The War Zone. Your daily source for military, defense, and geopolitics coverage.
E-11
Air-Launched Drones Key To Keeping New Army Surveillance Jets Out Of Harms Way
The Army also sees drones launched from ME-11Bs offering a major boost in its ability to peer deep into hostile territory.
Latest News
Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week
“I shall look forward personally to exterminating you, Mr. Bond.”
Qatari 747-8i Gifted To Trump For Interim Air Force One Is Undergoing Test Flights
The 747 is being rushed into service and the Air Force now says it is expected to be delivered this summer.
Iran Reopens Strait Of Hormuz, U.S. Blockade Continues (Updated)
These moves come as Trump claims the U.S. is helping Iran remove mines from the Strait.
MV-75 Will Be Reconfigurable For Medevac Mission Via Kit, Not Purpose-Built Like HH-60
The Cheyenne II’s speed and range will usher in a major leap in the U.S. Army’s “dustoff” medical evacuation capability.
YFQ-44 Fury Fighter Drone Wraps Contested Operations Test That Could Accelerate Its Fielding
“An 85 percent solution in the hands of a warfighter today is infinitely better than a 100 percent solution that never arrives.”
Cheap Interceptor Drones Proven In Ukraine Protected U.S. Troops Against Iranian Shaheds
The Army’s top official lauded the Merops drone’s performance defending against Iranian long-range kamikaze drones.
Super-Adaptable Mayhem 10 Swarming Drone Evolved From The Switchblade
AeroVironment’s Mayhem 10 is highly-modular and can seek and destroy enemy radars, jam comms, reconnoiter, strike armor and more.
Army Eyes Drone Tankers To Refuel Its New MV-75 Cheyenne II Tiltrotors
The Army and Bell have pointed to the U.S. Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray drone tanker as an example of what could be on the horizon.
Production Of AH-64 Apache’s New Counter-Drone Cannon Shell Ammunition Ramping-Up
The Army anticipates a five-fold increase in procurement of the XM1225 APEX ammo.
U.S. Navy Destroyer Equipped With New Launcher For Unknown Weapons
The Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Carl M. Levin has received an interesting new addition to its aft upper deck.
Navy Calls It Quits On Attack Submarine USS Boise’s Never Ending Overhaul
The USS Boise has been stuck in limbo for more than a third of its career, and was still years and billions of dollars away from returning to service.
Here Is What Trump’s Gargantuan $1.5T Defense Budget Has In It
The U.S. military is pushing to make huge investments in many programs in Fiscal Year 2027, but also some notable cuts.
Wolf Pack Modular Mini Cruise Missiles Pitched For Apache, Black Hawk
Already building launched effects vehicles for the Marine Corps, L3Harris now wants to bring these capabilities to U.S. Army rotorcraft.
First Look At What A Night Stalker MV-75 Cheyenne Will Look Like
A new rendering shows an MV-75 with special operations-specific features like a radar, other sensors, and in-flight refueling capability.
Germany Is Now Airdropping Its Tiny Wiesel ‘Tankettes’
Already known for its agility and small size, dropping the Wiesel from A400M transports gives Germany’s airborne forces a new way of rapidly placing firepower forward.
U.S. Pursuing Iranian-Linked Ships All Over The World In Addition To Its Blockade (Updated)
The Joint Chiefs Chairman said the U.S. now has a global effort for going after ships related to supporting Iran.
Navy MQ-4C Triton Surveillance Drone Crash In The Middle East Finally Confirmed
The MQ-4C had been flying over the Persian Gulf on April 9 when it suddenly disappeared from online flight tracking sites.
Navy Turns Around Ships Trying To Run Blockade Of Iran (Updated)
Meanwhile, CENTCOM says the blockade is working as communications between Washington and Tehran continue in hopes of more in-person talks.
More Latest News
Trump Downplays Chinese Concerns Over Iran War’s Impact On Its Oil Supplies (Updated)
The friction between the U.S. and China over disruption in energy shipments the war with Iran has caused remains a major issue.
Army Names Its New MV-75 Tiltrotor Cheyenne II
First applied to a failed cutting-edge attack helicopter, the Cheyenne name returns for what is perhaps the Army’s most ambitious rotorcraft program yet.
U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk Tour And Mission Brief With Its Pilots
Branded Content: The UH-60M is a workhorse of the U.S. Army that can perform many duties, soon to include uncrewed battlefield support.
B-21 Raider Seen From Above For The First Time
A new image of aerial refueling trials gives us our first full overhead look at the B-21 and a glimpse at some very interesting features.
Air Guard Warns Of Dire Consequences If At Least 72 Fighters Aren’t Bought Annually
Air National Guard leaders have called upon Congress to approve multiyear funding for 72 to 100 new fighters annually.
Angry Kitten Jamming Pod Testing On HC-130J Focuses On Receiving Threat Updates Via Satellite
Being able to rapidly reprogram Angry Kitten pods remotely based on the real-time threat environment would be hugely valuable.
Flurry Of Navy Minesweepers Appear To Be Heading Toward The Middle East
The migration of U.S. Navy minesweeping assets west from the Pacific indicates preparations are underway for a major de-mining operation.
KC-135 Tanker Covered In Shrapnel Patches Seen Landing In UK
A KC-135 damaged in an Iranian strike has made its way to RAF Mildenhall in the UK thanks to field repairs.
Carrier Tracker As of April 12, 2026
Trump orders U.S. Navy to blockade Strait of Hormuz as a third carrier strike group steams towards the CENTCOM area of responsibility.
Operation Epic Fury U.S. Aircraft Losses Visualized
Here are all the known American aircraft losses during the nearly six week-long war with Iran.
Bahrain First To Claim F-16 Block 70 Air-To-Air Kills
The Bahraini advanced F-16 shot down two Iranian drones during the conflict in the Middle East earlier this month.
How America’s Shahed-136 Kamikaze Drone Clone Suddenly Became An “Indispensable” Weapon Of War
Michael Horowitz, who pushed for the LUCAS drone program while at the Pentagon, offers unique insights into its genesis and future.
Inside The Air Force’s Elite Ghost Tanker Unit
TWZ Special Access: We flew aboard the unique KC-135R that is the centerpiece of the Air Force’s aerial refueling test force.
Navy MQ-4C Triton’s Fate Unknown After Disappearing From Flight Tracking Over Persian Gulf
Tracking data shows the MQ-4C rapidly losing altitude after declaring an unspecified in-flight emergency.
Questions Loom Over Iran Ceasefire
Both sides are claiming a triumphant victory, but the peace that’s in place now is very delicate and will have to survive tumultuous negotiations.
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