The War Zone. Your daily source for military, defense, and geopolitics coverage.
U.S. Air Force
B-1B “Apocalypse II” Out Of The Boneyard And Back In Service
After nearly two years of work, the Bone once known as Rage has completed its journey out of the desert and back to active service.
Latest News
F/A-18 Super Hornet Blasts Blockade-Running Iranian Ship’s Rudder With 20mm Cannon (Updated)
The Super Hornet strafing the ship is the latest instance where the Navy used direct fire to disable Iranian ships trying to run the blockade.
DARPA’s XRQ-73 Hybrid-Electric Flying Wing Drone Has Flown
The XRQ-73 was designed with a focus on very quiet, high-efficiency flight, and it has evolved since it was last seen in 2024.
Missiles Clobber Target Ship In Highly Strategic Luzon Strait
The ex-Philippine Navy warship was sent to the bottom during high-profile Luzon Strait drills and amid rising Indo-Pacific tensions.
Coast Guard Creates Its Own Special Operations Command
The Coast Guard is putting all of its specialized forces under a single headquarters as demand for their services is at an all-time high.
New Iranian Attacks On UAE As Ceasefire Holds By A Thread (Updated)
Joint Chiefs Chairman says Iran attacked U.S. forces 10 times during the ceasefire.
Smaller AIM-9X Sidewinder For Stealthy Weapons Bays Is In Development
More compact AIM-9Xs will allow aircraft to carry more at once and make them easier to fit at all inside the weapons bays of future drones.
Marine Amphibious Combat Vehicles To Get Missile-Swatting Active Protection Systems
Active Protection Systems will give Marine ACVs a critical new layer of defense against anti-armor threats that could also help down incoming drones.
Confidence In CH-53K King Stallion Grows Ahead Of First Operational Deployment
Going to sea with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit is a prelude to the CH-53K hitting full-rate production, planned for FY 2029.
China is America’s Military Equal Now And In Any Future Fight, Marine General Warns
Faced with the rapidly growing China threat, the U.S. has to start hardening its bases now, said Marine Lt. Gen. Stephen Sklenka.
Turkey Developing Its Own Bladed ‘Ginsu’ Precision Guided Munition
Turkey is offering a derivative of its MAM-L lightweight munition with the same pop-out, sword-like blades as used on the AGM-114R9X Hellfire.
U.S. AH-64 Apache, MH-60 Seahawk Helicopters Sink Six Iranian Boats (Updated)
Commercial vessels and American warships are coming under Iranian attack around the Strait of Hormuz as a new U.S. maritime protection plan has kicked off.
Israel’s First KC-46 Tanker Is Now Flying
The first new tanker is set to arrive in Israel in around a month and will help relieve pressure on the IAF’s tiny and very old KC-707 tanker force.
Navy’s Unwanted Sea Base Ship Will Test At-Sea Rearming Of Warships
At-sea reloading demonstrated by USNS Montford Point could be key in a future fight in the Pacific and give these ships a new lease on life.
First Ships Transit Strait Of Hormuz Under New U.S. Protection Plan
Project Freedom appears to be aimed, at least for now, at evacuating ships stuck in the Persian Gulf since the war with Iran began.
Confusion Surrounds Future Of U.S. Long-Range Missiles In Germany Amid Rift With White House
The latest U.S.-Germany rift could leave NATO in Europe outmatched by Russia’s long-range firepower, at least in the near term.
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Letter From The Editor: 10 Years And 11,000 Articles Later
TWZ was launched 10 years ago today and we are still here and growing thanks to all of you.
First B-52 To Arrive For Re-Engining At Boeing Plant Later This Year (Updated)
New Rolls-Royce F130 engines are a critical upgrade for Air Force B-52s, but work has been beset by delays and growing costs.
Where Are The Carriers As Of May 3, 2026: Ford Finally Heads Home
Two carrier strike groups remain in the Middle East as President Trump announces Project Freedom to get trapped ships out of the Persian Gulf.
Israel To Buy Extra F-15IA And F-35I Squadrons
After years of high-tempo operations in the Middle East, Israel has locked in plans to further expand its airpower with new F-15IA and F-35I fighters.
New VC-25B Air Force One “Bridge” Aircraft Now Fully Modified And Flight Tested
The ex-Qatari royal flight aircraft is scheduled to be delivered to the Presidential Airlift Group this summer after a warp speed modifications and testing regime.
Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week
I hope you like the color gray!
Iran Ceasefire Means Trump Needs No Congressional Approval To Continue War: White House
The White House stance on seeking permission to continue the war comes on the deadline for Congressional action.
Trump At A Crossroads For Continuing The War With Iran
The president is reportedly discussing new options for attacking Iran while facing a legal deadline on continuing the conflict.
Air Force Wants To Axe Its E-11A BACN Communications Jets
The Air Force wants space-based systems to take over from the E-11A in providing critical data fusion and communications relay capabilities.
B-1B Seen Carrying ARRW Hypersonic Missile For The First Time
The B-1B will now serve to 2037, and ARRW has emerged out of purgatory in the latest Pentagon budget request.
Marines Offer Glimpse Of New Plan For Its Future Ground Combat Forces
Ground Combat Element 2040 offers hints into how the Marines expect to fight in a future dominated by AI and autonomous weapons.
New Cruise Missile-Armed MV-75 Tiltrotor Concept For The Marines Shown Off
The Marines have said “everything is on the table” when it comes to potential replacements for their AH-1 and UH-1 helicopters.
Light Uncrewed Cargo Helicopters Based On Robinson R66 And Bell 505 Compete For USMC Contract
Adaptations of two proven commercial rotary-wing designs are vying for a U.S. Marine Corps autonomous resupply vehicle requirement.
Navy Still Pushing To Field New AARGM-ER Radar-Busting Missile This Year Despite “Strategic Pause”
The Navy expects to see the AGM-88G AARGM-ER enter service in September despite not planning to buy any of them in the next fiscal year.
MP7 Personal Defense Weapon Just Went Viral In Hands Of Tailored-Suit Wearing Agent
The cool under pressure agent yanked the MP7 from a discreet backpack after a shooter tried to storm the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Russia’s Stealthy S-71K Air-Launched Missile Seen In New Detail
The missile aims to be a less expensive, but still survivable standoff weapon option that can be built in large numbers.
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….
