Top 5     Troops to get 3.8% pay raise under proposed defense bill (Military Times) U.S. service members will receive a 3.8% pay increase beginning Jan. 1 under the final version of the annual defense bill announced by the House and Senate on Sunday night.       Five minutes of chaos: How the Navy shot down its own jet (Military Times) “Bittersweet.” That’s the shorthand the Navy uses to indicate a potential friendly fire situation. But in the minutes before midnight Zulu time on Dec. 21, 2024, it was already too late to make the call and avert the disaster by the time commanders saw it coming.       Lawmakers move to block effort to privatize military commissaries (Military Times) Lawmakers have moved to prevent the Defense Department from privatizing military commissaries as part of Congress’ proposed compromise defense policy bill.       Wolfe sworn in as Air Force’s top enlisted leader (Military Times) Chief Master Sgt. David Wolfe was sworn in as chief master sergeant of the U.S. Air Force during an assumption of responsibility ceremony Monday, after the service announced the pick in early November.       Proposed defense bill would fund Golden Dome, next-gen fighters (Military Times) Congress’ proposed compromise National Defense Authorization Act would authorize $900.6 billion in discretionary defense spending in fiscal 2026, which would be an $8 billion increase over the Pentagon’s budget request this summer.   US strikes in Caribbean and Eastern Pacific (updated)     A list of US military strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels (Military Times) Since early September, 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     Pentagon acquisition chief pledges new ‘program czars’ will cut red tape, not add to it (Breaking Defense) The Pentagon’s top acquisition official recently contended that newly established “program czars” within the Defense Department won’t exacerbate problems with bureaucracy, but have the opposite effect.       Hegseth eyes increased Pacific basing access, deterrence efforts along first island chain (USNI News) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth laid out the Trump administration’s vision to reinforce U.S. military posture in the first island chain to deter Chinese aggression against Taiwan while speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum over the weekend.       Adam Smith details NDAA deal, blasts Pentagon secrecy at Reagan National Defense Forum (Breaking Defense) In an interview Saturday on the sidelines of the 2025 Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, Calif., House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith offered new details about lawmakers’ compromise on the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act just ahead of the bill’s Sunday release.       Pentagon would have to explain future JAG firings under NDAA provision (Defense One) Nearly a year after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth purged the top judge advocates general of the Army, Navy, and Air Force, lawmakers are poised to require an explanation if it happens again.       Compromise NDAA protects Wedgetail, greenlights Black Hawk multiyear buys (Breaking Defense) In keeping with tradition, lawmakers’ compromise fiscal 2026 defense policy bill released late Sunday tweaks several key Pentagon programs, with provisions aimed at aerospace like Air Force tankers and Army helicopters.       An early look at the Pentagon’s plan to deliver AI at scale under Trump (DefenseScoop ) The Trump administration is gearing up to launch an ambitious new plan to spur the military’s near-term adoption of artificial intelligence assets by supplying commercial options directly to users on the ground across three categories that reflect real-world operational needs, according to the Pentagon’s chief technology officer.   Congress & Politics     As Congress tries to claw back power, the president can still wage war unilaterally (Task & Purpose) Congress is set to finally rescind the authorizations for use of force that served as the legal basis for the Persian Gulf and Iraq wars, but in terms of reining in the president’s abilities to send U.S. troops into combat at will, here’s what’s likely to change: Nothing.       Congress wants to know if the C-130 Hercules could be the USAF’s new ‘doomsday plane’ (The War Zone) Congress is looking to press the U.S. Air Force to provide details of its place to maintain the Airborne Command Post (ABNCP) capability — better known as Looking Glass — including the possibility of hosting it on a platform based on the Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 cargo plane.       Provision to protect DOD civilians’ union rights stripped from NDAA (Defense One) House leaders have stripped a bipartisan provision aimed at protecting civilian Defense Department workers’ collective bargaining rights after Senate Republicans balked at the prospect of clashing with President Trump over his efforts to excise unions from most federal agencies.   