Author name: Common Defense

U.S. Unleashes .9 Billion Raytheon Deal to Supercharge Tomahawk Arsenal
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U.S. Unleashes $22.9 Billion Raytheon Deal to Supercharge Tomahawk Arsenal

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The United States military awarded Raytheon a massive $22.9 billion contract Monday to dramatically increase Tomahawk missile production.

The seven year agreement represents a major push to replenish precision weapons inventories and restore the industrial capacity required for sustained combat operations.

American stockpiles have faced growing pressure as Washington supplied substantial quantities of weapons to allies while also expending munitions during the conflict with Iran.

Those demands have raised serious concerns about available inventories of air defense interceptors and precision guided strike weapons.

“We called on industry to rapidly scale up munitions output, and RTX is delivering,” Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said in a post on X.

“This landmark Tomahawk contract ensures our warfighters continue to have the lethal firepower they need.”

Raytheon, a business unit of RTX, said the contract will allow annual Tomahawk production to climb beyond 1,000 missiles.

That would be an enormous increase from the roughly 60 Tomahawks the company currently produces each year.

Moving from 60 missiles annually to more than 1,000 is not a routine adjustment to an assembly line.

It requires expanded facilities, additional equipment, a larger skilled workforce, reliable suppliers, and long term access to specialized materials and electronic components.

Trump Backed U.S. Retaliation After Iranian Drone Attack Kills Four Reserve Soldiers
The guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black fires a Tomahawk land attack missile in support of Operation Epic Fury in an undisclosed location, Feb. 28, 2026.

The Tomahawk remains one of the Navy’s most important conventional strike weapons.

Launched from surface ships and submarines, the missile gives commanders the ability to hit land targets from long range with precision while keeping American platforms farther from hostile forces.

That reach can prove decisive during the opening stages of a conflict, particularly against command facilities, air defense sites, weapons storage areas, and other hardened targets.

A larger inventory also gives military planners more options without forcing them to ration critical weapons during an extended campaign.

The formal announcement finalizes a framework agreement signed by the military and Raytheon in February.

That earlier arrangement established the foundation for expanding production, while Monday’s award puts serious money and purchasing commitments behind the plan.

President Donald Trump’s administration has been pursuing multi year agreements with major American military contractors.

Germany Seals Deal to Buy U.S. Tomahawks, Bolstering Its Long-Range Strike Power
The U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner fires a Tomahawk land attack missile in support of Operation Epic Fury on March 1, 2026. (U.S. Navy)

These contracts provide companies with the predictability needed to invest billions of dollars in new factories, production equipment, supply networks, and workforce development.

That approach marks a welcome shift from the procurement drift that too often left manufacturers guessing about future orders.

Industry cannot build missiles at wartime speed when Washington purchases them in small batches and expects factories to remain ready through sheer wishful thinking.

Long term commitments give contractors a reason to expand capacity before the next emergency arrives. They also help suppliers plan for larger orders involving rocket motors, guidance systems, warheads, propulsion components, and the countless smaller parts required for modern precision weapons.

The Tomahawk agreement follows additional military deals signed earlier this month to accelerate production of Patriot and THAAD interceptor missile components.

Those systems are central to protecting American forces, allied installations, cities, and critical infrastructure from ballistic missile and aerial threats.

Together, the agreements suggest the Trump administration is treating munitions production as a national security priority rather than another paperwork exercise.

Japan’s Tomahawk Capable Destroyer Expands Reach, Strengthening Regional Deterrence

President Trump and War Secretary Pete Hegseth have emphasized military lethality, readiness, and the need to ensure American troops enter any fight with overwhelming firepower.

Rebuilding the arsenal will still take time because missile production depends on complicated supply chains and highly trained workers.

However, a seven year contract with a value approaching $23 billion provides the stability needed to begin reversing years of insufficient capacity.

For sailors aboard American destroyers, cruisers, and submarines, the result should be a deeper supply of one of the fleet’s most proven strike weapons.

For potential adversaries, the message is equally clear: the United States intends to restore its magazines and ensure its warfighters have the weapons required to hit hard from long range.

Navy Launches Probe After Destroyer Loses Power for Days in South China Sea
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Navy Launches Probe After Destroyer Loses Power for Days in South China Sea

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The Navy is investigating a rare and punishing power failure aboard the destroyer USS Benfold, which left the warship without electricity for several days while operating in the South China Sea.

The casualty forced commercial tugboats to tow the vessel to Subic Bay in the Philippines for repairs.

Cmdr. Matthew Comer, a spokesperson for the 7th Fleet, said the sailors aboard Benfold endured the emergency without suffering any injuries.

“There were no injuries to the crew, who demonstrated resilience, grit, professionalism, and unwavering steadiness in their response,” Comer told Task & Purpose.

