Recent stories and official-source coverage filed under defense.
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The U.S. military said the aircraft carrier USS George Washington is now operating in the Middle East, after arriving in the region on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026, according to U.S. Central Command. The announcement was reported by AP on Aug. 20, 2026. (apnews.com) AP said CENTCOM’s disclosure indicated the Washington’s arrival would relieve the long-deployed […]
On Aug. 20, 2026, the U.S. military said the Asia-based aircraft carrier USS George Washington is now operating in the Middle East and will relieve the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln. The report attributed the update to U.S. Central Command and said the Washington arrived in the region on Wednesday. AP reported the U.S. military said […]
South Korean and U.S. militaries agreed to shorten their joint drills at the U.S.’s request, South Korean officials said Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. The change reduces the scope of the allies’ annual training, commonly known as Ulchi Freedom Shield. The reduction followed President Donald Trump’s instruction to substantially reduce the allies’ Ulchi Freedom […]
Adm. Brad Cooper, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, visited the USS Lincoln in the Arabian Sea during a 10-day regional tour that U.S. Central Command said ended on Saturday. AP’s report attributes the itinerary and visit details to a CENTCOM statement. (apnews.com) According to that same CENTCOM statement as reported by […]
Russia attacked Ukrainian cities with missiles, drones and glide bombs on Tuesday, killing at least 10 civilians, officials said, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Moscow was receiving additional military help from North Korea. (apnews.com) In his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said Russia “cannot wage war” without reinforcements from North Korea, and that Moscow was […]
The Pentagon is pressing the U.S. defense industry to accelerate weapons production to replenish diminished munitions stocks, AP reports. Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg wrote to industry leaders on Wednesday giving them no more than 21 days to submit plans to “drive significantly faster” delivery schedules and/or increased production for critical capabilities. (apnews.com) AP says […]
Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense agreement in Mecca on Aug. 7, 2026, according to statements described by AP. The deal states that an armed attack on any one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack on all of them, and was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin […]
The first two U.S. military refueling aircraft arrived Friday at Bezmer Air Base in southeastern Bulgaria, according to the Associated Press. The deployment was intended to support operations in the Middle East and prompted a complaint from Iran, as Bulgarian residents have also protested the move. (apnews.com) The flights followed Bulgarian lawmakers’ earlier approval of […]
On Wednesday evening, the U.S. military conducted what U.S. Central Command described as a “heavy wave” of airstrikes in Iran, according to a U.S. statement cited by Axios. (axios.com) Axios reports the strikes followed an Iranian missile attack targeting a U.S. base in Jordan on Tuesday, with all Iranian missiles intercepted according to the U.S. […]
The stop-start U.S.-Iran conflict entered a new phase, according to AP, as Saudi Arabia publicly joined military escalations targeting Tehran-backed proxies. AP reports that the fighting remained volatile despite “relative calm” in preceding days, with both sides conducting strikes that raised the risk of broader regional expansion. AP’s account frames the shift as a change […]