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US Air Force looks to convert offshore oil rigs into rocket recovery platforms
An Air Force plan calls for old oil platforms to become Sea-based Recovery Stations for the U.S. Space Force and private spaceflight companies.
Crew members safely ejected after Navy jets collide at Idaho air show
Two E/A-18G Growler jets collided in mid-air Sunday during the Gunfighter Skies Air Show, the Navy said.
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Pentagon & Congress
ISIS leader killed in Africa as US commander raises force reduction concerns
Despite recent operations, U.S. force reduction moves have ignited concerns over America's ability to stifle terror plots emanating from the continent.
The F4F Wildcat: The little fighter that could
Many Allied aircraft achieved greatness during WWII, but the Wildcat, usually outnumbered and almost always outclassed, proved to be a stubby hero.
Historian’s nearly two decade quest to piece together America’s last major offensive in Vietnam
James Smither spent nearly two decades piecing together what actually occured during the Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord.
Army leaders in hot seat over Poland deployment cancellation
Lawmakers questioned the timing and the reasons, lambasting the order that Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said sent a “terrible message to Russia and our allies.”
In other news
China fires verbal warning shot at US over Taiwan
Any misstep over Taiwan could push the U.S. and China toward direct confrontation, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told President Donald Trump.
Sailor reportedly finds dead rat in finished energy drink
The sailor said medical personnel informed him, “with the chemicals that are in Monster, that it should be OK.”
That time the Air Force proposed making a ‘gay bomb’
The Air Force once explored the idea of a chemical weapon that would make enemy soldiers sexually irresistible to one another — striking a blow to morale.
Master Chief actor condemns use of character in White House’s Iran war hype video
“I demand that the producers of this disgusting and juvenile war porn remove my voice immediately,” Steve Downes wrote in a post on X.
‘War Machine’ review: Finally, a training scenario with aliens
The sci-fi flick raises the premise: What if the final phase of U.S. Army Ranger selection suddenly involved fighting a giant alien robot?
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Air Force underestimating aircraft maintenance delays, GAO finds
The Air Force was found to be using revised target dates for tracking aircraft maintenance, making it seem as if there were little or no delays.
By Michael Peck
China fires verbal warning shot at US over Taiwan
Any misstep over Taiwan could push the U.S. and China toward direct confrontation, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told President Donald Trump.
By Tanya Noury
‘West-side Skid Row’: Pests, crime, litigation plague plans for VA’s Los Angeles campus
Pests and crime threaten VA's efforts to expand housing for homeless veterans at its sprawling west Los Angeles campus.
By Patricia Kime
Iran military threat is diminished but not eliminated, CENTCOM chief says
Adm. Brad Cooper said the U.S. had severely degraded Iran’s warfighting capacity, including the elimination of roughly 90% of its inventory of naval mines.
By Tanya Noury
Barracks improvements, installation safety top priorities for military construction budget
The $21.5 billion budget request for military barracks would address a backlog of construction and repairs, logistics leaders said.
By Patricia Kime
Energy secretary: Iran ‘frighteningly close’ to nuclear weapon despite Operation Epic Fury
“They are weeks — a small number of weeks — away to enrich that to weapons-grade uranium," Energy Secretary Chris Wright told a Senate committee.
By Tanya Noury
Air Force MQ-9 fleet drops to 135 aircraft after Iran combat losses
The Air Force is seeking to backfill the inventory of MQ-9 Reapers and field a cheaper, more expendable replacement.
By Michael Scanlon
AI tool has ‘saved a lot of aircraft’ in Epic Fury, AFSOC chief says
Lt. Gen. Michael Conley said “necessity had been the mother of invention” in spurring the service to apply available machine learning tools in combat.
By Hope Hodge Seck
US special operations leaders frustrated by inability to modify their own equipment
The military must wait for manufacturers to fix or upgrade equipment, leaving them with outdated capabilities as technology evolves quickly, they said.
By Michael Peck
Austrian jets intercept US military planes two days in a row
The May 10 intercept reportedly took place over the Totes Gebirge mountain range in Upper Austria, over 60 kilometers from the German border.
By Linus Höller
Trump’s Golden Dome missile shield estimated to cost $1.2 trillion
A national missile defense system would cost $1.2 trillion to build and maintain over the next 20 years, a nonpartisan federal agency estimated.
By Ellen Ioanes
Arcade games satirizing Iran war appear at DC War Memorial
The game, “Operation Epic Furious: Strait To Hell,” was developed in response to the administration’s use of video game footage to share successes in Iran.
By J.D. Simkins
Pentagon seeks additional funding as cost of Iran war tops $29 billion
The increase from $25 billion just two weeks ago reflects “updated repair and replacement of equipment costs,” along with the “general operational costs."
By Tanya Noury
Former NFL tight end convicted for Medicare, VA fraud scheme
He was sentenced to 16 years in prison for a yearslong plot that cost Medicare and VA nearly $200 million.
US, partner nations sink two decommissioned ships during Exercise Balikatan
A two-day strike saw the sinking of two vessels, utilizing land, sea and air platforms from the U.S., Philippine, Japanese and Canadian forces.
By Brooke Griswold
Poll: Americans don’t think Trump has explained Iran war goals
One in three Republicans and almost all Democrats said Trump has not “clearly explained the goals of U.S. military involvement in Iran.”
By Jason Lange, Reuters