Top 5     Trump names nominees to take over Middle East, Africa commands (The Associated Press) President Donald Trump is nominating Vice Adm. Brad Cooper to take over as the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, the Pentagon said Wednesday. If he is confirmed, it would mark just the second time that a Navy admiral has held the job.       Trump’s pick for VA watchdog role promises independence, impartiality (Military Times) President Donald Trump’s pick to serve as the top watchdog for Veterans Affairs on Wednesday defended her ability to be an unbiased investigator of the administration, despite her past political role with the department.       USS Harry S. Truman returns to US after months of battling Houthis (Military Times) The aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman, the flagship of the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, returned this past weekend to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, after an eventful 251-day deployment that saw the vessel fire over 1.1. million pounds of ordnance and deliver the largest carrier-launched airstrike in history.       Army to lead nuclear microreactor development to power bases (Military Times) Some Army installations could be powered by nuclear microreactors under an executive order recently issued by President Donald Trump.       Former Green Beret nominated to top Pentagon position to oversee special ops (Task & Purpose) A former Army Special Forces officer who was in charge of a team involved in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan was nominated as the Pentagon’s head of special operations.   Overseas Operations     US troop presence in Syria will be reduced to a single base, envoy says (Stars & Stripes) The number of U.S. bases in Syria will be pared from eight to one, the American ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria said this week in an interview with a Turkish TV station.   Ukraine     Confirmed losses of Russian aircraft mount after Ukrainian drone assault (The War Zone) New satellite imagery and an official video have revealed more about the scale of destruction and damage inflicted on Russian airfields in Ukraine’s unprecedented drone attacks last weekend. Today, the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, which carried out the drone attacks, published previously unreleased drone footage showing the raid underway. At the same time the SBU video was released, Ukraine also announced more details of the drone attacks, which were carried out under Operation Spiderweb.       Ukraine ‘well prepared’ for Russian response to drone stunt: Pistorius (Defense News) Ukrainian forces are “well prepared” for a Russian response to Sunday’s drone attacks against long-range bombers parked on air bases across Russia, according to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.       Trump says Putin told him that Russia will respond to Ukrainian attack on airfields (The Associated Press) U.S. President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin told him “very strongly” in a phone call Wednesday that he will respond to Ukraine’s weekend drone attack on Russian airfields as the deadlock over the war drags on.       Ukrainian Commander’s exclusive insights on brutal drone warfare on the frontline (The War Zone) Last October, the First Corps Azov Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard saw the need to increase the number of drones it had and people to operate them. So it created the 12th Special Forces Brigade Azov of the Ukrainian National Guard’s Unmanned Systems Battalion. It now has several hundred troops and tens of thousands of drones ranging from first-person view (FPV) variants to heavy ‘bomber’ types.       Ukraine seeks air defense systems as Western backers meet without the Pentagon chief (The Associated Press) Ukraine’s president on Wednesday urged Western backers to speed up deliveries of air defense systems to counter Russian missile strikes and to help boost weapons production.       North Korea's Kim vows unconditional support for Russia in meeting with Shoigu (Reuters) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Russia's Secretary of the Security Council Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday, state media KCNA reported.   Pentagon     'The intern in charge': Meet the 22-year-old picked to lead terrorism prevention (Pro Publica) When Thomas Fugate graduated from college last year with a degree in politics, he celebrated in a social media post about the exciting opportunities that lay beyond campus life in Texas. “Onward and upward!” he wrote, with an emoji of a rocket shooting into space.       GOP plan provides $453B for VA programs, benefits next year (Military Times) House Republicans unveiled plans Wednesday for a $453 billion Department of Veterans Affairs budget next fiscal year, with a dramatic increase in mandatory health care and benefits funding but only a 3% boost in discretionary veteran program spending.   