Your Military     Tube artillery isn’t dead, but it’s changing (Task & Purpose) Ever since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the headlines have been filled with HIMARS rockets that can hit targets nearly 200 miles away; hypersonic missiles that can reach Mach 11, and loitering munitions and one-way attack drones that can literally put warheads on foreheads.   Army     Army stands up Western Hemisphere Command prioritizing homeland defense, consolidation (Breaking Defense) The US Army has stood up its Western Hemisphere Command (USAWHC), officially combining US Army Forces Command, Army North and Army South into a single four-star headquarters.   Navy     US Navy wants new railroad car to transport unarmed ballistic missiles (Defense News) The U.S. Navy wants a special railroad car to transport unarmed ballistic missiles, according to a recent request for information.       Navy selects Damen to build new medium landing ship (Seapower) The U.S. Navy has selected Damen to build the new medium landing ship (LSM) for the service. The ship will be a version of Damen’s LST 100 class.       In limbo F/A-XX naval fighter gets ‘full funding’ nod from Congress, but there’s a catch (The War Zone) The House Armed Services Committee has advanced a new draft of the annual defense policy bill that it says includes full funding for the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based combat jet program.       USNI News fleet and marine tracker: Dec. 8, 2025 (USNI News) These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of Dec. 8, 2025, based on Navy and public data. In cases in which a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.       Okinawa prosecutors drop case against US sailor accused of touching teen girl (Stars & Stripes) Japanese prosecutors will not pursue charges against a U.S. Navy sailor accused of inappropriately touching a Japanese girl on Okinawa over the summer, a spokesman said Monday.       Navy establishes first Information Warfare squadron (Seapower) Information Warfare Squadron (IWRON) Two, a first-of-its-kind unit designed to operationalize Information Warfare (IW) capabilities and provide decisive decision advantage to Carrier Strike Group Commanders, was established, Dec. 5.   Marine Corps     Candidate photos return for some Marine review boards, but not promotions (Stars & Stripes) Marines will once again need to keep their uniforms photo-ready, per new guidance released last week that reinstates the use of official photos in certain selection board processes.   Air Force     In defense bill, Congress rejects bid to retire A-10s, F-15Es (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Lawmakers resolving differences in the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization bill want to stop cuts to the Air Force’s combat fleet by blocking scores of planned divestments of aging A-10 and F-15E fighters.       Special Olympics at Air Force base on Okinawa flourishes under fresh management (Stars & Stripes) More than 100 American and Japanese athletes sprinted, dribbled and raced for medals under clear skies Saturday at the 21st Kadena Special Olympics, the event’s largest turnout since its post-pandemic return two years ago.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard helicopter flies ‘Ho Ho, Ho holding pattern’ off the coast of Puerto Rico (Task & Purpose) A Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk was in a festive mood over the weekend, issuing a holly jolly “Ho-ho-ho” in the skies. As spotted by the Flightradar24 flight tracking site and shared on its X account, the Coast Guard helicopter was flying over the Caribbean Sea just off of the coast of Puerto Rico and decided to write out a holiday message. It flew in a few loops and sharp turns to spell out Santa Claus’s go-to exclamation.       USCG, CBP, HSI seize vessel with $28M in illicit narcotics off Miami Beach (Seapower) – A U.S. Coast Guard Station Miami Beach law enforcement boat crew along with CBP Air and Marine Operations (AMO) and HSI seized approximately 3,715 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $28 million, from a suspected drug smuggling vessel 2 miles east of government cut, Tuesday.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     NDAA pushes Pentagon to establish joint drone and counter-drone program with Taiwan (DefenseScoop ) The conference version of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act would require the Pentagon to try to set up a new joint program with Taiwanese officials, with the aim of fielding more drone and counter-drone technologies.       Small but mighty: DARPA’s new Lift competition wants drones to carry much, much more (Breaking Defense) Small drones have so far proven their utility in the commercial sector and on the modern battlefield, but even as the systems proliferate, most are still limited in one key area: the ability to move cargo.       