The incident began July 24 when a problem with one of the destroyer’s generators triggered what Comer described as an “engineering casualty.”

The failure knocked out power while the Benfold was underway in one of the world’s most strategically important and heavily contested waterways.

The resulting conditions aboard the ship quickly became miserable.

“The loss of power impacted potable water, galley services, toilets and air conditioning aboard the ship,” Comer said. “We commend the crew on their actions and resilience.”

Losing those basic systems is more than an inconvenience aboard a modern warship packed with electronics, machinery and hundreds of sailors.

Without reliable ventilation, plumbing and food preparation equipment, even routine life aboard the destroyer became a test of discipline and endurance.

Other vessels assigned to the George Washington Carrier Strike Group moved to support the disabled ship and its crew.

The cruiser USS Robert Smalls provided meals to Benfold sailors as the Navy worked to stabilize the situation and arrange a tow.

Commercial tugboats ultimately pulled the destroyer into Subic Bay on July 28, four days after the casualty began.

Starting July 29, the crew received food and lodging away from the ship while technicians continued the slow process of restoring critical systems.

Power returned aboard Benfold on July 30, although repair work continued until Aug. 7. The ship left Subic Bay the following day and returned to operations after the Navy determined its major systems were functioning properly.

“The ship departed Subic Bay, Aug. 8, with all engineering, combat systems, and crew support systems functioning normally to resume routine operations in U.S. 7th Fleet,” Comer said.

The Navy has not yet publicly identified the precise mechanical failure behind the extended outage.

Retired Navy Capt. Bradley Martin, now a senior policy researcher with the RAND Corporation, said it is extremely unusual for a Navy vessel to remain without power for several days.

A total outage can rapidly strip away the systems sailors normally depend upon to live and work at sea.

“Potable water would be limited to bottled water,” Martin said. “Food would be limited to canned stores, of which ships have some, plus whatever could be broken out of freezers and refrigerators for brief periods of access.”

Although the support supplied by USS Robert Smalls offered some relief, Martin said Benfold’s sailors likely endured a “wholly miserable experience.”

Life aboard a steel warship in the South China Sea heat is unpleasant enough before the air conditioning and ventilation stop working.

“Toilets would literally be buckets and other containers thrown over the side,” Martin explained.

“But the interior of the ship would be unbearably hot absent ventilation.”

“Topside hatches and doors could be opened for ventilation, but I suspect people would be required to sleep on deck,” Martin added.

Those conditions provide a hard reminder that a sophisticated destroyer can become brutally primitive once electrical generation goes down.

Retired Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Hendrick Simoes recalled several complete power failures while serving aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk during the early 2000s.

Those incidents generally lasted only hours, however, rather than the several days experienced by Benfold’s crew.

“When something goes wrong hundreds of miles from land, there can be this very profound realization that the crew around you is what you’ve got,” Simoes said. “There isn’t necessarily someone coming immediately to fix the problem for you.”

“The crew has to come together, troubleshoot it, and keep the ship safe while they figure it out,” Simoes said.

“I think that’s one of the reasons the Navy puts so much emphasis on sailors being problem-solvers.”

The investigation will now focus on how a generator casualty managed to leave the destroyer without power for such an extraordinary length of time.

Benfold has returned to routine 7th Fleet operations, but the episode will likely provide the Navy with serious lessons about engineering readiness and emergency support.

Army Unit Dangles GTA VI Gaming Break to Lock in Reenlistments
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Army Unit Dangles GTA VI Gaming Break to Lock in Reenlistments

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An Army engineer battalion at Fort Stewart, Georgia, is turning to virtual carjackings and digital mayhem to persuade soldiers to stay in uniform.

Troops who reenlist during the designated window can earn time off timed around the release of Grand Theft Auto VI.

The unusual incentive comes from the 9th Brigade Engineer Battalion and was detailed in a memorandum circulated on social media.

Army officials confirmed that the document and the reenlistment offer are legitimate.

Lt. Col. Ryan Hodgson, commander of the battalion, signed the memorandum offering eligible soldiers a “special 4-day pass.”

The incentive applies to troops who reenlist between Aug. 1 and Nov. 14, 2026.

According to the memorandum, the pass is “specifically designated to coincide with the highly anticipated release of the video game “Grand Theft Auto VI” (GTA 6).”

It is certainly not the standard recruiting pitch, but apparently another PowerPoint briefing was not going to get the job done.

The exact dates will be coordinated between each soldier and the chain of command.

However, the four days off are expected to align with the official release of the game.

Rockstar Games says Grand Theft Auto VI will become available Nov. 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox players.

That gives reenlisting soldiers an opportunity to report for duty in the fictional criminal underworld after signing up for another stretch of service in the real Army.

Grand Theft Auto is among the most successful video game franchises ever produced.

