Author name: Common Defense

U.S. Troop Wounds Soar Past 750 in Iran War, Nearly Half Since July
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U.S. Troop Wounds Soar Past 750 in Iran War, Nearly Half Since July

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The number of American troops wounded in the war with Iran has climbed past 750, according to the latest casualty figures released by the War Department. Nearly half of those service members were wounded after combat reignited in early July.

The updated casualty database listed 341 American personnel as wounded in action since July 7. Those casualties were recorded under “Overseas Operations,” a category the Pentagon created last month to separate the renewed fighting from Operation Epic Fury.

When combined with casualties from Operation Epic Fury, the figures show that 758 American troops have been wounded since the initial campaign began on Feb. 28. The rising total provides a sobering measure of the cost of a conflict that remains stuck between open warfare and a shaky diplomatic process.

The Pentagon established the new reporting category after military action between the United States and Iran resumed. According to the War Department, Operation Epic Fury formally ended on July 7, even though the broader confrontation clearly did not disappear with a bureaucratic change in labels.

Army personnel account for the overwhelming majority of the latest wounded. The database lists 310 soldiers as wounded in action, while the Navy accounts for 21 wounded personnel and the Air Force accounts for the remaining 10.

The publicly available figures do not identify the specific injuries suffered by the troops. They also do not provide detailed information about exactly when or where each service member was wounded during operations.

That lack of detail means the updated total should not be interpreted as showing that every injury occurred on the day it entered the database. Some combat injuries, particularly traumatic brain injuries, can take time to identify, diagnose, document, and officially add to the government casualty system.

Four Fallen Heroes Return Home From Iran Front

Still, the placement of all 341 cases in the “Overseas Operations” category indicates that the wounds were connected to combat during roughly the last month and a half. The numbers therefore show a significant surge in American casualties since the fighting resumed.

The renewed violence has continued despite a memorandum of understanding reached in Islamabad on June 17. That agreement called for a ceasefire, but Iranian forces have repeatedly targeted American positions around the Persian Gulf and in Jordan.

The war has also claimed the lives of 18 American service members since it began. Four of those deaths occurred after July 7, including three soldiers killed when Iran struck Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.

The latest casualty report arrives as the conflict remains locked in an impasse. The June agreement created a 60 day period for the parties to negotiate a peace settlement, but that window expired on Aug. 17 without producing a lasting resolution.

Fighting had already resumed in early July following disputes involving maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The renewed confrontation included several days of American airstrikes against Iranian sites as Washington moved to enforce pressure on Tehran.

The United States also reimposed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Although direct attacks reportedly stopped this month, American forces have continued firing on vessels attempting to break through the blockade.

That leaves American troops operating under persistent threat even during periods when the fighting appears to cool. The casualty database may also continue to change as delayed diagnoses are confirmed and additional injuries move through official reporting channels.

For military families, the numbers represent far more than entries in a Pentagon database. They reflect hundreds of soldiers, sailors, and airmen carrying the physical consequences of a war that has repeatedly lurched from ceasefire promises back into active combat.

The Trump administration now faces the difficult task of maintaining military pressure, protecting American forces, and keeping Iran from exploiting diplomatic pauses to regroup. With 758 troops wounded and 18 dead, the cost of that mission is already substantial, and the latest figures show how quickly it has grown since July.

Space Force Unveils Bold New Ceremonial Uniform for Guardians
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Space Force Unveils Bold New Ceremonial Uniform for Guardians

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Seven years after its establishment, the United States Space Force is finally giving its ceremonial Guardians a uniform designed specifically for their service.

The new look marks another major step in building an independent identity for the military’s youngest and smallest branch.

Members of the Space Force Honor Guard will publicly debut the ceremonial uniform on Sunday, Aug. 23. Their first appearance in the new attire will come at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix IndyCar event in Washington, D.C.

For much of its early existence, the Space Force relied on modified Air Force uniforms for Guardians, including those assigned to ceremonial duties. That arrangement served its purpose while the branch built its ranks, infrastructure, traditions and public image, but it was never going to be the permanent solution.

The newly unveiled uniform gives the Honor Guard a wholly distinct appearance that separates its members from Air Force personnel. That distinction matters because ceremonial units represent their services at some of the nation’s most visible and solemn events.

The ceremonial design builds upon the standard dress uniform already worn by Guardians. It features dark gray trousers and a dark gray shirt, along with a dark blue coat distinguished by its diagonal closure and hexagonal Space Force symbol.

Several additions transform the standard dress combination into a sharper ceremonial package. These include white gloves, a dark cap displaying the Space Force delta insignia, and a lighter blue belt and shoulder rope that contrast strongly with the coat.

The rope is worn over the left shoulder, giving the uniform another highly visible ceremonial element.

The ensemble also uses a lighter shirt than the one worn with the branch’s Class A dress uniform, further separating the Honor Guard configuration from everyday formal wear.

According to the service, officials spent the past eight months finalizing the ceremonial design. The effort followed the release of Space Force guidance for the uniform in January, showing that the branch took a deliberate approach rather than rushing something onto the parade field.

Honor Guard leaders say the result will make their personnel instantly identifiable during public appearances.

“The public will now be able to immediately recognize us as Guardians,” Chief Master Sgt. Ross Koehler, senior enlisted leader for the USSF Honor Guard, said in Space Force’s announcement.