NDAA would mandate new DOD steering committee on artificial general intelligence (DefenseScoop ) A version of the annual defense policy bill unveiled by lawmakers Sunday would require Pentagon leadership to form a new panel to look at the military implications of artificial general intelligence and other advanced AI capabilities.       Pentagon weighs consolidation of DIU tech portfolio (SpaceNews) The Pentagon is reviewing the Defense Innovation Unit’s sprawling technology portfolio, a move that could reshape the agency’s space projects.   Defense Industry     Boeing completes $4.7B Spirit AeroSystems acquisition, reabsorbing key supplier (Breaking Defense) Boeing has completed its $4.7 billion acquisition of Spirit AeroSystems, reabsorbing a critical supplier of airplane structures for commercial jets as well as defense aircraft such as the KC-46 and B-21.       General Dynamics wants to turn competitors into teammates (Defense One) Two divisions of General Dynamics are looking to coworking spaces and brainstorming events to bring companies together to build, showcase, and ultimately deliver new technology faster.       Northrop tests new rocket motor as part of innovation push (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Northrop Grumman test fired its newest solid rocket motor Dec. 4, part of an internally funded effort to rapidly design and build SRMs using advanced manufacturing techniques.       BAE Systems secures $36M contract to equip US Navy submarines with Multifunction Modular Masts (Seapower) BAE Systems has been awarded a $36 million production contract from Lockheed Martin to deliver Multifunction Modular Mast (MMM) systems for integration onto U.S. Navy submarines.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israeli official says Gaza conflict was ‘first robotics war’ (Breaking Defense) After two years of combat operations in Gaza, a senior Israeli official recounted the technological leaps in ground combat and called the conflict nothing less than the “first robotics war.”       UN Palestinian aid agency says Israeli police ‘forcibly entered’ its Jerusalem compound (The Associated Press) Israeli police forcibly entered the compound of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees in east Jerusalem early Monday, escalating a campaign against the organization that has been banned from operating on Israeli territory.       ‘Yellow line’ that divides Gaza under Trump plan is ‘new border’ for Israel, says military chief (The Guardian) The “yellow line” that divides Gaza under Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan is a “new border” for Israel, the country’s military chief told soldiers deployed in the territory.       UAE-backed separatists tighten grip over southern Yemen, and airspace is briefly closed (The Associated Press) A government official said Yemen’s airspace was briefly closed on Monday as tensions escalated in the country’s south after a separatist group backed by the United Arab Emirates took over an oil-rich region.   Ukraine     Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,384 (Al Jazeera) Here’s where things stand on Tuesday, December 9:       Shift in Ukraine support in Congress’s proposed Pentagon budget (The War Zone) The new National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) bill released by Congress Sunday night calls for maintaining funding of arms purchases for Ukraine, though at a rate drastically less than in the past, and support, albeit with caveats, to European allies.       Ukraine’s allies say efforts to end Russia’s war at ‘critical moment’ (Al Jazeera) Ukraine’s European allies have agreed to increase their support for Ukraine and put more economic pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin as they say efforts to end Moscow’s “barbaric” war are at a “critical moment”, according to Downing Street.   International     The British Army’s faulty Ajax vehicles come back to rattle Parliament (Defense News) A British government minister has vowed to put an end to the “saga” of dangerous vibrations in the U.K.’s new Ajax armored vehicles, as opposition politicians call for the program to be fixed or scrapped.       Thai F-16s bomb targets along disputed Cambodian border (The War Zone) A new escalation in the clashes between Thailand and Cambodia has seen Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) F-16 fighters deliver airstrikes along the disputed border between the two countries. The nations are now blaming each other for breaching a ceasefire deal that was brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump.       