Congress & Politics     Less ships, more bombs: Senate unveils its version of $150B defense reconciliation package (Breaking Defense) The Senate Armed Services Committee version of the $150 billion defense reconciliation bill roughly mirrors the House version, but makes spending adjustments to key areas like shipbuilding, nuclear modernization and munitions.       Senate adds billions for Air Force programs to GOP spending bill (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Senate lawmakers unveiled legislation June 4 that would funnel at least $26 billion to the Air Force and Space Force starting this year as Washington Republicans aim to modernize America’s aging military and revitalize the defense industrial base for an era of competition between world powers.       Isaacman: People with ‘axes to grind’ about Musk caused withdrawn NASA nomination (SpaceNews) Jared Isaacman made clear he believes his nomination to be administrator of NASA was pulled by the White House because of his ties to Elon Musk.       San Francisco leaders blast Trump for trying to erase gay rights icon Harvey Milk’s name from ship (The Associated Press) Leaders in San Francisco are blasting the Trump administration for stripping the name of gay rights activist Harvey Milk from a U.S. naval ship, and especially during Pride Month, when people gather to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community.       Trump signs travel ban targeting 12 countries (The Hill) President Trump on Wednesday signed a proclamation banning travel into the United States for individuals from a dozen countries, citing national security concerns.   Army     Army leaders need to show their ‘homework’ for transformation plans, lawmakers say (Breaking Defense) Members of the House Armed Services Committee delivered a bipartisan message to senior Army leadership today: They need a much clearer picture of the Army’s plans for the new transformation shakeup.       Next summer could be culmination of bridge network and next-gen C2 for the Army (DefenseScoop ) Project Convergence Capstone 6 will be the cut line for when the Army aims to transition from bridge networking capability to its Next Generation Command and Control program, according to officials.       Army brigade tests renewable tech in Pacific exercise (Defense One) An Army brigade training in the Philippines has been able to 3D-print about 100 drones in the field, leaders told reporters Wednesday, in addition to sourcing and purifying their own water—all part of learning to better operate in the vast Indo-Pacific, where it’s not so easy to fly in supplies.       Hawaii soldier pleads guilty to killing wife with machete, dismembering body (The Honolulu Star-Advertiser) The mystery of what happened to Mischa Mabeline Kaalohilani Johnson, a pregnant 19-year-old Army spouse who was reported missing by her 28-year-old soldier husband on Aug. 1, has finally been solved.       2 Veterans tied to 'Nazi white nationalist efforts' allegedly stole gear from army base, beat soldier with hammer (Military.com) Federal prosecutors on Wednesday accused two military veterans of assaulting a soldier and stealing equipment from an Army special operations compound in Washington state, a brazen break-in that ended with a cache of weapons and Nazi paraphernalia discovered in one of their homes.       ‘I shot my friend’: Fort Cavazos soldier charged in death of a fellow soldier (Stars & Stripes) A Fort Cavazos soldier who argued in a preliminary hearing that he acted in self-defense when he shot and killed a fellow soldier along a highway in Texas will face a court-martial, service officials said.   Navy     Guam barracks conditions spur Navy-wide housing inspection (Military Times) Mold-infested walls, exposed electrical wiring and other subpar living conditions at Andersen Air Force Base’s military barracks in Guam prompted a recent Navy-wide review of all unaccompanied housing, according to a new investigative report from an independent government watchdog.       USS Tripoli enroute to new Japanese homeport (USNI News) USS Tripoli (LHA-7) is quietly making its way to Sasebo, Japan, the Navy announced Tuesday.   Air Force     Smaller version of Quicksink ship-killing smart bomb tested by USAF (The War Zone) The U.S. Air Force says it has tested a modified 500-pound-class GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, optimized for use as an anti-ship munition as part of its Quicksink program.       Islanders greet F-16 pilots with crab, kindness after emergency landing (Stars & Stripes) Two U.S. Air Force pilots stationed in South Korea received a warm welcome — including homecooked meals and a wedding invitation — after their F-16 fighter jets made an emergency landing on a remote island in the Bering Sea last month.   Space Force     Space Force shifts upfront range upgrade costs to commercial firms (Defense News) The Space Force this week revealed a new model for upgrading its East and West Coast ranges, shifting upfront costs that used to be borne by the government to the commercial launch companies that rely on the infrastructure.