The U.S. Air Force is accelerating its timeline for a cheaper, more expendable successor to the MQ-9A Reaper, officials said Sept. 3, after combat losses left the service unwilling to wait out the rest of the drone’s life.Lt. Gen. Christopher Niemi, the Air Force’s chief modernization officer, told reporters at the Pentagon that a follow-on was already under discussion as the MQ-9 aged out. “Although we have plenty of MQ-9As today, we are going through them at a rate that is concerning to us,” he said, according to Breaking Defense, which covered the briefing.Defense Daily reported that Air Force Secretary…
Author: Tommy Grant
Using fake radio signals to spoof the enemy is a common stratagem.The Department of Defense wants to take that idea one step further and wield AI-generated “personalities” to mimic real people — and fool enemy AI trying to identify patterns in friendly cellphone traffic.The goal is to mask “digital exhaust,” the metadata automatically emitted by mobile phones, such as location and specific device IDs. Intelligence agencies, law enforcement, militaries and even criminals have become adept at using this digital debris to locate users and analyze their behavior.In particular, “accessing foreign mobile phone networks exposes individuals and organizations to surveillance and…
Vice President JD Vance said the administration would work toward giving the widow of a deceased airman killed during the war in Iran the additional military benefits allotted to families of service members killed during combat. Libby Klinner, the wife of Alex Klinner, turned to social media to share the story of her husband’s passing and the struggles her family was facing in receiving certain additional benefits since the federal government did not officially declare war on Iran. U.S. Air Force Maj. John “Alex” Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama, was among the six killed on March 12 when a KC-135…
The Marine Corps will offer people entering the service up to $15,000 to enter cyber, crypto and electronics-maintenance jobs as it prepares for FY27, continuing a targeted program to put new Marines into occupational fields important to its future force.The incentives take effect Oct. 1 under a new Marine administrative message outlining the FY2027 Enlistment Option Program and Enlistment Bonus Program.In addition to the $15,000 bonus for Electronic Maintenance and $15,000 bonus for Cyber and Crypto Operations, the Corps is offering $5,000 or $10,000 shipping bonuses, plus up to $15,000 for those who add two years to their enlistment or…
U.S. President Donald Trump plans to fly to Ireland next week aboard the Boeing 747 Qatari-donated jet for the first time since security concerns caused the president to leave Turkey on a different aircraft, The Washington Post first reported.In July, Trump unexpectedly left the NATO summit in Turkey on a different plane, citing a potential threat as the conflict with Iran escalated. He switched to a smaller military aircraft in secret, using a catering truck for deception.The swap raised further questions about the modified Qatari jet’s security as a presidential aircraft. That same month, Trump announced that the jet would…
The U.S. Navy collaborated with 80 female service members to collect feedback as it develops future uniforms apt for the size and fit of the modern sailor.Textile experts and scientists with Navy Exchange Service Command worked on designs from Aug. 17 to Aug. 21 onboard Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story and at NEX Norfolk, Virginia, according to a Thursday release.“We are committed to providing certified, high-quality Navy uniforms so that sailors are comfortable and professional looking so that they can focus on their mission,” Brianna Plummer, Group Leader of Design & Testing Laboratories at Navy Clothing and Textile Research…
Opposition from the United States and Russia has raised doubts that countries meeting in Geneva will on Friday agree on a document that could pave the way to international rules on the use of autonomous weapons, three diplomats said.The 128 states that are party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), an international framework hosted under the United Nations in Geneva that regulates or bans specific types of weapons considered excessively injurious or indiscriminate, have been meeting this week in the Swiss city.They are set to decide whether consensus can be reached on a non-binding text that may usher…
Civilizational Comeback It was the culmination of close to 30 years of an international liberal order coming apart. The first mistake was when the American public voted into office Bill Clinton, rather than George Bush, the father. This choice proved the public has pivoted towards something fresh, something new, instead of proven traditional American leadership. Bush represented the CIA, the U.N. and the Cold War, which the U.S. had won, but he also represented carrying a heavy load, living in fear of atomic weapons and sending troops abroad to stop the spread of communism. Americans wanted to turn the page…
The grizzly bear that attacked a woman near Columbia Falls, Montana, on Monday was acting defensively, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks announced Thursday. The woman had been walking her dog on the Cedar Flats trail system north of town when she was mauled around 7 p.m. She sustained significant injuries and was transported to Logan Health Medical Center for treatment. The dog was unharmed. That same evening, investigators with MFWP, the U.S. Forest Service, and officials from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office searched for the bear but were unable to locate it despite aid from an infrared drone. Evidence at…
President Donald Trump tapped the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ top official to be the service’s senior civilian leader, bypassing the Army’s No. 2 civilian to promote a former congressional staffer. Trump announced his choice via Truth Social on Thursday evening. “I am pleased to announce that Adam Telle, the current Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, will become Acting Secretary of the Army, effective immediately,” Trump wrote, adding, “He is a Great Patriot, who is respected by all.” Telle’s selection comes after former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, who championed modernization and acquisition reform, resigned this week amid…