British Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived in Kyiv on Ukraine’s Independence Day and announced that the United Kingdom will allow defense contractor MBDA to release classified information on British components of the SCALP long‑range cruise missile. This release permits France and Ukraine to establish local assembly lines for the weapon inside Ukraine. Storm Shadow, the British designation, and SCALP, the French designation, share technology from both nations and are produced by MBDA. The missile has a range exceeding 300 nautical miles in its export configuration, roughly half that distance. Ukraine has used the system to strike high‑value targets far behind the front line. The decision removes a technology‑transfer barrier that had limited local production. Ukraine relies heavily on Western long‑range missiles, and European stockpiles of Storm Shadow and SCALP have been depleted. Local manufacturing could provide a new source of missiles nearer the battlefield and reduce dependence on foreign deliveries. Ukraine is also expanding a domestic long‑range strike industry that includes one‑way attack drones and indigenous cruise missiles such as the FP‑5 Flamingo. Ukrainian officials say the ability to produce Storm Shadow locally would support an asymmetric strategy that relies on technology rather than manpower. The British government’s support is separate from its own Project Brakestop, which seeks low‑cost long‑range weapons without U.S. components. The Kremlin criticized the decision, saying it escalates the conflict, and has withdrawn its ambassador from London. Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the United Kingdom will continue to support Ukraine despite Russian actions.
Conflict, defense, and military affairs shaping battlefields and strategy worldwide.
On August 24, 2026, the United States announced new sanctions aimed at Iran’s oil revenue and sanctions‑evasion networks, while Houthi forces struck a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea.
The Treasury Department said the measures, called Operation Economic Outcast, would block revenue sources that fund the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other regime entities. The department sanctioned 60 individuals, entities and vessels that facilitate illicit nuclear and missile technology, cyber operations and oil revenue generation.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States would deny all financial options to the Iranian regime and urged international partners to shut down identified activities within defined timelines. He warned that the United States would act unilaterally if countries failed to comply.
Iranian officials sought to mitigate the economic impact. The Central Bank governor said previous sanctions had reduced purchasing power but denied that the economy was collapsing. He asserted that Iran could supply foreign currency for essential imports and that hardship was not the same as collapse. Traders reported shifting business from the United Arab Emirates to China after the UAE halted trade with Iran.
The regime announced an internal security exercise named Janfada involving 313,000 personnel, a number chosen for its symbolic significance in Shia Islam. Iranian officials also issued threats against countries that might comply with U.S. sanctions, with the Supreme National Security Council secretary designating any such nation an enemy.
Houthi forces fired a ballistic missile at the Saudi oil tanker AMZAN, located roughly 950 kilometers north of the Saudi‑Yemeni border. The strike demonstrated a longer missile range than previously confirmed, though open‑source verification of a range exceeding 500 kilometers remains pending.
In Iraq, discussions continued over integrating militia elements operating outside the Popular Mobilization Forces into recognized PMF units. Officials said disarmament would proceed only after U.S. forces withdrew and the Iraqi parliament approved a PMF service and retirement law.
The situation remains fluid, with sanctions, militia negotiations and missile activities all contributing to regional tension.
Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG) left the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility over the weekend after a continuous deployment of 277 days, its first liberty port call occurring in Thailand before proceeding to Naval Base San Diego. The group had previously made two brief port visits in December 2025 and early July 2026, which were described as pit stops rather than liberty calls, according to a USA Today report.
USS George Washington assumed the Lincoln CSG’s position in the Arabian Sea, maintaining dual‑carrier coverage intended to support the ongoing maritime blockade of Iran. Washington, the Navy’s only forward‑deployed carrier homeported in Yokosuka, Japan, arrived after a routine patrol in the Western Pacific and a transit through the Malacca Strait.
The Lincoln CSG completed 277 days of continuous deployment, the longest since the previous record set in 2023, though it is unclear whether the record for consecutive days at sea without a port call was broken, TWZ reported. Its carrier air wing conducted more than 10,000 sorties and dropped over 1.5 million pounds of ordnance, according to a statement from the acting Secretary of the Navy. Rear Adm. Jeffrey L. Heames, commander of CSG‑5, said the milestone demonstrated the readiness of U.S. naval aviation.
