In an 80-minute War Zone exclusive, Lt. Col. “I,” the Israeli Air Force’s first Druze F-16I “Sufa” navigator, details the jet’s long-range punch, intelligence tools and two-crew tactics, recounting sorties from Lebanon in 2006 to precision strikes during 2025’s Operation Rising Lion against Iran—where, he says, not a single SAM was fired at Israeli aircraft. The veteran describes how F-35s gathered stealthy intel for F-16Is and F-15s, why conformal-tanked Sufas haul heavier loads than Adirs, and his reliance on JDAMs, Rampage and other standoff weapons to hit Gaza targets while trying to spare civilians. He defends Israel’s conduct as uniquely restrained, praises ground–air integration, lauds maintenance crews keeping decades-old jets flying an intense tempo, and calls the Iran raids a textbook case of training and tech yielding “unbelievable” success. Looking ahead, he wants bunker-buster heft akin to America’s MOP and sees more F-35s and new F-15EX-style Eagles—not additional F-16s—as Israel’s future edge. Click here to read more.

A Pentagon-commissioned RAND report warns that Russia and China now outpace the U.S. in influence operations and urges the Defense Department to “rapidly adopt” generative-AI tools—such as the voice-cloning Ghost Machine—to let smaller psychological-operations teams create tailored audio, video, and graphic content at the speed of online narratives, swiftly expose disinformation (e.g., inflated civilian-casualty claims), and counter adversary messaging worldwide; while bulk AI output can “balance the battlefield,” the study cautions against copying Moscow and Beijing’s high-volume, low-credibility flood tactics, urging a precision-targeted “sweet spot” instead to retain trust and effectiveness. Click here to read more.

The Arleigh-Burke-class destroyer USS Sampson, deployed to bolster U.S. Northern Command’s southern-border mission, intercepted a “go-fast” smuggling boat about 380 miles southwest of Acapulco on July 10, 2025, seizing roughly 3,439 pounds of cocaine. Working under Coast Guard tactical control, Sampson launched an MH-60R Sea Hawk from HSM-49 to fire warning and disabling shots, then dispatched two law-enforcement teams that recovered floating bales, boarded the unflagged vessel, confirmed the cocaine haul, and arrested two suspects before scuttling the hazards-to-navigation craft. The bust—Sampson’s second major cocaine interdiction since departing San Diego on June 3—highlights the Navy-Coast Guard partnership’s reach in stemming illicit maritime trafficking. Click here to read more.

The U.S. Air Force is currently executing Resolute Force Pacific, its largest contingency response exercise in the Indo-Pacific, involving over 400 aircraft and 12,000 personnel across more than 50 locations and 3,000 miles. Running from July 10 to August 8, the exercise tests the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment (ACE) strategy, which emphasizes dispersing forces to smaller, more flexible bases to reduce vulnerability to missile threats. The training includes joint and multinational operations, with aircraft like the F-22, F-35, and F-15EX operating from bases in Japan, Guam, Hawaii, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The exercise highlights improved interoperability and readiness across the region, although officials stress it is not in response to any specific global events. Click here to read more.

Airbus and Kratos Defense have partnered to offer the stealthy XQ-58A Valkyrie drone, optimized for European defense needs, with Germany’s Luftwaffe as a likely launch customer by 2029. This Europeanized version will feature a new, platform-agnostic mission system and could serve as an interim loyal wingman platform ahead of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) program slated for the 2040s. Although Germany hasn’t confirmed plans to procure the Valkyrie, the partnership aims to meet urgent NATO demand for affordable, collaborative combat aircraft. While the XQ-58A isn’t currently pitched for Germany’s Electronic Combat Wingman program, it offers versatile deployment options such as rail or container launches, and may include built-in landing gear. The move comes as European nations seek to expand airpower capabilities amid growing tensions with Russia. Click here to read more.

NATO must brace for the possibility of simultaneous conflicts with Russia and China, potentially by 2027, warned Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, the top U.S. commander in Europe, at a defense symposium in Wiesbaden, Germany. Grynkewich emphasized that both adversaries could coordinate aggression—Russia in Europe and China in the Pacific—necessitating urgent military preparedness and ramped-up weapons production across NATO. He confirmed NATO is accelerating efforts to supply air defense systems, including Patriots, to Ukraine and stressed the need for allies to meet defense spending targets while pursuing global deterrence strategies. Click here to read more.

In a dramatic escalation, the Israeli Air Force bombed Syria’s defense ministry and presidential palace in Damascus on July 16, marking the first time in years that Israel has directly struck such high-level government targets in the capital. The strikes were aimed at halting what Israel says are violent campaigns by Syrian forces against the Druze minority in southern Syria’s Suwayda region. At least three were killed and over 30 wounded in the attacks, which Israel claims were necessary to protect the Druze, a community that includes members serving in the IDF. Israel’s military said it targeted Syrian command infrastructure directing operations against the Druze and warned of more intense strikes if the violence continued. The strikes sparked protests in Damascus and added strain to U.S.-led normalization efforts between Israel and Syria, now ruled by President Ahmed al-Sharaa after a coup ousted Bashar al-Assad. While the U.S. called for restraint, it acknowledged the influence of Israel’s domestic Druze population on the Netanyahu government. A ceasefire was announced but quickly broke down as both Israeli air raids and internal Syrian clashes continued. Click here to read more.

MP Materials, the only U.S.-based rare earths miner, just secured major backing from Apple and the Pentagon to scale production of high-demand magnets used in iPhones, EVs, and defense systems. The $500 million deal with Apple will support an expansion of its Texas plant to begin using recycled materials, with Apple-bound production starting in 2027. Meanwhile, a $400 million Defense Department investment makes the government MP’s largest shareholder and guarantees a minimum price for critical elements like neodymium and praseodymium. These agreements aim to reduce U.S. reliance on China, which dominates rare earths supply and recently imposed export restrictions amid ongoing trade tensions. Click here to read more.

The Pentagon is allocating nearly $1 billion to four AI powerhouses — Anthropic, Google, OpenAI, and Elon Musk’s xAI — to build “agentic AI workflows” aimed at supporting defense priorities ranging from logistics to intelligence to warfighting. Each company may receive up to $200 million through the Defense Department’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), with projects potentially integrating with systems like Maven Smart (for AI-powered targeting) and ADVANA (the DoD’s central data hub). While it remains unclear if these AIs will directly control live weapons, the deal underscores the military’s growing reliance on private-sector AI talent — even as concerns swirl over xAI’s recent controversies. Click here to read more.

A new Senate defense bill could save more than 100 A-10 Warthogs from retirement in 2026, countering the Pentagon’s plan to phase out the entire fleet of 162 aircraft. The Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act also seeks to reverse sharp cuts to the F-35 program by restoring 10 jets to the Air Force’s order and bolsters funding for the E-7 Wedgetail, despite Pentagon efforts to scrap it due to cost and survivability concerns. The bill reflects growing bipartisan resistance to recent Air Force cuts, including from 16 retired four-star generals. Click here to read more.