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The War Zone. Your daily source for military, defense, and geopolitics coverage.

Russia’s mysterious Burevestnik (also known to NATO as SSC-X-9 Skyfall) cruise missile likely leaves a trail of radioactive material in its wake, making the weapon even more alarming than was first thought. This is the conclusion of two scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who have recently published a detailed analysis of one of the so-called ‘super weapons’ revealed by Russian President Vladimir Putin back in 2018. Russia

Here Is How Russia’s Skyfall Nuclear-Powered Cruise Missile Actually Works

Researchers conclude the nuclear-powered cruise missile almost certainly uses a direct-cycle engine that spews radioactive material throughout its flight.

Latest News

VC-25B bridge aircraft has been added to the presidential airlift fleet.
Air Force One

New Air Force VC-25B “Bridge” Jet Has Joined The Presidential Airlift Group (Updated)

The new Air Force One jet will undergo a final round of tests before ferrying President Donald Trump.

A scalar model for an atomic bomb proof hospital. Details show Geiger counters, decontamination chambers, oxygen wards, boiler room, power plant and huge hospital city below ground. The underground part would be insulated against radioactivity and poison gas by protective belts of earth, steel, and concrete. The underground hospital would accommodate 700 patients and a full hospital staff, in addition to an undetermined number of civilians. The three level subterranean hospital would be stocked with food, water and other supplies which would enable continuance of life for an almost indefinite period.
Bunker Talk

Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

Holy s&*t… the Playstation just broke.

L3Harris wants to demonstrate the ability of the RC-135V/W Rivet Joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft to team up with uncrewed platforms.
RC-135

RC-135 Rivet Joints Could Control Drones To Drastically Expand Collection Capabilities

Teaming with drones could be a path to new operational possibilities for the Rivet Joint, and other developments are on the horizon.

New Stryker drone division for the pacific.
Indo-Pacific

Army’s Newest Unit Aims To “Overwhelm” Adversary With Drones In Pacific Fight 

The new 7th Infantry Division Multi-Domain Command – Pacific will meld drone warfare with the maneuver capabilities of Stryker brigades.

Russian oil refinery on fire after barrage of Ukrainian drones strike Moscow.
Ukraine

Extraordinary Footage From Moscow Under Heavy Ukrainian Aerial Attack

Ukraine’s large-scale strike on Moscow, triggering massive explosions and fires, may indicate a new phase in the long-range air war.

A U.S. Air Force Airman from the 355th Wing hoists into an HH-60W Jolly Green II during combat search and rescue training for Mosaic Lightning 26-2 in New Mexico, May 15, 2026. The exercise tested personnel recovery capabilities and strengthened interoperability between rescue forces operating in high-stress scenarios.
HH-60

Congress Questions Air Force’s Combat Rescue Readiness As HH-60W Helicopters Get Turned Into VIP Transports

It’s clear the HH-60W fleet isn’t ideal for the Pacific, but concerns are growing around the capacity of any dedicated combat rescue capabilities.

The officer in charge of SOCOM's Lethality program gives us exclusive insights into the command's future machine guns and rifles.
M16/AR15/M4 Pattern

Inside SOCOM’s Search For New Machine Guns, Rifles And Ammo

Lt. Col. Alan Wood, SOCOM’s Program Manager for Lethality, offers some exclusive insights into the future of SOCOM small arms.

Two MH-47G Chinook helicopters assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), refuel mid-air during Arctic Edge 24 over the Arctic Ocean, Mar. 9, 2024. During AE24, more than 400 joint and allied Special Operators trained in extreme cold conditions to sharpen SOF readiness across unique specialties like long range fires and movements, special reconnaissance, rapid resupply, personnel recovery, and medical care in the austere Arctic environment. AE24 is a NORAD and U.S. Northern Command-led homeland defense exercise demonstrating the U.S. military’s capabilities in extreme cold weather, joint force readiness, and U.S. military commitment to mutual strategic security interests in the Arctic region.
MH-47

Night Stalker MH-47 Chinooks May Get Aerial Refueling Tanker Role

Special ops MH-47 Chinooks that could refuel other aircraft midair would give the Night Stalkers their own organic tanker capability.

