The U.S. Navy tested artificial intelligence-powered sonar to target submarines during the multinational Rim of the Pacific exercise in July.SensorMAX, developed by Lockheed Martin, uses AI and machine learning to analyze acoustic sensor data, update the sensor model — and then immediately transmit the updates over the air to anti-submarine warfare, or ASW, platforms. During RIMPAC maneuvers near Hawaii, Navy MH-60R helicopters dropped sonobuoys, which fed data to SensorMAX. It in turn assisted the crews with target identification. “Ground operators retrained SensorMAX’s models on new sounds in minutes, then transmitted AI-enhanced undersea intelligence OTA [over the air] using an encrypted…

The Pentagon revoked a former U.S. Air Force secretary’s security clearance, alleging that he shared classified information regarding Air Force One’s capabilities to a news outlet.Frank Kendall, who served as the 26th Air Force secretary from 2021 to 2025 during former President Joe Biden’s administration, recently spoke with news outlets and has been quoted in their stories concerning the Qatari-donated jet’s security features.Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, said in a Friday social media post that Kendall’s access to classified information and his ability to hold any “sensitive” position is forfeit, effective immediately. “This action follows his unauthorized disclosure of classified…

The U.S. Army abruptly removed the three-star general leading their forces in Europe, the service confirmed Monday.Lt. Gen. Charles Costanza, who was leading V Corps, was removed from command. The Army did not provide the date of his removal or disclose a reason for his departure but confirmed in a statement that “the matter has been referred to the appropriate authority in accordance with Army regulations.”Brig. Gen. John B. Mountford, the deputy commanding general of readiness for V Corps, is serving as the acting commanding general.According to the Army last week, Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Feltey, who was selected for…

The USS Theodore Roosevelt is now the first Navy carrier to be equipped with an Unmanned Air Warfare Center that will support the Boeing-made MQ-25A, the first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft.In May, acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao announced during a Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing that the MQ-25A was moving into the low-rate initial production and deployment phase.The aircraft is intended to relieve the Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornets of the aerial refueling role, freeing up F/A-18E/F aircraft to focus on strike missions.The memo, dated April 21, 2026, was recently published by the Pentagon within a Modernized Selected Acquisition Report. It…

U.S. troops in Korea practiced turning small drones into weapons with live ordnance last week as the Army works to incorporate unmanned capabilities into the lowest levels of unit formations. Soldiers with the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-U.S. Combined Division trained alongside Marines to outfit Neros Archer Strike first-person-view, or FPV, drones with C4 explosives to attack targets at Rodriguez Live Fire Complex in South Korea. It was the division’s first time using live ordnance with the system.The training represents part of the military’s broader push to place attack drones directly in the hands of smaller units, giving them the ability to…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news from Outdoor Life. The square knot was historically known as the Hercules knot. While the name suggests strength, I think it’s fair to say associating it with Hercules is a bit misleading. The square knot is useful for outdoor tasks too numerous to count. It’s also one of the easiest rope knots you can tie. Make no mistake, it’s pretty darn strong when tied correctly, but the square knot also has limitations that you must consider before using it in the field. Here’s our guide on how to…

Joint Base Charleston is now officially Joint Base Lindsey Graham, honoring the late senator from South Carolina who served for decades in the U.S. Air Force.The Pentagon announced late last month that the base, located in North Charleston, South Carolina, would be renamed after Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. The renaming took place Monday with a ceremony attended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, as well as state and local officials.A late July memo, signed by Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, directed staff to begin working with Air Mobility Command and Joint Base Charleston to…

The U.S. Navy announced new policy guidance for complaints about harassment and discrimination that changes how those complaints will be managed.Anonymous allegations of misconduct that occur in the Navy or Marine Corps will not be processed as a complaint under the Military Equal Opportunity program, which seeks to address unlawful discrimination and sexual harassment, the service announced. Instead, service members are encouraged to use the confidential reporting system, though the anonymous system remains available.“This does not prevent a commander from taking appropriate action in response to an anonymous report,” a Navy administrative message said.The reform follows a September 2025 Pentagon…