Washington’s carrier air wing includes one Navy‑operated F‑35C squadron and three F/A‑18 squadrons, and it surpassed 200,000 fixed‑wing aircraft landings during its deployment, a milestone highlighted by Heames, who added that the carrier can land one aircraft per minute and typically lands about 70 aircraft per day. USS George H.W. Bush, deployed for more than four months, operates in an undisclosed location in the Arabian Sea, while USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Carl Vinson conduct routine operations off the U.S. coast. USS Theodore Roosevelt remains pierside in San Diego.
Three U.S. carriers are currently deployed, one is returning home, one is preparing for deployment, two are in various training phases, and four are in maintenance. One amphibious ready group is deployed, one is forward‑deployed, four are in port or training, and three are in maintenance. The Lincoln CSG will enter a Drydocking Planned Incremental Availability after returning to port, and the timeline for its return to active service has not been specified.
Senate Democrats on the Armed Services Committee have asked the panel’s Republican chairman, Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, to hold a public hearing on the welfare of troops deployed in the Iran war. The request, led by Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and signed by all minority members except ranking member Jack Reed of Rhode Island, cites the nine‑month deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its limited port calls as evidence of extended combat exposure. In a letter to Wicker, the senators wrote, “We believe it is critical that we conduct public oversight to ensure that whenever we ask the military to answer the nation’s call, we will have their backs — not leave them stranded with no support.”
The USS George Washington arrived in the Middle East on August 20, 2026, to relieve the Lincoln after a lengthy deployment that included nearly 200 days in a combat zone and only a few port visits. Sailors reported food and supply shortages, broken facilities, mail disruptions and an incident in which a crew member was stopped from jumping overboard. The committee’s letter also referenced the USS Gerald R. Ford, which completed an 11‑month deployment after being redirected from a routine European assignment to support operations in the Caribbean and the Middle East. The carrier broke the post‑Vietnam record for the longest deployment in April and experienced a fire in its main laundry area that injured three sailors and displaced about 600 personnel, requiring emergency repairs in Greece before returning to the Red Sea for Operation Epic Fury.
Democrats said they want the Pentagon to explain the readiness impacts of these deployments, outline plans for relief rotations and describe how it will sustain troops as the Iran conflict remains unresolved. Navy Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, noted that many of the reported concerns had been addressed after his recent visit to the Lincoln and emphasized that military leaders owe service members and their families transparency, empathy and responsiveness when public reports raise anxieties.
Two KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft departed Bulgaria on August 21, ending a deployment authorized through October 1. The United States Air Forces in Europe‑Air Forces Africa said the withdrawal was required to meet other operational needs.
The Bulgarian parliament approved the stationing of up to eight tankers and 250 personnel at Bezmer Air Base on July 22. The deployment had been requested by the U.S. Embassy in Sofia to support Middle East operations from July 24 to October 1, and the first aircraft arrived on July 31.
Bulgarian Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov confirmed the aircraft left the country on Friday, according to the Bulgarian News Agency. U.S. officials noted the tankers conducted only training missions in allied airspace while in Bulgaria.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei described the removal as an act of aggression under international law and said U.S. bases in Europe could be targeted if the United States escalates the conflict. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Monday that the administration would impose new sanctions on Iran, characterizing them as the largest financial offensive ever. President Donald Trump said he would impose tougher economic measures on Iran and any country that does business with it.
A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft flew the length of the Taiwan Strait on Aug. 21, 2026, the first transit of the waterway by the type in five months, according to the U.S. 7th Fleet. The aircraft traveled from the East China Sea to the South China Sea, a distance of roughly 110 miles, in what the fleet described as a routine transit. U.S. Navy ships and aircraft have repeatedly used the strait to demonstrate freedom of navigation, a practice the service said has been carried out for many years. Cmdr. Matthew Comer of the 7th Fleet said in an email that the transit “demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo‑Pacific” and that the military “flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows.” China routinely criticizes such transits as provocative; the Chinese military monitored the flight, according to the state‑run Global Times, and the newspaper’s commentary described the passage as close‑in reconnaissance carrying an element of military pressure. The last publicly reported transit by a Navy P-8A occurred on March 11. Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and claims jurisdiction over the strait. The transit occurred five weeks before President Xi Jinping is expected to make his first state visit to the White House since 2015, a visit that officials have been preparing for through high‑level talks, including a meeting in Manila last month between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Discussions between the two leaders are expected to address Taiwan, trade and technology, according to Reuters. The flight underscores the continuing military presence in the region ahead of the scheduled summit.
