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A U.S. Army air defense artilleryman conducts maintenance on an MIM-104 Patriot missile system in the Middle East. (Credit: US Department of Defense)

SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES

Shrapnel, Broken Bones, and Head Trauma: New Records Show How U.S. Troops Were Wounded in Iran War

Newly obtained Defense Department records show more than 400 U.S. troops were wounded in the first six weeks of the Iran war, many in attacks the Pentagon never announced. At least 170 suffered head trauma, which experts fear could become the war's signature injury.

The Army bore the brunt, with over 270 casualties. The Pentagon releases only monthly totals, obscuring single-day spikes like the 70 troops hurt on March 18, according to The War Horse. (Read More)

US, UAE Launch First Joint Military AI Task Force

The United States and the United Arab Emirates are establishing their first joint military AI task force, based in Abu Dhabi. The approximately 20-person team will focus on integrating AI into intelligence support, protecting critical infrastructure and monitoring security threats across the region.

The initiative marks the first formal bilateral task force dedicated to accelerating military AI development between the U.S. and another country. The task force is expected to launch in the coming weeks. (Read More)

France Deploys A400M Aircraft to Fight Wildfires for First Time

France deployed an Airbus A400M Atlas military transport aircraft for the first time in an active wildfire operation as it battles massive blazes threatening southwestern France and neighboring Spain.

Equipped with a roll-on/roll-off firefighting kit, the aircraft dropped up to 20,000 liters of fire retardant, roughly equivalent to the payload of two smaller water bombers, over wildfires in the Gironde department near Bordeaux. Thousands of firefighters continue battling the blazes, which have forced hundreds of thousands of evacuations across France and Spain. (Read More)

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QUICK UPDATES

CONFLICT UPDATES

➤ Iraq accused alleged Ukrainian sabotage cells of bombing Iraqi facilities and attempting to pin the blame on Iranian-backed militias operating within Iraq. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry rejected the allegations, with spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi saying the claims lacked evidence. (Read More)

➤ Oman presented Iran with a Gulf-backed proposal for a joint mechanism to manage the Strait of Hormuz. The plan includes voluntary ship fees to restore shipping stability after months of disruption linked to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. (Read More)

➤ A white phosphorus leak at a U.S. air base in South Korea forced a brief evacuation near the site, officials said. The substance had crystallized inside a munitions crate at Osan Air Base. No injuries were reported, and the alert was lifted within hours. (Read More)

SECURITY UPDATES

➤ American activist Sam Tunick was charged with a felony for allegedly using a fake “duress password” to wipe his phone during a border search at Atlanta’s airport in January 2025. Authorities accused him of destroying evidence, while his lawyers argued that the search and detention were unlawful and violated his privacy rights. (Read More)

➤ Former Navy SEAL Gregory Vandenberg was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison after being convicted of transporting explosives and prohibited fireworks as part of a planned attack on a “No Kings Day” protest in California in 2025. (Read More)

➤ Iran publicly hanged two men, identified as Amirhossein Safari and Abolfazl Sepahi, over anti-government protests earlier this year. They were among 12 people sentenced to death for allegedly killing security personnel during the unrest. At least 24 people have been executed in connection with the recent protests. (Read More)

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

➤ Anduril rolled its first Fury fighter drone off a new Ohio production line, a milestone for the Air Force's push into autonomous combat aircraft. The uncrewed jet, meant to fly alongside crewed fighters, aced its first live-fire test weeks earlier. (Read More)

➤ The Air Force will resume B-52 radar testing on a second bomber, after the first crashed in June. The crash killed all eight crew aboard the test jet. The radar upgrade is meant to keep the Cold War-era bombers flying into the 2050s. (Read More)

➤ Russia says it will commission the Perm, its first submarine built to carry Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles, by year's end. The Yasen-M-class submarine can reportedly carry up to 32 cruise missiles, making it one of the most heavily armed submarines in the world. (Read More)

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SPECIAL CATEGORY

➤ A 16-year-old lifeguard is being hailed as a hero after rescuing a drowning 10-year-old boy at Seabright Beach in California. Video shows the lifeguard holding the boy in a tight grip while battling crashing waves to bring him safely back to shore. Both survived the incident.

➤ A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck southern Japan, collapsing part of the Aeon Mall in Kashima Town. Around 20 to 30 employees were reported missing, while dozens were injured. The quake also caused damage to roads, buildings, and infrastructure, along with power outages and fires, Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.

➤ AI company Anthropic reportedly destroyed millions of print books after scanning them to create digital copies used to train its Claude AI models. Court documents showed the company hired former Google Books executive Tom Turvey and tasked him with obtaining “all the books in the world.” A judge ruled the process could qualify as fair use because Anthropic legally purchased the books, kept the digital copies private, and used them solely for AI training.

On this day in history: On July 29th, 1967, a catastrophic fire swept the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal off Vietnam after a rocket accidentally ignited on deck. The blaze and explosions killed 134 sailors and reshaped how the Navy trains crews to fight shipboard fires.

SENTIMENT COLLECTION

Should the U.S. government take equity stakes in strategic technology companies?

Yes

Unsure

Yesterday’s Results:

Do you believe AI has reached the point where it outthinks humans?

Yes: (53.2%)
No: (33.2%)
Unsure: (13.5%)

n=680

If you have something you'd like polled, email us at editor@sofx.com.

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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.

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

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