That immediate recognition has been one of the central goals behind the Space Force’s broader uniform development.

A military branch needs more than a new name and logo, after all, and Guardians have steadily worked to establish traditions and visual standards that are unmistakably their own.

Like the ceremonial organizations of the other armed services, the Space Force Honor Guard represents the branch at major national events.

Its duties have included appearances at ceremonies in Washington, D.C., as well as participation in the funeral observances for President Jimmy Carter.

The Space Force remains the smallest branch of the United States military, with only a few thousand active duty members.

Even so, its responsibilities continue to grow as the nation expands military capabilities, ground infrastructure and operational systems connected to the increasingly contested space domain.

Building a recognizable service culture has therefore developed alongside the branch’s operational mission. Uniforms are a visible part of that effort because they help establish pride within the ranks while telling the public that Guardians are not simply Air Force personnel wearing different patches.

At the end of 2025, Guardians graduating from basic military training wore the Space Force dress uniform for the first time.

That uniform uses a darker shade of blue than the Air Force dress uniform and carries the same general design language now reflected in the ceremonial version.

The branch has revised its dress uniform several times during the past five years as leaders gathered feedback and refined the fit.

One notable change involved the trousers, which were initially considered far too baggy before designers adjusted them into a more tailored and professional cut.

Now, with the ceremonial uniform ready for public duty, the Honor Guard can represent the Space Force in attire built from the ground up for Guardians.

It is a polished milestone for a young branch that is steadily moving beyond borrowed Air Force gear and into an identity of its own.

Behind the Viral Million Stand: Navy Veteran Puts Loyalty Before Fortune
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Behind the Viral $1 Million Stand: Navy Veteran Puts Loyalty Before Fortune

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Harrison Schoen once spent three months aboard the USS New Orleans staring across the ocean and watching for anyone who might fall overboard.

Years later, that same Navy veteran stood before a national audience and refused $1 million rather than betray 60 people who had placed their trust in him.

Schoen enlisted in January 2016 and served four years as a logistics specialist aboard the USS New Orleans and USS Theodore Roosevelt.

He left the Navy in January 2020, but the discipline and perspective forged at sea continued shaping nearly every decision that followed.

The turning point came during deployment, when long hours of lookout duty gave him plenty of time to consider where his life was heading. “Those three months of staring at the ocean, aside from my normal job during the day, I just realized how much time was passing by and how much I really need to get on actually living my life and creating something and moving forward in a positive direction,” Schoen said.

After leaving the service, Schoen used his VA home loan benefit to purchase a house in San Diego. He experimented with vinyl wrapping, Airbnb hosting and renting flipped cars through Turo, but none of those ventures became the lasting mission he wanted.

By 2021, Schoen had sold nearly everything and moved into an SUV, joining a growing number of veterans choosing life on the road over conventional housing. For two and a half years, he lived inside a Porsche Cayenne while documenting his travels and unconventional lifestyle on social media.

In 2023, he bought a 1985 Mercedes Benz Unimog that a previous owner had spent almost two decades restoring. In a brutal mechanical welcome, the truck blew its engine just one hour into Schoen’s drive home.

He finally returned the Unimog to the road that November and has lived in it full time while continuing an extensive renovation.

“I’ve spent almost $300,000 entirely on this truck, both purchasing the truck and during ownership,” Schoen said. “It was taking so much of my free time doing all of these things as well.”

That unusual lifestyle, combined with his Navy record, caught the attention of casting directors for the first season of “Beast Games.”

The Amazon Prime Video competition is hosted by YouTube personality Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast.

Inspired by Netflix’s “Squid Game,” the 2024 series brought together 1,000 contestants to compete for a staggering $5 million prize.

Schoen survived deep into the competition by displaying the calm, controlled demeanor often associated with sailors who have already handled pressure without cameras rolling.

During one major challenge, 60 contestants selected Schoen to serve as their team captain. “People were able to kind of see safety in that, even though I told all 60 of these people that I live in a car,” Schoen said.

The producers then placed an escalating cash offer before him, eventually pushing the amount toward $1 million. Schoen could claim the money for himself by pressing a button, but doing so would immediately eliminate every member of the team that had trusted him.

For plenty of reality television contestants, that kind of temptation would trigger an instant stampede toward the button. Schoen never moved, choosing loyalty over a life changing fortune and delivering the defining moment of his appearance.

“It wasn’t even a thought in my head that I would accept the money,” he said.

Schoen was eliminated in the following episode after losing a game of chance. Before that contest, he had also declined an offer of immunity from two fellow competitors, continuing his pattern of standing on principle rather than scrambling for personal advantage.

He credits military service with giving him the instincts and confidence needed for both the competition and years of nomadic living.

“The military has allowed me to just move freely throughout the world, with the understanding of how to be safe with things, of how to only have a few important belongings, because that’s what you can carry,” he said. “And just the confidence to take care of yourself in whatever situations arise.”

Still, Schoen acknowledged that leaving the structure of military life presented a difficult adjustment. “One of the hardest things to overcome that the military instills is moving from being told what to do, when to do it, every day for years, to having complete freedom,” Schoen said.

“Nobody’s coming to save me, nobody’s going to tell me how to succeed in what I’m doing. It’s all on you.”