As U.S. air defenses intercept Iranian missiles, the Pentagon is concerned that American missiles are vulnerable to enemy air defenses.Consequently, DARPA wants a hypersonic scramjet cruise missile that is capable of evading enemy interceptors.“Future U.S. military operations face increasingly significant challenges from the rapid proliferation and advancement of highly capable Integrated Air Defense Systems (IADS) by peer adversaries,” warned DARPA’s Request for Information, which is due October 6. “These systems threaten to restrict the operational freedom of U.S. forces and diminish the effectiveness of current stand-off strike capabilities.”The Next Generation Hypersonic Cruise Missile, or NGHCM, aims to demonstrate that it…

Sign up for the Deer Camp Newsletter Get everything from whitetail news and opinion pieces, to advanced hunting tactics and cutting-edge gear reviews. He was close. I hadn’t heard or seen anything, yet I knew he was there. Every nerve in my body was tingling with anticipation. Slowly easing my .270 to the ready position, I waited. I didn’t want to get caught off guard, but that’s exactly what happened. The unmistakable sound of antlers rattling against branches told me that the deer that had just spooked was definitely a buck. Silently cursing myself, I remained as still as a…

DOGE reported $1.76 billion in savings from terminating a Defense Health Agency information technology contract providing IT services to more than 700 military treatment facilities worldwide.The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found the contract was never terminated; no work was removed, there was no reduction in its scope or value, and no funds were deobligated, according to a GAO review released on Aug. 6.GAO’s review found that after DHA officials discussed the contract with DOGE, DOGE agreed that no action should be taken to terminate it, yet the $1.76 billion savings claim remains on DOGE’s Wall of Receipts.DOGE’s April 14, 2025…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news from Outdoor Life. A 3-year-old girl is in the hospital after being attacked by an adult black bear in British Columbia. The attack happened Sunday morning at a home in Maple Ridge while the little girl was playing on the back deck. A parent chased the bear away, but officers who responded witnessed the animal’s aggression.  “The bear returned to the residence and the immediate area multiple times, showing a high degree of interest in the location,” according to the Maple Ridge Royal Canadian Mounted Police in a…

A U.S. Navy warship that most recently deployed in support of military operations in Iran returned to its Florida homeport on Sunday.The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner arrived at Naval Station Mayport along with almost 300 sailors after a nearly nine-month deployment to the U.S. 4th, 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations.“Over the past almost nine months, this crew has demonstrated exceptional resilience and tactical proficiency across three different fleets,” said Cmdr. David Cook, commanding officer of the Hudner. “Their dedication is unmatched, and we are absolutely thrilled to be back in Mayport to reunite with the…

While hands may still not be surreptitiously placed in the pockets yet, female sailors may now purchase the newly designed Service Khaki slacks replete with back pockets and “modern fit sizing,” according to a recent U.S. Navy release. “This is the first pair of slacks being introduced to the fleet using our new modernized sizing,” said Dr. Brianna Plummer, Group Leader at the Navy Exchange Service Command’s Navy Clothing & Textile Research Facility. “We’ve already introduced two optional items — the Summer and Dress White female overblouses in both short-sleeve and long-sleeve in the new modernized fit sizing, which are…

The U.S. Army is looking for companies that can provide a 50mm cannon and ammunition for counter-drone defense.The goal is to “integrate a 50mm ammunition solution to effectively track, engage, and defeat Class 1, 2, and 3 UAS threats,” according to the Army’s Sources Sought notice. The deadline is Aug. 31.While the notice from the Army’s Project Manager, Maneuver Ammunition Systems office does not provide any technical specifications, it signals the Army’s interest in a rapid-fire cannon for counter-UAS, or C-UAS, defense. In particular, the Army will conduct a live-fire demonstration using Northrop Grumman’s XM913 Bushmaster 50mm chain gun, with…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news from Outdoor Life. It was about 10 p.m. on July 18, the last night of the 2026 Florida Python Challenge, when two veteran snake catchers ended up wrestling the biggest snake of the competition. Rahm Levinson and Tom Rahill were cruising along on e-bikes down an old overgrown trail far back in Everglades National Park hoping to spot invasive pythons. “I was in the front on my bike, with lights on looking for snakes,” Levinson tells Outdoor Life. “Tom was behind me on his bike, and while going…

