Top 5     Trump says Islamic State group leader was killed in a joint US-Nigerian mission (The Associated Press) U.S. and Nigerian forces killed a leader of the Islamic State group in Nigeria in a mission carried out Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said.       Payments to disabled veterans, eligible family members to increase under inflation-fighting bill (Stars and Stripes) Disabled veterans and qualifying relatives of service members killed in action or later died of service-connected conditions are in line for a cost-of-living increase to their benefits under a bill led by Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.       Senators introduce bill to abolish military draft agency (Military Times) A bipartisan group of lawmakers unveiled legislation that would dismantle the government agency responsible for maintaining the military draft database of young, eligible men.       US Army’s 7th Infantry Division, 1st MDTF to merge as Multi-Domain Command-Pacific (Military Times) The U.S. Army is continuing to tweak its formations to position the service for success in future fights, with the latest move the establishment of the Multi-Domain Command-Pacific.       Congress clashes with Pentagon over civilian harm reduction program (Military Times) Lawmakers accused the Pentagon of gutting a congressionally mandated effort to reduce civilian harm after a new Inspector General investigation found the Defense Department had started shutting down the initiative despite a legal requirement to maintain it.   US Strikes in Caribbean and Eastern Pacific     A list of US military strikes against alleged drug-carrying vessels (Military Times) Since early September 2025, 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.   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.   Pentagon     DoD faces mounting pressure to pass clean audit for the first time (Military Times) House lawmakers and government watchdogs expressed skepticism Wednesday about the Defense Department’s ability to produce a clean financial audit by a Dec. 31, 2028, statutory deadline.       Pentagon cancels planned deployment of long-range missile unit to Germany (Task & Purpose) A long-planned deployment of an Army long-range fire battalion to Germany has been canceled, a defense official confirmed to Task & Purpose.       Hegseth memo calls for sweeping, open-ended review of Pentagon's legal system (Defense One) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who last year gutted a Congressionally-created panel that oversaw his department’s legal community, is standing up a new one with a broader purview.   Congress & Politics     Trump’s description of Taiwan as a ‘good negotiating chip’ with China raises anxieties (The Associated Press) Recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump that arms sales to Taiwan are a “very good negotiating chip” in the United States’ dealings with China are heightening anxieties on the island democracy that Beijing claims as its own.       ‘Won’t be anything left’: Trump issues threat to Iran amid stalled talks (Al Jazeera English) The U.S. president has pressured Iran to concede to demands including dismantling nuclear program and missile stocks.       Greene predicts 'political revolution in America' if US troops sent to Iran (The Hill) Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a former ally of President Trump who has since sparred with him over multiple issues, on Sunday predicted “political revolution in” the U.S. if there are American boots on the ground in Iran.   Your Military     USS Gerald R. Ford to return from 11-month deployment on Saturday (Defense News) The world’s largest aircraft carrier is finally returning home after etching its name into Navy history books by completing the longest post-Vietnam deployment by a carrier, the service’s top officer confirmed.       FBI offers $200K reward for fugitive former Air Force counterintelligence agent (Stars and Stripes) The FBI is offering a $200,000 reward for information leading to the apprehension and prosecution of a former U.S. Air Force counterintelligence agent accused of providing national defense information to Iran.   Army     Army leaders in hot seat over Poland deployment cancellation (Military Times) Army leaders struggled Friday to respond to congressional furor over the Pentagon’s decision to abruptly cancel a deployment of more than 4,000 soldiers to Poland this month.       Army orders rifle-mounted smart scopes to down small drones (Task & Purpose) The Army is buying rifle-mounted smart scopes that soldiers can use to shoot down small drones, similar to the advanced fire control systems being used by Marines.   Navy     Navy seeks gamers to try out for esports team (Stars and Stripes) The Navy is looking for sailors to be part of its esports team, according to a service news release.       Future aircraft carrier Doris Miller delayed until 2034 (Military Times) The U.S. Navy’s fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier will be delivered two years late because of limited construction space at the shipyard where it’s being built, according to the Navy.       Navy commissions newest ship, USS Cleveland (Stars and Stripes) The newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, USS Cleveland, has joined the fleet.   Marine Corps     US Marines practice seizing remote islands in Philippine exercise (Defense News) At one point during Exercise Balikatan 2026 in the Philippines, one regiment of the U.S. Marine Corps had personnel strewn across 17 locations in the archipelago, giving forces a chance to flex their muscle in dispersed, expeditionary operations.   