The War Zone. Your daily source for military, defense, and geopolitics coverage.
MQ-4C
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.
Latest News
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.
Iran Ceasefire Hangs In Balance As Israel Bombards Lebanon (Updated)
Energy prices are climbing amid concerns that shipping through the strait remains minimal even after the U.S.‑Iran ceasefire announcement.
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.
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.
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.
Eurofighter Typhoon Test Fires Laser-Guided Counter-Drone Rockets
The trial couldn’t come soon enough as Typhoons battle Iranian drones in the Persian Gulf.
MV-75 Tiltrotor Already Part Of Army Officer Training, General Says
With the Army putting its MV-75 tiltrotor on a blazingly fast track, troops are already getting experience on the aircraft before the first one is even delivered.
This Is What The Night Stalkers’ MH-60M Direct Action Penetrator Brought To The Venezuelan Op
The hard-hitting attack version of the special operations MH-60 was clearly among the critical assets used in Operation Absolute Resolve.
U.S. Army AH-64E Apache’s Counter-Drone Capability Rapidly Matures
Apaches scored 13 drone kills out of 14 engagements during Operation Flyswatter, reflecting the AH-64’s evolving counter-UAS capabilities.
New Views Of Massive RQ-180 Stealth Drone Flying Over Greece
The secretive drone continues to be spotted flying during the day, offering new insights into its features.
A-10 Warthog Being Tested With Aerial Refueling Probe (Updated)
Beyond a win for the A-10, putting refueling probes on USAF tactical jets could be a boon of the service’s Agile Combat Employment strategy.
Everything We Now Know About The Operation To Rescue The F-15E WSO (Updated)
We have gotten many new details about how the high-risk extraction effort deep in Iranian territory went down.
Carrier Tracker As Of April 3, 2026
Third American carrier strike group deployed this week in support of Operation Epic Fury
Amid Fears Houthis Could Close Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Red Sea Task Force Ready For Attacks
Concerns grow that the Iranian-backed rebels could close the waterway, drastically exacerbating the global oil crisis and opening a new front.
U.S. Is Burning Through Tomahawk Cruise Missile Stockpile At An Alarming Rate: Report
The four-week conflict with Iran has so far consumed more than a whopping 850 Tomahawk missiles, officials have stated.
More Latest News
How A Dusty Strip Deep In Iran Can Be Turned Into A U.S. Special Operations Base In Hours
An ex-USAF Special Tactics Squadron member tells how the impromptu airfield in Iran would have been rapidly established and defended.
Night Stalker AH-6 Little Bird Helicopters Destroyed At Forward Landing Site In Iran
At least one burned-out AH/MH-6 Little Bird can be seen in photos of the austere airfield that served as a hub for the rescue of the F-15E WSO.
F-15E Weapon Systems Officer Shot Down Over Iran Has Been Rescued (Updated)
The airman was rescued by U.S. special operations forces reportedly after a fierce firefight that was the culmination of a massive high-risk search operation.
F-15E Down In Iran, Rescue Operation Ongoing (Updated)
The F-15E went down under unknown circumstances and U.S. combat search and rescue assets have been seen deep in Iran.
Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week
Just two more weeks… Hopefully?
Iran Is Losing Its Grip On Iraqi Militias
A former tier one operator in Iraq offers candid insights into the spike in attacks against U.S. interests by Iranian-backed militias.
RC-135 Rivet Joint Surveillance Jet Caught ‘In The Nude’ In Texas
It’s not common to see America’s workhorse electronic intelligence collection jet stripped of its gray-and-white paint scheme.
Trump Threatens NATO Departure, Claims Iran Wants A Ceasefire Ahead Of National Address (Updated)
Iran has pushed back on Trump’s ceasefire claim as key allies distance themselves further from Epic Fury.
Secretive 737 Radar Jet ‘RAT55’ Has Begun “The Next Phase Of Its Career”
Making a peculiar appearance supporting NASA’s Artemis II launch is just the beginning of what comes next for RAT55, the world’s most secretive 737.
Ian Ellis-Jones Has Touched Down At TWZ
A letter from the editor as TWZ’s team and mission expands.
F-35 Crashes In The Nevada Test And Training Range Complex (Updated)
The aircraft went down in the range complex north of Las Vegas earlier today, with the pilot safely ejecting.
New EA-37B Compass Call Electronic Warfare Jets Cross Atlantic, Middle East Next? (Updated)
The jets could provide CENTCOM with America’s most advanced standoff jamming capability, including disrupting communications and air defenses.
Bunkers For U.S. Bases In Middle East Now A Top Priority For Pentagon
A rush to harden bases in the Middle East should finally be a much needed wake-up call to glaring gaps globally.
Former KC-135 Wing Commander On What It Will Take To Fuel A Fight Against China
Retired Air Force Col. Troy Pananon offers candid insights into the strain a fight with China would put on the tanker fleet.
Dozens Of A-10 Warthogs Appear Poised To Join Epic Fury
The deployment of additional Warthogs comes amid increasing signs a ground operation on Iranian soil could come soon.
Ukraine Using Private Air Defense Teams To Protect Industry Against Russian Drones
By mobilizing the private sector, Ukraine hopes to reduce the air defense burden on its troops while increasing coverage.
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….
