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

China is testing nuclear warheads: US China

China Secretly Testing Nuclear Weapons And Covering Its Tracks, U.S. Alleges (Updated)

The new U.S. accusations about China's nuclear weapons development come at a very turbulent moment for nuclear arms control globally.

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NANTWICH, ENGLAND - MAY 24: A general view outside of the former RAF Hack Green secret nuclear bunker on May 24, 2023 in Nantwich, England. Hack Green played a central role in the defence of Britain for almost sixty years. It was chosen during WW2 to protect the land between Birmingham and Liverpool from hostile attack and as a location for the new RADAR equipment. The bunker went on to be used for shelter and protection during the Cold War. As relations between East and West thawed many of the UK's nuclear bunkers were sold off. The Secret Bunker is now privately owned by the Siebert family and is run as a museum trust. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Bunker Talk

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

Welcome to the bunker, we got fun and games, we got everything you want, honey, we know the names.

Russians are scrambling to find alternatives to Starlink after SpaceX initiated a white list for verified users.
Ukraine

Russian Forces In Ukraine Scramble To Overcome Musk’s Starlink Restrictions

SpaceX’s sudden move to disconnect unauthorized Starlink terminals is playing havoc with Russian war plans with no remedy in sight.

The entire U.S. military is now pushing to acquire hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of new drones, especially smaller types, in the coming years, spurred on by new direction from the Pentagon.
Swarms

Hunt For Container Launchers Packed With Drones Kicked-Off By Pentagon

The U.S. military wants proposals for containerized systems that can launch and recover a mixture of drone swarms on land and sea.

An MQ-28A Ghost Bat loaded with an AIM-120 during Trial Kareela at RAAF Base Woomera, South Australia.
MQ-28

Boeing Details New MQ-28 Ghost Bat Features, Eyes Indo-Pacific Sales

Bigger wings, longer range, and internal weapons are all planned for the next iteration of the Ghost Bat.

As U.S.-Iran talks are set to take place in Oman tomorrow, the region prepares for war.
Iran

Middle East Preparing For War Ahead Of U.S.-Iran Negotiations

The talks in Oman tomorrow are seen as a last-ditch diplomatic effort to prevent another conflict in the tumultuous Middle East.

A key nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia has expired today, creating the potential for significant changes in U.S. force posture.
Russia

What The Sunset Of Key U.S.-Russia Nuclear Deal Could Mean For America’s Stockpile

The landmark New START treaty’s end, which occurs today, opens the door to the possibility of major nuclear posture changes.

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A U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II flies over the Gulf of America, September 16, 2025. The F-15EX, from the 40th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is one of the first F-15EXs in the Air Force, and is going through developmental and operational test series at Eglin to prepare the platform to be delivered to the warfighter.

F-15EX Buy Dropped By Indonesia

With Rafale deliveries underway, Indonesia has stepped away from its previous plan to buy up to 24 F-15EX Eagle IIs.

KC-46 mishap closes moron

KC-46 Mishap Closes Key European Logistical Hub For U.S. For Days (Updated)

The KC-46 mishap at Moron Air Base in Spain comes as the U.S. is flowing military resources to the Middle East ahead of a potential attack on or from Iran.

F-16s are having a second coming in Europe with the Block 70 and V variant becoming popular, as well as Ukraine using them in combat.

A New-Generation Of F-16 Operations In Europe

Branded Content: A new training center, F-16 Viper (F-16V) upgrades, and new-build Block 70/72 variants hail the second-coming of the Fighting Falcon in Europe.

The U.S. Air Force has released details of a live-fire test of the Rusty Dagger, one of two new Extended Range Attack Munitions (ERAM) being developed under a crash program. The milestone suggest that Ukraine is a step closer to getting its hands on thousands of air-launched ERAMs that will provide the country with a powerful new and relatively low-cost standoff strike capability. The event is also significant in terms of the Pentagon’s focus on rapidly developing and bringing into operational service new weapons that can be built at scale.

Rusty Dagger Low-Cost Cruise Missile Hits Its Target

Rusty Daggers are headed for Ukraine, but the effort to field low-cost cruise missiles could have big implications for the U.S. military.

New Pentagon guidance for defending critical infrastructure against drone attacks calls for the increased use of netting, cables, and other kinds of passive physical defenses.

Hardened Structures, Nets For Drone Defense Front And Center In New Pentagon Guidance

The Pentagon openly advocating for hardening facilities against drone attacks stands in contrast to pushback from officials in recent years.