Now nearing 30, Schoen is preparing for one more major journey, a motorcycle ride along the Pan American Highway toward Argentina. After years of movement, mechanical headaches and adventure, however, he says he is ready to build something steadier.

“I want to focus in the near future on building a life that someone can be a part of,” Schoen said. “I mostly want a place that I can call home.”

How Iranian Strikes Left a Navy Aircraft Carrier Scrambling for Food
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How Iranian Strikes Left a Navy Aircraft Carrier Scrambling for Food

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Reports of food shortages and other serious problems aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have raised uncomfortable questions about Navy logistics during wartime.

Pentagon leaders insist the crew remained supplied, but families and naval experts say the situation exposed a weakness America cannot afford to ignore.

Iranian missile and drone attacks damaged a major American base in Bahrain and disrupted access to a port in the United Arab Emirates.

Those strikes forced supply ships supporting the Lincoln and other warships to travel from Diego Garcia, Singapore, and other distant locations, with some voyages stretching beyond 4,000 miles.

For years, American ships operating in the Middle East relied on ports and stockpiles inside the Persian Gulf.

Retired Navy Capt. Bradley Martin of the RAND Corporation said, “We’ve of course known for a long time that these ports and routes inside the Persian Gulf might be vulnerable, but it’s a vulnerability we chose to accept.”

The war severely restricted the movement of American supply vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, while damage in Bahrain further complicated operations.

“Thus, resupply had to come from ports outside the Gulf, Diego Garcia and even as far as Singapore or through the Suez Canal, which of course meant that deliveries were bound to be delayed,” Martin said.

Martin added that the Navy faced more than distance alone. “The distance problems were likely exacerbated by insufficient numbers of combat logistics force ships and the need for combatants supporting operations to move and reposition.”

Those pressures landed squarely on the Lincoln, which remained at sea for more than 240 consecutive days and established a new deployment record. Aircraft carriers generally require replenishment every three to six days, depending on combat tempo and the number of missions being flown.

Stephen Wills of the Center for Maritime Strategy said carriers usually possess plenty of shelf stable and frozen food.

Multiple Lincoln Sailors Try to Go Overboard as Extended Deployment Takes Brutal Toll
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln sails in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 3, 2026. (U.S. Navy)

The real trouble begins when distant routes interrupt deliveries of fresh produce and other items that keep thousands of sailors healthy and morale from sinking into the bilge.

“Generally, your aircraft carrier is pretty well loaded out with what I call dry goods stuff, like macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, various frozen and other proteins,” Wills said.

“So they’ve got food, but the problem sometimes is there are interruptions in the flow of fresh fruit and vegetables, and more fresher foods that you expect to see too.”

Aircraft can deliver supplies, but their cargo capacity is limited, according to retired Navy Capt. Brent Sadler of the Heritage Foundation.

Distance from shore also matters because fewer aircraft can reach a carrier each day, while moving closer to land places sailors and Marines within range of enemy weapons.

The Lincoln participated in combat operations against Iran and helped enforce a blockade of Iranian ports before its replacement by the USS George Washington.

Reports about the quantity and quality of food aboard the carrier surfaced in April, followed by accounts from military families describing continuing hardships.

War Department officials disputed claims that sailors were going hungry. After visiting the carrier, Adm. Brad Cooper wrote that, “Issues related to food, hot water and other concerns raised months ago were addressed by leadership and resolved,” although he offered few details about the problems or the fixes.

Navy Super Hornet Hammers Iranian Tanker in Gulf of Oman After Ignored Warnings
An F/A-18E Super Hornet prepares to launch from the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln during Operation Epic Fury on March 6, 2026. Navy photo.

Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao also said, “Meal plans were adjusted when fresh resupply was unavailable, without a single meal being missed”. Sadler believes conditions stabilized after roughly two weeks, which is about how long supplies needed to reach the Middle East from Japan and Singapore.

The experience should serve as a warning for any future Pacific conflict, where enormous distances and vulnerable ports would create the same problems on a much larger scale.

“If there’s going to be a war in East Asia, it’s going to happen like what just happened with Iran,” Sadler said. “It’s going to happen quick. We’re going to have to adapt. We’re going to have to have supply chains already in place that we can fall back on.”

The mother of a Lincoln sailor said government officials should stop brushing aside consistent accounts from military families. “Whenever you have this many families saying the same exact thing, you probably need to start listening to the families,” she said.

She said her son reported limited food in March, though conditions later improved. “So, I think the food issues have resolved once the food issues became national news,” she said.

The mother also described collapsing morale during the extended deployment and said two sailors had entered the water in separate incidents, including one who was stopped from jumping overboard.

“The sailors aren’t the ones complaining,” she said. “They’re still doing their job. They are still proud to serve our country. I know my son is. He’s still a proud American. He loves his country. He does what the mission calls for, but it’s not exaggerated.”

Military Barracks Left to Rot as 5 Billion Maintenance Backlog Explodes, GAO Finds
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Military Barracks Left to Rot as $285 Billion Maintenance Backlog Explodes, GAO Finds

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The War Department is not requesting enough money to cover military installation maintenance and major improvement needs, according to a Government Accountability Office report. Years of underfunding helped drive the estimated maintenance backlog to a staggering $285 billion in fiscal 2025.