The United States is not disengaging from Asia and is instead “digging in” to maintain a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, but wants its partners to shoulder more responsibility for their defense, a senior Pentagon official said on Monday.Seeking to counter concerns about Washington’s reliability, Elbridge Colby, undersecretary of Defense for Policy, reiterated the U.S. interest in the region as he called for greater burden-sharing and “partnership, not dependency.”“America is definitely not disengaging from Asia,” Colby said in a speech in Manila. “We are not leaving; in fact, we are digging in, to ensure a favourable balance of…

After just over a year on the job, the Navy relieved Capt. Mathew Loe, the commanding officer of Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Lemoore, the service announced on Friday. Citing the pro forma “loss of confidence in his ability to command,” Loe was relieved of his command by Rear Adm. Kevin Brown, commander of Naval Medical Forces Pacific, per the release. Loe served as the NMRTC commanding officer beginning in July 2025 and has since been temporarily reassigned to NMFP. Capt. Robin Bennet will serve as the interim commanding officer. The Navy noted that the “relief of the CO…

A volatile month of July saw employers shed 23,000 jobs and lay off another 153,000, according to the monthly jobs report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Friday. Amid the plunge, the unemployment rate for veterans appeared to stabilize at 4.2% despite the impact of artificial intelligence, tariffs and the war in Iran. The 4.2% jobless rate for all veterans was up a tick from the 4.1% recorded in June, while the rate for post-9/11 veterans dropped from 4.8% in June to 4.7% in July. The unemployment rate for women veterans, meanwhile, went up from 3.6% in June to…

Sign up for This Happened to Me News on backcountry adventure and wilderness survival. Headlamps are one of those unique pieces of gear that almost everyone needs: campers, hunters, hikers, climbers, backcountry skiers, and runners. Whether you’re getting up before the sun, setting up camp at night, or exploring a dark area, hands-free lighting is crucial.  While the headlamp market is oversaturated with bulky no-name models that die too quickly, if you’re relying on a headlamp to maneuver at night don’t risk your safety on something unreliable. I tested the best headlamps on the market to help you find a…

The Department of Defense launched a counter-unmanned aerial system, or C-UAS, marketplace last week designed to make it easier for military and government agencies to find and acquire vetted counter-drone technology.The marketplace was developed by the Joint Interagency Task Force 401, or JIATF 401, which leads the Defense Department’s effort to connect government agencies with companies developing counter-drone technology.U.S. Army Maj. Mike Hapner, the C-UAS marketplace lead for JIATF 401, said the marketplace is intended to deliver “the right counter-UAS capabilities to the right users at the right time.”Promotional materials make the marketplace look like a basic e-commerce website, but…

Sign up for the Outdoor Life Newsletter Get the hottest outdoor news from Outdoor Life. All elk hunters dream of a screaming bull that charges across a meadow and into bow range, hot steam still flowing from his nostrils. After all, calling in a bugling bull (or even just getting a response from one) is what makes elk hunting so thrilling. But learning how to call elk is about more than just figuring out how to sound like an elk from watching YouTube videos (though this is a good idea for newbies).   To call elk effectively you’ve got to understand…

The Marine Corps has inked an $11 million contract with electronic warfare company Epirus for a vehicle-mounted weapon that can take down dozens of drones in a single zap. The contract, awarded through the Office of Naval Research, will result in the delivery early next year of a High-power Microwave Autonomous Vehicle Operational Capability (HAVOC) system that can autonomously identify drone targets to be dropped from the sky with an electromagnetic pulse.The award follows prototype testing of the similar Expeditionary Directed Energy Counter-Swarm (ExDECS) weapon prototype that Epirus delivered to the Corps for testing last year under a $5.5 million…

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