The Launch Control Center, with blast door at left, underground at the Oscar-1 Minuteman Missile Alert Facility on Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, June 18, 2020. The Oscar-01 MAF was constructed in 1963 and determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) by Missouri SHPO in 1998. The facility consists of a one-story surface structure, assembled as a Launch Control Support Building (LCSB), and two sub-surface, re-enforced concrete encapsulated steel pods- a Launch Control Center (LCC) and Launch Control Equipment Building (LCEB). These two sub-surface wings are connected by a Tunnel Junction and accessed by an elevator. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Alexander W. Riedel)

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

It’s like Fraggle Rock.

As both sides in the war in Ukraine continue their campaigns of long-range drone attacks, the Ukrainian government’s internal security agency has released a compilation of strikes directed against Russian airbases.

Ukrainian Drone Strikes On Parked Russian Aircraft Seen In “Greatest Hits” Video

The Security Service of Ukraine claims that its drones struck at least 15 Russian aircraft on airfields last year.

F-35s land in the Azores.

USAF F-35s Redeploy Across Atlantic From Puerto Rico, Final Destination Unknown

The F-35As are on the move after assisting in the Maduro capture and could end up in the Middle East.

The future USS John F. Kennedy, the second Ford class aircraft carrier for the U.S. Navy, has begun its initial sea trials.

Future USS John F. Kennedy, Second Ford Class Carrier, Has Set Sail For The First Time

The Navy hopes to take delivery of the future USS John F. Kennedy next year after repeated delays.

The Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black and an Air Force spy plane joined a growing for in the Middle East amid rising tensions with Iran.

Destroyer, Electronic Surveillance Jet Joins U.S. Forces Massing In Middle East

Amid the ongoing military buildup, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that no one knows who would lead Iran next should the Khamenei regime fall.

F/A-XX is critical as the Navy's "ability to fly with impunity" using non-stealthy types like the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, even against smaller nation-state adversaries like Iran and non-state actors, is now "fleeting."

F/A-XX Naval Fighter Needed For Adversaries Like Iran, Not Just China and Russia: Navy Boss

Global proliferation of more capable air defenses means the era of the Navy ‘flying with impunity’ is increasingly at an end.

Boeing's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet production line is one major step closer to shuttering with the completion of the last batch of fuselage sections and vertical tails for those jets by Northrop Grumman.

Last New F/A-18 Aft Fuselages Built As Super Hornet Production End Approaches

Boeing expects to close out production of new Super Hornets in 2027 and has already stopped building EA-18G Growlers.

A camera placed in the cockpit of a Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 Frogfoot close air support jet recorded the dramatic demise of the aircraft, after it was reportedly struck by a Russian long-range air-to-air missile. This is not the first time in the Ukrainian conflict that we’ve seen the destruction of a combat jet at such close quarters. However, with the death of the pilot confirmed by Ukrainian authorities, the footage is a sobering reminder of the huge risks faced by aircrew in some of the most lethal airspace in history.

Ukrainian Su-25 Shoot-Down Seen In Harrowing Onboard Video

Highly dangerous missions and limited performance mean the Su-25 has recorded disproportionate losses over Ukraine.

One of the most enigmatic weapons in the arsenal of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), the PL-17 very long-range air-to-air missile, appears to have been shown for the first time at close quarters.

China’s Massive PL-17 Air-To-Air Missile Seen Up Close

A photo has surfaced that appears to show a mock-up of the roughly 20-foot-long weapon on display at an exhibition.

RF-4C Phantom reconnaissance aircraft from the 152nd Tactical Reconnaissance Group, Reno, Nev., prepare for a mission during Operation Desert Shield.

Flying F-4 Reconnaissance Phantoms Unarmed And Unafraid In Desert Storm

Distinguished Flying Cross recipient RF-4C pilot and his weapon systems officer recollect flying some of the most important recon missions of the war.

A U.S. Air Force EA-37B Compass Call aircraft assigned to the 55th Electronic Combat Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, is parked at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, as part of its first stop in the European theater for a scheduled road show, Jan. 26, 2026. The aircraft is also slated to visit Spangdahlem AB, Germany, and RAF Mildenhall, England, marking the platform’s introduction to Airmen, units and NATO Allies in the U.S. Air Forces in Europe area of responsibility. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Edgar Grimaldo)

New EA-37B Compass Call Electronic Warfare Jet Makes Maiden Voyage To Europe

The Air Force is showing off the Compass Call jet’s capabilities to airmen as it transitions away from the aging EC-130 turboprop planes.

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Must Read Features

Missile Defense Agency Seeking A High-Flying Drone For “Airborne Laser 2.0”

Missile Defense Agency Seeking A High-Flying Drone For “Airborne Laser 2.0”

Lockheed Once Pitched the Massive C-5 as a Flying Command Center

China’s Massive Fleet Of Radar Planes And The Strategy Behind It

Here’s America’s Plan for Nuking its Enemies, Including North Korea

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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.

 

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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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