Top 5     Iran puts ‘fingers on trigger’ as US armada arrives in Middle East (Defense News) Iran has put its rhetorical “fingers on the trigger,” the regime’s foreign minister warned Wednesday, as the United States revives threats to mount an attack on the Islamic Republic “with speed and violence.”       Military commissaries are planning ahead for possible government shutdown (Task & Purpose) The agency in charge of running base stores where many troops buy their groceries is preparing to stay open through March in the event of a government shutdown, officials said in a release.       Army redesignates unit for jungle warfare training in Panama (Military Times) The Army’s focus on the Western Hemisphere is beginning to show in how it’s reorganizing the forces it sends abroad.       DOD shutdown appears imminent, if short-lived, after failed Senate vote (Defense One) The Senate on Thursday rejected a package of spending bills to fund roughly half of federal agencies, putting much of government, including the Defense Department, on a collision course with a shutdown set to begin this weekend.       Utilities billing resumes for some military housing residents (Military Times) Some landlords of privatized military housing are resuming the utilities billing process for military families.   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.   Pentagon     Army general tapped to lead NSA vows to follow the law if confirmed (The Associated Press) The Army general tapped to lead the U.S. National Security Agency assured lawmakers Thursday that he will follow the Constitution and the law when it comes to using the NSA’s powerful surveillance tools.   Congress & Politics     JAGs are becoming federal prosecutors in Minneapolis. Experts warn it’s new territory (Defense One) Dozens of military lawyers have been temporarily assigned as federal prosecutors to support law-enforcement surges in Minneapolis and other cities, a novel arrangement that is stretching an overworked Judge Advocate General's Corps and drawing concern from legal experts.   Your Military     Military families will see slight increases in Tricare dental premiums (Military Times) Active-duty military families will see minimal increases in their monthly premiums for the Tricare Dental Program, starting March 1, Tricare officials announced Thursday.   Army     101st Airborne soldiers hitch rides aboard Marine Ospreys in exercise (Defense News) Ahead of the 101st Airborne Division’s receipt of the Bell MV-75, its personnel tested the tiltrotor waters in a training exercise with the Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey.       $5,000 reward offered for an explosive stolen from Fort Leonard Wood (Stars & Stripes) The Army Criminal Investigation Division announced a reward of up to $5,000 for information about an explosive stolen from Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.       The US Army wants 11 business jets for ISR missions (Defense News) After a half-century of flying turboprop ISR aircraft, the U.S. Army is turning to business jets.   Navy     Newest Ford-class carrier USS John F. Kennedy heads to sea for testing (Defense News) The U.S. Navy’s second nuclear-powered Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier steamed out to sea Wednesday for sea trials ahead of its much-anticipated arrival to the fleet in 2027.   Marine Corps     Marine Corps bans sale and issue of coat that bleeds orange substance when wet (Stars & Stripes) The Marine Corps is making its all-weather coat unavailable due to a defect that can cast an unsightly hue, according to a new memo from the service.   Air Force     US Air Force looking for contractors to train foreign pilots (Defense News) The U.S. Air Force is looking for contractors who can train foreign pilots receiving American military aid, according to an Air Force Request for Information.   Veterans     VA secretary: EHR deployments are ‘going to be done in the right way’ (Nextgov) The Department of Veterans Affairs has rectified issues with its new electronic health record system and is all set to resume software deployments in just a few months, VA Secretary Doug Collins assured lawmakers, despite a host of unresolved recommendations from an agency watchdog on how to streamline the project.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Air Force ‘battle lab’ to focus on protecting bases from small drones (Defense News) The U.S. Air Force has chosen the 319th Reconnaissance Wing at Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota, to spearhead efforts to counter small-drone threats at U.S. military installations, the service announced earlier this month.       Lockheed confirms RQ-170 Sentinel spy drones took part in Maduro capture mission (The War Zone) Lockheed Martin has offered a very rare confirmation of the RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drone‘s operational exploits, in this case, in support of the recent mission to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.       Pentagon’s new ‘non-kinetic effects cell’ bolsters Gen. Caine’s goal to better integrate cyber into US military operations (DefenseScoop) Better weaving cyber capabilities into American military operations has been a priority for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine. A new team has been set up at the Pentagon to do just that.       Top secret spy satellite declassified by National Reconnaissance Office (The War Zone) The recent declassification of the United States’ Jumpseat spy satellite provides details on what was previously a highly secretive system, one that monitored critical Soviet military assets during some of the tensest years of the Cold War.   