operations, according to OpenAI’s head of national security policy.   Defense Industry     Lockheed Martin wins $105 million contract for GPS ground control system as OCX winds down (Space News) The contract supports next-generation GPS IIIF satellites through 2030       France mulls fallback tank for delayed MGCS program in defense update (Defense News) France is in talks with manufacturers about an intermediary solution to replace the country’s aging Leclerc main battle tank, as a project with Germany to develop a next-generation tank is delayed, Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin told lawmakers on Wednesday.       PLD Space secures $35 million European Investment Bank loan for MIURA 5 launcher (Space News) PLD Space signed a $35 million venture debt loan with the European Investment Bank on April 7, a move to support the final development stage of MIURA 5, PLD’s lightweight rocket.       Space Force taps 14 firms for $1.8 billion GEO surveillance program (Space News) The companies will compete for contracts to build ‘neighborhood watch’ satellites   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Netanyahu says there is no ceasefire in Lebanon as Israel launches fresh strikes (The Guardian) Israeli PM says he will continue to attack Hezbollah ‘with full force’ after attacks that killed more than 300 people   International     USS Nimitz holds joint live-fire exercises with Ecuador navy off west coast of South America (Stars and Stripes) Fighter attack jets from USS Nimitz engaged in mock aerial dogfights and dropped live bombs into the sea this week as part of a joint exercise with the Ecuadorian navy.       Researchers propose ‘rewilding’ Europe’s borderlands to repel enemies (Defense News) Restoring wild forests, peat bogs and wetlands on Europe’s borders would establish defensive barriers that are hard to cross for enemy armored units, at a fraction of the cost of concrete anti-tank ditches while bringing environmental benefits, researchers said. For tropical coasts, re-establishing mangrove forests could play a similar role.   Military Culture & History     That time the Air Force proposed making a ‘gay bomb’ (Military Times) In 1994, U.S. Air Force’s Wright Laboratory in Ohio were pressing the bounds to the question: Fellas, is it gay to fight for your country?   Video     CENTCOM Commander says US has destroyed Iran's ability to wage large-scale military action for years (Military Times) U.S. forces to remain in the region for now, remain "ready if called."   Commentary & Analysis     Drone warfare has dramatically changed the battlefield. Is the US medical corps ready? (Military Times) On a serene Saturday afternoon, thousands of miles from conflict, soldiers with the California Air National Guard are scattered among stations, hunched over a buddy. Some apply tourniquets. Others practice life-saving skills, checking for breathing, tilting chins to clear airways, searching for blood loss and hidden wounds.       The Pentagon claims ‘we control the sky’ over Iran. Experts say the air war isn’t that simple. (Defense One) To President Trump and his defense secretary, the herculean rescue of two downed airmen in hostile territory was further proof that the U.S. military has full control of the skies over Iran.       What to know about the US military draft and automatic registration (The New York Times) For decades, draft-eligible men ages 18 to 25 have been required to register with the Selective Service System. Most states offer a registration option on driver’s license applications.       Iran’s asymmetric counterair campaign: Attacking the US Air Force’s nests and eggs (War on the Rocks) On March 27, Iranian drones and missiles struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, destroying an E-3 Sentry, an airborne command center for U.S. operations in the region, and damaging multiple KC-135 tankers. It was not the first strike. Earlier in the month, an Iranian attack had already damaged five KC-135s at the same base. In the history of these aircraft, no enemy had ever achieved such a hit until Iran did both — within two weeks.These strikes are the latest in a broader pattern, part of a deliberate counterair campaign waged through asymmetric means in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Prior to the       How America’s Shahed-136 kamikaze drone clone suddenly became an “indispensable” weapon of war (The War Zone) America’s long-range kamikaze drone, a reverse-engineered clone of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136, was used in combat for the first time during Operation Epic Fury.       Drones are changing warfare and America isn’t ready (The Cipher Brief) Drones in Ukraine and in the War with Iran have made the surface of the earth a contested space. The U.S. has discovered that 1) air superiority and missile defense systems designed to counter tens/hundreds of aircraft and missiles is insufficient against asymmetric attacks of thousands of drones. And that 2) undefended high-value fixed civilian infrastructure - oil tankers, data centers, desalination plants, oil refineries, energy nodes, factories, et al -are all at risk.       What is strategic rivalry? Why should we care? (War on the Rocks) The states most likely to draw America into its next major crisis or war are not unknowns. They are the usual suspects: The same handful of states that have threatened the United States repeatedly across decades. Interstate rivals have caused roughly 80 percent of history’s wars and the odds of any given rivalry ending peacefully are little better than a coin toss. Yet America’s key strategy documents since the 2017 National Security Strategy have used phrases like great power competition, interstate strategic competition, and strategic competition without acknowledging the essential difference between a competition and a rivalry. Nor does the