Its open world gameplay blends organized crime missions, car theft, reckless driving, side quests, and enough general chaos to make even a seasoned first sergeant reach for the aspirin.

Behind the humor, however, the offer highlights a practical challenge facing commanders who are trying to retain trained soldiers.

The Army can provide reenlistment bonuses worth tens of thousands of dollars, but commanders at the unit level have far fewer tools available to close the deal.

Extra leave and opportunities to attend desirable Army schools have long been used as incentives.

When those traditional options are not enough, career counselors must find something that actually gets the attention of younger troops.

Army officials said the battalion’s new career counselor proposed the Grand Theft Auto idea because it “speaks” to younger soldiers.

The command team also saw it as a way to jump start the battalion’s fiscal year 2027 retention campaign, which begins in October.

“The command team, in conjunction with the career counselor, wanted to get soldiers excited to reenlist,” Lt. Col. Angel Tomko, a spokesperson for the 3rd Infantry Division, said.

The strategy appears designed to make soldiers aware of their eligibility before their reenlistment window begins closing.

“The command team thinks eligible soldiers are more aware that they are in their window for reenlistment and engage their leadership and the career counselor earlier to see what is available,” Tomko said. In other words, a popular video game is being used to start a serious conversation about continued Army service.

As of Monday, 20 of the battalion’s 130 eligible soldiers had accepted the offer.

Those soldiers signed contracts committing them to between two and six additional years in uniform, meaning the digital crime spree comes only after a very real commitment to the nation.

The option is available throughout the engineer battalion, not only to soldiers working in traditional engineering positions.

Eligible personnel include troops serving in engineering, signal intelligence, human resources, and medical specialties.

The Army has experimented with several creative retention concepts over the past year.

Those efforts have included connecting retention payments to annual fitness tests and everyday job performance, rather than relying exclusively on familiar bonus structures.

Another initiative had warrant officers “bid” against one another for larger bonuses.

Such programs reflect an Army searching for more flexible ways to reward performance and keep valuable experience inside the force.

The Fort Stewart offer may sound unconventional, but it is already producing signed contracts.

If four days of Grand Theft Auto can keep trained soldiers in the Army for several more years, commanders may consider that a better return than another motivational poster in the company hallway.

American Military Cash Supercharged China’s Robot Dog Empire
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American Military Cash Supercharged China’s Robot Dog Empire

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American taxpayers helped finance robotics breakthroughs that now underpin China’s booming robot dog industry, exposing a glaring weakness in the nation’s ability to turn military research into domestic manufacturing power. Unitree Robotics used concepts developed through United States Army funded programs to help build machines now appearing beside Chinese troops.

Unitree’s Go2, introduced in 2023 for roughly $1,600, helped the Chinese company seize a commanding position in the global quadruped market. The firm reportedly sold more than 18,000 quadrupeds and 5,500 humanoid robots last year and is valued at about $9 billion.

The core advances came from research financed by the DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory and other military programs. Gavin Kenneally, a former University of Pennsylvania researcher, said the work became “basically, the first Unitree robot that had any kind of scale.”

Ben Katz, who worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Biomimetic Robotics Lab, said Unitree’s popular Go robots closely resembled the Mini Cheetah developed by American researchers. According to Katz, the dimensions were “to the millimeter” almost identical.

The Army funded the Robotics Collaborative Technology Alliance from 2010 through 2020, bringing together researchers from Penn, MIT, Boston Dynamics, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and private industry. General Dynamics Land Systems, manufacturer of the Abrams M1 tank, served as its leading commercial partner.

Penn researchers made a major advance in 2016 by removing heavy central gearboxes and placing motors inside robotic legs. That allowed the machines to better detect terrain and respond rapidly while moving across difficult ground.

MIT later unveiled Mini Cheetah, a stronger machine capable of performing backflips. Katz published detailed actuator designs in his master’s thesis, and within six months he found Chinese manufacturers selling copies “you could buy on AliExpress.”

Unitree founder Wang Xingxing cited MIT research in his 2016 master’s thesis and acknowledged the laboratory’s “pioneering” contributions. He also discussed possible “defense, security, family and education” applications while referencing Kenneally’s Army funded work at Penn.

Unitree says it “independently developed the motors, reducers, controllers, and even some sensors of the quadruped robot.” Researcher Joao Ramos nevertheless said the company copied Mini Cheetah’s basic shape, structure and design, although he credited Unitree with doing “proper engineering” to make mass production possible.

“The actual practical implementation, bringing it to real life, that’s all on them,” Ramos said. That distinction matters because American laboratories created groundbreaking designs, while China built the factories, supply chains and production capacity necessary to flood the market.

The Pentagon added Unitree to its list of Chinese military companies in June, calling the business a “contributor to the Chinese defense industrial base.” The designation restricts future United States military use but is not a full sanction, while Unitree continues insisting its products are intended for civilians.

