Was this Email Forwarded to You?

A screengrab from the video released by U.S. Southern Command showing the strike on the narcotics smuggling vessel in the Eastern Pacific (Photo: U.S. Southern Command via X)

SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES

Pentagon Strikes Another Drug Boat in Eastern Pacific Following Brief Pause

U.S. Southern Command killed four in a strike on a suspected narcotics vessel Thursday in the Eastern Pacific. Intelligence confirmed the vessel was carrying illicit narcotics along a known trafficking route in international waters, according to a Pentagon statement.

The strike marks at least the 22nd such attack since early September and the first since Nov. 15, targeting vessels the Pentagon identifies as drug-running boats operated by designated terrorist organizations.

Navy Adm. Frank "Mitch" Bradley, head of SOCOM, addressed congressmen during a closed-door session Thursday regarding allegations surrounding a September strike which saw a follow-up strike launched. Lawmakers reported conflicting accounts of what was presented during the testimony. (Read More)

Pentagon Sets 2027 Deadline for Europe to Assume NATO Conventional Defense

Pentagon officials told European diplomats this week that the U.S. expects allies to take over the majority of NATO's conventional defense capabilities by 2027, including intelligence, missiles and ground forces. If the deadline is not met, the U.S. may withdraw from some NATO coordination mechanisms.

European officials called the timeline unrealistic, citing production backlogs for equipment and long delivery times for U.S. systems. Replacing U.S. capabilities would require 50 new combat brigades, 300,000 troops, and roughly $250 billion annually.

The EU has set 2030 as its target for continental defense readiness, while NATO allies committed to 5% GDP defense spending by 2035. A Brussels think tank estimates Europe would need at least 1,400 tanks, 2,000 fighting vehicles and 1 million artillery shells stockpiled just to defend the Baltics. (Read More)

Navy Investigations Find USS Harry S. Truman Strike Group Mishaps Preventable

An investigation released Thursday found four mishaps aboard USS Harry S. Truman during Red Sea operations were preventable, including friendly fire, a collision, and two Super Hornet losses totaling over $150 million. Incidents occurred between December 2024 and May 2025 during combat operations against Houthi targets.

USS Gettysburg shot down one F/A-18 and nearly hit another Dec. 22 due to equipment failures and poor training. The carrier collided with merchant vessel Besiktas-M Feb. 12 due to poor seamanship, compared by investigators to a deadly 2017 destroyer collision.

Two Super Hornets were lost in April and May from brake failures and faulty arresting gear during 52 consecutive days of flight operations. Investigations cited high operational tempo, 18,000 manning gaps, and leadership failures while operating under constant Houthi threats. (Read More)

Bring Order to Chaos. Join UG Solutions.

At UG Solutions, we are driven by a singular purpose: to bring order to chaos. As a team of elite former SOF and intelligence professionals, we harness our expertise, precision, and unwavering resolve to solve the world’s most complex security challenges.

From securing leading humanitarian missions to protecting critical infrastructure and stabilizing volatile environments, we act decisively to protect, defend, and restore. Our teams operate alongside multinational partners in high-threat and high-impact regions, supporting efforts that safeguard lives and promote global stability.

Every mission we take on reflects our unyielding commitment to shaping a safer, stronger world. Joining UG Solutionsmeans continuing to serve at the highest level, where your skills directly influence outcomes and change lives.

If you’re ready to put your experience to work where it matters most, join us.

Explore Opportunities →

QUICK UPDATES

CONFLICT UPDATES

➤ U.S. & Syrian forces reportedly killed an intelligence operative working undercover against Islamic State during an October raid in Syria intended to capture an IS official, family members and Syrian officials told the Associated Press. (Read More)

➤ Fighting flared between M23 rebels and DRC government forces in eastern Congo one day after a peace deal was signed in Washington, with M23 claiming 23 killed in army bombardments and over 700 refugees fleeing into Rwanda. (Read More)

➤ Amnesty International accused Sudan's Rapid Support Forces of war crimes in April's attack on Zamzam displacement camp that killed 47 people and emptied the 500,000-resident camp, while also accusing the UAE of arming RSF despite knowledge of atrocities. (Read More)

SECURITY UPDATES

➤ Two contractor brothers previously convicted of hacking State Department systems in 2015 were charged again for deleting 96 government databases minutes after being fired, then used AI chatbots to learn how to clear system logs and cover their tracks. (Read More)

