Top 5     Poll: Most Americans say military should be apolitical and face only ‘external threats’ (Task & Purpose) Most Americans believe the president should only deploy service members to face external threats and that troops and their leaders should steer clear of politics, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday.       Navy cannibalizing materiel for spare parts, watchdog says (Military Times) The U.S. Navy is scavenging for spare parts from grounded materiel in order to address maintenance needs, a new government watchdog report found.       Lawsuit over Trump’s DC Guard deployment exposes deep partisan divide (The Associated Press) A partisan battle is playing out in a Washington courtroom that could decide the fate of President Donald Trump’s federal law enforcement intervention in the nation’s capital.       ‘Stop trying to control every step’ of shipbuilding, senator tells Navy (Defense One) The White House wants to speed up shipbuilding, but first, the Navy has to loosen its grip—at least according to one senator.       Netflix adapts Marine’s coming-of-age memoir in new series ‘Boots’ (Military Times) Nearly five decades after Greg Cope White first stepped off a bus at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, Netflix is bringing his coming-of-age experience to screens worldwide.   TechCrunch Disrupt 2025     10k tech leaders at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 (TechCrunch) From idea to IPO, Disrupt charts startups on the roadmap to their next breakthrough. Book your pass today and save $600+.   Pentagon     Pentagon’s 2027 missile drive signals US strategy reset (UK Defence Journal) The Pentagon’s accelerated plan to boost missile and munitions production marks a “foundational reset” in United States defence strategy, according to analysis by Bloomberg Intelligence.   Congress & Politics     United Nations to cut 25% of its global peacekeeping force in response to US funding strains (The Associated Press) The United Nations will begin slashing its peacekeeping force and operations, forcing thousands of soldiers in the next several months to evacuate far-flung global hotspots as a result of the latest U.S. funding cuts to the world body, a senior U.N. official said.       ‘Clean those bastards out’: Small business fund used by DOD teeters on the edge (Breaking Defense) While all eyes were on the efforts to avert a government shutdown at the end of September, a lesser known tool used by the Pentagon to support small companies was left fighting for its own life: the Small Business Innovation Research program.       Lawmakers call for more defense biotech research as China pursues breakthroughs (Defense One) The U.S. is falling behind in biotechnology development, Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., said Wednesday—adding that he and other lawmakers are working to help the country catch up with China’s push to incorporate technologies like gene editing for human performance on the battlefield.       Report to Congress on past government shutdowns and key resources (USNI News) When federal government agencies and programs lack budget authority after the expiration of either full-year or interim appropriations, they experience a “funding gap.” Under the Antideficiency Act (31 U.S.C. §§1341 et seq.), they must cease operations, except in certain circumstances when continued activities are authorized by law.       Who’s Who in Defense: Elizabeth Warren, Ranking Member, Senate Armed Services (SASC) Subcommittee on Personnel (Breaking Defense) The Senate Subcommittee on Personnel sets the total number of military personnel allowed each year.       Legal experts fear Trump admin is ignoring JAGs on cartel strikes, Guard deployments (Defense One) National-security-law experts worry that guidance from the military’s top legal minds is being ignored by the Trump administration, which is pushing troops into new legal territory with deployments to U.S. cities and strikes on alleged drug-runners abroad.   Your Military     Long-dismissed ‘Gulf War Illness’ finally recognized with international medical code (Task & Purpose) Veterans who have long sought recognition for a medical condition linked to their service in the Gulf War earned a major victory last week.       Tests for pesticide show water at military bases on Guam ‘safe to drink,’ command says (Stars & Stripes) Expedited tests of all water sources at U.S. military bases on Guam found only a minute presence of a banned pesticide at two wells at Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz, according to Joint Region Marianas.   Navy     Navy goes ahead with big 250th birthday bash despite shutdown (Stars & Stripes) The Navy will mark 250 years of service on Monday, and it will kick off a weeklong celebration in Philadelphia on Thursday despite an ongoing government shutdown that has paused smaller celebrations.       