Top 5     US launches new strikes on Iran after helicopter downed (Reuters) The United States on Tuesday launched strikes against Iran after President Donald Trump said Tehran had shot down a U.S. Apache helicopter in the Strait of Hormuz, deepening doubts about prospects for peace between the two countries.       US soldiers rescued by drone after Apache helicopter goes down near the coast of Oman (Military Times) Two U.S. Army soldiers were brought to safety by a drone on Monday after their AH-64 Apache helicopter went down near the coast of Oman, in what may mark the services’ first unmanned vessel rescue.       Senator warns of government shutdown over dispute on fiscal 2027 defense budget (Military Times) U.S. lawmakers across the aisle disagree about how much of a funding increase is necessary for the military during the next fiscal year, leading to at least one senator foreseeing another government shutdown.       ‘Flashpoint Campaigns: Cold War’ is the ultimate OODA Loop wargame (Military Times) Fifty years ago, a U.S. Air Force colonel named John Boyd offered a profound insight into why battles are won or lost.       VA denies military sexual trauma claims more often than combat injuries (Task & Purpose) Veterans seeking to file disability claims related to military sexual trauma are “more likely“ to be denied by the Department of Veterans Affairs than those whose claims are for combat injuries, according to a new report mandated by Congress.   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 plans trip to Guantanamo Bay amid US-Cuba tensions (Bloomberg) Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will travel to the US Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Wednesday as the Trump administration continues to demand drastic reforms by the communist government in Havana.   Congress & Politics     JD Vance claims US ‘very close’ to peace deal with Iran (The Guardian) Vice-president says deal could ‘absolutely’ come before midterms, as US strikes Iran after downing of helicopter   Army     Army mortar crews trade laptops for phone app (Military Times) Army mortar teams have replaced 20-year-old software used to calculate firing data and ballistics with a new application designed for smartphones and tablets.   Navy     Sailor sentenced to 44 years in prison for murder of Angelina Resendiz (Military Times) A U.S. sailor who killed a fellow service member will spend 44 years behind bars after pleading guilty at a general court-martial, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service announced Tuesday.   Marine Corps     New Marine specialty combines welding, machining and 3D printing (Stars and Stripes) Marines working as machinists and welders will have their respective specialties combined into one new designation, a move designed to boost both their versatility and their chances for promotion.       Marines to have their own barracks bedrooms at Japan base (Military Times) The days of brotherly body odor and tossing and turning to the sound of a bunkmate’s late-night calls with his “one and only” may soon be over for junior enlisted service members stationed at Camp Hansen, Japan, as the installation prepares to move service members into new barracks with individual bedrooms.       Marine Corps looks to equip armored vehicles with 360-degree cameras (Military Times) The U.S. Marine Corps is looking for 360-degree camera systems to fit on the LAV-25 and other armored vehicles.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock returns to Honolulu after first Operation Blue Pacific Patrol (Seapower) USCGC Hollyhock returns after completing their first Operation Blue Pacific patrol at Coast Guard Base Honolulu, Hawaii, June 7, 2026. The Hollyhock crew departed Honolulu in April and traveled more than 7,500 nautical miles over 42 days.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Pentagon reveals preferred munitions for one-way attack drones (Military Times) The Pentagon recently named the winners of the Lethality Prize Challenge in the Drone Dominance program, a $1.1 billion effort to expand domestic drone production and reduce the cost of commercial drones for military use.       New CISA directive will reshape how agencies prioritize cyber risks, official says (Defense One) The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency plans to release a binding directive on Wednesday that tasks the federal government with rethinking how it manages risks to its networks and prioritizing cyber vulnerabilities that demand the most urgency, agency acting director Nick Andersen said.   Defense Industry     After FCAS demise, Germany’s options include ordering more F-35 warplanes (Defense News) German defense leaders will go back to the drawing board in their quest for a next-generation fighter jet following the end of the once-ambitious French-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System.       