Top 5     8 people killed in B-52 bomber crash at California base, officials confirm (Military Times) The eight individuals aboard the B-52 Stratofortress that crashed early Monday at Edwards Air Force Base, California, were killed, U.S. Air Force officials confirmed.       US won’t soften military posture in Middle East despite Iran agreement (Military Times) The United States will maintain its current military posture in the Middle East despite the electronic signing of a peace agreement between Washington and Tehran, a senior U.S. official said on Monday, indicating that any drawdown remains off the table for now.       General Atomics awarded US Army contract for extended-range artillery (Military Times) The U.S. Army has awarded General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems a contract to validate a maneuvering 155mm artillery round designed to strike targets beyond the reach of conventional rounds.       Europe says ready for Hormuz mission once Iran peace in place (Bloomberg) European leaders said they’re ready to deploy military assets to reopen the Strait of Hormuz once the peace agreement announced between the U.S. and Iran is implemented.       Iran, US agree to halt war and reopen Hormuz (Military Times) The United States and Iran have reportedly agreed to terms to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, news that brought relief to markets — although the pact may hinge on an end to hostilities in Lebanon and defers talks on Tehran’s nuclear program.   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’s use of JAGs in civilian roles would be probed under NDAA provision (Defense One) The Trump administration’s use of military lawyers for civilian roles would be probed by Congress’ watchdog agency under language added to the 2027 defense policy bill.   Your Military     Policy hurdles, disconnect with Pentagon office lead to ‘mixed success’ for major SOCOM programs, watchdog says (DefenseScoop) U.S. Special Operations Command “reported mixed success” in meeting cost and schedule goals for several of its most expensive acquisition programs, according to a Government Accountability Office report.   Navy     Navy ‘in a fight for the narrative’: Hung Cao presses service to unify public messaging (Military Times) Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao on June 8 established the Department of the Navy Communication Strategy, aimed at combat not of the seas, but of information.       Sailors are now eligible for the Mexican Border Defense Medal (Task & Purpose) Sailors assigned to military operations at the southern U.S. border are now eligible for the new Mexican Border Defense Medal.   Marine Corps     F/A-18 Hornet crashes in Washington state, wildfire subsequently reported (Military Times) A pilot safely ejected from an F/A-18 Hornet on Saturday after experiencing an aviation mishap 55 miles southeast of Seattle, Washington, according to the U.S. Marine Corps.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard is providing key counter-drone defense for World Cup (Defense News) If any kind of aerial drone tries to breach a miles-long exclusion area above World Cup games in Boston and San Francisco, Coast Guard defense personnel will be able to use specialized equipment to seize remote control of the system and land or destroy it.   National Guard     National Guard troops fly HIMARS 2,000 miles for rapid strike training (Task & Purpose) Airmen from the Rhode Island National Guard and soldiers from the Michigan National Guard moved a powerful rocket artillery system more than 2,000 miles across the country this month, flying a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System from Michigan to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin to test rapid deployment capabilities.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Trump memo sets ‘aggressive’ timelines to secure sensitive systems (Federal News Network) A new memo aims to safeguard military, intelligence and classified systems from advanced security threats, amid concerns about AI-driven cyber attacks.   Defense Industry     Space Force orders two more GPS satellites from Lockheed Martin for $514 million (Space News) Contract brings GPS 3F orders to 14 satellites that add anti-jam features, digital payloads and upgraded civilian navigation signals       Australia forges ahead with 155mm ammo production (Defense News) Amid efforts to ramp up ammunition production in Australia, the government announced a A$72 million – around US$51 million – contract to set up an M795 155mm artillery projectile production line there.       France picks MBDA-Safran combo to supply multiple rocket launcher (Defense News) France has started exclusive negotiations with French defense firm Safran and missile maker MBDA to supply domestically produced rocket artillery as well as munitions, Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin announced at the Eurosatory defense show near Paris on Monday.       France prepares Ukraine-inspired ‘kill web’ for battlefield awareness (Defense News) France is working on a “kill web” to connect sensors and weapon systems on the battlefield for faster decision making and firing, similar to Ukraine’s Delta system, according to the head of the French Army’s technical section STAT.       French army shows Leclerc tank with once-mocked anti-drone cage (Defense News) The French Army showed off an upgraded Leclerc XLR main battle tank fitted with roof-mounted cage armor, a protective measure widely mocked on social media as “cope cages” when similar structures appeared on Russian tanks during the opening months of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but which has since proven useful against drones on the modern battlefield.