Chinese state television has shown Unitree robots operating with People’s Liberation Army troops, including a modified B1 firing a mounted assault rifle. Another Chinese manufacturer displayed “Robot Wolf” quadrupeds during coverage of simulated PLA beach landings, making Beijing’s interest difficult to dismiss.

The United States military has also experimented with the technology because domestic alternatives remain scarce and expensive. Procurement records show the Army sought two Unitree Go2 robots after describing them as crucial amid insufficient American made options “of a satisfactory quality,” while Marines tested a Go1 carrying a remotely fired rocket launcher.

Ghost Robotics, founded by Kenneally, has delivered about 1,000 Vision 60 machines, primarily to military and government customers. Its first buyer was Navy Special Warfare Command, but the robots can cost more than $165,000, compared with Unitree machines listed below $100,000.

American researchers generally do not argue that taxpayer financed findings should be hidden, since open publication helps scientific progress. Army laboratory spokesperson Amanda Ligon said the work “strengthened the broader U.S. robotics ecosystem,” yet publication without production left China positioned to harvest the commercial rewards.

China’s advantage comes from state backed capital, dense component networks, critical mineral processing and factories producing motors, gears, magnets and actuators. Robotics analyst Reyk Knuhtsen called Washington’s failure a “dropped ball” and warned, “This is a very big hill for the U.S. to climb.”

Trade barriers can slow Beijing, but they cannot create American factories, skilled workers or reliable component supplies overnight. As Kenneally warned, “It’s between private U.S. companies and China’s coordinated national strategy.”

The Federal Communications Commission has blocked future imports of certain foreign humanoid and quadruped robots while working “to deliver on President Trump’s vision to lead the world on the next generation of technologies.” That protection is necessary, but President Trump’s industrial push must also ensure American breakthroughs are built by American workers instead of gift wrapped for Beijing.

Ghost Robotics has moved motor production from China to South Korea and is exploring manufacturing in Taiwan, although Chinese magnets and metal components remain difficult to replace. “We need to work closely with our allies,” Kenneally said. “There’s absolutely no path forward without them.”

U.S. Forces Launch Lifesaving Colombia Aid Mission After Catastrophic Earthquake
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U.S. Forces Launch Lifesaving Colombia Aid Mission After Catastrophic Earthquake

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American military cargo aircraft began delivering critical relief supplies to Colombia over the weekend after a devastating earthquake tore through broad sections of the country.

At least 285 people have been killed, while hundreds remain missing beneath debris and damaged structures.

United States airmen are supporting a humanitarian assistance operation led by the State Department.

The mission is moving water, shelter materials, communications equipment and other emergency resources into areas where local responders are confronting widespread destruction.

The first Air Force C 17 Globemaster arrived in Bogota overnight on Aug. 14. Another C 17 landed in Medellín on Sunday, where airmen unloaded pallets of supplies for distribution, according to United States Southern Command.

The flights are carrying supplies from a warehouse in Miami where emergency materials had been positioned in advance.

Aircraft are departing from Homestead Air Force Base in southern Florida, giving American officials a nearby hub for quickly funneling assistance into Colombia.

The first aircraft transported drinking water along with hygiene products and shelter supplies intended for relief organizations operating inside the country.

Those basic materials are especially important as damaged infrastructure and displaced communities strain Colombia’s emergency response capacity.

A second flight delivered Starlink kits that can help restore internet access in places where communications networks were disrupted by the earthquake.

Reliable communications can give rescue crews, government agencies and humanitarian groups a better chance of coordinating searches and directing aid where it is needed most.

Two urban search and rescue technical support teams also traveled to Colombia as part of the American response.

They will assist local first responders searching damaged buildings and debris fields for survivors as the window for successful rescues continues to narrow.

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western and central Colombia on Aug. 10, inflicting extensive damage across a large portion of the country.

Nearly 300 people have been confirmed dead, but that figure could rise as crews reach isolated communities and continue clearing collapsed structures.

The deployment marks the second time in two months that American forces have carried emergency aid from the United States to a South American nation hit by a major earthquake.

Once again, military logistics and disciplined airlift capabilities are doing what they do best when disaster leaves civilian infrastructure overwhelmed.

In late June, 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck Venezuela, damaging wide areas and killing more than 6,300 people.

The United States responded with personnel, aircraft, supplies and maritime assets during a monthlong humanitarian mission.

Members of the 621st Contingency Response Wing transported relief supplies and air traffic controllers into Venezuela. Marines assigned to Littoral Combat Force 24, which was deployed in the Caribbean, were also sent to support emergency operations.

Roughly 2,000 American troops participated in the Venezuela response, which included aircraft, an amphibious transport dock and about 900 United States service members working inside the country.