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard’s new commercial icebreaker travels to West Coast on maiden voyage (Stars & Stripes) The Coast Guard’s new commercial icebreaker is enroute to the West Coast ahead of its August commissioning in Alaska, marking a milestone in the effort to rebuild U.S. defenses in the Arctic Region.   Veterans     Bill would cover ‘Forever Chemical’ exposure at bases under VA benefits (Task & Purpose) A bipartisan bill would allow veterans with health issues caused by exposure to “forever chemicals” at U.S. military bases to be treated as service-connected disabilities, which would further open the door to health care and benefits compensation for those impacted.       Police search for army veteran father of 3 dead girls in Washington state (The Associated Press) A man in central Washington state is wanted on suspicion of murder after his three young daughters were reported missing and then found dead.       Budget for veterans to see private doctors would see big boost in GOP's VA funding proposal (Military.com) The program that allows veterans to see private doctors using Department of Veterans Affairs funding would get a 50% boost under a spending plan released by House Republicans on Wednesday.   Military Culture & History     How a military veteran's experience in Vietnam inspired him to write 'Cast Away' (Military.com) During the Vietnam War, William Broyles Jr. was deployed as an infantry platoon commander in the Marine Corps and visited a Navy hospital there full of severely injured troops. Peering through a window into the hospital, "it looked like that scene in 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' where they take the Ark of the Covenant into the warehouse, and all you can see are boxes," Broyles recalled. "All I could see were wounded teenagers."       From Purple Heart Lane to Hell’s Corner: 101st Airborne soldiers ride WWII convoy through Normandy (Stars & Stripes) In an open 1940s military vehicle rumbling through the Normandy countryside, Staff Sgt. Nathan Selby and Sgt. Juan Ramirez retraced the path of paratroopers who jumped into the nearby fields 81 years ago.       Coasties braved withering German fire to put troops ashore on D-Day (Military.com) Coast Guard Gunner's Mate Frank DeVita crawled over the bodies of the dead who lay in the blood and puke covering the deck of the Higgins boat on Omaha Beach to save the landing craft during the first wave of D-Day landings on June 6, 1944.       Destroyer’s daring move on D-Day recalled as lesson in battlefield initiative (Stars & Stripes) As Allied forces stormed Nazi-occupied territory in France on D-Day, it became clear that the peril soldiers faced at Omaha Beach threatened the effort to liberate Europe from German control.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Soldiers on US-Mexico border hunt drones with air defense radars typically used in combat (Task & Purpose) Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division are at the U.S.-Mexico border tracking drones with the same kinds of radar systems that the U.S. funded for Ukraine to help the country counter aerial threats from Russia. The presence of these radar systems on the southern border highlights the proliferation of drones and their use by Mexico-based cartels.       China may own the ‘narrative’ of future conflict if the US crushes the satellite imagery biz: Experts (Defense One) Congress is weighing reductions to the National Reconnaissance Office's budget for acquiring commercial satellite imagery, a move that could ultimately give China an edge in the influence domain and on the battlefield.   Defense Industry     UK defense firms heap praise, mostly, on Britain’s up-armament drift (Defense News) Britain’s defense industry chiefs have applauded the U.K. government’s pledge to beef up military spending, but some say they will wait to see the money before they give a standing ovation.       ‘We need your creative, innovative, patriotic, and diabolical minds’: Joint Chiefs Chairman Caine (Breaking Defense) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, chose a massive AI conference in the nation’s capital for one of his first public addresses as chairman, invoking his own business background in a passionate appeal to tech entrepreneurs in the audience.       Maxar inks partnership with Saab for defense applications of geospatial data (SpaceNews) Maxar Intelligence announced an agreement with Sweden’s aerospace firm Saab to develop battlefield intelligence products that use satellite data, including Maxar’s new terrain-based navigation technology that allows drones to operate without access to GPS.       Israel announces defense export record: $15B in 2024 (Defense News) Israel’s defense export reached $14.79 billion in 2024, setting a new record at a 13% increase over the previous year, Israel’s Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday.       