Ukrainian forces carried out a coordinated campaign of strikes against Russian air defense systems and logistics infrastructure in border regions and occupied territories on Aug...
Ukrainian forces carried out a coordinated campaign of strikes against Russian air defense systems and logistics infrastructure in border regions and occupied territories on August 23‑24, 2026, damaging aircraft, radar sites, drone shelters and Ozon warehouses, according to Ukrainian officials and geolocated footage.
The campaign reflects a broader Ukrainian effort to degrade Russian military and economic capacity, while Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on August 24 authorizing the nationalization of private enterprises deemed critical if they fail to protect assets from drone attacks, and announced tax relief measures for affected retailers.
Ukrainian USF Commander Major Robert “Magyar” Brovdi reported strikes on a MiG‑29 fighter, a Ka‑52 helicopter, several radar installations and drone shelters at Millerovo, Rostov Oblast, and in occupied Crimea; the General Staff said additional aircraft and drones were damaged in Krasnodar Krai. Ukrainian forces also hit Ozon logistics centers in Makhachkala, Nevinnomyssk, Enem and other locations, with Ozon confirming fires at sites in Dagestan and Krasnodar Krai.
Russian officials said the strikes have strained the economy; the Ministry of Finance proposed extending tax and insurance payment deadlines for retailers until July 28, 2027, and offered assistance to businesses whose losses exceed five percent of annual income. Milbloggers noted that Ozon and Wildberries together employ over one million sellers and serve 100 million customers, and that Russian authorities may redistribute Ozon logistics and improve air defenses. A source claimed Wildberries seeks government funds to repair strike damage rather than enhance its own security.
Putin extended the term of Investigative Committee head Alexander Bastrykin to August 7, 2027, as part of a broader effort to retain loyal officials and support the nationalization drive, after earlier legal changes that removed mandatory retirement ages for senior appointees.
Russian forces launched two Onyx anti‑ship missiles, six Kh‑31P/Kh‑59 guided missiles and 143 strike drones against Ukraine overnight; Ukrainian air defenses intercepted several missiles and downed a number of drones, while strikes damaged civilian infrastructure in multiple oblasts.
The assessment indicates a sustained Ukrainian campaign of SEAD and logistics attacks, a Russian response involving economic measures and senior personnel appointments, and ongoing missile and drone operations that continue to affect both military and civilian targets.
An oil tanker was struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on August 24, 2026, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, causing damage to the engine room while the crew remained safe; the incident is under investigation.
The attack occurred hours after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new set of sanctions, dubbed Operation Economic Outcast, that target Iran's oil, technology, gold, aviation and shipping sectors and call on countries to cease Iran‑related business within defined timelines.
The Treasury Department said the measures include secondary sanctions for non‑compliance, sanctions on nearly 60 entities, vessels and individuals, and the suspension of general licenses for certain remittances and cultural exchanges; Bessent told reporters that the United States will hold any party facilitating Iranian oil transactions accountable.
Iranian officials dismissed the plan, with parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf saying the United States lacks the economic leverage to further isolate Iran, and Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei warning that any escalation will bring consequences; Iran has threatened to strike U.S. and allied interests and maintains control over traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
The incident follows a Houthi missile attack on a Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu in the Red Sea, which the group claimed as part of its maritime blockade, and comes amid heightened shipping activity in both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait, where data from Kpler show a 2.5 % rise in Hormuz transits and a 3.1 % increase in Bab el‑Mandeb crossings despite falling laden vessel movements.
U.S. crude oil reserves in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to 289.7 million barrels last week, the lowest level since November 1982, leaving about 41 days of inventory, according to the Department of Energy and market data firm Barchart, as the administration has begun releasing oil to mitigate rising gasoline prices.
The long‑term impact of the sanctions and the response from Iran and regional actors remain uncertain as maritime tensions persist in the Gulf.
A recent analysis concludes that China has developed the capacity to mount an amphibious invasion of Taiwan, though success would depend on multiple uncertain factors.
