Federal authorities and cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike reported the disruption of North Korean "laptop farms" across Texas and Ohio. U.S. facilitators allegedly hosted employer-issued laptops to allow overseas operatives to secure remote jobs at American companies using false identities. According to the Justice Department, the scheme generated revenue for North Korea's sanctioned weapons programs while granting unauthorized access to sensitive corporate systems. Despite seizing 187 devices in Texas, experts caution that the disruptions are likely temporary as North Korean operatives adapt the
At the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual meeting, Acting Army Chief of Staff Gen. Christopher LaNeve reassured industry leaders that the service remains committed to modernization and autonomous systems. LaNeve announced the redesignation of Futures and Concepts Command as U.S. Army Futures and Autonomous Systems Command (FASCOM), tasked with developing corps-level autonomous capabilities. The announcement follows criticism from lawmakers regarding the closure of an experimental drone battalion in Europe, which Army officials stated reflects a deliberate strategy to decentralize drone capa
At the Association of the United States Army annual meeting, Gen. Joe Ryan stated that U.S. Southern Command is refocusing its multinational training exercises in South America toward counter-cartel and anti-terrorism operations. Directed by SOUTHCOM commander Marine Gen. Frank Donovan, the shift aligns with National Defense Strategy priorities placing homeland defense and the Western Hemisphere at the top. Ryan noted that while exercises will directly target drug cartels' economic bases, the Army is also expanding its regional aviation footprint over the next few fiscal years.
According to 19FortyFive, the U.S. Air Force plans to accelerate deployment of Boeing’s sixth-generation F-47 stealth fighter by running developmental and operational test phases simultaneously. Scheduled for its first flight in 2028, the F-47 project faces pressure from China's reported flight testing of two sixth-generation jet variants. The Air Force Test Center is utilizing advanced digital modeling, continuous software iteration, and combined live, virtual, and constructive testing. Officials aim to establish this dual-testing and digital engineering approach as a standard model for futur
In an article for 19FortyFive, national security writer Harrison Kass reviews a 2009 Nellis Air Force Base exercise where a U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler scored a simulated kill against a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor. The electronic warfare aircraft achieved the lock using favorable geometry, electronic attack capabilities, and exercise constraints. Kass notes that similar simulated kills against fifth-generation fighters have occurred with Rafales and F-16s during constrained drills. He stresses that while the event highlights the crucial role of electronic warfare, it does not demonstrate operation
According to journalist Caleb Larson writing for 19FortyFive, China’s Xian H-20 stealth bomber program remains without confirmed test flights or operational deployments as of 2026. Launched in 2016 to replace the aging H-6, the H-20 represents an attempt by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force to leapfrog decades of incremental development. Larson contrasts this with the United States' stealth bomber lineage—from the F-117 and B-2 Spirit to the B-21 Raider—which benefits from over 40 years of continuous iteration, digital integration, and real-world combat data.
The U.S. Army has reestablished its 18-day Jungle Operations Training Course in Panama in partnership with Panamanian forces. Originally closed in 1999, the school features Panamanian service members as both instructors and students, sharing specialized jungle survival, tracking, and tactical skills. Lt. Col. Andrew Eagen noted that Panamanian troops possess crucial environmental expertise developed through real-world operations against drug cartels. While the training focuses on environmental combat skills rather than local security operations, officials plan to expand the course to other reg
In an article for 19FortyFive, defense expert Christian D. Orr examines General George S. Patton Jr.’s famous quote regarding fear and duty during wartime. Orr contextualizes Patton's perspective against his World War II record, highlighting key successes such as relieving Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, restoring military morale at El Guettar, and beating British forces to Messina. The piece also details Patton's controversial slapping of two soldiers suffering from combat fatigue, an act that drew a severe rebuke from General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio urged Catholic U.S. Army personnel to request religious exemptions from participating in the proposed firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. Broglio strongly criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's plan to livestream the event, questioning its moral impact and comparing public executions to acts of terrorism. While President Donald Trump approved Hasan's execution by firing squad, he remains undecided on allowing the broadcast. The U.S. military has not executed anyone by firing squad since 1945, and no U.S. government execution has ever been li
The French Navy intercepted and boarded the oil tanker DF Peak over 450 nautical miles south of Réunion Island under Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. French authorities, including President Emmanuel Macron, stated the vessel is suspected of sailing under a false flag and engaging in illegal fuel transport as part of a shadow fleet evading international sanctions. Further details regarding the tanker's cargo, destination, and legal proceedings have not yet been released.
Hanwha’s K9 Mobile Howitzer can fire 155mm artillery rounds nearly twice as far as the Army’s current M777. Photo courtesy of Hanwha. Photo courtesy of Hanwha.