AIr Force     Air Force underestimating aircraft maintenance delays, GAO finds (Military Times) The U.S. Air Force is underestimating the lengths maintenance delays at its aircraft maintenance depots, according to a new government watchdog report.       Two military jets collide in midair at Idaho air show (The New York Times) Video shared on social media showed the jets striking each other and spinning toward the ground. Four crew members safely ejected before the planes crashed, officials said.   Cyber, Space & Unmanned     No sound of silence: US soldiers train eyes — and ears — for drone swarms (Military Times) The U.S. Army is moving beyond battling individual drone threats as it experiments with tactics to combat — and attack with — throngs of unmanned aircraft in saturated skies.       Drones are making Sudan’s war even deadlier for civilians (The Associated Press) Drone warfare has become the deadliest threat to civilians in Sudan ‘s conflict and both the military and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are being supplied by a number of countries in the Middle East and beyond, experts say.   Defense Industry     US Army to receive thousands of Barracuda-500M cruise missiles in Anduril deal (Military Times) Anduril is slated to deliver at least 3,000 surface-launched cruise missiles to the U.S. Army beginning in 2027, part of an effort to quickly advance affordable munitions procurement at scale.       Pentagon signs deals with industry to rapidly field 10,000 low-cost missiles (DefenseScoop) The Defense Department announced a batch of agreements with companies Wednesday that aim for the procurement of at least 10,000 inexpensive cruise missiles within three years.   Israel-Gaza-Lebanon-Syria     Israel attacks south Lebanon day after ceasefire extension (France 24) Israel launched a massive series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, despite an extension of the truce between the two countries.       Israel says it killed the leader of Hamas’ military wing, one of the architects of Oct. 7 attacks (The Associated Press) An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed the leader of Hamas’ military wing who was one of the last surviving architects of the attacks that triggered the war in late 2023, the Israeli military said Saturday. Hamas confirmed the death.   Ukraine     Ukraine launches more than 500 drones at Russia in deadly overnight attack, authorities say (France 24) Russian air defenses intercepted more than 500 Ukrainian drones in a massive overnight attack that killed three people in the Moscow region, authorities said Sunday. The interceptions took place across Russia's 14 regions, as well as the annexed Crimean peninsula.       Suspected Ukrainian military drone discovered after crashing in Lithuania (France 24) A suspected Ukrainian military drone was found crashed in Lithuania on Sunday, officials said, as Baltic NATO members face growing concern over stray drones crossing into their airspace from the war in neighboring Ukraine.   International     Iran warns of readiness for war and economic costs as US talks falter (Al Jazeera English) Iranian leaders and TV have ramped up pressure on the US with a stream of messaging to domestic and foreign audiences.       Near Russian border, NATO grapples with ground robots in combat (Defense News) Exercising in Latvia’s dense pine and birch forests this week, local troops found themselves in an unfair fight against a new enemy: unmanned ground vehicles.       Canada-led brigade in Latvia moves beyond tripwire role, commander says (Defense News) The Canada-led NATO brigade in Latvia has moved beyond its original “tripwire” deterrence posture and is now focused on mounting a credible defense of the Baltic country bordering Russia, according to its commander, Col. Kris Reeves.       Drone strike sparks a fire on the edge of UAE nuclear facility (France 24) A drone strike sparked a fire near the United Arab Emirates’s Barakah nuclear power plant on Sunday, authorities said, in an attack Abu Dhabi condemned as a threat to regional security. The strike highlighted the possibility of renewed war amid a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran.   Video     Highlights from the Annual Joint Drill Exhibition 2026 (Defense News) Drill teams from the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard gathered at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC for the 2026 Joint Drill Exhibition, showcasing precision, discipline, and ceremonial skill.       ‘Deal Team Six’ enters the chat | Defense Dollars (Defense News) The Pentagon looks to shake up the contracts and acquisition process and a rocket company soars on this week’s edition of Defense Dollars.   Commentary & Analysis     Restrain and hedge: A new US nuclear strategy for a two-peer world (War on the Rocks) What if fielding more nuclear weapons makes the United States less secure, not more? That question is now at the center of a growing debate as the United States confronts a nuclear landscape shaped by two major nuclear rivals.       As Netanyahu spotlights Israel’s ties to the UAE, its rulers prefer to be discreet (The Associated Press) The tight relationship between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is typically managed discreetly. But this week, it was thrust into the open, illuminating tensions underlying the alliance as the Iran war embroils the entire region.       South Korea’s 500,000 drone warriors will be a hollow force (War on the Rocks) Ukraine has reshaped the battlefield with cheap, expendable drones. South Korea reads the signals and wants to match the scale.