Lawmakers introduce legislation to make sure personnel at Navy public shipyards get paid during shutdown (Stars & Stripes) Lawmakers have introduced legislation to ensure the civilian and military workforce at America’s Navy public shipyards are paid during government shutdowns.   Marine Corps     Marines head home from Australia after 6 months of drills, humanitarian missions (Stars & Stripes) After a six-month deployment filled with military exercises and disaster relief missions across Australia and the Philippines, the Marine Rotational Force-Darwin is headed home, the Australian Defence Department announced Wednesday.   Air Force     Air Force training command may stop embedding mental health teams within units (Task & Purpose) The Air Force touts its True North program as a unique success in getting mental health support directly into some of its most stressful workplaces. Rather than expect airmen who need mental help support to take time away from their daily jobs to visit professionals in clinics and hospitals, the program embeds mental health and religious support teams directly in units, where airmen work.       Air Force unveils new maternity uniform items (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Starting later this year, Air Force will offer pregnant service members a new maternity wrap dress to replace the service’s maternity jumper first fielded in 1993.       Okinawa-based F-15 squadrons responsible for nearly 60 percent of country’s scrambles (Breaking Defense) Two of the nine Japan Air Self Defense Force (JASDF) frontline fighter squadrons are responsible for an average of between 60 to 70 percent of occasions where Japan scrambles its fighter jets to investigate unidentified aircraft in its air defense zone in recent years, primarily from China, according to the chief of staff of the regional air defense command. This year, however, they fell just shy of that number.       Air Force, eyeing T-7 progress, mulls taking new pilots direct to jets (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Air Force officials say they’re making progress on getting the T-7A Red Hawk trainer on track after years of delays—and now they’re even exploring whether they can shift some training duties from the T-6 Texan II to the Red Hawk down the road.       C-130h eight-bladed NP2000 prop upgrade plans cut short by USAF (The War Zone) The U.S. Air Force will not add eight-bladed NP2000 propellers to any more of its aging C-130H Hercules transport planes, curtailing a previous upgrade plan as it continues to transition more fully to the newer C-130J variant.       Why the Air Force opted to skip a tanker competition: Costs, delay, and need for NGAS (Air & Space Forces Magazine) The combination of an “unacceptable” eight-year delay, potentially billions of dollars in costs create a new logistics enterprise, and the need to prioritize a more advanced capability persuaded the Air Force to buy an additional 75 Boeing KC-46s, according to a new document.   Space Force     Space Force taps Muon for 3 prototype weather satellites (Breaking Defense) The Space Force today announced a contract with commercial weather satellite operator Muon Space for three prototype birds to provide data such as cloud forecasting for terrestrial and maritime operations.       Space Force sets up ‘working capital fund’ for commercial space services (SpaceNews) The U.S. Space Force has established a working capital fund with a projected value of more than $1 billion to help facilitate military agencies’ access to commercial space services.       Space Force sets sights on major overhaul of how it buys capabilities (DefenseScoop ) As the Defense Department continues pushing for major procurement reforms, the Space Force is doing its part to evolve how it develops and delivers new capabilities by focusing on operations-focused acquisitions and commercial technology.       Space Force pushes for FMS reform as case load spikes (Air & Space Forces Magazine) Space Force leaders are advocating for reforms to the Pentagon’s foreign military sales process to better handle a surge in requests from international partners to buy U.S.-made military space systems.   Coast Guard     Coast Guard Cutter Midgett returns to Hawaii following 79-day counterdrug patrol, $156M worth of cocaine seized (Seapower) The Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) crew returned to their Honolulu home port Friday after a 79-day deployment to the Eastern Pacific Ocean in support of the counterdrug mission “Operation Pacific Viper.”   Education & Transition     Sports resume for military children after shutdown led to disruption (The Associated Press) Extracurricular activities have resumed at schools for military families after a pause tied to the federal government shutdown halted sports and other school-related pursuits for several days.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     Czech defense group CSG aims to go from bullets to drones (Defense News) Prague-based Czechoslovak Group (CSG) has announced it is entering the unmanned aerial systems market with the launch of a new company, AviaNera Technologies.       