Top 5     Veteran and US citizen arrested by ICE warns it could happen to anyone (The Associated Press) A U.S. Army veteran who was arrested during an immigration raid at a Southern California marijuana farm last week said Wednesday he was sprayed with tear gas and pepper spray before being dragged from his vehicle and pinned down by federal agents who arrested him.       Navy pledges almost $300M for new barracks on Guam (Military Times) The U.S. Navy will construct new barracks at a Guam Air Force base, the Navy announced Wednesday, several months after an independent government watchdog reported on subpar living conditions.       Expect to see more drones during training under new Pentagon rules (Task & Purpose) The Pentagon will soon allow local commanders to buy drones and authorize troops to fly them in training exercises, skipping steps that previously required higher-level approval.       Funding F/A-XX could ‘delay’ F-47, White House warns Congress (Breaking Defense) Congressional efforts to move the Navy’s sixth-generation fighter jet program forward will cause a delay in the Air Force’s F-47 program, the White House said this week, making official what many in defense circles have been whispering: The administration is prioritizing the Air Force’s next jet over the Navy’s capability.       Senate panel backs plans for $456B VA budget next year (Military Times) Senate appropriators on Thursday advanced plans for a $456 billion budget for Veterans Affairs programs and benefits next fiscal year, putting it generally in line with House and White House goals for future department spending.   Pentagon     Pentagon officials tout rapid experimentation at courtyard showcase (Defense News) Although the Pentagon’s fiscal 2026 budget flatlines funding for the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve, officials said Wednesday the move was less about killing the program — created to demonstrate technology that can meet urgent military needs — and more about normalizing the process it created.   Congress & Politics     Report to Congress on SSN(X) Next Generation Submarine (USNI News) The following is the July 14, 2025, Congressional Research Service In Focus report, Navy Next-Generation Attack Submarine (SSN[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress.       Senators criticize CFPB for dropping action on troops’ overdraft fees (Military Times) Eight Democrats in the Senate have expressed “profound alarm” about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s decision to terminate a consent order involving Navy Federal Credit Union’s alleged overcharging of overdraft fees.       House NDAA would deepen Pentagon involvement in domestic, border operations (Defense One) The House-passed version of the military policy bill makes Defense Department involvement in various domestic and law enforcement activities more permanent.       US House passes Trump plan to cut $9bn from foreign aid, public broadcasting (The Guardian) The US’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed president Donald Trump’s $9bn funding cut to public media and foreign aid early on Friday, sending it to the White House to be signed into law.   Your Military     Trump Taps Air Force and Space Force generals as next service vice chiefs (Military.com) President Donald Trump has nominated two generals to serve as the second in command for the Air Force and Space Force after firing and moving around the previous office holders in pursuit of his defense agenda.       Advocates and gaming companies want more research on gambling addiction in military (Military.com) Former Army Staff Sgt. Dave Yeager is glad he is in recovery for a gambling addiction, given the endless options now available for placing bets through his cellphone.       21-Year-old soldier hacked databases, threatened to leak stolen data, feds say (The Sacramento Bee) A now-former U.S. Army soldier has pleaded guilty to a hacking and extortion scheme in which federal prosecutors said he stole data from 10 telecommunications companies’ databases, then threatened to leak the data “unless ransoms were paid.”   Army     The Army has a novel solution to its drone problem: Shoot them with tanks (Task & Purpose) The Army has solved its drone problem. What you do is: you shoot them with a tank. Problem solved, right?       Army’s Sig P320 derived pistols will remain unchanged after concerning FBI report (The War Zone) The U.S. Army is not taking any actions regarding its Sig Sauer M17 and M18 pistols based on the findings of a recently disclosed FBI report that has raised new concerns about the design’s ability to fire without the trigger being pulled. Sig has also refuted the results of the FBI’s initial evaluation, which it says the bureau was subsequently unable to reproduce using a mutually agreed-upon testing protocol.       The Army wants to replace the M240 medium machine gun (Task & Purpose) For decades, the U.S. military’s M240 medium machine gun has proven its worth, but now the Army is looking for something new.       Army bullseyes Maritime target with SM-6 fired from portable launcher (USNI News) The U.S. Army hit an at-sea target with a Standard Missile 6 fired from its Typhon missile system as part of the Talisman Sabre 2025 exercise in Australia.       