Department policy called for funding 90 percent of estimated maintenance requirements, but the military services have continued requesting only about 80 percent. That persistent gap has allowed repairs to pile up while troops and installation commanders deal with the consequences.

“[The War Department] has not fully determined the risks to its mission and to the quality of life of its personnel as a result of not meeting its funding goal,” the report states. “Fully determining and communicating these risks would provide better information to [the War Department] and Congress to weigh budget priorities.”

GAO investigators examined Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force installations throughout the United States and its territories. Their findings describe a broad readiness problem rather than a handful of isolated buildings suffering from bad plumbing or peeling paint.

A 2014 memorandum from the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics established a goal of funding routine maintenance at 90 percent or more of the amount calculated through the Facilities Sustainment Model. More than a decade later, the services are still failing to meet that standard.

The Army, Navy and Air Force requested roughly 80 percent of their requirements during fiscal years 2017 through 2020. The Marine Corps took an even sharper turn, cutting its requested sustainment funding from 80 percent to 40 percent over the past five fiscal years.

Marine leaders instead directed more money toward facility restoration and modernization projects, according to the report. That trade might produce new ribbon cutting ceremonies, but it also leaves existing buildings deteriorating while routine repairs are deferred.

“By requesting less funding for installation maintenance and improvement projects than its models and experts recommend, [the War Department] has chosen to accept some degree of risk that mission or quality of life will be negatively affected,” the report says. In plain English, officials knowingly accepted the possibility that troops and readiness would suffer.

GAO has previously found that barracks maintenance was “chronically neglected,” resulting in miserable conditions for enlisted service members. A 2023 investigation found that thousands of troops were living in substandard barracks, including facilities with potentially serious health and safety hazards.

That is not merely a quality of life complaint for bureaucrats to file away. Mold, broken ventilation, unreliable plumbing and unsafe living spaces can damage morale, harm health and distract service members from training and operational duties.

Of the 31 recommendations GAO issued in 2023, the department had implemented 19 as of April 2026. Several important recommendations remain unresolved, including the creation of a clear oversight structure for military barracks.

The report also identified serious trouble hiring and retaining skilled maintenance workers, especially at remote and isolated installations. Competition from private employers, along with federal hiring rules, pay limitations and work eligibility practices, has made already difficult staffing problems worse.

Military departments have not fully measured the extent of those workforce shortages and have not developed adequate plans to overcome them. Without electricians, plumbers, heating specialists and other skilled employees, even properly identified repairs can remain stuck in bureaucratic limbo.

Installations also depend on maintenance work order systems to track problems and responses, but GAO found that the available data is limited and generally unreliable. That means department leaders cannot confidently measure whether repairs are timely, effective or consistent across the services.

GAO issued 13 new recommendations, including stronger departmental oversight, a fuller assessment of risks created by underfunding and improvements to maintenance data reliability. The department fully or partially agreed with 12 recommendations and rejected one.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth now faces the cleanup of a maintenance culture that too often treated troop housing like an afterthought. Congress and the Pentagon cannot credibly preach readiness while service members sleep in failing barracks and a $285 billion repair bill gathers dust.

U.S. Blows Up Lost Million Reaper After Middle East Hard Landing
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U.S. Blows Up Lost $23 Million Reaper After Middle East Hard Landing

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A malfunctioning MQ-9A Reaper became a $23 million battlefield demolition target after an electrical failure killed its newly installed engine during a lengthy mission over the Middle East last August.

The remotely operated aircraft had already spent roughly 19 hours in the air when its fuel system shut down.

Its crew fought for more than seven minutes to keep the powerless Reaper flying, but the aircraft was already doomed.

Operating from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota, the pilot guided the descending drone for nearly 10 minutes.

The crew made two attempts to restart the engine before executing what investigators called a “forced landing.”

The landing buckled the Reaper’s landing gear inside an undisclosed country within the region controlled by US Central Command.

Rather than attempt to haul the crippled aircraft out, American forces removed critical components and destroyed what remained.

The Air Force investigation stated that the aircraft was not recovered, but “based on the circumstances and the location of its landing, sensitive equipment was recovered from the [Reaper] and its remaining wreckage was demolished on site.”

The report offered no details about how troops eliminated the wreckage. American forces, however, commonly use explosives or airstrikes to erase disabled aircraft before enemy fighters, intelligence services, or Iranian backed militias can start picking through valuable technology.

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The U.S. Coast Guard will use about $266 million of the funds it received in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” to procure the service’s own MQ-9 Alpha long-range unmanned aerial systems. (Senior Airman Raya Feltner/Air Force)

That approach was also used after two MC-130 special operations aircraft were lost in April during the rescue of an F-15 weapons officer inside Iran. When sensitive American hardware cannot come home, reducing it to scrap is generally better than gifting it to the enemy.

Investigators traced the Reaper’s fatal failure to a damaged electrical wire within the fuel system.

The board concluded that the wire probably developed a short after rubbing against another component, a process described in the report as “chaffing.”

Once the damaged wire caused the fuel system to shut down, the crew had no realistic way to save the aircraft.

The new engine could not run without fuel, leaving the operators to manage the Reaper’s final descent and find the least disastrous place to put it down.

