Free Republic

The Pentagon has announced sweeping new changes intended to surge the fielding of small drones, including weaponized types, across the entire U.S. military. Most notably, certain types of smaller uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) will now be treated as “consumables,” more akin to hand grenades and other kinds of ammunition, than aircraft, which has broad ramifications. Lower-level commanders will now also be able to procure smaller UASs directly, as well as authorize subordinates to operate them. The new policies rolled out today represent a huge shift that could not come soon enough for the U.S. military, which has continued to move...

An elite group of unmanned aerial systems operators, support and maintenance staff will now call Fort Huachuca their home after an activation ceremony Tuesday morning. A brief ceremony held in Hanger 1 at Libby Army Air Field celebrated the official transfer of Echo Company, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, to this Southern Arizona post for the next two years. The company consists of 150 hand-picked soldiers and 12 UAS vehicles, which will train for eventual deployment to Afghanistan sometime early next year. “This is a key day in our history,” Col. John Evans, Jr., Regiment Commander, told an audience of...

The U.S. Army’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request includes the acquisition of 233 PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors, scaling up PAC-3 MSE procurement by a factor of four to close the munitions gap in active theaters. The 233 missiles are funded through a combination of sources: 130 from base discretionary accounts and 103 from the Overseas Operations Cost (OOC) budget. An additional 96 interceptors are covered by $366 million in mandatory reconciliation authority, which is additive to the 233 previously mentioned. The combined total requested for FY2026 is $1.311 billion, consisting of $945.9 million in discretionary funding and $366...

The US Army is considering scrapping General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) management of three new 155mm artillery round production lines in Mesquite, Texas, according to a “show cause” letter obtained by Breaking Defense. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the heavy use of artillery, the Army rushed to bolster 155mm production and produce 100,000 shells per month. As part of that broader push, it opened a new government-owned facility in Texas, tapping GD-OTS to operate it and stand up three Universal Artillery Projectile Lines (UAPL) to produce the metal parts for artillery projectiles, including the shell...

A report on Israel’s Army Radio on Monday suggested that the Israeli government believes the war with Iran is ending, and therefore the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targets include institutions of the Iranian regime. As Breitbart News reported Monday, Israel has shifted the focus of its attacks to include the Iranian regime’s instruments of suppressing opposition, not just nuclear sites and ballistic missile launchers. These include the Basij paramilitary force and the gates of the notorious Evin Prison. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel’s goal is not regime change — though he has also urged the Iranian people...

An Army in-flight system that can detect when a pilot is incapacitated and get the aircraft back to base has passed a key test, giving the service a boost in its quest to develop autonomous technology. The May test flight at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., paired a medical monitoring device similar to an EKG with an autopilot system in a UH-60 Black Hawk, an Army statement said. A team from the service’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center used an armband to pick up medical distress from a pilot and safely return the Black Hawk to Felker Army...

HOHENFELS, Germany — An array of new drone-busting technology went for a soldierly spin this week at the Army’s expansive training grounds in Bavaria, where units are looking for a tactical edge on a transforming modern battlefield. Troops from the Vilseck-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment took part in a new initiative called Project Flytrap at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center, using vehicle-mounted and wearable systems designed to detect, track and jam hostile drones. The initiative is part of an effort to identify which tools best meet evolving combat demands. Project Flytrap, which began its first stage earlier this month, is a...

As the Army seeks to continue its transformation effort to become more efficient, the department’s chief information officer is looking to streamline systems and processes. And no longer will “that’s the way it’s always been done” be an acceptable justification for maintaining the status quo. There have been directives from top levels of Army leadership to cut down on business systems and automate capabilities where possible. “It’s a big push right now from the secretary and the chief is, hey, do we need all of these systems, why do we have them?” CIO Leonel Garciga said during a presentation Wednesday...

Executives from high-tech firms Meta, OpenAI and Palantir are joining the Army Reserve at the rank of lieutenant colonel to serve in Detachment 201, a new “Executive Innovation Corps,” the service announced Friday. The move is the latest push by the department to tap into capabilities and know-how from Silicon Valley and the commercial sector. The new corps “brings top tech talent into the Army Reserve to bridge the commercial-military tech gap” and is “designed to fuse cutting-edge tech expertise with military innovation,” the Army stated in a press release. On Friday, the service is set to swear-in Meta’s chief...

