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RX9 ‘Flying Ginsu’ Missile Reportedly Strikes Again in Syria

A U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone is believed to have conducted a precision strike in Idlib Province, Syria, reportedly eliminating a high-ranking figure affiliated with Al-Qaeda. The strike took place near the town of al-Dana, specifically in the vicinity of the Tiba restaurant. The target is said to have been Abu Imran al-Shami, the internal security chief of Hurras al-Din, an Al-Qaeda-linked group that had recently announced its dissolution. (Read More)​

Netanyahu Vows Retaliation After Hamas Returns Wrong Body

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed “revenge” against Hamas after it was revealed that one of the four remains handed over by the group did not match those of Shiri Bibas. In a ceremony on Thursday, Hamas handed over the remains believed to be that of Shiri, her two young sons, Ariel (4) and Kfir (9 months), as well as 83-year-old Oded Lifshitz as part of its ceasefire agreement with Israel. (Read More)​​

French Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle Arrives in the Philippines

The French Navy's flagship aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle on Friday. The visit, part of the "Clemenceau 25" mission, marks the first time Charles de Gaulle has docked in the country. According to news reports, the carrier was accompanied by its strike group which included three frigates, a fleet oiler, and a nuclear-powered attack submarine. The group departed from Toulon in late November 2024. (Read More)​​​​

US Marine Corps Joins NATO’s Baltic Surveillance Operations

A platoon-sized unit from the U.S. Marine Corps will participate in Baltic Sentry, a NATO-led surveillance operation in the Baltic Sea, Finland's Minister of Defence, Antti Häkkänen said in a statement. Häkkänen said the U.S. Marine Corps unit will collaborate with the Finnish Navy in monitoring key undersea infrastructure in the Gulf of Finland by identifying and tracking vessel movements. (Read More)​

China’s Live-Fire Naval Exercises Near Australia Cause Flight Diversions

A Chinese naval task group has reportedly conducted live-fire naval exercises in international waters off Australia's eastern coast without prior notification, Australian authorities said Friday. The group, comprising a frigate, a cruiser, and a supply vessel, was first detected approximately 150 nautical miles from Sydney. Australia and New Zealand had been monitoring the group for at least a week. (Read More)​

SOCOM Looking To Acquire New Drone-Launched Glide Bombs | Defense Scoop

U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is seeking a new lightweight precision glide munition for drones, smaller than the current GBU-69/B. The proposed Gliding Offensive Lightweight Unmanned Munition (GOLUM) must weigh no more than 30 pounds, have interchangeable warhead options, and hit targets up to 100 kilometers away. It must also function without GPS and have multiple navigation methods. (Read More)​

Apple Pulls Encryption Feature From UK Over Government Spying Demands | The Verge

Apple has removed Advanced Data Protection (ADP) in the UK after a government demand for backdoor access to encrypted iCloud backups. Without ADP, certain data like photos and backups will be accessible to Apple and law enforcement with a warrant. Apple condemned the move and hopes to restore ADP in the future. (Read More)​

US Space Force Releases First-Ever In-Orbit Photo Taken From X-37B Spaceplane

The U.S. Space Force has released the first publicly available image taken from its X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), a highly classified, unmanned spaceplane. The photo, published on Thursday on the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), shows Earth from orbit and was taken by an onboard camera used to monitor the spacecraft’s condition. (Read More)​

The Rise of the Drone Boats | Wired

Drone boats are reshaping naval warfare. Ukraine has driven Russia’s Black Sea Fleet from Sevastopol using explosive-laden unmanned surface vessels (USVs), while Houthi rebels in Yemen have disrupted shipping with similar tactics. The U.S. Navy is now accelerating its own drone boat programs, developing AI-driven, armed USVs to counter future threats. (Read More)​