The mission was the drone’s first flight after receiving a new engine during a scheduled 3,000 hour maintenance overhaul.

Congress Orders Comprehensive Review of Drone Work's Mental Health Toll on Troops
Members of 119th Maintenance Squadron work on an MQ-9 Reaper drone during the Northern Strike 2025 exercise. Air National Guard Photo by Sr. Master Sgt. Michael Knodle.

Despite that timing, investigators found no proof that the engine replacement itself damaged the wire or caused the failure.

Col. Brian Desautels, president of the crash investigation board, wrote, “No evidence indicates that maintenance procedures executed were a factor in this mishap.” Desautels is a career C-130 rescue pilot who commands an Air Force rescue group at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia.

At least some maintenance on the aircraft was performed by private contractor Amentum.

The company provides “Comprehensive Engine Management System support; Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE) and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) maintenance” for the Air Force’s MQ-9A fleet.

The investigation did not identify whether contractor personnel or Air Force maintainers completed the engine swap.

Air Force MQ-9 Reaper Losses Hit Hard as Iran Conflict Slashes Fleet Strength
An MQ-9 Reaper flies a training mission over the Nevada Test and Training Range on July 15, 2019. (Airman 1st Class William Rio Rosado/U.S. Air Force)

It also noted that the Reaper was not subjected to a Functional Check Flight or Operational Check Flight after the replacement.

Air Force regulations generally require those shakedown flights following engine changes on most crewed aircraft, but the rule does not apply to MQ-9s. The crash may prompt fresh questions about why a $23 million combat aircraft can receive a new engine and immediately head into a 19 hour operational mission without such a check.

The report also revealed an intense operational tempo for the pilot and sensor operator as US operations expanded around Iran.

Together, they had completed almost 60 missions during the previous 90 days, far more flying than many crews of manned Air Force aircraft typically record.

During the 30 days before the crash, the pilot flew 19 missions while the sensor operator completed 23.

MQ‑9 Reaper Drone Crowned the Unmanned 'MVP' in 'Epic Fury' as Air Force Faces Budget Battle
An MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle flies a combat mission over southern Afghanistan, 29 November 2008 (Lt. Col. Leslie Pratt)

Those numbers illustrate how heavily Reaper crews and aircraft have been employed throughout the region.

The Air Force maintains more than 200 MQ 9 aircraft, but roughly 40 MQ-9As have crashed since hostilities with Iran increased in 2025, according to the Aviation Safety Network. Most were reportedly shot down over Iran or Africa, making this loss a mechanical casualty rather than an enemy kill.

An earlier account incorrectly called the aircraft a Predator.

The aircraft involved was an MQ-9A Reaper, and once its engine went silent, its crew could only land it, strip it, and ensure America’s enemies received nothing useful.

U.S. Navy Spearheads Allied Push for Powerful Next Generation SeaSparrow
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U.S. Navy Spearheads Allied Push for Powerful Next Generation SeaSparrow

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The United States Navy is spearheading a multinational drive to develop a next generation Evolved SeaSparrow missile capable of protecting allied warships from an increasingly dangerous mix of aerial threats.

The effort brings together 12 nations through the NATO SeaSparrow Project Office consortium.

According to a Navy Sources Sought notice, the consortium wants a SeaSparrow variant that can operate across participating fleets rather than remain tied to a single nation or platform.

Responses from interested contractors are due Oct. 19.

The proposed NSV SeaSparrow is expected to confront threats ranging from slow aircraft to high speed missiles diving toward ships.

The Navy said the weapon “should have capability against current and future threat classes spanning a variety of threat characteristics including velocity (low-speed to high-speed), altitude (sea skimming to high diver), maneuverability (non-maneuvering to high Gravitational (G)-Force maneuvers), and signatures.”

That broad requirement reflects the ugly reality facing modern naval forces, particularly as hostile powers invest heavily in drones, cruise missiles and sophisticated antiship weapons.

A fleet air defense system must now distinguish and destroy multiple threats approaching from different directions, altitudes and speeds.

The missile is also intended to help defend ships against massed salvos, a scenario designed to overwhelm limited interceptor inventories and shipboard sensors.

It must continue operating even when adversaries deploy electronic jamming or other countermeasures.

According to the notice, the weapon “should be able to work in complex natural, contested, Radio Frequency (RF), Electro-Optical (EO), and/or Infrared (IR) environments.”

In plain English, the missile cannot afford to become confused when the electromagnetic battlefield gets crowded and the enemy starts playing dirty.

“The missile should have the capability to discriminate and resolve between multiple closely spaced targets and provide threat-track measurements to support missile guidance, navigation and lethality functions,” the Sources Sought notice continues.

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A MH-60S Seahawk from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 flies by the USS Donald Cook in the Middle East on June 18, 2025. Navy photo.

“The missile should have the capability to handle threat countermeasures.”

A graphic included with the notice illustrated just how demanding that mission could become.

It appeared to show surface ships, including two aircraft carriers, under attack from roughly a dozen missiles and torpedoes, along with a hostile fixed wing aircraft and helicopter.

Friendly warships in the graphic appeared to use active illumination against some incoming threats, while SeaSparrow missiles relied on onboard sensors to intercept others.

That combination could give commanders greater flexibility when facing saturation attacks instead of forcing every engagement through one vulnerable targeting method.