The final members of that earthquake response team departed Venezuela on July 25 after approximately one month of work on the ground.

The scale of the Colombia operation remains less clear, particularly when compared with the substantial deployment sent to Venezuela.

Questions remain about whether additional troops, ships or aircraft could be ordered into the region as Colombian authorities develop a clearer picture of the destruction.

Task and Purpose asked Southern Command for details about the extent of military assistance and whether further forces might be deployed.

Southern Command referred those questions to the State Department, which did not immediately provide information about possible additional military support.

For now, American airmen are keeping the supply pipeline moving while rescue teams race against time.

The mission offers another reminder that when catastrophe strikes close to home, United States military airlift can place lifesaving equipment on the ground while the paperwork crowd is still looking for the right folder.

U.S. Bases and Troops Once Again Exposed by Strava Security Failure
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U.S. Bases and Troops Once Again Exposed by Strava Security Failure

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Eight years after fitness applications exposed American troop locations and sensitive base layouts, service members are still broadcasting location data across the Middle East.

Despite military restrictions and repeated operational security warnings, hundreds of personnel continue leaving digital breadcrumbs that hostile governments can study.

A Sky News investigation found that more than 1,300 Strava users recorded workouts at military sites within the United States Central Command area.

Those activities stretched across several countries, and many of the identified locations were later struck by Iran, including attacks that killed American troops.

Strava allows users to record workouts, routes, distances, and locations, sometimes in real time. That may be convenient for tracking a morning run, but around an active military installation it can also hand adversaries a remarkably detailed picture of daily life.

The danger has been public knowledge since 2018, when Strava activity maps revealed a previously undisclosed American base in Niger.

The same data exposed air defense positions, firebases, installation layouts, and predictable routes created by troops running around base perimeters.

Following those revelations, the Department of War prohibited troops and civilian personnel from using geolocation features on work and personal devices in operational areas.

Yet personnel continued logging workouts before Operation Epic Fury began and while combat operations against Iran were underway.

At Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, troops regularly posted running routes through Strava.

Activity paused in March, then resumed in April with routes concentrated near barracks, effectively highlighting where American personnel were housed.

That housing area was targeted when fighting resumed in July, killing three soldiers.

The available reporting does not establish that Strava data directed the strike, but publicly displaying troop patterns near a target under active threat is an operational security failure that requires no elaborate explanation.

Strava and CENTCOM did not immediately answer requests for comment regarding the exposed information. Strava told Sky News that it provides privacy controls and expects “people working in sensitive professions to leverage the controls available to them.”

That response places responsibility squarely on users who knowingly work around sensitive facilities.

Privacy settings are not much of a safeguard when personnel ignore them, and a written policy is little more than paper armor when commanders fail to ensure compliance.

Since the war began, 18 American service members have been killed. Pentagon casualty figures also show 696 troops wounded in action during Operation Epic Fury or in “overseas operations,” the War Department term for hostilities occurring on or after July 7.

Sky News also examined Strava information associated with a Navy contractor in Manama, Bahrain, home to the United States Fifth Fleet headquarters.

The contractor departed the base after it was attacked during the opening hours of the war, but days later the hotel where the contractor was staying was also targeted.

Again, the reporting does not prove the fitness data caused either strike. Still, an application that can trace a person from a military headquarters to temporary lodging creates exactly the kind of pattern enemy intelligence services are paid to exploit.

In May, 14 members of Congress warned the Pentagon that foreign powers were using commercially available location information to track or target American troops in the Middle East.

The lawmakers called on the Department of War to establish stronger safeguards protecting service members and their privacy.

Their letter cited CENTCOM guidance issued on Dec. 4, 2025, directing troops to disable unnecessary geolocation services and regularly review device privacy settings.

The policy included escalating restrictions, with the highest level taking effect on Feb. 28, 2026, when Operation Epic Fury began.

CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper later warned that Iran was studying “reactions, photos, and footage from the cellphones of our troops” to evaluate strike results and improve targeting. Reuters reported that tighter enforcement could include requiring personnel to surrender their phones in some circumstances.

This is not exclusively an American problem, either.

In March, a sailor aboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle revealed the flagship’s precise location during a voyage by posting running activity through Strava.

The recurring exposure shows that issuing another memo will not solve a discipline problem. Troops operating within reach of Iranian missiles should not be advertising barracks, routes, schedules, or relocation patterns to anyone with an application and an internet connection.

America’s enemies do not need spies inside every installation when careless users publish usable intelligence for free.

The War Department and commanders in the field must treat unauthorized location sharing as the serious security breach it is, before another workout map becomes part of an enemy targeting folder.

CENTCOM Chief Boards USS Abraham Lincoln as Quality of Life Concerns Intensify
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CENTCOM Chief Boards USS Abraham Lincoln as Quality of Life Concerns Intensify

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The commander of United States Central Command visited the USS Abraham Lincoln on Saturday as military leaders confronted mounting questions about living conditions, morale, and mental health aboard the aircraft carrier.