Lockheed Martin launches ‘AI Fight Club’ to test algorithms for warfare (SpaceNews) Lockheed Martin is launching a new initiative called “AI Fight Club,” a virtual battleground where companies can test their artificial intelligence algorithms for use in military applications.       US in monster $1.1B deal for 2,500 Sidewinders per year (UK Defence Journal) Raytheon, part of RTX, has secured a $1.1 billion (£860 million) contract from the United States Navy to dramatically increase production of the AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missile.   International     Poland, Baltic states eye new submarines, attack boats to deter Russia (Defense News) Poland and the Baltic states are accelerating efforts to acquire new submarines and vessels that will broaden their capabilities suitable for the sea’s shallow waters.       US vetoes resolution for unconditional Gaza ceasefire at UN security council (The Guardian) The United States has vetoed a United Nations security council resolution calling for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza while the 14 remaining countries on the council voted in favour.       NATO chief says US not planning ‘at the moment’ to withdraw troops from Europe (Breaking Defense) The US has no immediate plans to drawdown its armed forces in Europe, NATO’s top official said today, despite Washington prioritizing talks on the matter with the alliance.       Voyage to the Island of Hope (USNI News) It was a lazy afternoon on the bridge of the Philippine Coast Guard patrol boat. The crew snacked on crackers and listened to music from an officer’s phone, all the while scanning the horizon and checking their Furuno radar for any new contacts that could join the two China Coast Guard cutters stalking their three-ship formation.       Bill Gates vows to give most of $200B fortune to African health and education (The Guardian) US tech mogul Bill Gates has pledged the majority of his $200bn fortune towards health and education services in Africa.       Former Prime Minister Hamdok says the military’s recent gains won’t end Sudan’s civil war (The Associated Press) Sudan’s former prime minister on Wednesday dismissed the military’s moves to form a new government as “fake,” saying its recent victories in recapturing the capital Khartoum and other territory will not end the country’s two-year civil war.       World won’t forget Tiananmen Square, US and Taiwan say on 36th anniversary of massacre (The Guardian) The world will never forget the Tiananmen Square massacre, the US secretary of state and Taiwan president have said on the 36th anniversary of the crackdown, which China’s government still tries to erase from domestic memory.   Video     Jump into an F-22 Raptor cockpit during a demo at the Fort Lauderdale Air Show (Military Times) Jump into an F-22 Raptor cockpit during a demo at the Fort Lauderdale Air Show   Commentary & Analysis     Tactical vehicle mishaps are training failures — simulators could help (Military Times) According to a 2021 Government Accountability Office report, from 2010 to 2019, the Army and Marine Corps recorded 3,753 tactical vehicle mishaps — an average of nearly one per day. These incidents led to 123 service member deaths, making vehicle mishaps the leading cause of non-combat training fatalities. Notably, this figure excludes mishaps in combat zones or involving commercial government vehicles.       Don’t let Iran walk free from the NPT (Breaking Defense) Early this morning, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, rejected America’s proposal to create a regional uranium enrichment plant and eventually eliminate Iranian nuclear fuel making. “The proposal that the Americans have presented,” he insisted, “is 100% against [Tehran’s] interests.”       A bad idea: Eliminating US security coordinator for Israel, Palestinians (Defense Opinion) News outlets in early May reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to remove the U.S. Office of the Security Coordinator (OSC) in Jerusalem as part of a broader plan to “reorganize” and reform the State Department.       Ambassador: UK ramps up defense capabilities, for a stronger transatlantic security posture (Breaking Defense) On Monday, the United Kingdom unveiled the new Strategic Defence Review. This comprehensive review will profoundly transform the UK’s warfighting readiness, backed by our biggest contribution to NATO since its creation.       Giants and the myth of America’s new defense consolidation (War On The Rocks) America’s defense industrial base is in the throes of major change. For the first time in 40 years, major power war is a real possibility. Conflicts in Ukraine and Israel are providing a harrowing glimpse of what that war might look like. Technology is evolving at a dizzying pace. Instead of peacetime efficiency, governments are prioritizing wartime surge capacity. The “China shock” and COVID-19 have destabilized global supply chains.