The consortium also wants a modular architecture that can be upgraded as threats evolve. It is seeking “maximum rights in technical data, computer software, and computer software documentation (including source code), design artifacts, and interface specifications.”

“This approach will simplify future upgrades, promote interoperability across consortium platforms, and outpace evolving threats,” the Navy notice said.

That emphasis should also prevent participating governments from becoming needlessly trapped by proprietary systems when rapid battlefield improvements are required.

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An E/A-18G Growler prepares to launch from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, June 11, 2026. (U.S. Navy)

Contractors are expected to offer a complete missile system, including the airframe, propulsion package, guidance equipment and software.

The missile can measure no more than 10 inches in diameter and must fit inside a Mark 41 vertical launch tube, preserving compatibility with widely fielded naval launch systems.

Technical information must be releasable across the full NATO SeaSparrow Consortium, which includes Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the United States. Thailand and the United Arab Emirates also operate SeaSparrow weapons.

Raytheon currently manufactures the Block II RIM 162 Evolved SeaSparrow and doubled annual production to more than 350 missiles in 2025.

Demand is likely to remain strong as operations in the Persian Gulf burn through American and allied interceptor stocks while Iran launches missiles and drones.

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A U.S. sailor signals an F/A-18E Super Hornet on the flight deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, March 4, 2026. (U.S. Navy)

The Evolved SeaSparrow entered service in 2004 but traces its lineage to the AIM 7 Sparrow radar guided air to air missile developed during the 1950s.

Although the original Sparrow posted mixed results during the Vietnam War, the modern naval version was designed as an affordable shield against antiship missiles, aircraft, helicopters and fast attack boats.

The current missile has an estimated range of about 30 miles, giving warships a vital short range defensive layer.

A more adaptable successor would strengthen allied fleets while helping the Navy stay ahead of adversaries betting that sheer numbers can punch through American sea power.

Marine Corps Eyes More Commercial Vessel Charters as Pacific Experimentation Accelerates
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Marine Corps Eyes More Commercial Vessel Charters as Pacific Experimentation Accelerates

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The Marine Corps has added a specialized vessel named Matilda 1 to its growing Pacific toolkit, giving Marines another way to move personnel and equipment through shallow coastal waters.

The ship also represents a faster and potentially cheaper model for testing maritime capabilities without waiting years for a traditional acquisition program.

Matilda 1 is a 240 foot stern landing vessel capable of carrying troops from ships to shore or between remote beachheads.

Its shallow draft allows it to operate in littoral areas that many larger vessels cannot reach, an increasingly important capability as the Corps prepares for dispersed operations across the Pacific.

Australian company Seatransport designed the vessel, while Indonesian builder Karimun Anugrah Sejati handled construction.

Matilda 1 became operational earlier this year and is available to the Marine Corps through a three year charter with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, managed by MariGuard LLC.

The arrangement is the second commercial vessel charter pursued by the Warfighting Lab since 2021.

It allows the Corps to examine its stand in forces concept without immediately pouring taxpayer dollars into an outright purchase or another lengthy government shipbuilding effort.

The charter “allows us to move a lot quicker,” Maj. Brandon Griffith, who leads Logistics, Science and Technology at the Warfighting Lab, said.

“That’s part of what we’re looking at, is the viability of that approach.”

Speed matters because the Navy’s Medium Landing Ship program remains under development while Marines need practical options now.

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A Marine holds a defensive position during Exercise Aurora 17 in Larbro, Sweden, Sept. 21, 2017. The Marine is assigned to Marine Rotational Force-Europe. The exercise includes forces from the United States and other nations to promote common regional security. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Careaf Henson

Matilda 1 is expected to “bridge the gap” until the planned vessels arrive, giving commanders a real platform for experimentation instead of another stack of briefing slides.

The Medium Landing Ship has been designated the McClung class in honor of Marine Maj. Megan McClung, who was killed while deployed to Iraq.

The Navy plans to acquire between 18 and 35 ships, but although the first vessel has been ordered, actual construction has not started.

Matilda 1 also carries a name rooted in the longstanding military relationship between the United States and Australia.

“After the pivotal Battle of Guadalcanal, the 1st Marine Division adopted the Australian folk song ‘Waltzing Matilda’ as an unofficial anthem,” Warfighting Lab officials said.

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Two Marines in the Basic Reconnaissance Course at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, California. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew Cortez.

“The name MATILDA 1 pays tribute to this shared legacy of mutual defense in the Pacific,” the officials added.

That heritage fits a vessel already working closely with Australian forces while preparing Marines for the unforgiving distances and geography of the region.

The Corps previously chartered the HOS Resolution, an offshore supply vessel used from 2021 through 2024 to help refine Medium Landing Ship concepts and designs.

Unlike Matilda 1, that older vessel required ramps for loading and unloading because it had not been purpose built for the mission.

“It was kind of our first, you know, dip in the toe in the water of this type of craft,” Griffith said.

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Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit train on aircraft and personnel recovery at Fort Novosel on April 16, 2026. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brian Bolin Jr.

Matilda 1 now gives the Warfighting Lab a more specialized platform for determining what works before the government commits to bigger bills and permanent fleets.

Additional commercial charters are likely as the Marine Corps expands experimentation beyond the Pacific.