Defense Industry     Lockheed Martin to quadruple THAAD missile-defense output (Wall Street Journal) Lockheed Martin said it will quadruple its THAAD missile-defense system output, to roughly 400 interceptors a year, in response to demand from Pentagon officials.       Otokar moves to buy Romanian military-vehicles partner Automecanica (Defense News) Turkish armored-vehicles manufacturer Otokar Otomotiv is expanding its European industrial footprint by signing a memorandum of understanding to acquire a controlling stake in Romania’s Automecanica, according to a disclosure filed on the Public Disclosure Platform this week.       Denver firm puts $280 million toward Pentagon’s munitions call (Bloomberg) Denver-based Voyager Technologies is adding propulsion systems and other components to its manufacturing capabilities as part of a $280 million investment, with the Pentagon pressing defense contractors to accelerate domestic munitions production.       Norway picks Hanwha to supply rocket artillery in $2 billion deal (Defense News) Norway picked Hanwha to supply the army with long-range precision artillery in a deal worth $2 billion, preferring the South Korean company’s Chunmoo system over competing offers from KNDS and Rheinmetall as well as the U.S. High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.       Anthropic-Pentagon clash over limits on AI imperils $200 million contract (Wall Street Journal) The AI startup and defense officials disagreed over whether the technology would be used for autonomous "lethal" operations and surveillance.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israel returns Palestinian bodies, official says, marking last exchange between Israel and Hamas (The Associated Press) Israel turned over the bodies of 15 Palestinians on Thursday, just days after recovering the remains of the last Israeli hostage, a Gaza Health Ministry official said.       Netanyahu vows to cut Israel’s reliance on US military aid (New York Times) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed some soldiers’ deaths in the Gaza war on a lack of ammunition caused by a pause in American weapon deliveries during President Biden’s term.   International     US soldiers with Abrams tanks to be deployed to Romania, NATO ally’s defense chief says (Stars & Stripes) A U.S. tank unit will be deployed to Romania to enhance the “quality and lethality” of the American military presence there, a top defense official from that country said this week.       Trump says he’s instructed US officials to reopen Venezuelan airspace for commercial travel (The Associated Press) President Donald Trump said Thursday he has informed Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, that he will open up all commercial airspace over Venezuela and Americans will soon be able to visit.       Chinese warships sail near Okinawa after US-Philippine drills in South China Sea (Stars & Stripes) Japan tracked four Chinese warships transiting a strategic waterway near Okinawa this week, a move that followed U.S.-Philippine military drills near a contested South China Sea atoll that drew complaints from Beijing.       Destroyer Delbert D. Black now in Red Sea following Lincoln strike group shift to Middle East (USNI News) USS Delbert D. Black is now in the Red Sea, adding to the increased U.S. presence in the Middle East, USNI News has learned.       Germany proposes ‘two-speed’ EU to hasten defense buildup (Defense News) Germany is spearheading an initiative to create a “two-speed” European Union, proposing that a core group of six major economies bypass the bloc’s traditional consensus-based decision-making to accelerate defense cooperation and industrial competitiveness amid mounting geopolitical pressures.   Military Culture & History     Marine football’s last coach shares program’s history in new exhibit (Stars & Stripes) The final head coach of the Marine Corps football team in Quantico took part in the unveiling of a new exhibit at the National Museum of the Marine Corps on Wednesday, featuring artifacts representing more than 50 years of football in the Marine Corps.   Video     Leonardo DRS CEO talks about meeting the administration’s demands for increased shipbuilding (Military Times) Leonardo DRS CEO John Baylouny talks about meeting the Trump administration’s demands for increased shipbuilding capacity at the opening of his company’s new submarine propulsion plant in South Carolina.       Navy chief says force should operate on ‘wartime footing’ | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 1.27.26 (Defense News) To meet mission and shipbuilding demands, the Navy should operate like it is at war, a top official says. Plus, details of the Tump-class battleships.       Is Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ feasible? A congressional supporter weighs in (Military Times) Rep. Jeff Crank, founder of the House Golden Dome Caucus, says not only is President Trump’s missile defense proposal possible — it can also be done quickly.   Commentary & Analysis     America can strike anywhere — but can it stay anywhere? (Military Times) The recent Operation Absolute Resolve captured Venezuelan President Maduro in a stunning display of American military power. Yet weeks later, pro-government forces still control Caracas, and the country remains “uninvestable.”       America can have the oil (The Atlantic) Venezuela’s riches were squandered, souring many on national stewardship.