The U.S. Army has officially designated a new artillery prototype, the XM1776 Mobile Tactical Cannon, developed by Hanwha Defense USA. Unveiled at the Association of the United States Army conference, the wheeled, truck-mounted system features a crew of three and an automated loading mechanism operated from inside the cab. According to Army and Hanwha representatives, the XM1776 offers a range of up to 37 miles and a firing rate of nine rounds per minute, outperforming the towed M777. The system is currently undergoing prototype testing and evaluation before potential fielding.
Twenty-Six Defense, formerly Elbit Systems’ U.S. subsidiary, debuted its Primex soldier-worn wearable at the AUSA expo. According to the company, Primex delivers night-vision capabilities and augmented reality through a lightweight design engineered to minimize cognitive overload. The system uses low-light sensors, thermal imagery, and real-time processing to provide digital perception built on previously fielded technologies. A company executive stated the technology can integrate feeds from external assets like drones, enabling soldiers to assess areas behind structures and coordinate squad
Senior Defense Editor Christian D. Orr highlights General George S. Patton Jr.’s quote on perseverance, detailing how Patton overcame dyslexia before leading Allied forces at the Battle of the Bulge. The article outlines Patton’s death following a December 9, 1945 car crash near Speyer, Germany, when his Cadillac, driven by PFC Horace Woodring, collided with a U.S. Army truck. Paralyzed from a broken neck, Patton died on December 21, 1945, from pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure. His final days were later dramatized in the 1987 television film The Last Days of Patton.
In October 1997, the United States acquired 21 Soviet-built MiG-29 fighter jets and 500 air-to-air missiles from Moldova via the Nunn-Lugar program. Washington aimed to prevent Iran from acquiring the aircraft—14 of which U.S. officials claimed were nuclear-delivery capable—and to analyze the technology for military intelligence. Though Russian officials disputed the nuclear capability claim, the transaction successfully denied Iran access, with the full serial-by-serial disposition of all 21 airframes remaining officially unconfirmed.
In August 2022, the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales suffered a starboard propeller shaft coupling failure just two days into a planned Atlantic deployment. An official investigation attributed the failure to construction misalignment that went uncorrected despite pre-commissioning reviews. The incident resulted in £25 million in repairs and 328 days in dry dock at Rosyth, disrupting developmental F-35B and drone flight trials. Although sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth assumed some duties, the event highlighted procurement and oversight vulnerabilities before subsequent deploymen
In an analysis for 19FortyFive, Dr. Michael Rubin argues that Saudi Arabia faces escalating security threats from Yemen's Houthi militia and potential Iranian intervention. Following Houthi maritime disruptions and missile strikes targeting Riyadh's airport, Rubin asserts that Saudi strategy remains disjointed. Yemeni forces reportedly retook the port of Mokha with Southern Transitional Council assistance. However, Rubin warns that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may exploit regional instability to incite unrest, sabotage, and insurgency in Saudi Arabia's oil-rich Eastern Province, ta
Author Harrison Kass recounts the January 25, 1966 breakup of a U.S. Air Force SR-71 Blackbird flying at Mach 3.18 and 79,000 feet. Testing an aft center of gravity to reduce trim drag, pilot Bill Weaver experienced a right-inlet unstart that overwhelmed the aircraft's stability augmentation system, causing the jet to disintegrate in seconds. Weaver's harness tore and he was thrown clear without ejecting, surviving due to his pressurized suit, while backseater Jim Zwayer died from a fatal neck injury.
According to a report by MintPress News, Munich-based academic Guy Katz—a prominent figure organizing political initiatives against anti-Semitism in Germany—is allegedly a former Israeli Mossad agent. The article details Katz's influence on German political parties, police training, and university policies regarding pro-Palestine demonstrations. MintPress bases its claims regarding Katz's intelligence background on a 2023 university lecture recap and online speaker profiles, framing his activism within broader efforts by German authorities to restrict anti-Israel speech and public protests.
U.S. troops conduct a dignified transfer on July 22 for a soldier who died in the Iran war. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images. Photo by Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images.
According to updates from the Defense Casualty Analysis System, the Pentagon revised its reported Iran war death toll to 21 after adding two non-hostile deaths. The additions include New York Army National Guard Maj. Sorffly Davius, who suffered a medical emergency in March, and an unidentified enlisted Navy sailor who died in September with cause of death pending. The update also disclosed five soldiers wounded in October, bringing total wounded service members to 865 since February 28. Pentagon casualty reporting continues to face criticism over shifting categories.
According to a statement from U.S. Southern Command reported by Task & Purpose, the U.S. military is deploying personnel, rotary-wing aircraft, and humanitarian supplies to assist Panama following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake. The operation involves units already in Latin America, including Joint Task Force-Bravo, delivering food and water while supporting damage assessments. Panamanian authorities reported at least 27 injuries and 400 damaged buildings, with no reported fatalities. The deployment marks the third time in under six months that U.S. forces have mobilized for Latin American earthqu