“This is a Pacific-focused charter now, but it’s a concept that we’re definitely looking to expand across the globe, across all the component commands,” Griffith said.

“A lot of what we try to do, experimentation-wise, may focus on one theater, but that doesn’t mean the lessons learned aren’t applicable across the board,” Griffith continued.

That approach could help the Corps adapt commercial designs for different commands while avoiding the usual bureaucratic crawl.

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U.S. Marines with 12th Littoral Combat Team, 12th Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, execute emplacement drills during a machine gun range in preparation for exercise Resolute Dragon 25 at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Sept. 9, 2025. Resolute Dragon 25 is an annual bilateral exercise in Japan that strengthens the command, control, and multi-domain maneuver capabilities of U.S. Marines in III Marine Expeditionary Force and Japan Self-Defense Force personnel, with a focus on controlling and defending key maritime terrain. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Lucas Lu)

Although Matilda 1 began its lease period only in June, it has already demonstrated important capabilities alongside the Australian military near Darwin.

The vessel successfully landed on a 1:40 beach gradient, considered a moderate to gentle slope that would present serious problems for many conventional ships.

Matilda 1 is expected to travel next to Okinawa for exercises with III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Marines will test the vessel’s capacity, range, stability and operational value under conditions more closely resembling a potential Western Pacific mission.

The vessel has a reported range of 4,000 nautical miles and room for 84 shipping containers.

Its V shaped hull is also designed to handle rougher seas, offering a useful blend of beach access, cargo capacity and offshore endurance.

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Marine Lance Cpl. Andy Ngo takes a polar plunge during cold weather training at Camp Dawson, West Virginia, Feb. 10, 2026. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Amy Espinoza.

“Almost all amphibious vessel designs are incapable of long-distance offshore voyages,” Seatransport CEO Stuart Ballantyne told Baird Maritime in March.

“This vessel can achieve 85% of her designed speed in head sea state five and predominant waves in standard tradewind areas.”

For a Marine Corps preparing to operate from scattered islands and austere beaches, that combination could prove highly valuable.

Instead of waiting on slow procurement machinery to produce every answer, the charter lets Marines test available equipment, identify shortcomings and send lessons directly into future requirements.

The early performance has encouraged officials searching for an acceptable balance between capability and cost.

“It’s kind of the best of both worlds, if you will, and has proven out pretty well so far,” Griffith said.

Why America’s Military Urgently Needs a Seaplane in the Pacific
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Why America’s Military Urgently Needs a Seaplane in the Pacific

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The United States military has gone without an operational seaplane since the Coast Guard retired the HU-16 Albatross in 1983.

That ended a 73 year run in which amphibious aircraft handled missions ranging from search and rescue to resupply across enormous stretches of open water.

Bringing that capability back deserves serious consideration as Washington prepares for possible conflict in the Pacific.

United States Pacific Command covers more than one hundred million square miles, representing over half the planet, and most of that sprawling territory is water.

Technology has made long distance flight faster and more reliable, but geography has not changed.

Aircraft still need fuel, maintenance, cargo hubs, and places to land, just as American aviators did during World War II.

Land is therefore precious, particularly when it can support an airfield or port.

Concrete runways are useful right up until enemy missiles turn them into expensive rubble, which planners must assume could happen during the opening hours of a major conflict.

The Marines’ Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations concept and the Army’s Multi Domain Operations doctrine both envision smaller forces spread across austere locations.

Those troops will require steady logistics despite having little infrastructure for conventional cargo aircraft, large ships, or traditional ground transportation.

The Marines are buying a new medium landing ship known as the McClung Class, while the Army faces pressure to modernize its amphibious fleet.

The services are also investing in aircraft such as the MV-22 Osprey and the coming MV-75, which can carry supplies farther than standard helicopters.

The Pentagon has already explored the return of the flying boat. In 2023, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency selected General Atomics and Aurora Flight Sciences to design the “Liberty Lifter,” a massive aircraft intended to operate primarily from water.

The proposed Liberty Lifter would have matched the C-17 cargo capacity of 170,900 pounds.

Around the same time, the Air Force was considering a C-130 floatplane that officials said could fly in 2023, but neither concept ultimately reached the water.

There is a legitimate concern that developing an entirely new seaplane could take so long that unmanned systems would overtake it.

Drones are already assuming several missions that once made amphibious aircraft indispensable, particularly surveillance and search operations over vast maritime regions.

The MQ-9B SeaGuardian can remain airborne for more than 40 hours while scanning thousands of square miles. It can help locate downed aviators or sailors, after which an unmanned surface vessel could be sent to assist with the rescue.

That concept has already moved beyond the drawing board. In June, an unmanned vessel participated in the response after an Apache went down while patrolling near Oman, demonstrating how machines can be sent into danger without risking another crew.

Unmanned aircraft and vessels are also being developed for resupply, medical evacuation, and submarine hunting.

Those are all missions associated with modern seaplanes, but many drone programs remain immature and cannot yet deliver the complete flexibility of a crewed amphibious aircraft.

The answer is not another bloated development marathon that burns years and mountains of taxpayer cash.

America should instead examine purchasing Japan’s proven US-2, an aircraft already operating in the Pacific and supported by a trusted ally.