The assessment examines China's long‑term modifications of civilian shipping, expansion of missile forces, and hardening of air bases, and contrasts these capabilities with arguments that an invasion remains beyond its reach.
The assessment notes that amphibious lift is not a binding constraint because China continues to train with civilian roll‑on/roll‑off vessels and has used modified ferries in exercises to launch armored vehicles directly ashore.
Civilian roll‑on/roll‑off ships, special transfer bridges, and large numbers of landing craft have been integrated into amphibious plans to move follow‑on forces and supplies.
China's navy now has more than twice as many combatant vessels as the navies of France, Japan, and the United Kingdom combined, and its maritime forces include the world's largest coast guard and maritime militia.
According to a 2025 Department of Defense report, China possesses roughly 550 intermediate‑range and 1,300 medium‑range ballistic missiles capable of striking regional targets, and it produces more than 800 offensive missiles annually.
The same report states that the People’s Liberation Army air force fields a large number of advanced aircraft able to reach Taiwan without refueling and conduct ground‑attack missions.
China also fields an estimated 600 deployed hypersonic missiles, while the United States has only begun limited fielding of operational hypersonic systems.
U.S. and allied improvements in regional bases, missile defenses, and force readiness are acknowledged, but China has continued to expand hardened air shelters, increase the number of air bases near the Taiwan Strait, and modernize its missile and air capabilities.
The analysis points out that technological trends highlighted in Ukraine, such as drone production, are not directly comparable because Ukraine produces millions of drones annually, benefits from border access, and faces a different logistical environment than Taiwan.
Military doctrine in China explicitly links the ability to deter or defeat foreign intervention with the feasibility of an island landing, a connection reflected in recent force structure assessments.
The assessment cautions that confidence in the impossibility of a Chinese invasion is not supported by the available evidence, and that success would depend on Taiwanese resistance, the effectiveness of U.S. intervention, sustainment of ground forces, and other variables.
Deterrence can succeed, and continued U.S., Taiwanese, and allied investment in hardened bases, pre‑positioned munitions, resilient logistics, and unmanned systems may reduce the likelihood of a successful invasion.
The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) demonstrated a higher aircraft launch and recovery rate than the legacy Nimitz‑class carriers during a February test of its electromagnetic launch system and arresting gear, according to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle.
The test took place while the carrier was operating in the Caribbean Sea and was part of a four‑day evaluation conducted at the Tailhook Symposium in Reno, Nevada.
Caudle said the sortie generation rate reached 120 to 130 percent of the Nimitz‑class baseline, which the Pentagon’s Director, Operational Test & Evaluation office defines as about 120 launches and recoveries in a 12‑hour period. At that level, Ford could achieve roughly 160 sorties in 12 hours and about 312 sorties over a 24‑hour surge period.
Caudle emphasized that the performance improvement stemmed from the integrated suite of technologies on the Ford, including the electromagnetic launch system, advanced arresting gear, weapons elevators, fueling hoses, and layout refinements informed by NASCAR pit crew analysis. The Navy plans to roll out these technologies across the George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), Ford (CVN-78) and the future John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) carriers.
Previous reports indicate that the decision to install all technologies on Ford early, rather than phasing them in during construction, contributed to delays and reliability challenges, according to USNI News.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on August 13 directing the Pentagon to assess the feasibility of returning the Ford class to steam catapults, citing concerns about reliability and cost. Caudle said the Navy will provide the president with a complete assessment of the costs and design implications if steam propulsion were to be reinstated.
The Navy has not released detailed performance data from the test, and it remains unclear how the assessment ordered by the president will affect the future of the Ford‑class carrier design.