The crew has spent months at sea while supporting demanding combat operations in the Middle East.

Adm. Brad Cooper boarded the Lincoln during a ten day regional tour that included meetings with American troops, senior commanders, and allied officials.

A CENTCOM spokesperson said Cooper spent several hours aboard the carrier, the only ship he visited during the trip.

His visit came after relatives of sailors and Marines reported food shortages, water problems, broken showers, unreliable laundry facilities, and other quality of life concerns.

Families have also described morale as low and said the prolonged deployment has placed serious pressure on the crew.

Military Times and Stars and Stripes separately reported incidents involving sailors attempting to jump overboard.

Those reports intensified scrutiny of conditions aboard one of America’s most important deployed warships.

The Lincoln is now in the ninth month of its deployment after leaving port in late November 2025. Initially sent to the Pacific, the carrier was redirected to the Middle East at the beginning of the year as regional tensions escalated.

Its most recent port call was a brief two day stop in Guam. The ship has spent more than 250 days away from home and has remained at sea throughout 2026, a grueling operational schedule even for a battle tested carrier crew.

Since the war with Iran began on Feb. 28, the Lincoln has participated in combat missions and helped enforce the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Multiple USS 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)

That is critical work at the sharp end of American power, but even the toughest sailors require functioning equipment, decent food, and reliable support.

Cooper arrived one day after the military confirmed that the Lincoln would soon head home. The USS George Washington is scheduled to deploy as its replacement, bringing long awaited relief closer for the Lincoln crew and their families.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao pushed back Friday against what he called “dishonest” media coverage of the carrier. However, he acknowledged that “a small number of mental health cases were treated” aboard the ship, marking the most senior public recognition of such incidents.

The White House and Pentagon also disputed portrayals of a ship overwhelmed by failing services and collapsing morale. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said conditions aboard the Lincoln had been “completely misrepresented.”

At the same time, the Navy confirmed that more assistance is being dispatched. In a statement to Task and Purpose, the service said it is sending “additional resiliency counselors and social workers to augment” existing support aboard the carrier.

Cooper previously visited the Lincoln in February, before combat operations against Iran began. During his latest stop, he addressed “the entire Lincoln team,” thanked the crew for its service, and presented awards to several service members.

Video released by CENTCOM showed Cooper meeting sailors and Marines from units assigned to Carrier Air Wing 9. Those included Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 14 and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314, both central to the carrier’s operational mission.

Cooper offered his own assessment Sunday in an opinion article for The Wall Street Journal. He wrote that the crew is “tired, but they continue to fire on all cylinders.”

The CENTCOM commander also challenged the freshness of some allegations, writing that “many elements of those stories are old news.” He directly addressed reports concerning basic services that families said had contributed to frustration aboard the ship.

“Issues related to food, hot water and other concerns raised months ago were addressed by leadership and resolved,” Cooper wrote. His account presents a crew under understandable strain but still carrying out the mission, rather than the picture of unchecked collapse promoted in some reports.

Cooper’s regional trip also included stops in Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

With the Lincoln preparing to return home, commanders now face the responsibility of completing the transition safely while ensuring the sailors and Marines who carried the burden receive the support they earned.

U.S. Bases Dangerously Ill Equipped to Crush Drone Swarm Attacks, NORAD Deputy Warns
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U.S. Bases Dangerously Ill Equipped to Crush Drone Swarm Attacks, NORAD Deputy Warns

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American military bases remain dangerously vulnerable to swarms of small, inexpensive attack drones, according to one of the senior commanders responsible for defending the homeland.

Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Jarrard warned that domestic installations are currently “ill-equipped” to stop the kind of coordinated drone strikes already being used around the world.

Jarrard serves as deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command and vice commander of the American contingent of North American Aerospace Defense Command.

Speaking Thursday at the annual Space and Missile Defense Symposium, he said the military is developing new tactics but is “not there yet” on reliable base protection.

The most immediate problem is not merely shooting drones down after they arrive.

Military forces must first detect, identify, and track potentially large swarms before those systems reach runways, aircraft, ammunition sites, command facilities, or other critical targets.

“We don’t have the sensors, and depending on where that swarm is going to attack, it depends on whether we have any sensors at all, and also whether we’ve got any effectors to go after that problem,” Jarrard said. That is a blunt admission about a threat that offers commanders little room for error.

A drone warfare guide released this summer by Joint Interagency Task Force 401 delivered an equally stark assessment. It warned that “once a drone is overhead, the most important decisions about protection and countermeasures have already been made or, as it were, missed.”

That reality makes early warning essential because a small drone can approach at low altitude, maneuver around obstacles, and strike with little notice.