US House passes Trump plan to cut $9bn from foreign aid, public broadcasting (The Guardian) The US’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed president Donald Trump’s $9bn funding cut to public media and foreign aid early on Friday, sending it to the White House to be signed into law.   Navy     Navy responds to congressional inquiry into sailor’s death (Military Times) The U.S. Navy responded to a letter from congressional leaders that voiced serious concerns about the service’s handling of an investigation into a Naval Station Norfolk sailor’s disappearance and death.       Next-generation destroyers to pack more missiles, energy weapons (Defense News) The U.S. Navy is planning for its next-generation destroyer, currently known as the DDG(X), to feature directed-energy weapons and more capacity to carry and launch missiles.       Carrier USS Carl Vinson now in the South China Sea; China steps up military, drone flights near Taiwan (USNI News) The U.S. Navy’s Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group entered the South China Sea on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Chinese reconnaissance flights as Taiwan conducts annual counter-invasion drills.       SECNAV: Robots won’t replace shipbuilders, but they could make jobs ‘easier’ (Defense One) The naval shipbuilding industry needs to lean in on robotics and automation to ease workforce challenges and boost performance, Navy Secretary John Phelan said Wednesday.       Attack submarine USS Toledo homeports in Hawaii after major overhaul (Stars & Stripes) The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Toledo has arrived at its new homeport, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.   Marine Corps     Marines to field rifle-mounted smart scope to help counter drones (Military Times) The U.S. Marine Corps will field smart scopes to help shoot down moving targets, such as drones, in the coming months.       Marine 3-star to lead Naval Academy, Davids heading to OPNAV staff (USNI News) A Marine Corps officer is in line to lead the U.S. Naval Academy for the first time in its 180-year history, USNI News has learned.   Air Force     What to watch for the Air Force as House, Senate advance differing defense bills (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Senate Armed Services Committee this week released the full text of its version of the 2026 defense policy bill—often referred to as the National Defense Authorization Act—that would allow the Air Force and Space Force to spend billions of dollars more than the services had sought for next year.       Air Force sees over two year delay for next-gen engines (Breaking Defense) The Air Force’s next-gen engine prototype effort is facing a two-year delay and will not complete before fiscal 2030, the service confirmed today to Breaking Defense.       Air Force shakes up Helicopter plans, wants to convert some HH-60Ws (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Air Force’s helicopter fleet gets a major shakeup in the 2026 budget, highlighted by a decision to modify HH-60W helicopters to ferry VIPs around Washington, D.C., according to budget documents and a spokesperson.   Space Force     Space Force begins testing of first OCX software blocks for GPS sats (Breaking Defense) The Space Force has taken delivery from RTX of the first two command and control (C2) software blocks newest model GPS satellites — but the long-delayed, multi-billion dollar Next-Generation Operational Control System (OCX) system is not yet out of the woods.       Space Force promotes new NCOs at breakneck pace and sky-high rate (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The Space Force is promoting new noncommissioned officers at a breakneck pace, as the service announced another year of sky-high rates for junior NCOs.       Space Force sets guidelines prioritizing military missions as launch demand surges (SpaceNews) The U.S. Space Force released new guidelines for how it will allocate finite launch infrastructure and range resources as commercial demand surges at the nation's premier space ports, stating that national security missions will take precedence when capacity constraints emerge.   National Guard     National Guard came to LA to fight unrest. Troops ended up fighting boredom. (Los Angeles Times) They were deployed by the Trump administration to combat “violent, insurrectionist mobs” in and around Los Angeles, but in recent days the only thing many U.S. Marines and California National Guard troops seemed to be fighting was tedium.   Veterans     A million veterans gave DNA to aid health research. Scientists worry the data will be wasted. (KFF Health News ) One of the world’s biggest genetic databases comprises DNA data donated over the years by more than a million retired military service members. It’s part of a project run by the Department of Veterans Affairs.       The new VA budget pushes to privatize care, risking the veterans health system (Military.com) While the recent headlines have been dominated by the passage of President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" and its impacts on Medicaid and food assistance, something critical is happening that every veteran -- and every American who honors their service -- needs to know.       