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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivers remarks during a War Department Address at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., Sept. 30, 2025. (DoW photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Aiko Bongolan)

SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES

Pentagon Preparing to Merge Military Commands, Cut Generals, Says Report

Senior Pentagon officials are preparing to downsize key U.S. military headquarters and cut several top positions under a sweeping reorganization led by War Secretary Pete Hegseth, according to The Washington Post.

The proposal would merge Central, European, and Africa Commands into a new U.S. International Command, while Northern and Southern Commands would form “Americom,” overseeing the Western Hemisphere.

Remaining commands would include Indo-Pacific, Cyber, Space, Strategic, Transportation, and Special Operations. The overhaul reflects President Donald Trump’s effort to shift U.S. military priorities and resources from Europe and the Middle East toward the Western Hemisphere. (Read More)

U.S. Military Strikes Three Alleged Drug Boats in Eastern Pacific

The U.S. military struck three suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Eastern Pacific on Monday, killing eight people, the U.S. Southern Command said.

Three were killed on the first vessel, two on the second, and three on the third, all reportedly operated by U.S.-designated terrorist groups along known narco-trafficking routes.

These strikes mark the 23rd through 25th U.S. operations against suspected drug boats in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean, bringing total deaths in such actions to at least 95. (Read More)

Ukraine Special Ops Destroy Russian BM-27 ‘Uragan’ with FP-2 Drones

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) struck a BM-27 Uragan multiple launch rocket system in Donetsk using domestically-produced FP-2 drones, the SSO said.

The BM-27 Uragan, a Soviet-designed 220 mm system mounted on a ZIL-135 chassis, can fire a wide range of munitions, including high-explosive fragmentation warheads and scatterable mines, in under nine seconds at ranges of up to 35 kilometers (22 miles).

According to the SSO, the strike destroyed the system’s storage area and neutralized its crews. (Read More)

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QUICK UPDATES

CONFLICT UPDATES

➤ France deployed special forces to assist Benin during the December 7 coup attempt, the head of the Republican Guard said. The intervention, which helped secure Togbin military camp and protect President Patrice Talon, comes amid a wave of West African coups that have weakened French influence in the region. (Read More)

➤ Turkey ordered F-16 fighter jets to shoot down an “out of control” drone approaching its airspace from the Black Sea, the Defence Ministry said. The incident comes amid Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s “shadow fleet” and growing concerns among Turkish politicians that Moscow’s war could escalate. (Read More)

➤ M23 rebels have agreed to a US request to withdraw from the key eastern DRC town of Uvira, which they seized last week. Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Alliance Fleuve Congo coalition that includes M23, confirmed the withdrawal in a signed statement posted on X. (Read More)

SECURITY UPDATES

➤ Urban VPN Proxy, a Chrome extension with six million users, has been found harvesting AI chatbot conversations, including ChatGPT and Claude, without users’ consent. The data collected includes user prompts, chatbot responses, conversation IDs and timestamps. (Read More)

➤ The U.S. has designated Colombia’s largest drug trafficking group, the Clan del Golfo, as a foreign terrorist organization. The move allows the U.S. to impose broad economic sanctions on the group, its members, and associated entities. (Read More)

➤ U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday classifying illicit fentanyl and its precursor chemicals as weapons of mass destruction, citing the drug’s deadly impact on Americans. (Read More)

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

➤ Cambodia has deployed Chinese QBU-10 anti-material rifles against Thai forces, military analysts reported. Developed by Norinco, the rifles have been in service since 2010 and are used by a few countries, including China, Turkmenistan, and Cambodia. (Read More)

➤ China’s new Y-30 tactical transport aircraft has been spotted in flight tests for the first time. Built by Shaanxi Aircraft Corporation, the four-engine turboprop features a wide fuselage, rear loading ramp, and rugged landing gear for operations from short or unprepared airfields. (Read More)

➤ Israel Weapon Industries' (IWI) Arbel system, converting standard rifles into drone-killers, is drawing rising interest from European militaries amid growing use of drones on battlefields. At least 10 countries have purchased or considered the system since 2022, according to IWI. (Read More)

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SPECIAL CATEGORY

➤ Scientists have discovered a 12.4-mile-thick rock layer beneath Bermuda, a geological structure unlike anything else on Earth. The unusual formation may explain why the island sits on an elevated oceanic swell despite no volcanic activity for the past 31 million years.

➤ In Sweden, criminal networks are recruiting children online to carry out murder and other violent crimes, with recruiters using threats, cash incentives, and gamified missions to entice minors into their networks.

➤ OpenAI’s GPT-5 has, for the first time, demonstrated the ability to perform lab work, paving the way for AI to play a bigger role in scientific experiments, OpenAI told Axios. The company partnered with biosecurity startup Red Queen Bio to test GPT-5 in a wet lab, where it suggested ways to improve research protocols.

On this day in history: On December 17th, 1947, the Boeing XB-47 Stratojet made its first flight. The six-engined turbojet strategic bomber prototype successfully demonstrated the viability of revolutionary swept-wing design, paving the way for modern commercial aviation. Its innovative aerodynamic features became foundational for future jet airliners.

SENTIMENT COLLECTION

If SpaceX/NASA achieved regular Mars travel and needed volunteers for a permanent colony, would you go?

Yes – Sign me up for the final frontier

No – Keeping both feet on this planet

Maybe – Show me the habitat specs first

Yesterday’s Results:

When will flying cars move from concept to consumer reality?

After 2035, but this century (46.2%)
It's not happening (22.3%)
2030-2035 (19.8%)
By 2030 (11.8%)

ASSIGNMENTS

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Defense Division

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Humanitarian Security Officer

Defense Division

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Medic

Defense Division

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Interpreter

Defense Division

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Communications and Command Systems Instructor

Defense Division

Worldwide

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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.

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