U.S. Navy reported 289 ships, including 231 USS and 58 USNS vessels, deployed worldwide as of August 24, 2026. The fleet tracker graphic shows the locations of carrier strike groups, amphibious ready groups, and individual ships. In Japan, FASTPAC personnel conducted a company run at Fleet Activities Yokosuka on August 21, 2026, and USS Tripoli (LHA‑7) was in port at Sasebo. In the South China Sea, LCS Santa Barbara (LCS‑32) operated in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone during a Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity on July 24, 2026, and LCS Canberra and LCS Tulsa were in port in Singapore. In the Eastern Pacific, sailors from USS San Antonio (LPD‑17) performed a boat assault rehearsal on August 15, 2026, while USS Gridley (DDG‑101) operated nearby. In the Caribbean, a VBSS training exercise involving a U.S. Coast Guard MSRT member and an Argentine special operations participant took place on August 7 aboard the vessel Atlas III as part of PANAMAX 2026, and USS Billings (LCS‑15) operated in the Central Caribbean Sea. In the Mediterranean, a rigid‑hull inflatable boat was launched from USS Paul Ignatius (DDG‑117) on August 1, 2026; the independently deployed guided‑missile destroyers in the area included USS Roosevelt (DDG‑80) and USS Paul Ignatius, both home‑ported at Rota, Spain. In the Red Sea, USS Gonzalez (DDG‑66) was the sole guided‑missile destroyer on station. In the Arabian Sea, USS George Washington (CVN‑73) with Carrier Air Wing 5 and USS Shoup (DDG‑86) conducted operations supporting Operation Epic Fury on August 22, 2026, and an F‑35C launch was conducted on August 21. Carrier Strike Group 5, based in Yokosuka, included multiple strike fighter and electronic attack squadrons from Marine Corps Air Stations in Iwakuni, Japan, and from Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan. Carrier Strike Group 10, based in Norfolk, included squadrons from Naval Air Stations Oceana, Whidbey Island, Point Mugu, and Norfolk, as well as helicopter squadrons from North Island, Jacksonville, and Norfolk. The George H. W. Bush Carrier Strike Group operated in the Arabian Sea with its carrier, USS George H. W. Bush (CVN‑77), and embarked aircraft from several squadrons. In the Indian Ocean, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN‑72) transited eastward after relieving the George Washington group, with its carrier air wing comprising squadrons from Lemoore, Miramar, Whidbey Island, and Point Mugu, and support from VRM‑30, HSM‑71, and HSC‑14 based at North Island, California. Additional destroyers in the Indian Ocean included USS Mustin (DDG‑89), USS Spruance (DDG‑111), USS Michael Murphy (DDG‑112), USS Robert Smalls (CG‑62), and USS John Paul Jones (DDG‑53). The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, comprising USS Boxer (LHD‑4), USS Comstock (LSD‑45), USS Portland (LPD‑27), and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, operated in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, with USS Comstock conducting operations in the Indian Ocean. In the Western Atlantic, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN‑69) departed Norfolk on August 20, 2026, and a chaplain addressed sailors aboard the carrier. The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit operated as Littoral Combat Force 24, spread throughout the region without an attached amphibious ready group. The tracker notes that additional submarines, aircraft squadrons, SEALs, and other units are deployed globally, and positions may change.
Rear Admiral Gary Montalvo Jr. assumed command of Submarine Group 7 from Rear Admiral Lincoln Reifsteck on August 17, 2026, during a ceremony at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan. Submarine Group 7, part of the U.S. 7th Fleet, oversees fast‑attack submarines and support vessels operating across the Western Pacific and Arabian Sea. The group functions as Task Force 74 and Task Force 54 and is responsible for at least five submarines and two tenders, USS Frank Cable and USS Emory S. Land, based in Guam. It also coordinates surveillance and survey vessels when tasked for anti‑submarine missions. Reifsteck, a native of Fairfield, California, took command in March 2025 and supervised ten submarine deployments, thirty‑seven port visits and joint operations with six partner nations, according to the group’s release. Montalvo, from Santurce, Puerto Rico, previously served as director of maritime headquarters and sustainment for the Pacific Fleet. He graduated from the Naval Academy and earned master’s degrees from George Washington University and Regent University. He commanded the fast‑attack submarine USS North Carolina and led Submarine Development Squadron Five. During the ceremony, Montalvo told sailors that the transition would proceed as planned, according to the release. The new commander will lead the group from Yokosuka while Reifsteck moves to a strategic integration role at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. The change of command occurs as the 7th Fleet continues to coordinate undersea operations in the region.
U.S. Southern Command conducted a strike on a low‑profile vessel suspected of smuggling illicit narcotics in the Eastern Pacific on August 23, 2026, killing two people.