On June 14, 2025–the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday–the nation will honor its legacy with a grand military parade in Washington, D.C. President Donald J. Trump will join veterans, active-duty troops, wounded warriors, Gold Star Families, and Patriotic Americans from across the country to celebrate our heroes who have protected our country through strength and selflessness.

Law enforcement has determined that there is a high risk for a mass casualty incident, gun violence, as well as other mass attacks at the 250th US Army Birthday Celebration in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The celebration in Philly comes at the same time as an event in Washington, DC to celebrate the anniversary. According to a threat assessment from the Delaware Valley Intelligence Center (DVIC) cited by the Philadelphia Police Department, the event taking place on June at Independence Historic Park has a high risk of a mass casualty incident, gun violence, vehicle ramming attacks, illicit unmanned aircraft activities, a bombing...

I just read a poll that said 51% of Veterans are not in favor. What are people here feeling? I know it's expensive, but it's not like it happens every year. There seem to be a lot of people bothered by the optics. Doesn't bother me. I hope it comes off without a major incident. I'll be watching on tv. :~)

LAWTON, Okla. (KFOR) — The City of Lawton and U.S. Army Fort Sill announced Thursday evening the cancellation of this year’s Army Birthday Parade due to what they say are credible security threats. In a social media post, the City of Lawton said they coordinated with the Lawton Police Department and Fort Sill leadership to decide on the cancellation of the parade, which was originally scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 14. The threats come in the midst of planned protests

Member of the U.S. military joined an anti-ICE protest in Dallas and said, "We won’t be pawns in stripping away constitutional rights." https://x.com/Breaking911/status/1932648094975299925

Active Marine Defies Trump’s LA Deployment, Joins Dallas Anti-ICE Protest

BREAKING: WE ARE RESTORING THE NAMES OF FORT PICKETT, HOOD, GORDON, RUCKER, POLK, A.P. HILL, AND ROBERT E. LEE

The U.S. Army met its annual recruiting target of 61,000 in the first week of June, four months ahead of the scheduled Sept. 30 deadline, after putting in place new initiatives to boost recruitment. It marks a stunning turnaround for a service that failed to meet its recruiting goals in 2022 and 2023 and struggled in the years since to meet its annual targets. "The U.S. Army has successfully met its fiscal year 2025 recruiting goals for active duty, signing contracts with more than 61,000 future Soldiers -- a full four months before the end of the fiscal year," the...

The Army announced on Tuesday that it "surpassed" its fiscal year 2025 recruiting goal of bringing in 61,000 recruits, and there are still four months left to go. This year’s goal is more than 10% higher than the 55,000 recruits targeted in fiscal 2024, demonstrating a surge in interest and enthusiasm for Army service. Recent recruiting momentum has seen average contracts per day exceeding last year’s levels by as much as 56% during the same period. The Army has not reached its recruiting goals this early in the year since 2014, Army officials said in a statement. Army Chief of...

British Army sergeant majors are being urged to stop shouting at junior recruits lest they upset their delicate sensibilities. The use of calm, soothing words more in the style of avuncular footballer David Beckham and less like Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the film Full Metal Jacket has been offered up as an alternative model. In the 1987 film Hartman has responsibility for a bunch of Vietnam recruits who quickly learn just who is in charge at boot camp: Regimental Sergeant Majors (RSMs) have typically always used shouted orders in the same style to enforce discipline and focus attention on the...

On two occasions in 2020 and 2023, all nominations for general and flag officers (GFOs) were on a blanket hold from Senate confirmation. The 2023 hold lasted approximately 10 months, not two weeks. Senior leaders within DOD, including the Secretary of Defense at the time and a group of former Secretaries of Defense who served in bipartisan administrations, expressed concerns that the nomination hold in 2023 posed a risk to national security and the well-being of military families, among other things.You asked us to review issues surrounding past holds on GFO nominations. This report describes effects on military readiness, leadership...