Helsing to acquire Blue Ocean for AI underwater systems (UK Defence Journal) Helsing has announced plans to acquire Blue Ocean, a UK- and Australia-based specialist in autonomous underwater vehicles, to strengthen its Maritime Defence Programme, according to the company.       Defense budgets on both sides of the Atlantic reshape space industry (SpaceNews) A wave of defense spending in Europe and renewed military investment in the United States — driven in part by President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense program — is reshaping the commercial space industry, investors and executives said Oct.8 at a SpaceNews live event.   Defense Industry     Time is running out for Canada’s fighter decision (The War Zone) Canada is still in the process of reviewing its future fighter fleet, officials have confirmed. However, with a firm commitment to buy 16 F-35As, it’s looking increasingly difficult to make the case for Ottawa switching to a different manufacturer to complete the full replacement of its aging CF-18 Hornets.       German arms makers lukewarm on government stakeholder push (Defense News) Representatives of Germany’s defense enterprises have responded cautiously to a proposal for the government to become a shareholder in key companies.       FN america delivers new 6.5mm machine gun, rifle prototypes for US military testing (The War Zone) The American subsidiary of Belgian gunmaker Fabrique Nationale (FN) has delivered new prototype rifles and machine guns chambered to fire the 6.5x43mm Lightweight Intermediate Caliber Cartridge (LICC) to the U.S. military.       Missile Defense Agency looking to upgrade algorithms to improve object classification (DefenseScoop ) The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is planning to enhance software for high-tech threat identification, and it’s conducting market research to inform its acquisition strategy.       Flying Ship Company selected as a winner of US Army xTechSearch 9 competition in contested logistics and sustainment (Seapower) The Flying Ship Company (FSC), a pioneer in autonomous wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) cargo logistics, has been selected as a winner in the U.S. Army xTechSearch 9 Competition in the Contested Logistics and Sustainment technical domain. Flying Ship was granted an initial award of $25,000 with up to $250,000 available in follow-up Phase I SBIR funding to further mature prototype demonstrations.       Lockheed wins contract for 148 more F-35s (UK Defence Journal) Lockheed Martin has received a $12.5bn contract modification for the production and delivery of 148 F-35 fighter aircraft, according to a U.S. Department of Defense announcement.   Israel-Gaza-Iran-Yemen     Israel and Hamas agree to ‘first phase’ of peace plan, Trump says (The Associated Press) Israel and Hamas have agreed to the “first phase” of his peace plan to pause fighting and release at least some hostages and prisoners, U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday in announcing the outlines of the biggest breakthrough in months in the two-year-old war.       Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza celebrate ceasefire news, joy in Tel Aviv (Al Jazeera) Relentlessly bombarded Palestinians in Gaza have reacted with relief and jubilation to the announcement of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending Israel’s war in Gaza.       Spanish MPs back move to enshrine in law arms embargo on Israel (Agence France-Presse) Spain’s parliament has voted to enshrine in law an arms embargo on Israel that the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, introduced to end “the genocide in Gaza”.       More than 54,600 children younger than 5 may be acutely malnourished in Gaza, study finds (The Associated Press) After two years of war and dire food shortages, more than 54,600 children younger than 5 in Gaza may be acutely malnourished, with more than 12,800 severely affected, according to a new study by a U.N. agency.   Ukraine     Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,323 (Al Jazeera) Here is how things stand on Thursday, October 9, 2025:       Russia attacks Ukraine’s energy and railway infrastructure in deadly overnight strikes – Europe live (The Guardian) President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of wanting to sow “chaos” in Ukraine by launching strikes on his country’s energy grid and railway infrastructure, in comments published on Thursday, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.       Ukraine’s new missiles and drones cause gas shortages in Russia, Zelenskyy says (The Associated Press) Strikes on Russian oil facilities by Ukraine’s newly developed long-range missiles and drones are causing significant gas shortages in Russia, while on the battlefield a recent Ukrainian counter-offensive has derailed Russia’s plans to capture parts of the eastern Donetsk region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says.   