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israel will not withdraw from territory in Lebanon, defense minister says (The Guardian) Comments by Israel Katz come after announcement of interim deal between US and Iran to end hostilities.       Israeli officials defiant over apparent inclusion of Lebanon ceasefire in US-Iran deal (The Guardian) Defense minister, Israel Katz, says military forces will not withdraw from territory seized in south Lebanon.   Ukraine     Russian attack kills at least five and damages historic monastery in Kyiv (Washington Post) UNESCO, the U.N.’s world heritage agency, condemned the attack, which damaged the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery. Russia said it bombed military targets.       G7 leaders to meet Zelenskyy as Trump signals possible Ukraine breakthrough (France 24) G7 leaders will hold talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Ukraine on Tuesday, as US President Donald Trump suggested there may be room for progress after more than four years of war with Russia. The summit in Evian will also address Iran, amid renewed diplomacy and continued fighting in Ukraine following Russian strikes.   International     Russian strategic bomber crashes in Siberia during training exercise (Defense News) A Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber plane crashed on Monday in Siberia’s Irkutsk region during a training flight, the Russian Defence Ministry said, but the aircraft’s four-person crew had managed to safely eject.   Military Culture & History     Last living USS Indianapolis survivor turns 99 (Military Times) Just after midnight on Monday, July 30, 1945, the first Japanese torpedo slammed into the USS Indianapolis’s starboard bow. Then another.       Military Women’s Memorial honors 78th anniversary of historic law, centuries of women’s service (Stars and Stripes) Seventy-eight years after women gained a permanent place in the armed forces, veterans, military leaders and supporters gathered Friday at the Military Women’s Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery to honor their contributions to the nation.   Video     Marines work on border barriers in southern Arizona - 6.1.2026 (Defense News) Troops string concertina and fix fencing along the border.       Check out the flyovers at the White House for the recent UFC 250 Event (Defense News) Watch the UFC flyovers.       Video shows aftermath of B-52 Stratofortress crash at Edwards Air Force Base (Defense News) The bomber crashed just after takeoff on June 15.       College Budgeting With the GI Bill — Money Minute (Defense News) Jeanette Mack from Navy Federal Credit Union is here to help you get the most from your GI Bill.       A personal periscope for special forces divers? (Defense News) At SOF Week in Tampa, Fla., Dark Blue displays its suite of special forces-focused underwater gear, including sonar and a mini-periscope.       Shield AI shows off the X-BAT, and Boeing tests a long-range JDAM (Defense News) Two top defense companies provide updates on emerging systems form the Sea Air Space conference in Washington, D.C. recently.   Commentary & Analysis     What to know about the deal to end the Iran war (The Associated Press) Iran and the United States are trumpeting their tentative agreement aimed at ending their war as a victory. But so far there is no word on what’s actually in it.       The White House is ratcheting up its war against Anthropic (The Atlantic) In theory, Donald Trump has a consistent position on AI. On the first full day of his second term, the president declared that he would use his full authority to speed the AI industry along and, in particular, to beat China in the AI race: “We have an emergency,” he said. “We have to get this stuff built.” If AI is poised to become the most important technology ever made, the thinking goes, whichever country commands the most powerful bots will dominate the rest of the century and beyond. The government, it seemed, would just get out of Silicon Valley’s way.       America's veterans are a defense-tech asset — we're wasting them (The Cipher Brief) I spent my formative adult years in service to my country—from seventeen to twenty-nine—and the core of how I identify myself remains that of a United States Marine. When I separated, the playbook was clear: suit up for the boardroom. Investment banks and consulting firms were the promised land, where top talent was expected to go.       The US had no choice but diplomacy—yet again (The Atlantic) Declaring that “the deal is all signed” with Iran, as President Trump did today, is like shopping for a wedding dress after a good first date: It’s just too soon.       South Korea could build nuclear submarines, but it shouldn’t (War on the Rocks) In late May 2026, South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back unveiled a roadmap to achieving one of Seoul’s top military acquisition goals: nuclear-powered submarines. This roadmap is heading in the wrong direction.       A disciplined case for the A-10 the Air Force won’t make (The War Zone) The service says the Warthog will fly to 2030. Evidence shows a lack of commitment and the irreversible loss of A-10 combat capability is instead just months away.       How Japan could co-produce the Navy’s future fleet (War on the Rocks) America’s defense industrial base cannot build the Navy out of the threat it faces. Decades of industry consolidation, persistent resource shortages, and inconsistent demand signals have delayed the production of critical vessels and munitions. With production bottlenecks stacking up, the Navy may have no choice but to let its allies do some of the building.