Built by ShinMaywa Industries, the US-2 traces its design heritage to the Albatross once flown by the Coast Guard. It has a range of about 2,900 miles, reaches roughly 330 miles per hour, climbs to 30,000 feet, and needs only about 900 feet of water for takeoff.

The aircraft requires about 1,100 feet to land and can operate in waves reaching 10 feet.

Its fifth engine powers a compressor that blows air over the control surfaces, allowing the US-2 to remain controllable at speeds as low as 55 miles per hour.

Most importantly, Japan’s Maritime Self Defense Force already flies the aircraft, and American service members have trained beside it.

Japan is also opening more of its military industry to exports, creating an opportunity for practical cooperation instead of another endless Washington science project.

A small American US-2 fleet would not replace cargo aircraft, ships, helicopters, or drones.

It would give commanders another flexible tool for rescue, limited resupply, medical evacuation, and operations from areas where intact runways may be unavailable.

The Pacific presents brutal distances, scarce infrastructure, and an enemy expected to target major logistics hubs immediately.

Buying a proven seaplane from Japan could fill a real operational gap now, before America discovers the hard way that water is everywhere and runways are not.

Gamblers Pocket Million on Polymarket as Military Betting Raises Insider Alarm
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Gamblers Pocket $8 Million on Polymarket as Military Betting Raises Insider Alarm

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A small circle of Polymarket gamblers collected roughly $8 million by wagering on military operations, according to researchers who say the remarkable winning streaks may point to people trading on protected information. About 150 accounts repeatedly placed unlikely bets and somehow landed on the correct outcome nearly every time.

The Anti Corruption Data Collective identified the accounts as “the most likely potential insiders” in a report released Thursday.

Their success, researchers argued, is difficult to explain through ordinary luck, educated guessing, or the usual online casino bravado.

“Traders acting on specialized, nonpublic information possess an edge that is valuable only within a limited set of markets, and that produces win rates difficult to attribute to luck,” the researchers wrote.

They focused on accounts displaying unusually narrow interests and suspiciously accurate wagers.

The report selected bettors based on ”The concentration of their betting within less than 100 markets and two topics, and unusual accuracy (over 75%) of their longshot bets.”

In other words, these were not casual gamblers bouncing from elections to sports before occasionally wandering into national security.

The same organization raised alarms in April after discovering that “longshot” bets concerning military operations succeeded 52% of the time.

That rate was reportedly four times higher than the success recorded across other categories of prediction markets.

The new investigation examined 152 accounts whose behavior appeared to “support our hypothesis that they are the most likely insiders.”

Researchers labeled these bettors “orcas,” describing them as “highly specialized, incredibly successful bettors” who concentrate on a limited collection of military markets.

The orcas were compared with “whales,” meaning big spenders who roam broadly across the platform and attempt to “devour enormous profits.”

Those players frequently profit at the expense of “small fish,” ordinary users who end up “losing out badly to the fat larger competition.”

Half of the suspected orca accounts placed their first unlikely military wager within two days of opening a Polymarket account.

They also committed larger sums more frequently to risky markets where the predicted event supposedly had little chance of occurring.

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A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bomber assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing integrates with a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft assigned to the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 225, in the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, Oct. 15, 2025. (U.S. Air Force)

Collectively, the 152 wallets wagered about $2 million on military longshots and won 97.2% of the time, producing approximately $8 million in winnings.

That works out to more than $52,500 per wallet, which is quite a beginner’s streak for accounts that supposedly just wandered into the prediction business.

Despite wagering less overall than other groups, the orcas reportedly generated returns of 132%. Whales and small fish suffered losses reaching 2%, while at least half of the specialized accounts doubled their money.

The obvious concern extends far beyond whether a few gamblers found a clever way to fleece the crowd.

If military personnel or others with privileged access are betting on upcoming operations, they may be exposing American plans while creating a public trail that hostile intelligence services can monitor.

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Researchers found that orcas often entered markets first, followed by whales, possible automated accounts, and smaller bettors. One cited example involved unlikely wagers placed around Feb. 16, 2025, followed by additional activity 48 hours before reported United States strikes on Iran in March.

“Because every Polymarket trade is visible on a public blockchain in real time, an insider betting on confidential military information is effectively broadcasting that information to foreign adversaries,” the collective warned. “Copycat behavior amplifies these signals, making them virtually impossible to contain.”

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The findings arrive as American and Israeli authorities pursue cases involving military personnel accused of betting with sensitive information.

In April, Army Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a special operations soldier, was arrested and accused of earning more than $400,000 from wagers involving Venezuela and the American raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Van Dyke served aboard a Navy vessel that helped stage the operation, pleaded not guilty, and later asked a court to dismiss the case.

His lawyers contend prosecutors are stretching existing federal laws to cover conduct that Congress has not specifically addressed.

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Israeli authorities have also arrested several people suspected of using classified information for Polymarket wagers involving attacks in Iran and Yemen.

One officer offered the eyebrow raising defense that “The entire Israel Air Force is involved in gambling,” a claim that hardly reassures anyone responsible for operational security.

Prediction markets may be fashionable, but classified military planning is not casino currency.

If the researchers are right, federal investigators and the Department of War have a serious counterintelligence problem to confront before the next secret operation becomes just another profitable tip for online bettors.


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