Defense One✓

Funding, force-structure issues could hinder Hegseth’s new autonomous command | The money to start AUTOWARCOM is to come from a reconciliation bill whose passage is in doubt. by @meghannmyers_

EXCLUSIVE: Are yearlong deployments the Navy’s new normal? | That's what officials are telling sailors' families in Japan, where two destroyers are slated for 12- and 14-month cruises. by @jhlad

Qatar looks to bolster its military power with new hub, partnerships | The Kingdom has spent decades cultivating its reputation as a place where enemies can sit down and talk. Apparently, even that requires an air-defense system. | @defetechpat reports from Doha:

COMMENTARY: The most important alliances will lead to critical minerals | In the 21st century, geopolitical and economic advantage will depend on forging new links in strong supply chains.

Fast-flying Shahed drones spur new class of interceptors | Drone tech company Powerus eyes rocket or jet-powered interceptors as the next product target.

Marines fielding new tech for prolonged medical care on the battlefield | Mobile blood refrigeration, ultrasounds, and power generation will keep troops alive beyond the “golden hour.”

COMMENTARY: US withdrawal won’t end the region’s ISIS dilemma | Iraq, Syria, and their regional partners must cooperate to replace what U.S. troops once provided.

IDEAS: The lack of a shared lexicon is undermining responsible AI-military integration | We need a common way to talk about military AI—across services, agencies, and indeed, the world.

COMMENTARY: Russia has moved past ‘hybrid war.’ Why hasn’t Washington? | Europe is adapting to Moscow’s increasingly brazen and kinetic operations. The US should catch up.

The real job of the Army’s new ‘robotics technicians’ is constant adaptation | The age of battlefield autonomy demands more than just drone pilots and mechanics, Special Forces’ training chief says.

RT @DefTechPat: Hello from Doha where @DefenseOne is partnering with @TheSoufanCenter Global Security Forum. Keep an eye out for exclusive op-eds on the changing nature of security partnerships.

TODAY: Cocktails & Conversations: The Future Battlefield. Join Defense One in a discussion with leaders from the Army's John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School about how the Army is building the elite special warfare teams of the future. Register now:

TOMORROW: Join Defense One for a conversation with Maj. Gen. Jason Slider and CWO5 Michael Updike of the Army’s JFK Special Warfare Center and School, moderated by @deftechpat. Register now:

Hegseth plans ‘Autonomous Warfare Command’ | The military’s 12th combatant command was among a slew of announcements in a Quantico speech Wednesday.

COMMENTARY: The military may be top-heavy. Don't make things worse with hasty cuts. | Congress should closely monitor Hegseth’s latest effort to reduce the number of generals and admirals.

RT @jhlad: After 40 days in combat (and 301 total days deployed), the guided-missile destroyer Frank E. Petersen Jr. returned to Hawaii yesterday. My story for @DefenseOne:

Treat operational feedback as a strategic resource, new paper argues | And view software as a continuously developing capability, rather than a completed product.

'Super Intelligence': the president’s new term for AI, explained

Polish defense official says US has decided to establish a base in Poland | But the Pentagon declined to confirm a decision about Warsaw's longtime goal.

RT @DrJPPham: In my @DefenseOne essay ahead of @GSECForum 2026 next week, I argue that because “the physical economy is back, and with a vengeance,” “the most relevant alliances...will be the ones that secure the materials needed for key armaments and new technologies.”