Canada is nearing a crucial decision on its future fighter fleet as it continues to review whether to proceed with its full order of 88 F-35A Lightning IIs or consider a mixed fleet that includes another aircraft type. Despite the review, officials insist the country’s F-35 program is moving “full steam ahead,” with 16 jets already under contract and the first deliveries expected next year. Rising costs, trade tensions with the U.S., and political pressure have complicated the decision, but defense experts and allies warn that deviating from the F-35 could hurt interoperability with NORAD and increase long-term expenses. With adversaries like Russia and China advancing their own fifth-generation fighters, maintaining the F-35 path appears increasingly necessary for Canada’s defense future. Click here to read more.

Two years after Hamas’s October 7th, 2023, attacks, Israelis gathered to remember the tragedy and honor the nation’s resilience, joined by more than 600 Christians from 50 nations showing solidarity and prayerful support. As hostage negotiations continue in Cairo, Israeli leaders reflected on the pain, strength, and faith that have carried the country forward, praising American and evangelical allies for standing with Israel through its darkest days. Retired General Amir Avivi called recent military victories “miraculous,” while Christian leaders urged believers worldwide to stand firm with the Jewish people and the land of Israel. Click here to read more.

Sikorsky has unveiled its Nomad family of scalable VTOL drones, marking a major leap in autonomous aviation technology. The new tail-sitting, twin-proprotor “rotor blown wing” designs range in size from small hybrid-electric models to aircraft comparable to the Black Hawk helicopter, all capable of vertical takeoff, long endurance, and autonomous operation. Designed for missions such as reconnaissance, light attack, and logistics, Nomad drones combine helicopter-like versatility with airplane-like speed and range. Featuring MATRIX autonomy technology and modular hybrid powertrains, the Nomads can be rapidly deployed from land or sea with minimal crews. Sikorsky says the system represents a new generation of runway-independent aircraft that will enhance U.S. military operations and could even evolve into passenger-capable variants in the future. Click here to read more.

As U.S. counter-narcotics operations escalate in the Caribbean—with Marine F-35Bs forward-deployed to Puerto Rico and other assets active—Venezuela is redeploying air defenses and warning it’s tracking U.S. jets, prompting a fresh look at its layered, highly mobile mix of Russian-supplied systems and aging kit: the Air Force fields ~21 Su-30MK2V fighters with R-77/R-27 and R-73 missiles (a few legacy F-16s remain, largely short-range only), while the Army operates long-range S-300VM/Antey-2500 batteries, Buk-M2 medium-range systems, modernized S-125 Pechora-2M, thousands of Igla-S MANPADS, RBS 70s, and ZU-23-2 guns; the Navy adds limited shipborne and shared Buk coverage. This mobility and diversity complicate U.S. planning, likely forcing reliance on stealth platforms (F-35), stand-off weapons, and robust SEAD/CSAR support if strikes expand inland against cartels or the Maduro regime. Despite sanctions eroding some capabilities, even older Venezuelan systems—if dispersed and used opportunistically—can threaten non-stealth aircraft, echoing lessons from other conflicts where rudimentary defenses scored hits. With Venezuelan S-125s seen moving toward the coast and Caracas signaling a potential state of emergency, the risk of confrontation—and the premium on U.S. stealth, electronic warfare, and ISR—appears to be rising. Click here to read more.

The U.S. Marine Corps officially retired its Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) after more than 50 years of service during a ceremony at Camp Pendleton on September 26, 2025. First introduced in 1972, the AAV served as the Corps’ primary ship-to-shore vehicle and was used in missions from Grenada in 1983 through Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in humanitarian operations. Marine leaders praised the AAV’s versatility and the generations of Marines who relied on it in combat, calling it central to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force. The vehicle, which replaced World War II-era landing craft, underwent multiple upgrades over the decades but is now being succeeded by the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV). Built by BAE Systems, the ACV offers faster speeds, stronger armor, and modern blast protection, carrying 16 Marines and capable of traveling both on land and at sea. The Marine Corps plans to field more than 600 ACVs to fully replace the AAV. Click here to read more.