Harvard to offer full rides to 50 Veterans and civil servants for Master's Degrees in Public Policy (Military.com) Harvard University announced Thursday that it has created new scholarships for at least 50 military veterans and public servants to earn master's degrees at its prestigious Kennedy School of Government.       Legislation introduced to expand benefits for atomic veterans on 80th anniversary of first bomb test (Stars & Stripes) As the world marks 80 years since the first atomic bomb was detonated in the New Mexico desert, a Nevada congresswoman introduced new legislation Wednesday intended to streamline benefits for those military veterans exposed to radiation while supporting nuclear programs or working on cleanups.   Education & Transition     Harvard to launch new service fellowship for veterans, federal workers (Military Times) Harvard University will award full scholarships this fall to at least 50 veterans and public servants as part of a new master’s degree program launched in the wake of thousands of dismissals of federal workers by White House officials.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     DISA pursues new engineering and IT partners to enable the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (DefenseScoop ) The Defense Information Systems Agency is exploring new partnerships with small businesses that can supply “a wide range of information technology” services to support its Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) program office as it continues to mature, according to a federal contracting notice published Thursday.   Defense Industry     Manufacturing startup Hadrian to expand to Arizona, and into defense primes’ own factories (Breaking Defense) Manufacturing startup Hadrian is growing its footprint, with the company today announcing a third production site in Mesa, Ariz., as well as the launch of its new maritime division.       This is what the UK’s new stealth fighter demonstrator will look like (The War Zone) A first rendering has been released showing the new fighter demonstrator being built in the United Kingdom as part of the Tempest next-generation air combat program. The crewed flight test vehicle bears a notable resemblance to the Lockheed Martin F-35, apart from its lack of horizontal stabilizers and a number of smaller differences.       L3Harris unveils ‘wolf pack’ munitions with eyes on Marine Corps program (Breaking Defense) L3Harris today unveiled a pair of aerial munitions that are designed to be fired as swarms from a variety of platforms and provide kinetic effects, employ electronic warfare capabilities, or act as decoys for enemy fires.       General Atomics plans robot wingman production for Europe (Defense One) Drone builder General Atomics will develop and build a variant of its Collaborative Combat Aircraft for European militaries, the company announced Thursday.       L3Harris unveils ‘Wolf Pack’ concept for cheap, kinetic/nonkinetic missile swarms (Air & Space Forces Magazine) L3Harris unveiled a new “Wolf Pack” series of unmanned aerial vehicles July 17, meant to overwhelm enemies with swarms of low-cost, paired kinetic and nonkinetic munitions, compelling defenders to expend more expensive weapons to stop them.       Scientific Systems introduces VENOM autonomous small USV (Seapower) Scientific Systems, an industry leader in developing AI-powered autonomy for defense applications announced today the debut of its Vehicle for Expeditionary Naval Over-the-Horizon Missions (VENOM) small Unmanned Surface Vehicle (sUSV.)   Israel-Gaza-Iran     Israeli strike on Gaza church kills three and injures priest Pope Francis called daily (The Guardian) An Israeli strike has hit the only Catholic church in Gaza, killing three people and injuring 10 others including the parish priest, who used to receive daily calls from the late Pope Francis.       Israel levelling thousands of Gaza civilian buildings in controlled demolitions (BBC) Israel has demolished thousands of buildings across Gaza since it withdrew from a ceasefire with Hamas in March, with entire towns and suburbs - once home to tens of thousands of people - levelled in the past few weeks.   Ukraine     Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,240 (Al Jazeera) Here are the key events on day 1,240 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.       Ukraine to boost local arms production to 50% of needs within 6 months (The Associated Press) A new Ukrainian government, expected to be approved Thursday, will race to expand domestic arms production to meet half the country’s weapons needs within six months as it tries to push back Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.       US diverts Patriot systems from Switzerland to Ukraine (Defense News) U.S. officials have told the Swiss government that Patriot air defense systems in the production pipeline for the alpine country would be diverted to help defend Ukraine, according to a Swiss announcement.       Russia seizes area larger than Manchester in one month (UK Defence Journal) Defence Secretary John Healey has warned that Russian forces seized more than 550 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory last month, “an area greater than the size of Greater Manchester”, as Moscow intensifies pressure along the frontline in its war against Ukraine.       