Pentagon

October 30, 2025 10:57 PM

Pentagon’s DOGE unit to revamp military drone program, sources say

The Pentagon's DOGE unit is leading efforts to overhaul the U.S. military drone program, including streamlining procurement, expand homegrown production, and acquire tens of thousands of cheap drones in the coming months, according to Pentagon officials and people with knowledge of the matter. In July, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth pledged to cut red tape and assert U.S. drone dominance by approving hundreds of American-made drone models and launching training programs to prepare units for ...

September 29, 2025 9:30 AM

Pentagon calls up 200 National Guard troops after Trump Portland announcement

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday ordered 200 Oregon National Guard troops to be deployed under federal authority while the state filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's move to send military forces into the Democratic-run city of Portland. The Republican president on Saturday announced plans to send troops into Portland, saying they would be used to protect federal immigration facilities against "domestic terrorists" and that he was authorizing them to use "full force,...

July 3, 2025 10:26 AM

India, US to sign new 10-year Defence Framework this year

India and the United States have agreed to sign a new 10-year US-India Defence Framework by the end of this year, US Senior Defence Spokesperson Colonel Chris Devine has said. According to a statement from the Pentagon, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh agreed during a phone conversation on Tuesday to finalise and sign the new framework when they meet later this year. In a post on X, Rajnath Singh said, “Glad to speak with the US Secretary of D...

January 1, 2025 12:43 PM

Pentagon appeals Court upholds plea deals for 9/11 plotters

A Pentagon appeals court has upheld controversial plea deals for three men accused of orchestrating the 9/11 attacks, clearing the way for the US government to proceed with the agreements, reported The Washington Post. The court's unanimous ruling, delivered late Monday, rejected efforts by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to block the deals. Austin had attempted to nullify the agreements in August, despite a judge's previous approval of the terms. The plea deals involve Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, ...

December 19, 2024 3:51 PM

Corruption may have disrupted Chinese military modernization goals, Pentagon report says

Corruption in China's military may have disrupted its progress towards its 2027 military modernization goals, the Pentagon said in its annual report on Beijing's military that was released on Wednesday. Since last year, China's military has undergone a sweeping anti-corruption purge and last month the defense ministry said a top-ranking military official had been suspended and was under investigation for "serious violations of discipline." The wide-ranging Pentagon report said that between Jul...

June 18, 2024 3:28 PM

China accuses U.S. of “malign intention” to discredit its COVID vaccines

China's embassy in the Philippines accused the U.S. military of "hypocrisy, malign intention and double standards" in response to a report of secret U.S. campaign to undermine confidence in a Chinese vaccines and other aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. The remarks made by the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Tuesday were in response to a investigative report that said the U.S. military launched a clandestine programme during the COVID pandemic to discredit China's Sinovac inocul...

May 8, 2024 12:10 PM

US paused shipment of weapons to Israel to head off Rafah invasion-official

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration paused a shipment of weapons to Israel last week in opposition to apparent moves by the Israelis to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, a senior administration official said on Tuesday. Biden has been trying to head off a full-scale assault by the Israelis against Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinian have sought refuge from combat elsewhere in Gaza. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that as Israelis leaders seemed ...

March 31, 2024 10:45 AM

US approves additional bombs, warplanes sales to Israel

The Biden administration has quietly sanctioned the transfer of billions of dollars of bombs and fighter jets to Israel, signalling its unwavering support for Israel's defence strategies. The recent authorizations include a substantial arsenal of munitions, comprising over 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, as confirmed by Pentagon and State Department officials familiar with the matter. The decision to greenlight such significant weaponry raises eyebrows, particularly g...