Author: Defenceline Webdesk

Mark W. Castillon, RealClearDefense How the Army Is Quietly Stripping Retirement Benefits from Combat Veterans Just Months from Vesting Source link

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The director of the Office of Management and Budget closed out the Navy’s largest trade show with a sharp warning to shipbuilders: Deliver on time and budget, or else the Trump administration will go elsewhere. “If we cannot get the ships we need from traditional sources at cost and on time, we will get them from other shipyards,” Russ Vought said during a speech closing out the Sea Air Space conference. Throughout the speech’s brisk 15-minute runtime, Vought railed against the industrial base for yearslong delays on shipbuilding programs, which he contended have padded out companies’…

The Indian Army has raised new drone-based battle units that mark a significant evolution in its operational doctrine.These formations are designed to integrate unmanned systems directly into frontline combat roles, enhancing both offensive and defensive capabilities across diverse terrains and scenarios.The “Ashni” platoons are focused on Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance missions while also being equipped for loitering strikes. By combining persistent aerial monitoring with precision attack capability, these platoons provide commanders with real-time situational awareness and the ability to neutralise threats swiftly.Their dual role ensures that surveillance assets are not limited to passive observation but can actively shape the battlefield.The…

Piers Nash, RCD The head of U.S. Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper,

MILAN — Ukraine has emerged as a top customer for Italian arms exports, according to a new government report released just days after the leadership of both countries met to promise a closer defense industrial relationship. The report, published on Tuesday by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and presented to parliament, ranks Ukraine fourth in authorized export licenses, with €349 million ($409 million), behind Kuwait, Germany and the US. (Kuwait’s jump to the top, from 76th last year, was attributed to three major defense deals totalling approximately €2.6 billion.) While the report does not disclose the exact types…

The Indian Air Force has launched a two-day exercise on the Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, with fighter jets conducting operations on an emergency airstrip.The drills began on Wednesday and feature “touch-and-go” manoeuvres, demonstrating the use of expressways as alternative runways during emergencies.The exercise is being held at the Arval-Kiri Karwat airstrip, where an air traffic control system has been set up to manage aircraft movements.Authorities have tightened security around the site, with the local administration urging residents to maintain a safe distance and avoid rumours. The exercise has generated considerable excitement among locals, who have been able to…

D.F. Lawrence, DefenseScoop Two of the Army’s most anticipated ground platforms will be put to the test next spring at one of the military’s combat training centers Source link

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has named nominees for two key roles overseeing US government space programs, according to a pair of White House nominations posted Tuesday. Erich Hernandez-Baquero, a Raytheon executive, has been selected to serve as an Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, which a separate congressional notice says means taking over the job of Frank Calvelli, the former Space Force acquisition czar. The post is formally the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration. Additionally, Roger Mason, an executive at defense contractor V2X, has been tapped as the next director of the National…

From the start of Pakistan’s efforts to mediate between Iran and the United States, we posited that Islamabad and Rawalpindi would face a major challenge – i.e., getting the new heads of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to the negotiating table. With the previous leadership eliminated in the US-Israeli strikes, the authority to manage the IRGC operationally fell to a cadre of regional commanders. While they implemented a preexisting retaliation strategy – i.e., by disaggregating the authority to plan and execute strikes, hence the ‘Mosaic Defence’ doctrine – that devolution also vested them with the power to direct Iran’s…

An Airbus C295 successfully landed on the Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh, during an Indian Air Force emergency drill on 22 April.The exercise was designed to test the expressway’s suitability as an alternative runway in times of war or national emergencies. Alongside the landing, IAF fighter aircraft carried out a flypast over the designated airstrip section, marking the activation of the Emergency Landing Field.The Airbus C295 is a versatile transport aircraft capable of carrying up to eight tons of cargo or approximately 70 personnel. It can cruise at speeds of up to 260 knots and is adaptable for air-to-air…