The War Zone. Your daily source for military, defense, and geopolitics coverage.
U.S. And Israel At War With Iran (Updated)
The U.S. and Israel have begun a major military operation that is aimed directly at the regime, its nuclear ambitions and its ability to wage war in the future.
Latest News
Black Tomahawk Cruise Missile Seen For The First Time In Strikes On Iran
We may have gotten our first look at the Maritime Strike Tomahawk, and the missile appears to share the same coating as another Navy anti-ship weapon.
Iranian Frigate Seen Ablaze After Being Struck In Port
The imagery represents the first confirmed heavy damage or loss of an Iranian warship as part of Operation Epic Fury and Roaring Lion.
Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week
It really stays the same temperature year-round down here, doesn’t it?
Israel’s Fighter Force Stands To Be Far More Effective With Full USAF Tanker Support In A War With Iran
U.S. tankers are now deployed in Israel, with others scattered around the region, which could unlock the full potential of the IAF.
Drone That LOCUST Laser Shot Down On Border Was Small And Belonged To Customs and Border Protection
The accidental shoot-down comes two weeks after a major airspace closure was prompted by the use of a laser weapon along the border.
Tankers Vacate Al Udeid Air Base As U.S. Citizens Are Urged To Leave Israel Immediately (Updated)
With negotiations floundering and the USS Gerald R. Ford about to arrive off Israel, the window for a major air operation is now cracked open.
Small B-52 Fleet Size Creates Challenges For Engine, Radar Upgrade Plans
With just some B-52s equipped for the nuclear mission and all of them in high demand around the globe, finding time to install the upgrades is an issue.
This Is What The EA-37B Compass Call Electronic Attack Jet Can Actually Do
The EA-37B is meant to disrupt enemy communications, playing havoc on their command and control and shattering their kill chains.
China’s Growing Armada Of Spy Satellites Is Pushing Space Force To Go On The Offensive
“You can’t run away from a bully forever. Sometimes you got to turn around and punch,” Space Force Combat Forces boss says.
KC-130J’s Hellfire Missile-Firing Harvest Hawk Kits Retired By Marines
Developed to turn USMC C-130s into close air support platforms during the Global War on Terror, Harvest Hawk’s relevance has waned.
More Latest News
Upgraded F-22 “Raptor 2.0” Details Seen In New Model
A scale model of the new-look F-22 Raptor reveals details of its new stealthy external fuel tanks and underwing infrared sensor pods.
100 B-21 Stealth Bomber Fleet Size Target Unchanged For Now Despite Production Acceleration
The main goal of expanded B-21 production right now is getting the first Raiders fielded in 2027.
AI Is Now Helping The F-35 Spot Enemy Air Defenses
New artificial intelligence technology is giving the F-35 the ability to pick out confusing threat emissions and get them properly identified faster.
Talon Blue Is The New Name For Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A ‘Fighter Drone’
Talon harkens back to the company’s T-38 Talon heritage, while Blue is likely a reference to Tacit Blue, which was a technological leap at the dawn of the stealth age.
Russia’s Mi-28 Havoc Attack Helicopter Has Tiny Crew Compartment To Pick Up Downed Pilots
Like the Mi-24 Hind before it, albeit to a far more austere degree, the Mi-28’s fuselage compartment can be used in a pinch for rescues.
Straight Talk On State Of U.S. Airlift Capabilities From General Who Ran Air Mobility Command
General Minihan’s frankness about the China threat ended his career, but now as a civilian, he has much more to say.
Dark Merlin Is The Name Of General Atomics’ YFQ-42A Fighter Drone
Merlins are small but fierce birds that attack in groups and are known for their stealthy attacks.
Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week
Concrete is so hot right now…
F-16s Heading To Middle East Equipped With Angry Kitten Electronic Warfare Pods
The Angry Kitten pods will give the fourth-generation fighters often tasked with the Wild Weasel missions much-needed extra protection.
U.K. Denying U.S. Use Of Key Bases Would Impact Bombers’ Role In Iran Air Campaign
The U.K. is reportedly preventing the U.S. from using Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford to attack Iran.
Private F-16 Aggressors Just Brought A Huge Upgrade To The Fight
Top Aces’ advanced aggressor F-16 features an AESA, IRST, helmet mounted display, open architecture mission system and now Link 16 to tie it all together.
Security Forces Guarding ICBMs Need Fresh Tactics To Defend New Sentinel Silos
Security Forces tasked with defending Minuteman III ICBMs currently train for everything from retaking captured silos to repelling ground assaults.
Russia Eyes Balloon Communications System To Fill Massive Gap Left After Losing Starlink
SpaceX has cut off Russia’s access to Starlink and now Moscow is scrambling to find a replacement.
What Iran’s Naval Exercise With China And Russia In The Strait Of Hormuz Actually Means
The Maritime Security Belt 2026 exercise comes as the U.S. is flowing forces to the Middle East ahead of a possible attack on Iran.
Major Deployment Of Rickety E-3 Sentry Fleet For Iran Crisis Highlights Worrisome Gaps
The shrunken E-3 fleet isn’t getting any younger, and a replacement is still far off while demand for its services would be far greater in the Pacific.
X-68A LongShot Air-To-Air Missile-Carrying Drone Moves Closer To F-15 Launch
LongShot drones are also seen as a new way for bombers and cargo planes to engage aerial threats and reduce vulnerability.
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….
