Top 5     China test-launches ballistic missile from sub in South Pacific, drawing protests (CBS News) China's military test-launched a long-range ballistic missile from a nuclear-powered submarine in the South Pacific, drawing protest and concern from countries in the region.       Canada picks Germany’s TKMS for historic submarine buy, in nod to Europe (Defense News) A German shipbuilder has won the competition for the largest defense procurement in Canadian history, beating out a South Korean firm on the project to build 12 new submarines.       Tennessee National Guard soldiers on patrol shoot, kill civilian during armed pursuit (Military Times) The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has launched a formal inquiry after two members of the Tennessee National Guard shot and killed a civilian shortly before 4 a.m. Sunday.       NATO summit host Turkey sees its alliance clout rising amid war raging nearby (Defense News) Host country Turkey expects from the NATO summit here this week that national leaders will reaffirm the alliance’s principle of collective defense enshrined in Article 5.       VFW defends First Amendment rights amid blowback over political cartoon (Military Times) The nation’s largest combat veteran organization is fending off criticism over a political cartoon that depicts vets facing a firing squad for proposed changes to benefits in a sweeping reform bill — an illustration that drew fire last week from one of the bill’s primary sponsors.   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 launches ‘War Force’ campaign in push for software engineers (Defense News) The Department of Defense partnered with the Office of Personnel Management to recruit hundreds of software engineers for voluntary assignments following a nearly 11% decline of its workforce.       Pentagon’s top new weapons programs are 12 years behind schedule: Watchdog (Military Times) The news was almost predictable. For yet another year, auditors have found that America’s new weapons aren’t being delivered on time.   Congress & Politics     Marine One helipad to be built on White House lawn, Trump says (Military Times) A granite helipad is being constructed at the White House to accommodate the newer Marine One helicopters, President Donald Trump confirmed.   Navy     US Navy suspends search for missing aviator in Arabian Sea (Military Times) The U.S. Navy on Monday called off its search for a sailor who disappeared after the helicopter they were aboard made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea, the service said.       Two retired warships to be sunk during Rim of the Pacific exercise (Military Times) Two former U.S. warships are set to be sunk during the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise.   National Guard     The family of a man shot by the Tennessee National Guard demands release of video (The Associated Press) The grandfather of a man who was shot and killed by the Tennessee National Guard in Memphis over the weekend says he wants answers from law enforcement.   Defense Industry     Thales to buy French underwater-drone maker Exail in $4.5 billion deal (Defense News) Thales agreed to buy 35.5% of French underwater-drone maker Exail Technologies from the Gorgé family, and plans to make a tender offer to buy the remainder of the company at an implied enterprise value of €3.9 billion (US$4.5 billion), beating a competing offer by Safran.       Indonesia drops KF-21 co-production plans, eying stock warplanes instead (Defense News) Seoul and Jakarta are ironing out the transfer of a singular KF-21 fighter jet prototype, capping a decade-long back and forth over deal to manufacture the South Korean jets in Indonesia that once envisioned the handover as one of many.   Ukraine     Russian strikes kill 20, exposing Ukraine’s air-defense shortage (Defense News) Russia hammered Ukraine with missiles and drones early on Monday, killing at least 20 people and exposing Kyiv’s critical shortage of U.S.-made interceptors, officials said, just days after the deadliest attack on the Ukrainian capital this year.       NATO chief says allies face limits on air defenses for Ukraine (Bloomberg) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte cautioned that allies don’t have an endless supply of missile interceptors, hours after Ukraine implored the military alliance to send more to repel Russia’s deadly air strikes.   International     Chinese government tells critics not to ‘overinterpret’ missile test in Pacific as criticism grows (The Guardian) The Australian government says there was ‘insufficient notice’ as details of missile path are released by Taiwan government       Russia sends weapons to help Mali’s government hold off rebel siege (Al Jazeera) The Russian navy is carrying a shipment of weapons to help Mali’s government hold off a rebel advance.       Tanker on fire off coast of Oman after being hit by projectile (Al Jazeera) Iran's TV claims the tanker ignored warnings, but no direct responsibility for the attack has been declared.       Canada rushes to build up its military as US relationship frays (The Wall Street Journal) The country has long lagged behind NATO allies in defense spending, but Prime Minister Mark Carney says it has to do more TORONTO—For decades, Canada’s military has been considered a weak link in NATO.       North Korea’s frigate bristles with a comical number of machine guns (The War Zone) North Korea's Kang Kon warship released a full broadside of machine gun fire during a demonstration for Kim Kong Un.   Video     Flyover highlights from America 250 events (Defense News) Military aircraft took to the skies for the Fourth of July - check out some hightlights.       Blaze past New York City skyscrapers in an F-35. (Defense News) Four Royal Netherlands Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs, assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing, fly over New York City during the America 250 International Aerial Review.       ‘I fought for that flag’: Medal of Honor Recipient speaks at ceremony (Defense News) Maj. James Capers, hero of the Vietnam War, remembered fallen comrades and ‘dark days’ at a recent ceremony after receiving the Medal of Honor.       Fighting on a battleship in 2026? Service group hosts jiu-jitsu event on USS New Jersey (Defense News) The We Defy Foundation hosted a unique training event aboard a decommissioned battleship to raise funds and awareness for its combat veterans program.       The Medal of Honor and veteran transition assistance | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 7.7.26 (Defense News) Two Marines and one soldier were recently awarded the MOH. One foundation seeks to help vets with MMA training. Those stories and more on this week's episode.   Commentary & Analysis     What to know about NATO’s summit in Turkey as America steps back from its defense of Europe (The Associated Press) U.S. President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts are gathering in Turkey on Tuesday for a two-day summit that comes at a turning point in the organization’s history as the United States steps back from its traditional security role in Europe.       China’s submarine missile test looks routine. The real story is the panic it triggered (The Conversation) PLA Navy On Monday, a Chinese navy submarine fired a long-range ballistic missile into international waters in the South Pacific. The nuclear-capable missile, which was launched from underwater and carried an inert dummy warhead, is believed to have splashed down near Tuvalu.       The results are in on Trump’s boat strikes campaign (The Atlantic) The official line remains the same: The 10-month campaign of strikes on small boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific has nearly stopped the flow of drugs by sea into the United States. In December, President Trump boasted about a 92 percent drop in seaborne shipments. Last month, in an apparent sign of further progress, he said the decline was up to 97.2 percent.       A Catholic security scholar’s case for responsible military AI (War on the Rocks) What do you do when two identities that make up your deepest self find themselves on opposite sides of a moral and spiritual battlefield?