Italy’s sudden defense-spending uptick lacks details, economist finds (Defense News) Italy has juggled its definition of what constitutes defense spending to beef up its budget by €14 billion ($16.3 billion) this year, but has failed to explain how it did it, one of Italy’s leading economists has complained.       British maritime patrol aircraft surge to Iceland (UK Defence Journal) The RAF has carried out its largest ever deployment of P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, sending three jets from 120 Squadron to Keflavik Air Base in Iceland as part of NATO vigilance activity.       Tanks, howitzers galore: Australian Army embraces influx of new armor (Defense News) The Australian Army fired an AS9 Huntsman 155mm self-propelled howitzer on home soil for the first time this month, as crews have begun intensive training on the new artillery system before it rolls into service.       WHO says 114 people were killed, including 63 children, in last week’s drone strikes in Sudan (The Associated Press) The head of the World Health Organization said Monday that the death toll from drone strikes on a kindergarten and other sites in Sudan’s Kordofan state last week is now at 114 people, including 63 children.       The disarming of Hezbollah tests fragile government in Lebanon (Defense News) One year after Lebanon and Israel signed a ceasefire agreement to end hostilities that had spilled over from Gaza, the Lebanese government is walking a tightrope between disarming Hezbollah and containing local resentment over continued Israeli strikes aimed at increasing pressure on the group, according to officials and analysts.       Royal Navy set to debut autonomous ships and fighter drones (UK Defence Journal) The Royal Navy will deploy its first operational autonomous systems into the North Atlantic next year as part of a rapid shift toward a hybrid fleet, the First Sea Lord told the International Sea Power Conference in London.       Tokyo calls Chinese jet’s radar lock ‘dangerous’; analysts predict little fallout (Stars & Stripes) Tokyo and Beijing continued to trade barbs Monday over a claim that China locked military radar on Japanese fighter jets over the weekend, an incident two defense experts say is unlikely to spur serious consequences.       Chinese fighters lock radar on Japanese fighters monitoring PLAN carrier strike group in Philippine Sea (USNI News) Chinese J-15 fighter jets twice locked radar targets on Japanese F-15 fighters over the weekend while Japan monitored the People’s Liberation Army Navy aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning (16) operating in the Philippine Sea.       Polish rearmament plan banks on US weapons bought with EU backing (Defense News) Poland is seeking new joint ventures and purchases from American defense contractors that could be financed by European loans, according to Konrad Go?ota, Poland’s deputy state assets minister.       Martial artists clash in combatives tourney on Army base in South Korea (Stars & Stripes) Martial artists from the Army’s Camp Humphreys, Osan Air Base and surrounding communities in South Korea went head-to-head recently at the 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade Invitational Combatives Tournament.       Britain close to losing the Atlantic, First Sea Lord warns (UK Defence Journal) The First Sea Lord used the International Sea Power Conference in London to issue one of the starkest assessments of the UK’s maritime position since the end of the Cold War.   Military Culture & History     Navy pilot who took out 4 Soviet jets in covered-up mission may get Medal of Honor (Task & Purpose) More than 70 years after he took part in the longest dogfight in Navy history, scoring four aerial victories, Royce Williams might finally get the Medal of Honor.   Video     Europe organizes new drone corps as Russia-Ukraine war drags on (Military Times) Europe organizes new drone corps as Russia-Ukraine war drags on.   Commentary & Analysis     Don’t let Trump let Putin miscalculate on Europe (Military Times) The new U.S. National Security Strategy makes clear that President Donald Trump wants his foreign policy legacy to be “The President of Peace.” He takes credit for eight peace agreements during the past year, including Gaza. He has put his name on the U.S. Institute for Peace. He has lobbied for a Nobel Peace Prize and accepted an inaugural FIFA Peace Prize. He has been critical of America’s “forever wars.”       Europe must invest in munitions to keep the US invested in Europe (Breaking Defense) The newly released US National Security Strategy prioritizes homeland defense and deterring China over Europe. Meanwhile, comments from the White House indicate a desire to draw down America’s posture on the continent.       Why many underestimated Russia’s invasion risk (War On The Rocks) Why did so many downplay the risk of a Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 despite mounting indicators, such as troop build-ups, major exercises, and increasingly aggressive rhetoric from Moscow?