Sunday, December 28, 2025

THE WAR ZONE: News & Features

 

The War Zone — also known by the shorthand TWZ — has become an essential resource for the defense industry, the national security community, and the interested public at large since it was launched in 2016.

The War Zone. Your daily source for military, defense, and geopolitics coverage.

China has shown an cargo ship packed with launchers, radar, and close-in-weapon systems. People's Liberation Army Navy (China)

Chinese Cargo Ship Packed Full Of Modular Missile Launchers Emerges

China has packed a deck of a medium-sized cargo ship with 60 containerized vertical launch cells, radar, and close-in weapons.

LATEST NEWS

Type 076 seen carrying loyal wingman drone mockup or prototype.
China

Chinese Loyal Wingman Drone Design Appear Set For Deck Trials

Mockups or not, several drones have appeared dockside at the yard that built China’s super-sized Type 076 amphibious assault ship, which is in dry dock nearby.

Ukraine has expanded its uncrewed surface vessel attacks to the Dnipro River.
Russia

Ukraine Now Using Drone Boats To Attack Russian Riverine Targets

Ukraine’s drone boat attacks on the Dnipro River mark an expansion of Kyiv’s campaign against Russian targets on or near the water.




Bunker Talk

Bunker Talk: Silent Night Edition

Here’s to awkward moments under the mistletoe.

Shenyang J-35
China

Chinese Fighter Jet Exports Set To Grow Significantly

Pentagon report highlights how the trifecta of FC-31, J-10C, and JF-17 is helping China establish itself as an increasingly major player on the fighter market.

The presence of U.S. special operations forces is growing in the Caribbean.
South America

CV-22B Osprey, MC-130J Commando II Special Ops Aircraft Deploy To Puerto Rico

The U.S. special operations forces build-up in the Caribbean is accelerating.

INDOPACOM will hire contractor amphibious aircraft for new pilot program in Pacific.
Indo-Pacific

Pentagon To Contract Fleet Of Seaplanes For The Pacific

The lack of an American amphibious aircraft capability has become more glaring as the possibility of a conflict with China looms larger.

F-117 combat debut in Panama happened 36 years ago today.

The F-117 Nighthawk First Went To War 36 Years Ago Today

With clear parallels to the U.S. standoff with Venezuela today, it’s worth remembering the F-117’s combat debut over Panama in 1989.

220203-N-PI330-1018 Camp Shelby, Mississippi (February 3, 2023) Seabees, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 133 (NMCB 133), go to bunkers during a simulated missile strike on Camp Shelby, Mississippi, February 3, 2023. NMCB 133 is at Camp Shelby, Mississippi conducting a field training exercise operating as part of Navy Expeditionary Combat Command conducting the advanced phase of the force readiness training plan (FRTP). (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andrew Waters/Released)

Bunker Talk: Let’s Talk About All The Things We Did And Didn’t Cover This Week

We leave the Christmas lights up all year down in here.

A U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft appeared near the Venezuelan coast today

E-3 Sentry Joins U.S. Combat Aircraft Tracked Off Venezuelan Coast

The E-3 radar jets have been noticeably absent as of late from the flurry of trackable U.S. military aircraft flying near Venezuela’s airspace.

A top Canadian Air Force general breaks down the role of his nation's future F-35A stealh fighters and the challenges of integrating them into the force and NORAD.

Canadian NORAD Commander’s View On Future F-35 Fighter Force

Maj. Gen. Chris McKenna offers exclusive insights into what opportunities and challenges the F-35A will bring to his commands.

A key Russian airbase in occupied Crimea has been targeted by a Ukrainian drone strike. According to Ukraine, the drones hit a MiG-31BM Foxhound interceptor, as well as elements of an S-400 air defense system, at Belbek Air Base, near Sevastopol.

MiG-31 Foxhound Among Russian Air Defense Assets Targeted In Crimean Drone Strike

With its valuable collection of fighters and air defense systems, Belbek Air Base has long been a key target for Ukraine.

Austria is buying 12 M-346F Block 20 light combat aircraft from Italian defense contractor Leonardo, as part of an overhaul of its air force, the Luftstreitkräfte. Austria already operates 15 Eurofighter Typhoons, procured under controversial circumstances, but these jets have notably limited capabilities and high operating costs, which has seen previous efforts to offload them.

Austria Buys M-346F Light Fighters

The M-346Fs will give Austria a new air combat boost, supplementing the country’s long-troubled Eurofighter Typhoon fleet.

The U.S. Air Force has confirmed it is buying two Boeing 747-8 airliners from German flag carrier Lufthansa.

USAF Buying Lufthansa 747s To Serve As Future Air Force One Trainers, Spare Parts Sources

The future presidential airlift program has ballooned from two aircraft to five, four of which will be flyable.

The Pentagon has sent more KC-135 refueling jets to the Dominican Republic as part of the Trump administration's pressure campaign on Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.

More KC-135 Tankers Deploy To The Caribbean

The Trump administration is also eyeing new oil tanker seizures to add more economic strain on Venezuela’s Maduro.

Satellite imagery is now available showing the aftermath of a Ukrainian attack yesterday on a Russian Navy Improved Kilo class diesel-electric submarine in the Black Sea naval stronghold of Novorossiysk.

Aftermath Of Ukraine’s Underwater Drone Attack On Russian Submarine Seen In Satellite Imagery

Ukraine’s submersible drone navigated into a protected harbor and detonated very close to the targeted submarine.

A 737 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) with a luxurious VVIP interior has re-emerged unexpectedly tied to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as evidenced by a large departmental seal in the main cabin.

Mystery Surrounds Luxury 737 That Appears To Be Flying For Department Of Homeland Security

DHS is buying 737s for deportation flights, but the appearance of one with apparently a luxurious interior intended for senior leaders is unexpected.

Indian Air Force (IAF) SEPECAT Jaguar fighter jets take part in an air refueling exercise during the joint exercise 'Ex Garuda-VII' between IAF and FASF in the air near Jodhpur in India's desert state of Rajasthan on November 9, 2022.

India Can’t Give Up Its Jaguar Strike Aircraft

Spares sourced from Oman are the latest fix to patch up the dwindling Indian Air Force fighter fleet.

Ukraine says it carried out the world's first uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) attack on a Russian vessel.

Ukraine Claims World’s First Underwater Drone Attack On Russian Submarine

The attack, if indeed it was executed by an unmanned underwater vehicle, would mark a new chapter in drone warfare.

A combination of new interceptors and launchers is set to give the Patriot surface-to-air missile system an "over-the-shoulder" engagement capability, the U.S. Army has disclosed.

New Patriot Interceptors To Allow For “Over-The-Shoulder” Shots At Passing Targets

New vertical launchers will also help change how Patriot can engage threats, including ones that slip by overhead.

We are getting some new information about America's long-range Dark Eagle hypersonic boost-glide vehicle weapon system from Secretary Hegseth's recent tour of Redstone Arsenal in Alabama.

New Dark Eagle Hypersonic Weapon Details Emerge

Hegseth’s visit to Redstone Arsenal provided new disclosures on Dark Eagle’s range and its small warhead.

Two US troops and a civilian US interpreter were killed by a lone gunman in Syria, who was also killed.

Ambush In Syria Leaves Two U.S. Troops, Civilian Interpreter Dead (Updated)

Hundreds of U.S. troops and other personnel are still deployed to Syria in a counter-ISIS role.

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