➤ The European Commission fined Elon Musk's X $140 million under the Digital Services Act for misleading verification checks and blocking researchers' access to public data used to monitor political content, drawing condemnation from Vice President Vance who called it censorship. (Read More)

➤ The Taliban had a 13-year-old boy execute a man who killed 13 of his family members in front of 80,000 spectators at a Khost stadium under Qisas retaliation law, after the family refused offers of forgiveness and insisted on the death penalty. (Read More)

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

➤ Five unidentified drones flew over France's Ile Longue nuclear submarine base Thursday and were neutralized by troops using anti-drone measures, prompting a military prosecutor investigation amid a wave of similar incursions over European military installations. (Read More)

➤ Northrop Grumman secured a contract to produce XM1211 High Explosive Proximity rounds for US Army anti-drone defense, 30-millimeter munitions equipped with proximity sensors, while separately completing rocket motor tests under its SMART Demo program. (Read More)

➤ The U.S. Marine Corps awarded Teledyne FLIR Defense a $42.5 million contract for over 600 Rogue 1 kamikaze drones to equip rifle squads with precision strike capability, with deliveries starting summer 2026. (Read More)

Witness Tomorrow's Defense Capabilities Today

Active duty service members and government employees receive complimentary access to the Eastern Defense Summit, December 10-11 in Charleston.

The Summit serves as a mechanism for defense industry leaders to collaborate on innovative solutions and enhance interoperability across defense assets.

Through keynote addresses, innovation spotlights, and high energy tech exchanges, you'll form workforce partnerships that result in achieving a national defense tactical edge no foreign adversary can match. The Summit's focus on technological convergence, interoperability, and rapid capability development serves as a catalyst for innovation and force modernization.

SPECIAL CATEGORY

➤ Britain sanctioned Russia's GRU after an inquiry concluded Putin authorized the 2018 Novichok poisoning of former spy Sergei Skripal that killed Dawn Sturgess, who died after applying the discarded nerve agent thinking it was perfume.

➤ Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev was removed from SpaceX's Crew 12 ISS mission after allegedly violating ITAR regulations by photographing SpaceX engines and sensitive documentation with his phone during training in California, Russian investigative site The Insider reported.

➤ The Navy graduated 42,000 sailors from basic training in fiscal year 2025, the highest production in a decade and 10,000 more than the previous year, following recruiting improvements including expanded ground recruiters and a new preparatory course.

On this day in history: On December 6th, 1917, the 7th Infantry Division was activated at Camp Wheeler, Georgia. Setting a WWI transport record, 14,000 soldiers crossed the Atlantic on USS Leviathan, arriving in France in October 1918 to fight at Saint-Mihiel and up the Moselle River before the Armistice.

SENTIMENT COLLECTION

When will flying cars move from concept to consumer reality?

By 2030

2030-2035

After 2035, but this century

It's not happening

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you think there should be regulation on the development of AI technology?

Yes, strict regulations needed (66.8%)
Yes, but only safety guardrails (26.6%)
No, let innovation lead (2.3%)
Unsure (4.2%)

ASSIGNMENTS

PMC & Security

Cultural Support Operator

Defense Division

Worldwide

Humanitarian Security Officer

Defense Division

Worldwide

Medic

Defense Division

Worldwide

Interpreter

Defense Division

Worldwide

Communications and Command Systems Instructor

Defense Division

Worldwide

VIEW BOARD

Your “free” email is costing you more than you think. It’s not just your inbox, it’s your location, your contacts, your calendar, your identity. Big Tech scans and stores everything, turning your private life into a product for advertisers and a resource for AI.

SOFX is a privacy-first email platform with zero tolerance for tracking. Our infrastructure is built to reject surveillance and protect your right to communicate freely with encrypted email, secure scheduling, and human-run systems that never sell or share your data.

Was this Email Forwarded to You?

Subscribe!

About SOFX: We are an independent media and communications technology company reporting on the conflicts, security, and technology issues impacting your lives and businesses. SOFX was founded by former Special Operations & Intelligence Professionals not Career Journalists or Big Tech / Big Media.

Have feedback for us? We want to hear any and all comments you may have. Contact us at editor@sofx.com.

This email was sent to Reader

You've received it because you've subscribed to The SOFX Report.

Unsubscribe or Update to Sunday Only