Shield AI, the defense-tech company building state-of-the-art autonomy software and aircraft, today announced that the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW R&E) has selected Shield AI to integrate its Hivemind autonomy software onto the Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System (LUCAS), a new class of low-cost, one-way attack drones often referred to as kamikaze drones designed to operate in large numbers.
Drones

U.S. Military’s Shahed-136 Kamikaze Drone Clone Is Getting Hivemind Swarming Capability

Shield AI is providing the software to unlock the combat-proven LUCAS’s cooperative swarming potential, which could drastically increase its lethality.

There are growing signs that President Donald Trump's next trip on an Air Force One jet will be aboard the so-called VC-25B “Bridge” aircraft converted from an ex-Qatari VVIP Boeing 747-8i, not a VC-25A.
U.S. Air Force

No, A VC-25A Air Force One Jet Isn’t Being Retired Just Yet

The ex-Qatari VC-25B “Bridge” aircraft is set to enter service soon, but, contrary to reports, the older VC-25As will keep flying.

General Atomics is giving the MQ-9 reaper airborne early radar capability, which could have a big impact on the market.
Q-9

MQ-9 Getting Airborne Early Warning Radar Is A Huge Deal

Radar pod-toting MQ-9s present an economical and highly-flexible persistent airborne early warning solution that is needed now more than ever.

The U.S. Air Force has awarded contracts for the production of General Atomics YFQ-42A Dark Merlin and Anduril YFQ-44A Fury drones., setting it up for a split fleet of operational CCAs.
U.S. Air Force

USAF Orders Both General Atomics’ FQ-42 And Anduril’s FQ-44 Into Production

Buying both Collaborative Combat Aircraft designs instead of just selecting one has a number of big advantages to what is still a high-risk program.

The Navy is finally seeking to dispose of the USS Long Beach, the world's first nuclear-powered surface combatant.
U.S. Navy

Navy Finally Seeking To Dispose Of USS Long Beach, The World’s First Nuclear-Powered Cruiser

Tearing apart a nuclear-powered warship is a whole lot more costly and time-consuming than a conventionally powered one.

This photograph shows an FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile and a drone FP-1 from Ukrainian defence technology company Fire Point on display at Eurosatory, a land and airland defence and security trade fair, in Villepinte on the outskirts of Paris, on June 16, 2026.
NATO

Ukraine To Help Fulfill Europe’s Long-Range Strike Missile Needs

MBDA and Diehl are pursuing collaborations with Ukraine as Europe searches for faster, sovereign alternatives to U.S. long-range weapons.

Russian warship fires warning shot at yacht that came near it in English Channel.
United Kingdom

U.K. MoD Investigating Reports Of Russian Warship Firing Warning Shots In English Channel (Updated)

The alleged incident involved a yacht and a Russian Navy ship sailing south of the Isle of Wight.

More Latest News

The Senate Armed Services Committee is "concerned" about the U.S. Air Force's current plan to retire its E–11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft in Fiscal Year 2028.
E-11

Senators Want Answers On USAF Plans To Cut E-11 BACN Combat Communications Jets

The E-11 fleet still provides highly in-demand communications and data fusion capabilities, but the USAF wants to push those functions into space.

B-52 Involved In Tragic Crash Was Heading Out On Radar Test Sortie
B-52

B-52 Involved In Tragic Crash Was Heading Out On Radar Test Sortie

The crash’s human toll on the USAF test community is hard to fathom, and it will also have an impact on the already under-pressure B-52 modernization program.

New footage confirms the R6000 uncrewed tiltrotor has moved into a new and more demanding phase of flight testing.
Air Forces

China’s Big R6000 Tiltrotor Drone Has Entered Full Flight Testing

New footage confirms the R6000 uncrewed tiltrotor has moved on from tethered hover trials.

Fincantieri Marine Group CEO George Moutafis opens up about what went wrong with the troubled Constellation class frigate program.
U.S. Navy

Fincantieri CEO Opens Up About The Constellation Class Frigate Debacle

Fincantieri Marine Group CEO George Moutafis gives us exclusive insights into what sunk the frigate and what needs to change because of it.

B-52 Bomber Crashes At Edwards Air Force Base In California (Updated)
B-52

B-52 Bomber Crashes At Edwards Air Force Base In California (Updated)

A massive tower of black smoke emanated from near the main runway at Edwards AFB which we now know was caused by the crash of a B-52.

America's aircraft carriers and deployed big-deck amphibious assault ships are as of June 15, 2026 by TWZ
Carrier Tracker

America’s Naval Force Posture Largely Unchanged With Iran Ceasefire Deal On The Horizon

Here’s where America’s aircraft carriers and big-deck amphibious assault ships are as of June 15, 2026.