The operation, carried out by the newly named Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere, marked the first such strike in more than two months. Since the campaign began, 223 individuals have been killed in similar attacks on vessels presumed to carry illegal drugs.
Gen. Francis Donovan, commander of SOUTHCOM, ordered the strike. A statement posted on X said confirmed intelligence indicated the vessel was actively involved in narco‑trafficking. Donovan added that the task force was established to accelerate lethal actions against narco‑terrorist networks and to impose systemic friction on cartel operations.
U.S. officials have said the vessels are linked to fentanyl and cocaine trafficking, though public evidence supporting those claims has not been disclosed.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that drug‑overdose fatalities have declined about 2.5 percent between February and March, continuing a trend of roughly 1‑2 percent monthly decreases that began in August 2023. The CDC reported no significant change in overdose deaths following the recent strikes.
The effect of the strikes on the drug trade in the United States remains unclear.
The U.S. Navy announced the AIM-242 long-range air-to-air missile, which it says can engage targets up to 250 nautical miles away, at the Tailhook Association Naval Aviation Symposium in Reno, Nevada over the weekend.
The missile, developed by RTX, formerly Raytheon, is intended to give U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force fighters a greater reach and survivability in air-to-air engagements.
The Navy said the system can carry four missiles on an F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and two internally on an F-35C Lightning II, and it is designed for 4th, 5th and 6th generation platforms.
The announcement follows the earlier reveal of the AIM-174B Gunslinger at Exercise Rim of the Pacific 2024 and the classified Standard Missile 6, which the service also describes as a long-range air-to-air missile.
U.S. intelligence estimates suggest a possible carrier confrontation between the United States and China, and the Pentagon’s 2025 China military report notes that Beijing could deploy up to nine carrier strike groups by 2035.
The new missile will be fielded with forward-deployed carrier air wings and will supplement the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, which is planned to replace the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile in coming decades.
The Navy said the capability will help counter land-based aircraft, bombers and drones operated by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force and will support efforts to degrade long-range anti-ship ballistic and hypersonic missiles.
The United States is strengthening missile and drone defenses in the Pacific after recent attacks on American bases in the Middle East raised concerns about the ability of U.S. forces to counter sophisticated Chinese and North Korean weapons.
The U.S. Pacific Command said it is committed to establishing a robust defense that makes aggression infeasible, escalation unattractive, and conflict unbearable, according to an unsigned email to Stars and Stripes dated August 22.
Analysts note that the recent Iran war revealed deficiencies in existing defenses. Seth Jones, president of the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said U.S. bases in the Middle East were not adequately protected before the conflict and that Pacific installations face similar gaps. He recommended greater protection against drones and ballistic missiles, including underground facilities for critical infrastructure and concrete barriers around storage sites.
According to Jones, the region currently has too few Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, systems to address potential attacks. U.S. Forces Japan operates four Patriot batteries on Okinawa, while U.S. Forces Korea maintains one THAAD battery and typically eight Patriot batteries, and the Army has a THAAD battery on Guam, as reported in separate government documents.
The Pentagon is pursuing several programs to improve protection. Lockheed Martin is developing an Enhanced Integrated Air Missile System on Guam, with a contract value of $1.9 billion after a recent $407 million funding increase in May. The Army is adding new Patriot missiles and counter‑drone systems as part of an $8 billion Guam Defense System intended to counter threats from China or North Korea.
A May 2024 agreement with Japan calls for joint development of interceptors to counter hypersonic missile threats, with completion expected in the 2030s.
Jones said active defenses should be paired with passive measures such as hardened aircraft shelters, underground facilities, barriers, dispersal, and camouflage. He noted that the U.S. has been “too slow to learn from the war in Ukraine,” where similar measures limited damage from Russian strikes, according to a Wall Street Journal op‑ed published August 9.
North Korea’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict has also raised concerns, as Ukrainian troops reported that North Korean forces have become more capable at operational and tactical levels.
Timothy Heath, founder of Perceptum and former senior China analyst for Rand Corp. and the U.S. military, said that U.S. installations require a mix of active and passive defenses but cautioned that the effectiveness of missiles and drones may be overstated. He wrote that the wars in Iran and Ukraine have inflicted “punishing damage” but have not forced an adversary to capitulate, and that the conflicts serve as warnings about inadequate base defenses.
