The United States is not disengaging from Asia and is instead “digging in” to maintain a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, but wants its partners to shoulder more responsibility for their defense, a senior Pentagon official said on Monday.Seeking to counter concerns about Washington’s reliability, Elbridge Colby, undersecretary of Defense for Policy, reiterated the U.S. interest in the region as he called for greater burden-sharing and “partnership, not dependency.”“America is definitely not disengaging from Asia,” Colby said in a speech in Manila. “We are not leaving; in fact, we are digging in, to ensure a favourable balance of…
Author: Tommy Grant
Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news from Outdoor Life. A 3-year-old girl is in the hospital after being attacked by an adult black bear in British Columbia. The attack happened Sunday morning at a home in Maple Ridge while the little girl was playing on the back deck. A parent chased the bear away, but officers who responded witnessed the animal’s aggression. “The bear returned to the residence and the immediate area multiple times, showing a high degree of interest in the location,” according to the Maple Ridge Royal Canadian Mounted Police in a…
After just over a year on the job, the Navy relieved Capt. Mathew Loe, the commanding officer of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Lemoore, the service announced on Friday. Citing the pro forma “loss of confidence in his ability to command,” Loe was relieved of his command by Rear Adm. Kevin Brown, commander of Naval Medical Forces Pacific, per the release. Loe served as the NMRTC commanding officer beginning in July 2025 and has since been temporarily reassigned to NMFP. Capt. Robin Bennet will serve as the interim commanding officer. The Navy noted that the “relief of the CO…
The U.S. Army abruptly removed the three-star general leading their forces in Europe, the service confirmed Monday.Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, who was leading V Corps, was removed from command. The Army did not provide the date of his removal or disclose a reason for his departure but confirmed in a statement that “the matter has been referred to the appropriate authority in accordance with Army regulations.”Brig. Gen. John B. Mountford, the deputy commanding general of readiness for V Corps, is serving as the acting commanding general.According to the Army last week, Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Feltey, who was selected for…
The U.S. Army is looking for companies that can provide a 50mm cannon and ammunition for counter-drone defense.The goal is to “integrate a 50mm ammunition solution to effectively track, engage, and defeat Class 1, 2, and 3 UAS threats,” according to the Army’s Sources Sought notice. The deadline is Aug. 31.While the notice from the Army’s Project Manager, Maneuver Ammunition Systems office does not provide any technical specifications, it signals the Army’s interest in a rapid-fire cannon for counter-UAS, or C-UAS, defense. In particular, the Army will conduct a live-fire demonstration using Northrop Grumman’s XM913 Bushmaster 50mm chain gun, with…
The Department of Defense launched a counter-unmanned aerial system, or C-UAS, marketplace last week designed to make it easier for military and government agencies to find and acquire vetted counter-drone technology.The marketplace was developed by the Joint Interagency Task Force 401, or JIATF 401, which leads the Defense Department’s effort to connect government agencies with companies developing counter-drone technology.U.S. Army Maj. Mike Hapner, the C-UAS marketplace lead for JIATF 401, said the marketplace is intended to deliver “the right counter-UAS capabilities to the right users at the right time.”Promotional materials make the marketplace look like a basic e-commerce website, but…
The U.S. Navy tested artificial intelligence-powered sonar to target submarines during the multinational Rim of the Pacific exercise in July.SensorMAX, developed by Lockheed Martin, uses AI and machine learning to analyze acoustic sensor data, update the sensor model — and then immediately transmit the updates over the air to anti-submarine warfare, or ASW, platforms. During RIMPAC maneuvers near Hawaii, Navy MH-60R helicopters dropped sonobuoys, which fed data to SensorMAX. It in turn assisted the crews with target identification. “Ground operators retrained SensorMAX’s models on new sounds in minutes, then transmitted AI-enhanced undersea intelligence OTA [over the air] using an encrypted…
The Brief: A fatal shooting occurred at a Riverton, Utah, gas station after a suspect was denied alcohol for lack of identification. After a brief verbal confrontation and departure, the suspect returned with a shotgun and opened fire inside the store. An armed customer who had previously tried to de-escalate the situation returned fire, killing the suspect. Local police confirmed no bystanders or employees were injured during the exchange. The citizen is cooperating with investigators, and authorities noted the rare nature of such violent incidents in the community. RIVERTON, UT — A routine late-day retail interaction rapidly devolved into an…
The Marine Corps has inked an $11 million contract with electronic warfare company Epirus for a vehicle-mounted weapon that can take down dozens of drones in a single zap. The contract, awarded through the Office of Naval Research, will result in the delivery early next year of a High-power Microwave Autonomous Vehicle Operational Capability (HAVOC) system that can autonomously identify drone targets to be dropped from the sky with an electromagnetic pulse.The award follows prototype testing of the similar Expeditionary Directed Energy Counter-Swarm (ExDECS) weapon prototype that Epirus delivered to the Corps for testing last year under a $5.5 million…
A fire starter is one of the smallest items in a survival kit, yet it can be the single piece of gear that keeps you alive. Fire dries wet clothing, boils contaminated water, cooks food, signals rescuers, and holds off hypothermia when temperatures drop. Losing body heat is more dangerous than most people realize. Even mild exposure can push core temperature below 95°F, a threshold the National Weather Service warns can cause lasting organ damage if it is not corrected quickly. That single fact is why every prepper, hiker, and homesteader treats fire starting as a non-negotiable skill, not just…