Top NATO commander rushing to deliver fresh Patriots to Ukraine (Defense News) NATO’s top commander said he is under guidance to move as quickly as possible in transferring more Patriot air and missile defense systems to Ukraine.       Russia, Ukraine exchange more bodies of war dead, Kremlin says (Al Jazeera) Russia and Ukraine have exchanged more bodies of their war dead, according to a Kremlin aide, as part of an agreement reached during a second round of peace talks in Turkiye last month.   International     Singapore’s military, US intelligence-gathering aircraft make Talisman Sabre debut in Australia (Breaking Defense) For the first time, sophisticated US Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft have deployed to Australia as part of the large-scale multinational, multidomain Talisman Sabre military exercise.       This S-2 Tracker is the last of its kind in military use (The War Zone) The Argentine Navy has brought back to service an example of the classic Cold War-era Grumman S-2 Tracker anti-submarine warfare aircraft. Returning to duty a remarkable 73 years after the type first took to the air, the S-2 in question is currently the only example of the Tracker in active military service anywhere in the world.       Storm swamps roads, strands vehicles near US bases in South Korea (Star-Advertiser) Torrential rain on Wednesday and Thursday flooded areas in and around Camp Humphreys, south of Seoul, causing transit delays, road closures and damage to nearby farmland.       USS Santa Fe and JMSDF submarine conduct a bilateral exercise (Seapower) The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Santa Fe (SSN 763) and a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) submarine conducted Submarine Exercise 25-1 (SUBEX) in the Pacific Ocean, July 12, 2025.       Former colonial ruler France hands over its last military bases in Senegal (Al Jazeera) France has officially handed over its two remaining military bases in Senegal, leaving the onetime colonial power with no permanent presence in either West or Central Africa.       Skydive pioneer Felix Baumgartner, who jumped from edge of space, dies in paragliding accident (Reuters) Austrian extreme sports pioneer Felix Baumgartner, famed for a record-breaking 2012 skydive from the edge of space, has died in a paragliding accident in central Italy, local police said.       Trump pressure to accept ‘barbaric’ deportees divides Africa (The Africa Report) Several attendees at last week’s White House African summit tell The Africa Report they aren’t interested in accepting violent criminals from the US.       Risk of undersea cable attacks backed by Russia and China likely to rise, report warns (The Guardian) The risk of Russia- and China-backed attacks on undersea cables carrying international internet traffic is likely to rise amid a spate of incidents in the Baltic Sea and around Taiwan, according to a report.   Overseas Operations     US Central Command hires new chief data officer (DefenseScoop ) The combatant command responsible for overseeing American military operations in the Middle East has a new chief data officer.   Commentary & Analysis     Nuclear submarine holdup is a gift to China (Bloomberg) “AUKUS” might be the worst-sounding acronym in the long and undistinguished history of military acronyms: an awkward amalgam of Australia, the UK and the US. Yet it is vital to US national security and keeping China from dominating the Indo-Pacific. So why is the Donald Trump administration, which promised to make Asia the focus of its national security strategy, calling its future into question?       The new VA budget pushes to privatize care, risking the veterans health system (Military.com) While the recent headlines have been dominated by the passage of President Donald Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" and its impacts on Medicaid and food assistance, something critical is happening that every veteran -- and every American who honors their service -- needs to know.       Could Trump be persuaded to save Palestinians in Gaza? (The Guardian) It seems paradoxical to look to Donald Trump to save the Palestinians, yet no recent American president has been better placed to insist that the Israeli government stop its extraordinary repression and brutality. Trump so far has largely given Israel carte blanche to continue its genocide in Gaza, but Benjamin Netanyahu would be remiss to count on the fickle and self-serving American president. And there may be a way to turn Trump around.       South korea’s new Naval Base throws a jab, but should train for a haymaker (War On The Rocks) In February, South Korea’s navy took a significant step, inaugurating a task fleet command at its Jeju naval base. This development, though years in the making, didn’t go unnoticed by domestic and foreign media, and it certainly caught the attention of the Chinese military’s official media. The idea, first floated 36 years ago, has now materialized at the strategically vital Jeju naval base, which itself opened in 2016 with the 7th Task Flotilla as its backbone.