Putin offers Su-57 to India as New Delhi faces stealth fighter gap (Defense News) Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered India joint production of the country’s most advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter jet, the Su-57, and said Moscow was willing to cooperate without “limitations.”       Airbus-led alliance lobbies Germany on fighter jet project (Defense News) A group of defense companies led by Airbus has submitted a position paper on a sixth-generation fighter jet project to the German government, signaling an industry push to shape Europe’s future combat jet program amid uncertainty about its direction.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israel launched deadly strike on Lebanon's Tyre before warning (Reuters) Israel struck the historic port city of Tyre in southern Lebanon on Tuesday killing at least eight people, the Lebanese health ministry ?said, and minutes later ordered the evacuation of the entire city for the first time.   International     Cuba’s top envoy to US calls Trump’s sanctions on Cuban leaders a ‘pretext’ for military action (The Associated Press) Recent U.S. sanctions targeting Cuba’s leadership and the indictment of former President Raúl Castro are a “pretext” for the Trump administration to persuade the American people to support a military intervention, Cuba’s top diplomat to the United States told The Associated Press.       Ukraine is ready to share drone technology with Nordic and Baltic countries, Zelenskyy says (The Associated Press) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Nordic and Baltic leaders who were in Estonia for a regional summit Tuesday, a visit that comes amid friction over Ukrainian drones straying into the region in recent months.   Video     CENTCOM releases footage of strikes on Iranian radar sites (Defense News) Newly released CENTCOM footage shows U.S. forces striking Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in Goruk and on Qeshm Island on June 5.   Commentary & Analysis     This is the Corsair drone boat that plucked the downed Apache crew out of the Gulf of Oman (The War Zone) U.S. Central Command has confirmed a Saronic Corsair was the uncrewed surface vessel hat rescued the crew of a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache out of the Gulf of Oman overnight.       Why Zelenskyy asked Russian oligarch Abramovich to test Putin’s appetite for talks (France 24) Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed reports that he asked Roman Abramovich to pass on an offer of direct talks to Vladimir Putin. A Russian oligarch loyal to the Kremlin may be a surprise choice of messenger for Kyiv, but the former Chelsea owner has a history of acting as go-between since the start of Russia’s invasion.       Netanyahu has lost Middle America (The Wall Street Journal) Israel needs a new government whose leaders are capable of facing reality. Whatever the long-term military consequences of the war in Gaza, its effect on the American public’s support for Israel has been catastrophic and won’t be reversed quickly. Just as Israel’s surprise 1967 victory in the Six-Day …       The forgotten history Moscow doesn’t want remembered (The Cipher Brief) Sadly, few in the U.S. and Europe know the complicated history of the Kremlin’s actions in the years leading up to Hitler’s Invasion of the USSR. This is partially a result of Moscow’s emphasis on some facts, twisting other facts and effort to ignore it to suppress critical facts that threaten and undermine the Kremlin’s propaganda and cognitive warfare narratives.       How can Lebanon’s partners help strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces? (War on the Rocks) The Lebanese state’s lack of effective sovereignty is a crucial problem in efforts to negotiate with Israel and disarm Hizballah. In response to intensified fighting between Israel and Hizballah, the United States began hosting talks between Israel and the Lebanese government in April. However, fighting has continued, and Hizballah recently rejected a proposed ceasefire deal.In 2025, in a historic move, the Lebanese government made plans for the Lebanese Armed Forces to disarm Hizballah. However, the military made slow progress, partly due to fears that more aggressive moves might splinter the Lebanese forces. Meanwhile, Israeli attacks have killed dozens of members       Qatar's new online influence machine (The Cipher Brief) For years, Qatar has positioned itself in Washington as a trusted American partner: a host to major U.S. military assets, a mediator in hostage negotiations, and a wealthy Gulf state capable of talking to nearly everyone in a turbulent region. At the same time, Doha has earned a reputation for exerting influence by illicit means, such as the bribes that secured it the right to host soccer’s 2022 World Cup. Less recognized is the Qatari regime’s employment of an artificial media platform that poses as an independent news organization while promoting Doha’s agenda.       Being Black in Pete Hegseth’s military (The Atlantic) The secretary of defense is sending the message that Black service members are not welcome.