A swarm makes the challenge worse by overwhelming sensors and forcing defenders to engage numerous inexpensive targets at once.

The military is testing several approaches to counter the growing danger, including directed energy weapons, specialized ammunition, and compact missile launchers designed to destroy fast moving drones.

American forces are also working to incorporate small unmanned systems into offensive operations, recognizing that drones are now central to modern warfare rather than some battlefield novelty.

The cost problem remains brutal for defenders because launching an expensive interceptor against a cheap drone is not a sustainable formula.

Adversaries can therefore use numbers to exhaust defensive magazines, distract security teams, and punch holes in protection around high value military infrastructure.

Ukraine demonstrated the destructive potential last year during Operation Spider’s Web, which carried dozens of one way attack drones deep into Russian territory aboard commercial trucks.

Once positioned, the drones emerged from containers and inflicted extensive damage on Russian military facilities far from the expected front lines.

That operation offered another warning to American planners: hostile drones do not necessarily need to cross an international border under military control.

They can be concealed, transported near a target, and launched from inside the country, making traditional perimeter defenses look painfully outdated.

Iranian forces also targeted American positions in the Middle East with missiles and drones during this year’s Iran war.

In March, small first person view drones operated by an Iranian backed militia attacked an American air base in Baghdad, with militia video showing one system surveying the installation before slamming into its target.

“We are ill-equipped right now to handle something like that, and obviously we’ve seen it used,” Jarrard told the audience. He added, “We’re seeing it used on a daily basis around the world, and we’ve got to figure out how to mitigate that threat.”

The Army is expected to add laser weapons to its base defense arsenal soon, according to a source familiar with the effort.

The War Department plans to place lasers and other directed energy systems at no fewer than five bases by the end of the year.

Laser systems could give defenders a less expensive way to engage repeated drone attacks without burning through limited missile inventories. However, weather, power requirements, tracking limitations, and the sheer number of possible targets mean no single piece of technology will solve the entire problem.

The warning from Northern Command should light a fire under military planners and congressional appropriators alike.

America cannot afford to protect billion dollar aircraft and vital installations with security arrangements designed for yesterday’s threats while cheap drones circle overhead looking for an opening.

Navy Bolsters Mental Health Support for USS Abraham Lincoln Crew
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Navy Bolsters Mental Health Support for USS Abraham Lincoln Crew

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The Navy is sending additional mental health personnel to the USS Abraham Lincoln as the aircraft carrier prepares to leave the Middle East after a grueling extended deployment.

Officials announced the move as Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao acknowledged that the service had “treated” mental health cases among the carrier’s crew.

“The Navy is working to send additional resiliency counselors and social workers to augment the already robust mental health resources available to the crew 24/7,” Navy officials said in a Friday statement.

The added personnel will reinforce resources already aboard the massive warship.

Cao confirmed Friday that the Lincoln would soon begin sailing home after nine months deployed, much of that time spent at sea.

His announcement followed several days of concern from military families about difficult living conditions and reports that sailors had attempted to go overboard.

“A small number of mental health cases were treated with no loss of life,” Cao said in a statement posted on X. Roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines are aboard the Lincoln during its combat deployment.

The carrier already has five chaplains, a clinical psychologist, a clinical social worker, three behavioral health technicians and an integrated prevention coordination counselor.

Officials said the ship also has an expeditionary facility dog named Capt. Fathom “to support crew morale and emotional welfare.”

“The Lincoln was extended because the mission demanded it. Deployments are hard. Combat operations make them harder,” Cao wrote. “War is hell and normal routines are disrupted.”

The acknowledgement followed an earlier Navy denial of reports alleging a decline in sailors’ mental health.

Sailors and family members had also raised concerns about drinking water, food availability, communications and the punishing schedule aboard a carrier that has spent months supporting real world combat missions.

Stars and Stripes and Military Times reported cases involving sailors allegedly trying to jump from the carrier. On Thursday, United States Central Command said one sailor “fell overboard” on Aug. 3 and was “quickly and safely recovered.”

In a Wednesday statement, Navy officials said, “based on information available to the command, we have not identified an increase in reported suicidal ideation or suicide attempts aboard the ship.”

That official assessment came as the service faced growing public pressure to explain what was happening aboard the Lincoln.

Cao also addressed complaints about food and communications, saying meals were “adjusted when fresh resupply was unavailable without a single meal being missed.” He said calls between sailors and their families were “limited when the operational threat was too high.”

War Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected some of the more dramatic portrayals of conditions aboard the carrier, saying earlier accounts “completely misrepresented” the situation. He added that the Pentagon works to ensure every vessel and crew receives “everything we can provide them at every single moment.”

“Some deployments are longer than others,” Hegseth said. “I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody.

What they do in those high seas and those austere conditions with less port calls, it’s incredible.”