Jones concluded that the U.S. has already paid a high price for being unprepared in a world where drones and missiles are ubiquitous, and that the Chinese, Iranians, North Koreans and Russians are watching to see whether the military learns before the price escalates.
At the Tailhook Association’s annual convention this weekend, the U.S. Navy disclosed the existence of the AIM-424 Malice long-range air-to-air missile and outlined plans for a compact air-to-air missile, designated CAAM, intended for internal carriage on stealth fighters such as the F-35C and future drones. The Navy said the CAAM effort is being evaluated by the Air Warfare Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations and that routine public updates will be limited due to operational security. A contracting notice from the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division indicated that NAVAIR intends to procure the CAAM through full and open competition to develop high total impulse loaded solid propulsion systems for next‑generation tactical missiles. The notice described goals to produce a concept design with build‑to‑print data, identify technology gaps, conduct component experiments, perform a design for manufacturing and assembly study, and mature the high‑loaded grain propulsion system to a readiness level suitable for engineering and manufacturing development. The Navy described CAAM as an inner‑boundary weapon focused on short‑range engagements where reaction time is limited. Details on specific performance requirements remain undisclosed. Earlier budget documents described a related AIM‑9X Compact Variant program that repackages SIP IV technology for internal carriage on advanced aircraft, aiming to increase standoff range and weapon station capacity while preserving inner‑boundary performance. The Navy’s current missile portfolio includes the AIM‑120, AIM‑9X, and the newly unveiled AIM‑424. Contractors such as Raytheon, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin have previously offered compact missile concepts, including the Peregrine, SACM, CUDA, and Peregrine designs, some of which resemble the CAAM concept. The service noted that the evolving threat environment, comprising multiple classes of anti‑ship missiles and long‑range drones, could overwhelm existing air‑defense systems and that additional internal missile capacity would improve aircraft flexibility and lethality. The Navy also highlighted that stealth platforms with limited internal bay space face constraints on magazine depth, and that a compact missile capable of internal carriage could support operations against drone swarms and other short‑range aerial threats. Future collaborative combat aircraft and unmanned systems may also benefit from reduced size and higher internal load counts. While the Navy has not released a timeline for CAAM development, it has indicated that the project will proceed based on technology maturity and budget considerations. The agency responsible for the program has not specified when operational capability might be achieved.
U.S. Southern Command announced on August 24, 2026, that a strike on August 23 resulted in two deaths aboard a vessel suspected of drug trafficking in the Eastern Pacific. Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere executed the strike after confirming the vessel's involvement in drug trafficking. It was the first reported strike in the region in two months. Gen. Francis Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, said the operation aimed to increase pressure on narco‑terrorist networks. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth noted that Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras have allowed U.S. forces to conduct joint military operations against criminal groups on their territory.
Four years after a U.S. Navy sailor injured four people at Zushi Beach near Yokosuka, Japan, the victims have received about $53,500 of a court‑ordered $103,800 judgment, while Japan is expected to cover the remaining amount.
The incident occurred on July 15, 2022, when Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Krieger, then a logistics specialist aboard the USS Milius, struck a group of beachgoers, causing bodily injuries to four individuals.
Krieger was convicted by the Yokohama District Court in September 2024 on four counts of bodily injury and sentenced to two years and four months in prison, with the sentence suspended for four years.
In April 2025, the same court awarded the four victims approximately $103,811 in damages, with individual payments ranging from $3,300 to $67,000.
Krieger departed Japan without satisfying the civil judgment. Their attorney, Masahiko Goto, said the U.S. government paid about $53,500 on August 12, 2025, voluntarily and without admitting liability, as stated by U.S. Forces Japan spokesman Air Force Col. John Severns.
The Japanese government is expected to provide the remaining $50,000 through the South Kanto Defense Bureau under the U.S.–Japan Status of Forces Agreement, according to Goto, who filed a claim on Wednesday.
The defense bureau declined to comment on the case due to privacy concerns but indicated that compensation procedures follow SOFA guidelines.
Goto criticized the delay, noting the four‑year period for resolution and questioning why Krieger was permitted to leave Japan without paying the judgment. He also questioned why the United States covered only half of the damages, leaving Japan to cover the rest.