Top 5     With the cold breed: For soldiers of the 11th Airborne Division, ‘winter is always coming’ (Defense News) Things break in the bitter cold of America’s northern reaches. Batteries die. Fuel and other vital fluids freeze. Vehicles become trapped in ice and snow. Appendages and limbs? If soldiers aren’t careful, such injuries can unravel any semblance of situational control.       Trump officials now leaning against execution livestream, sources say (CBS News) Last week, the Pentagon had said the execution of the ex-Army major convicted of killing 13 in 2009 would be livestreamed.       97% of US soldiers complete brain health assessment (Defense News) Nearly all U.S. soldiers completed a mandatory test meant to track the effects of blast exposure and monitor brain health across the Army, the service said in a release.       US Army to stand up command for unmanned and autonomous warfare (Defense News) The U.S. Army has ordered the creation of its own command for autonomous systems, a day after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a new four-star military command for unmanned and autonomous warfare.       US Army suspends longtime hometown recruiter assistance program, faces cancellation (Military Times) For years, Army recruiters have enjoyed flagging a special perk for new Advanced Individual Training graduates: an opportunity to return to their hometowns for 14 days with pay prior to their first duty station, with the understanding they’ll help local recruiters during that time and tell the Army story.   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.   Congress & Politics     Top Dems press VA for answers on $17B EHR modernization contract boost (Nextgov) The top Democrats on the House and Senate panels overseeing the Department of Veterans Affairs are pressing the agency to disclose the rationale behind its recent decision to boost its electronic health record modernization contract with Oracle Health by $17 billion.   Your Military     US Army, Navy research labs team up to combat Arctic cold (Military Times) For much of recorded military history, the through line between mission success and failure came down to the basics, including adequate latrine facilities to keep disease vectors at bay.   Veterans     For disabled veterans, getting hired is hard. Getting accommodated is harder. (Federal News Network) Both are fixable -- if agencies choose to actually use the tools already on the books.   Defense Industry     US Army hackathon sets backdrop for an AUSA focused on autonomy (Military Times) The Army recently wrapped up a hacking initiative that asked defense companies to break into each other’s networks and allow their autonomous machines to communicate.       Anduril awarded contract to expand US Army’s next-gen battlefield command system (Military Times) The Army awarded Anduril Industries a contract on Sept. 30 worth up to $1.8 billion over five years to help the service transition its new battlefield software from the experimentation phase to the fielding phase.       Anduril’s Palmer Luckey envisions missiles made in car factories, underground battles (Military Times) During his “State of the Force” speech last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Project Meridian , a 120-day effort to study and identify the weapons and battlefields of the future.       LaNeve to industry: ‘We are not walking away from modernization’ (Military Times) The U.S. Army’s top officer sought to reassure industry leaders that the service remains committed to modernization and autonomous systems, announcing a new name for the command charged with shaping the future force during remarks at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting in Washington, D.C.       Army eyes changes to emergency war gear stocks amid review (Military Times) As the war with Iran provides the military with new insights on how to prepare for contemporary conflict, the Army is nearing decisions on changes to make to its own emergency stockpiles.       How autonomous weapons are changing the way brigades fight (Military Times) At Fort Bragg, soldiers recently tested how unmanned systems could help troops breach obstacles while reducing exposure to battlefield hazards.       BAE Systems unveils new layered air-defense system (Military Times) BAE Systems unveiled new layered air-defense systems designed to counter missiles and drones on Monday at the annual meeting of the Association of the United States Army.       Startup wants US soldiers to command AI agents through its smart glasses (Defense News) Last year, Washington, D.C.-based Rivet was one of two contractors selected for the U.S. Army’s Soldier Borne Mission Command program, an effort to develop a device that enhances situational awareness and communication on the battlefield.       Anduril reveals family of surface-to-air interceptor missiles (Defense News) Anduril released a new family of surface-to-air interceptor missiles in an effort to create a more diverse range of defensive measures while building at scale.       US Army targets 2028 for first high-energy laser counter-drone weapons (Military Times) The first directed energy weapon selected by the U.S. Army for the Enduring-High Energy Laser (E-HEL) program could be out of testing and ready for counter-drone operations by early 2028, Army officials told Military Times at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting in Washington.       