President Donald Trump also responded Friday when questioned about concerns raised by Navy families.

Trump said the Lincoln was being replaced by a “similar ship,” referring to the USS George Washington, and said the deployment was “not nearly long enough” when asked whether it had continued too long.

The Lincoln had originally been expected home in May, but operational demands forced an extension.

The Wall Street Journal reported Aug. 13 that the George Washington, currently operating in the South China Sea, had been ordered to the Middle East to relieve the Lincoln.

The carrier departed San Diego in late November 2025 and initially operated in the Pacific before being redirected to the Middle East during an American military buildup.

It later joined the USS Gerald R. Ford and its carrier strike group, with both carriers participating in the opening strikes against Iran.

Since those strikes, the Lincoln has supported combat operations against Iran and the blockade mission in the Strait of Hormuz.

The USS George H.W. Bush joined the carrier force during the spring, while the Ford eventually sailed home after completing its own record length deployment.

The Lincoln reached 207 consecutive days at sea in July, setting a record for the ship.

Since leaving San Diego, its crew has made only one port stop, a two day resupply visit to Guam in mid December.

“There is no question our young men and women have been pushed to their limits, but they have never broken.

They are rightly tired, but have never been out of the fight,” Cao said. “However, it is clear, knowing the whole story, our force and their families are not victims. They are the epitome of American strength and resilience.”

Airman’s Fatal Fitness Test Collapse Caused by Sudden Cardiac Arrest
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Airman’s Fatal Fitness Test Collapse Caused by Sudden Cardiac Arrest

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An Air Force investigation has determined that Airman First Class Syamukonka Moonga died from sudden cardiac arrest after completing a practice physical fitness assessment last year.

Investigators found no preexisting medical conditions or hazardous environmental factors that would have warned trainers of the looming emergency.

The Ground Accident Investigation Board report, released Aug. 12 by Air Education and Training Command, examined Moonga’s death on Aug. 4, 2025.

He collapsed shortly after finishing the 1.5 mile run portion of the assessment at Naval Base Ventura County Port Hueneme, California.

Moonga was unconscious and had no pulse when fellow trainees and the leader supervising the exercise reached him.

They immediately began resuscitation efforts while attempting to obtain an automated external defibrillator.

According to the report, the defibrillator shut off and would not restart, denying responders a key piece of emergency equipment during the frantic rescue effort.

Trainees, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians continued working for more than an hour, but Moonga was declared dead shortly after that mark.

Moonga was assigned to the 346th Training Squadron, an Air Force organization operating from the naval installation.

The joint training program instructs airmen and Navy personnel in vehicle maintenance and related technical skills.

Investigators found no extreme heat, dangerous weather, or other environmental circumstances that could explain the collapse.

Moonga also had no significant medical history and had not reported any injuries or health concerns before beginning the practice assessment.

An autopsy determined that Moonga had a healthy heart of normal size, although his coronary arteries were smaller than normal.

The medical examiner concluded that this anatomical factor might have contributed to the fatal event despite producing no previous warning signs.

The death was ruled natural and attributed to sudden cardiac arrest caused by probable exercise induced cardiac arrhythmia.

Nothing in Moonga’s earlier training performance indicated that he was likely to suffer such an abrupt and catastrophic medical crisis.

During basic military training, Moonga completed the Physical Fitness Assessment twice. He failed his first attempt but passed the second before graduating, showing substantial improvement in the process.

His time on the 1.5 mile run improved from 14 minutes and 55 seconds to 12 minutes and 27 seconds.

During later practice assessments with the 346th Training Squadron, he earned scores described as “excellent” or “near-excellent.”

Before the Aug. 4 assessment, airmen were given an opportunity to notify training leaders about injuries or health problems that could affect their participation.

The report said Moonga did not identify any issue, which was consistent with his medical history and previous fitness performance.

Moonga was originally from Zambia and enlisted in the Air Force in May 2025. He graduated from basic military training two months later and had spent only a few weeks with the 346th Training Squadron before his death.

The report described a young airman remembered for bringing warmth and energy to those serving beside him. “His classmates described him as having a positive attitude, beginning and ending each day with a smile,” investigators wrote.

After Moonga’s death, the squadron commander said his “joy, kindness, and enthusiasm will be deeply missed.” Those words reflected the loss felt by a unit that had known him only briefly but had already witnessed his character and commitment.

The failed defibrillator stands out as a troubling detail, although investigators attributed the death itself to natural causes.

Responders continued their efforts despite the equipment failure, but Moonga’s sudden cardiac arrest proved impossible to reverse.

His death shows how a hidden cardiac vulnerability can turn a routine military fitness event into a fatal emergency without obvious warning.

Moonga had passed assessments, improved his performance, reported no health concerns, and encountered no extreme conditions before collapsing moments after the run.


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