International     German lawmakers back new Eurofighters under $8B spending spree (Defense News) Germany’s parliament has given the green light for a set of defense procurements collectively worth more than €7 billion ($8.14 billion), with new combat jets topping the list of new equipment.       As US military boosts posture in Caribbean, how does Venezuela’s navy stack up? (Breaking Defense) In response to an American buildup in the Caribbean, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has pledged there is “no way” the US could invade the South American nation, as the nation was well prepared to defend its sovereignty.       Build up to bed down: US eyes project to give 500-plus troops Norway airfield digs (Stars & Stripes) The U.S. military is moving ahead on development of a Norwegian airfield into a place where American and allied forces can be deployed in a crisis.       No to Trump: Why Afghanistan’s neighbours have opposed US Bagram plan (Al Jazeera) Seated next to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a visit to the United Kingdom in September, United States President Donald Trump made clear he was eyeing a plot of land his country’s military once controlled nearly 8,000km (4,970 miles) away: Bagram airbase in Afghanistan.       US and Philippine forces drill near South China Sea flashpoint (USNI News) Washington and Manila kicked off the latest iteration of the Sama Sama naval drills on Monday in the vicinity of a western Philippine province located near South China Sea hotspots.       Poll shows Europe’s desire for bigger military budgets dips; there’s a but, though (Stars & Stripes) Europeans are less inclined to support defense spending increases than they were a year and a half ago, according to a new survey taken shortly after NATO’s historic shootdown of a Russian drone swarm in Poland.       British troops begin large-scale exercise in Falklands (UK Defence Journal) British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI) have announced that troops from the 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, will carry out Exercise Cape Sword, a large-scale blank firing and manoeuvre exercise across the Falkland Islands between 6 and 14 October 2025, according to a statement issued by the government of the Falkland Islands for the information of residents.       German cabinet approves law to shoot down threatening drones (The War Zone) In the wake of mysterious drone incursions that forced the recent shutdowns of the Munich Airport, the German cabinet approved a measure to give police the authority to shoot down uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) posing a danger.       Dozens killed in Myanmar after armed paraglider attack: Reports (Al Jazeera) More than 20 people were killed in central Myanmar after the military launched motorised paraglider attacks during an antigovernment candlelight vigil, according to Amnesty International and media reports.       North Korea’s ruling party turns 80 this week and all signs point to a major Kim Jong Un celebration (CNN) North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un is rolling out the red carpet this week for a host of foreign dignitaries, and all signs suggest he’ll be showing off his country’s latest military hardware in a pomp-filled parade.       Taiwan says anti-drone measures will be a top priority in defense against China (The Associated Press) Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense issued a report saying it is training soldiers to shoot down drones and actively looking to procure new anti-drone weapons systems, which comes in response to Chinese drone incursions.   Commentary & Analysis     The 12 days of war that didn’t ignite the Middle East or the world (War On The Rocks) For decades, predictions about a war with Iran carried an air of inevitability: Analysts warned a conflict would close the ranks of the Iranian military and political elite, unite the Iranian people behind the regime, unleash the vengeance Tehran foretold, set the Middle East ablaze, sending oil prices to the roof, and even ignite a world war.       In the UK, public spending isn’t enough to drive defense innovation (Defense Opinion) Britain is at war – not in a traditional sense, but our state, people and way of life are under persistent pressure. We are being tested in every sector, every day with all the non-traditional tools.       Genocide label crucial in addressing atrocities in Gaza: Legal scholars (Al Jazeera) Two years into the war on Gaza, legal scholars have emphasised the importance of labelling the mass atrocities Israel is committing against Palestinians as a genocide due to the legal and political implications of the determination.       It’s time to return Turkey to the F-35 fold, even if we have to get creative (Defense One) By most accounts, President Trump and President Erdogan had a productive meeting in the White House last month. Several major business deals were agreed, including cooperation on civilian nuclear energy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the future of Syria were also on the agenda.