Free Republic

The U.S. Army has officially canceled the M10 Booker armored vehicle program as part of a major acquisition reform initiative. The decision was driven by a strategic shift away from counter-insurgency towards preparing for high-intensity peer conflict, a role for which the M10 was ill-suited. The vehicle failed on multiple fronts: it became too heavy for air deployment, was no longer cost-effective, and could not be adapted for future battlefields.

The Boeing X-32, derided for its “ugly,” cartoonish appearance, was a formidable contender in the Joint Strike Fighter competition but ultimately lost to what became the F-35. Despite its superb handling qualities, which one test pilot compared to an F/A-18, the X-32’s downfall was its flawed and complex Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) design.

A major funding battle has erupted between the U.S. Navy and the White House over the future of naval aviation. The Trump administration has officially prioritized the Air Force’s F-47 sixth-generation fighter, arguing the U.S. industrial base cannot support the simultaneous development of the Navy’s F/A-XX program.

The Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk, the world’s first operational stealth aircraft, was a revolutionary bomber deceptively designated as a “fighter” to attract the Air Force’s best pilots. Born from the top-secret “Have Blue” program, the “Wobblin’ Goblin” proved its worth during the 1991 Gulf War, where it struck heavily defended targets in Baghdad with impunity on the opening night of the air campaign.

Decades of ignoring the menaces posed by Russia and China has led the West to a precipice. ... Deterrence, however, does not disintegrate overnight. Contrary to the narrative of U.S. belligerence and imperialism that has been impressed on countless university students, the United States has, since the end of World War II, largely pursued a policy of restraint despite its considerable military power. Unlike other superpowers, it has not sought territories or treasure—on the contrary, it incurred considerable expense to foster a peaceful international order where other nations could thrive. Under the belief that a market economy, normal trading relations,...

After years of embarrassing failures, including fires and a sinking dry-dock, Russia might scrap its only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov. According to the Russian newspaper Izvestia, the decision to end the carrier’s long-stalled overhaul seems certain. A retired Russian admiral even stated that classic aircraft carriers are “a thing of the past,” vulnerable to modern missiles.

The new B-21 Raider strategic bomber is not a revolutionary “game-changer,” but rather a crucial evolutionary step in air power that debunks the myth that drones and AI will make manned aircraft obsolete. While new technologies are seductive, they cannot replace the human judgment required for strategic deterrence, a mission the B-21 is designed to fulfill for decades.

Last month’s NATO summit in The Hague gave off the disturbing impression of an alliance finally crossing the fine line between serious defence policy into the realm of make-believe. The main outcome was presented to the world as a “new 5 per cent defence spending pledge” by all allies. The previous target, dating from 2014, was 2 per cent. President Trump naturally claimed the new benchmark as a “big win”, with the White House calling it a “monumental victory” and a “dramatic” increase in defence contributions across the alliance. Yet hardly any of this is true. Of the 5 per...

House Republicans are calling on the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to expedite a national security review of Chinese drone manufacturers like Shenzhen Da-Jiang Innovations Sciences and Technologies Company Limited (DJI Technologies) pursuant to the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act. In a letter to ODNI signed by representatives Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.; Rick Crawford, R-Ark.; and John Moolenaar, R-Mich., the lawmakers requested timely execution of the review as drone technology quickly accelerates. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month prioritizing the accelerated integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into U.S. national airspace. But before that fully...

The U.S. Air Force faces a strategic nightmare with its B-1B Lancer bomber fleet. The aging but still capable supersonic bomber is becoming increasingly obsolete, yet its replacement, the B-21 Raider, is still years from being operational. This creates a dangerous capability gap. The Pentagon is weighing difficult options: a costly modernization of the B-1B, which may not be enough; relying on other platforms like the B-52, which can’t match the B-1B’s speed and payload; or accelerating the B-21 program, which risks delays and technical setbacks.

The Pentagon’s decision to pause the Navy’s F/A-XX 6th-generation fighter program is a grave mistake that will harm the U.S. aerospace industrial base and create a dangerous capability gap. While the Air Force’s F-47 program receives a $3.5 billion boost, the F/A-XX is being starved of funds based on the “flimsy” rationale that the defense industry can’t handle two major stealth fighter programs at once.

In exchange for sending tens of thousands of troops and vast amounts of artillery shells to aid Russia’s war in Ukraine, North Korea is likely demanding and receiving critical Russian military technology. While Pyongyang receives cash payments for its mercenaries, the real prize for Kim Jong Un is access to advanced Russian know-how that it cannot develop itself.

President Trump said Monday his administration would send Ukraine additional weapons after his administration imposed a pause on some shipments to Kyiv. “We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They’re getting hit very hard now,” Trump told reporters during a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Defensive weapons, primarily, but they’re getting hit very, very hard. So many people are dying in that mess,” he added. The Pentagon last week confirmed a decision to halt the delivery of some air defense missiles and munitions to Ukraine, citing concerns...

China’s J-20A “Mighty Dragon” represents a significant leap in the country’s military aviation, a fifth-generation stealth fighter designed to challenge Western air dominance. On paper, it boasts an impressive suite of features, including a low radar cross-section, advanced avionics, and a versatile weapons payload. However, significant questions remain about its real-world combat effectiveness.

Canada’s planned purchase of 88 F-35 stealth fighters is in jeopardy following a damning report from Auditor General Karen Hogan that revealed the program’s cost has ballooned by nearly 50% to C$27.7 billion.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks in a video address on June 24, 2025. (Screen capture/GPO) In a video statement on Tuesday summing up the war against Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel “achieved a historic victory” that would “abide for generations” following the US-brokered ceasefire to end the 12-day conflict. He said Israel removed “two existential threats — the threat of destruction via nuclear weapons and the threat of destruction via 20,000 ballistic missiles” that Iran was moving to build. Israel would have faced destruction in the near future “if we hadn’t acted now.”

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested that Israel sent agents to Iran’s Fordo nuclear site after US struck it earlier this week, insisting the attack was a success and warning that he was willing to strike again if Iran tried to revive its enrichment program.

A preliminary classified U.S. report says the American bombing of Iran’s nuclear sites sealed off the entrances to two of the facilities but did not collapse their underground buildings, according to officials familiar with the findings. The early findings conclude that the strikes over the weekend set back Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months, the officials said.

The ceasefire announced by President Trump between Israel and Iran on June 23rd is not a genuine peace but a temporary, tactical pause in a long-term conflict. This “lull in the thunder” mirrors the aftermath of the 2020 Soleimani strike, where a de-escalation of direct attacks gave way to a continued shadow war.

WAYNE, Mich. (AP) — A man who opened fire outside a Michigan church filled with worshippers on Sunday was struck by a vehicle and then fatally shot by security staff who averted a potential mass shooting, police said. Churchgoers attending a morning service at CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne spotted the gunman driving recklessly and then saw him exit his car wearing a tactical vest and carrying a rifle and a handgun, police Chief Ryan Strong said at an evening news conference. The man began firing as he approached the church, striking one person in the leg. “A parishioner struck...