The Michael Murphy left Hawaii last December. Navy officials say this will be the norm for some time.

Congress will need to approve the change, but there are internal, bureaucratic steps Hegseth is directing that should increase the SOF community’s power inside the department.

The organization aims to move from a “reactive footing” to a “proactive model” as it carries out its missions. The post Army CID looking for new commercial software tools to monitor darknet, encrypted messaging platforms appeared first on DefenseScoop .

The defense secretary called his potential removal an attack on his “success.”

The 41-year-old senior soldier is accused of national security offences and is being questioned in London.

The Department of the Air Force wants up to five spacecraft that can each carry a government payload of as much as 2,000 kg (4,400 pounds) into the space between Earth and the Moon, with the first launch in late 2029, according to a request for information updated on the federal contracting site on Nov. […]

Hegseth could face a high-profile impeachment battle as Congress struggles to settle major defense spending decisions before the new year.

With a new Congress in 2027, companies could see more anti-corruption probes.

A reconciliation bill is likely off the table, and the presumed HASC chair is talking about a $1-trillion cap.

Iran preparations. U.S. President Donald Trump met with his national security team to discuss the possibility of resuming military operations against Iran, senior officials told Fox News. U.S. Central Command is reportedly close to finalizing preparations for the possible operation. Why it matters: Despite the election results in the U.S. and in Israel, there is […] The post Daily Memo: Preparing for Another Strike appeared first on Geopolitical Futures .

The Army's Armored Force was born in July 1940, a few weeks after France fell. No act of Congress created it, and no budget line funded it. The Chief of Staff ordered it into being, took the tanks from the infantry and the cavalry, and placed them under a single commander. The money came later, once the force had demonstrated what it could do with what it already had. The idea had been waiting since 1928. The force did not wait for its appropriation. Last week, I argued that the Autonomous Warfare Command could begin its work before it had a charter, a commander, or the $54 billion a reconciliation bill was supposed to deliver. This week, the bill lost its Congress. Democrats took both houses, and the two members who will now write the defense budget said what they think of the Pentagon's request within a day of the vote. Adam Smith, the incoming chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the mission "does not require a defense budget in excess of $1 trillion." Rosa DeLauro,

Hundreds of American and Colombian troops kicked off a sprawling military exercise in Colombia this week as the U.S. military sharpens its focus on the Western Hemisphere.

Ben Kohlmann, assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and Reserve affairs, highlighted the effort at Datadog's Threat Response Forum, presented by FedScoop. The post Navy’s new innovation unit seen as key pipeline for bringing private sector talent into the Reserve appeared first on DefenseScoop .

CNN reported , citing four sources familiar with the episode, that the U.S. military prepared to intercept a Chinese vessel after an AI-assisted intelligence report misidentified its cargo. According to CNN, the report incorrectly concluded that the ship was carrying components of a nuclear weapons program. Some of CNN’s sources said troops prepared to board the vessel and military aircraft were already airborne. Officials discovered the error before the planned operation. CNN could not establish which chatbot the analyst used and reported that the Pentagon and U.S. Special Operations Command Pacific did not respond to its requests for comment. Military organizations use different tools and standards to check AI-generated information. As CNN reported, there is "no one set of standards for how the US verifies the information generated by these tools." The January 2026 AI Acceleration Strategy directs that the department enable “the latest models to be deployed within 30 days of public r

Viasat received an initial task order valued at $115 million to design, field and scale the MOC. The post Pentagon launching mission operations center for Space Data Network to support Golden Dome and other modernization efforts appeared first on DefenseScoop .

Efforts like Autonomous Warfare Command, the Golden Fleet, and more could crumble without funding.

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems will build parts for the hypersonic glide body used by the U.S. Army’s Dark Eagle and the U.S. Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike weapons under a multiyear subcontract with Leidos that runs through 2031, the company said on Nov. 4. The San Diego-based company will produce precision-machined parts and cable assemblies for […]

As the American military seeks new capabilities and advanced systems amid rapid change, defense companies of all sizes showcased their solutions at a major defense conference.

But many U.S. UGVs are more complicated than the attritable ones that Kyiv is buying.

In his new role, Driscoll will “work with OpenAI teams and leaders across governments, industry, academia, and allied institutions to advance practical modernization initiatives that support the buildout of democratic AI,” the company said in a press release announcing his appointment. The post Former Army boss Dan Driscoll joins OpenAI as senior counselor appeared first on DefenseScoop .

The company will be helping prime contractor AeroVironment under the E-HEL program. The post Leonardo DRS tapped to support Army’s high-energy laser program appeared first on DefenseScoop .

American access to Australian bases is only as valuable as Australia’s ability to keep them operating under attack. For Washington, expanding military cooperation raises an operational question: can Australia sustain an American campaign while defending its own territory, infrastructure and population? For Canberra, the corresponding question is whether investment in national resilience is keeping pace with Australia’s growing usefulness to American operations. Both governments need convincing answers before a regional crisis turns access arrangements into wartime demands. The benefits are considerable. Australian facilities offer strategic depth, logistical support and opportunities to disperse forces. Australia gains access to American capabilities, intelligence and interoperability. Their wartime value, however, depends on protection, sustainment and the host country’s continued ability to function. The 2026 Iran war offers a warning. Despite America’s regional military presence, Gu

“The [U.S. Naval Support Activity Bahrain] base and Fifth Fleet headquarters have been rendered largely inoperable for their original functions, with repairs estimated at $400 million… Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle and other senior defense officials stated that the Navy will not return to full normal operations at the Bahrain facility anytime soon…Because the Juffair surrounding area [to the U.S. Bahrain Navy facilities] is considered unsafe, [U.S. Navy] major logistical and port-call operations have been rerouted over 2,000 miles away to the Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia and other alternative hubs, causing significant resupply delays.” That is an excerpt from a 19-page Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report titled, Estimating the Cost of Combat Operations Against Iran , sent to Congress September 15. I read the now-seven-week-old CBO report last week, and was surprised at how much new-to-me information it contained about the early days of the Iran war, and par

“The old ways of connecting with partners are simply no longer sufficient,” says INDOPACOM deputy commander.

This month’s Useful Fiction story explores how Army infantry, armor, and robotic systems might fight together.