Kongsberg to build new plant in Poland for counter-drone systems (Defense News) orway’s Kongsberg has decided to build a new production facility for counter-drone systems in northern Poland, with plans to invest more than 200 million zloty ($51 million) in the plant.       Lockheed eyes fresh PAC-3 interceptor production options for Ukraine, Europe (Military Times) Lockheed Martin is weighing new industry partnerships to produce urgently needed PAC-3 Patriot interceptors in Europe, an avenue that could also help fill Ukraine’s shortfalls, a company executive said.       General Dynamics showcases Wolf XM30, new counter-drone systems at AUSA (Defense News) The Army is developing a replacement for the M2 Bradley while testing new ways to put loitering munitions under armor.       The Lynx XM30 is making its case to be the US Army’s Bradley replacement (Defense News) One of the U.S. Army’s next-gen combat vehicle prototypes is finally being seen and operated by the service members who will one day steer the final product.       Different suppressors for training, combat? Sig Sauer offers new way to reduce toxic fumes (Military Times) In 2017, gun maker Sig Sauer landed a five-year, $48 million contract with U.S. Special Operations Command to upgrade operators’ M4A1 carbines with integrally suppressed upper receivers, an aggressive move toward a future warfighting concept that some have called the “stealth infantry."   Ukraine     Russia says it hit ships delivering military cargo to Ukraine's Mykolaiv (Reuters) Russian forces hit two ships delivering military and dual-use cargo to ?Ukraine's port city of Mykolaiv, the Russian ?defence ministry said on Tuesday, without mentioning any energy facilities following US President Donald Trump's announcement on Sunday of an energy ?ceasefire.   International     Iran focused on attacking 'harder targets,' UK spy chief warns (CBS News) Iran has made a "major shift" in its efforts to attack the United Kingdom, including going after harder targets such as military bases, the head of MI5 warned.   Video     At AUSA Annual: The next generation of Army command and control (Defense News) The U.S. Army is working to transform how information is shared across the battlefield through its Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) initiative. At #AUSA2026, we stopped by the NGC2 exhibit to learn how a distributed network and shared data could help soldiers plan and coordinate operations more efficiently.       AUSA Booth 2917 Day 2 (Defense News) Watch now.       Could this 40mm Grenade Launcher help counter Drones? (Defense News) At #AUSA2026 Rheinmetall showcases its HAMMR semi-automatic 40mm grenade launcher and discusses its potential applications in counter-drone defense.       A sight designed to track moving drone threats (Defense News) At #AUSA2026, we stopped by SMARTSHOOTER to get a closer look at its SMASH 2000L, a rifle-mounted fire-control system designed to help soldiers track and engage moving threats. With target-tracking technology and dedicated drone and ground modes, the system represents another approach to counter-drone defense at the individual soldier level.       A closer look at Moog's Reconfigurable Counter-Drone Weapons Platform (Defense News) At #AUSA2026, we stopped by Moog to take a closer look at MR SLED, a modular weapons platform designed for mobile air defense. Built to accommodate different combinations of radars, missiles and direct-fire weapons, the system can be reconfigured in the field and mounted on lightweight military vehicles.       Inside a reconfigurable military ground vehicle (Defense News) At #AUSA2026, we got a closer look at the Switchback-A Gen 2 from ARA, a modular platform designed to accommodate different payloads for logistics, casualty evacuation, surveillance and counter-drone operations. The vehicle also features swappable batteries, remote operation and components designed for repair in the field.       How can soldiers detect incoming drone threats? (Defense News) Small drones are changing how soldiers operate on the battlefield. But how can troops detect an incoming threat before it's too late?   Commentary & Analysis     The Pentagon wants to ‘optimize’ service members. Will testosterone make them better warfighters? (The War Horse) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says testosterone screening should improve service member health and readiness. Research suggests the connection isn’t so simple.       Building an arsenal that survives the Tenth Salvo (War on the Rocks) America faces a well-defined industrial base problem. Whether it’s a hypothetical Taiwan invasion wargame run two dozen times, the current Iranian conflict, or the Russo-Ukrainian War, the same result repeats: Magazines of key weapons such as cruise missile systems and interceptors empty within days, weeks, or months, and the current industrial base takes years to replenish them.       How Taiwan activates Beijing’s chosen fear (War on the Rocks) The standard explanations for why Taiwan is so important to the Chinese Communist Party are familiar: territorial integrity, credibility of deterrence commitments, great power competition with the United States, the strategic value of the first island chain, and the semiconductor industry concentrated in TSMC’s fabrication facilities.