The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports will remain in effect until at least Friday, a source familiar with the process told us.
Iran

U.S. Naval Blockade On Iran Will Remain In Place Until At Least Friday

The blockade that went into effect on April 13 will continue until the U.S. and Iran sign an agreement.

The U.S. military wants to see if it can enhance the capabilities of the 2,000-pound-class Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range (JDAM-ER) precision-guided bomb as a bunker-busting munition.
Bunker Busters

Bunker Busters With Winged JDAM-ER Kits Could Allow For Near Horizontal Strikes On Fortified Targets

With their pop-out wings, JDAM-ERs already offer valuable extra reach that helps keep launching aircraft further away from threats.

A-10 warthog has had its life extended but actually supporting it to its out of service date is a different reality.
A-10

A Disciplined Case For The A-10 The Air Force Won’t Make

Opinion: The USAF says the A-10’s service is extended to 2030, but funding and planning doesn’t really reflect that, which has to change and fast.

Russia's Defence Ministry said the Tu-22M3 crashed while making an approach to land in the Irkutsk Region during what it described as a routine training flight.
Tu-22

Russian Tu-22M3 Swing-Wing Bomber Seen Plunging Into The Ground

The dramatic accident, captured in multiple videos, removes another precious aircraft from Russia’s long-range bomber fleet.

A-10C Thunderbolt II close-support jets with kill marking were seen at RAF Lakenheath.
A-10

A-10 Warthogs Arrive In England Festooned With Nose Art And Mission Markings From Epic Fury

The markings on the A-10s seen at RAF Lakenheath today offer an indication of what they did during the fight against Iran.

FEB 19 1981, FEB 21 1981, FEB 22 1981; U. S. - Federal Emergency Management Agency (Underground Bunker At Den Fed CTR); (Photo By Dave Buresh/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Bunker Talk

Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

Everyday is like Sunday…

Boeing has decided not to pursue a bid for the U.S. Navy's Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) competition.
T-45

Boeing Drops Out Of Navy’s T-45 Jet Trainer Replacement Competition

The field of competitors to design and build the Navy’s next jet trainer has narrowed to just two teams, and both are putting forward twin-engine designs.

NATO and Russia are building up a presence in the high north.
NATO

Russia Building New Infrastructure For Major Troop Deployments Along NATO’s Northern Flank

As Russia builds facilities for tens of thousands of troops, NATO is also bolstering its defenses with a new Arctic combat force to act as a deterrent.

A screencap from an Airbus video showing a notional future fighter working with remote-carrier-type drones.
Fighters

Germany And Spain Launch ‘Team Gen 6’ After Europe’s Next-Gen Fighter Effort Collapses

The emerging coalition could reshape Europe’s future fighter landscape, but it still needs political backing, lots of funding, and likely more partners.

Members of Congress are again moving to block the U.S. Air Force from retiring all of its U-2S Dragon Lady spy planes. This time, legislators also want to compel the service to "fully restore" a quartet of the iconic aircraft through depot maintenance.
U-2

Four U-2S Spy Planes Would Be Restored In Bill That Would Save The Dragon Lady Fleet

Congress is moving again to block the Air Force from retiring the U-2 amid continued questions about capability gaps.

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Must Read Features

This Bolt-On Launcher Can Give Nearly Any Ship The Same Weaponry As A U.S. Navy Destroyer
U.S. Navy

This Bolt-On Launcher Can Give Nearly Any Ship The Same Weaponry As A U.S. Navy Destroyer

Ancient Warfare

Tacfarinas Made Rome Realize It Had To Fight Like The Enemy To Win

U.S. Navy

Top Gun: Maverick’s Massive Support From The U.S. Military Is Laid Out In These Documents

H-60

Origins Of Stealth Black Hawks Date Back Over Three Decades Before The Bin Laden Raid

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The War Zone — also known by the shorthand TWZ — has become an essential resource for the defense industry, the national security community, and the interested public at large since it was launched in 2016.

 

From its early beginnings to the present day, TWZ’s purpose remains the same.

 

The site stands at the nexus of military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. As a full-spectrum defense news and analysis website, TWZ covers the air, sea, land, space, and cyber domains of warfare, with an infusion of geopolitical context and technological analysis to offer readers deeper, yet easy-to-consume, insights than what they will find anywhere else….

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