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NANTWICH, ENGLAND - MAY 24: A general view inside 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

If that annoying hum you're hearing stops, we're about to die.

Iranian officials are threatening protesters with death.
Iran

Iran Threatens Protesters With Death

After nearly two weeks of demonstrations, Iran's Ayatollah publicly addresses the unrest as U.S. intel reassesses the severity of the situation.

Kratos has confirmed to TWZ that the landing gear-equipped version of its XQ-58 Valkyrie drone being developed for the U.S. Marines will still be able to make rocket-assisted takeoffs from static launchers.
XQ-58

Marine XQ-58 Valkyries Will Launch Via Rockets Or Runways

Rocket-launched USMC XQ-58s will still need to touch down on runways after their missions, presenting opportunities and a few tradeoffs.

Another example of Russia’s Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) has been fired against Ukraine. Moscow said the strike was retaliation for a supposed attempted Ukrainian drone attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence late last month — an allegation Kyiv and Washington have said is false. Authorities in Kyiv described Moscow’s justification for the Oreshnik strike, part of a massive overnight missile and drone barrage, as “absurd.”
MRBMs/IRBMs

Russia’s Oreshnik Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Used In Large-Scale Attack On Ukraine

Russia's second Oreshnik IRBM attack was part of a huge missile and drone barrage, but its significance may have been mainly symbolic.

Major protests in Iran spread for another day.
Iran

Days Of Rage, Nights Of Flames Across Iran

Increasingly intense protests have spread across Iran over rising prices, devalued currency and government crackdowns.

PAC JF-17 Thunder multirole combat aircraft, a fighter jet made in China and Pakistan. The Pakistani plane is painted with the country's flag as it belongs to Pakistan Air Force. The aircraft performed a flight demo, flying demonstration at the 53rd Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport in France on June 2019. The advanced and sophisticated fighter jet is developed jointly by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and the Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) of China.
Royal Saudi Air Force

JF-17 Thunder Fighter To Be Offered To Saudi Arabia: Report

The JF-17 Thunder deal would be offered as a way to repay debt, but would Saudi Arabia even want this aircraft?

Global Eye AEW for Canada.
Royal Canadian Air Force

Canadian NORAD Commander Explains Urgent Need For Better Sensing

Maj. Gen. Chris McKenna offers exclusive insights on the need for new satellites, airborne radar jets, and the drone threat.

The Marine Corps' pursuit of a fully missionized version of Kratos' stealthy XQ-58A Valkyrie drone has taken another step forward with a new announcement that Northrop Grumman is now aiding in the effort.
Drones

USMC XQ-58 Valkyrie Development Makes Leap Forward With New Contract (Updated)

Northrop Grumman has now joined the effort to craft a fully missionized version of Kratos' XQ-58 for the Marine Corps.

The Little Bird's small size and incredible transportability mean that it can appear from virtually anywhere, on land or at sea, and are among the capabilities that have long endeared the type to the U.S. Army’s elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR).
MH-6/AH-6

Night Stalker MH-6 Little Bird’s Ability To Appear Out Of Nowhere Highlighted In Tanker Raid

The Little Bird helicopter's small size and incredible transportability means that it can appear from virtually anywhere, on land or at sea.

In a notably low-key move, Russia has introduced to service a brand-new “rescue ship,” the Voyevoda, in the Baltic region. Meanwhile, despite being assigned to the Marine Rescue Service of Russia, the ship is widely considered to have at the very least, a dual role, serving as a presidential vessel, leading to it being dubbed “Putin’s yacht.”
Russia

Is This Russian Rescue Ship Really “Putin’s New Yacht?”

There are longstanding rumors that the Project 23700 class ship may have a secondary function as a luxurious leisure vessel.

U.S. forces have secured the runaway Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera, a U.S. official has confirmed to TWZ.
Northern Europe

U.S. Forces Seize Fleeing Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker In North Atlantic (Updated)

The tanker Marinera was boarded after a weekslong pursuit and after U.S. aviation assets had poured into the United Kingdom.

The U.S. Army has released the first images showing parts of the design of a very early prototype of the next-generation iteration of the Abrams tank, or M1E3.
M1 Abrams

Our First Glimpse At The M1E3 Abrams Next-Gen Tank Demonstrator

Testing of the first iteration of the Army's next-generation, lighter-weight, hybrid-electric Abrams tank concept is set to kick off soon.

Despite parallels drawn between the two operations, one asset that featured prominently in the Bin Laden mission in 2011 that looks to have been notably absent in the force that descended on Caracas over the weekend is stealthy Black Hawk helicopters.
MH-60/AH-60

Why Stealth Black Hawks Weren’t Used For Maduro Capture Mission

While stealth helicopters, which may or may not still exist, were central to the Bin Laden raid, the Venezuela operation was different in key ways.

The crew of the fleeing Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera released a video showing the ship being pursued by a U.S. Coast Guard Legend class cutter.
South America

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Seen Pursuing Fleeing Russian Oil Tanker For First Time (Updated)

The pursuit of the tanker Marinera comes as the U.S. continues pouring aviation assets into the U.K. ahead of a potential boarding effort.

Royal Canadian Air Force Maj. Gen. Chris McKenna tells us how NORAD is helping defend the high north.
Royal Canadian Air Force

Canadian NORAD Commander On What It Will Take To Defend The High North

Maj. Gen. McKenna offers exclusive insights into the growing threats to the Arctic from China and Russia, and what NORAD is doing about it.

A newly published video interview with a Ukrainian Air Force fighter pilot sheds more light on the operations of the country’s F-16 fleet in its war with Russia. The interview with the pilot, whose name is not provided, is a rare opportunity to hear about how the Ukrainian Air Force has gone about introducing its first Western fighter jet. The Viper is now heavily engaged on various fronts, combatting cruise missiles and drones, as well as striking ground targets, including in close proximity to friendly troops.
F-16

Ukrainian F-16 Pilot’s Account Of The Challenges Of The Air War

After a protracted campaign to get its hands on F-16s, a Ukrainian pilot details how the jets are now a critical part of the Ukrainian Air Force.

Multiple video clips offer strong evidence that kamikaze drones were among the capabilities the U.S. military brought to bear during the operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro over the weekend.
Loitering Munitions

Did The U.S. Use Kamikaze Drones To Strike Venezuela?

An unmistakable banshee-like wail is heard before detonations in videos taken on the ground during Operation Absolute Resolve.

Shahed-136 crashed with a shoulder-fired heat seeking missile attached.
Air

Russian Shahed-136 Kamikaze Drones Now Carrying MANPADS Missiles

The Shahed-136 is now toting a shoulder-fired heat seeking missile as Russia continues to expand the drone’s capabilities.

U.S. Army MH-60 Black Hawks assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment approach Marine Corps Outlying Field Atlantic during a forward arming and refueling point exercise, MCOLF Atlantic, May 6, 2025. U.S. Army Soldiers and aircraft from the 160th SOAR utilized MCAS Cherry Point’s training area to conduct a FARP. This training is essential for enhancing the unit’s operational readiness and ensuring efficient support for rapid deployment, as Cherry Point provides the facilities and resources to simulate real world scenarios.
160th SOAR "Nightstalkers"

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.

A surge of aircraft from the U.S. to the U.K. has sparked speculation of a SOF aviation buildup.
AC-130

U.S. Special Ops Aircraft Arriving In UK Could Point To Looming Oil Tanker Boarding Operation

The arrival in England of AC-130 gunships and cargo jets from the home of the Night Stalkers comes as the U.S. may interdict a fleeing oil tanker.