Us Defense Department

Elon Musk to help Pentagon identify weapons, tech for future wars

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk will lead the "Project Meridian" alongside Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey and former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich

Hegseth announces new US drone command, 20% cut in top military ranks

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced some major changes to the US military on Wednesday in what he called his "State of the Force" address, including establishing a new drone command and cutting 20 per cent of the nation's generals and admirals. The Pentagon also will launch an effort to study the future of warfare that will be led in part by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Hegseth said. The Defence Department will create an Office of Religious Affairs and plans to build a new base for the first time in 40 years, he added. Hegseth made the announcements to junior officers and enlisted leaders at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia - the second year in a row that he has given such an address. But this time, the US military is seven months into a war with Iran with no clear end in sight, has captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and killed more than 200 people in strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in Latin America, among ...

US Defence Dept slashes its religious designations list from 200 to 31

The Department of Defense has announced that a significant reduction in the number of religious affiliations it officially recognises. The new list of 31 is down from more than 200 previously recognised traditions that troops could choose from. The list no longer includes atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans. "This decrease in religious affiliation codes is not designed to make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religious belief, nor is it intended to provide a list of officially approved' religions," Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement. "Rather, it is designed to allow chaplains to quickly look at the religious composition of their units and determine how they structure resources to best provide for warfighters of all faith groups." Parnell added the department values the free exercise of religion and chaplains facilitate service members' "ability to freely exercise their religion of choice, or no religion at all." The list creates bro

'Now a classified space': Pentagon bars journalists from its press office

In another of a series of moves restricting media access at the Pentagon, the Defense Department has declared that its press office is now a classified space inaccessible to journalists. On X, acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez confirmed the move, saying there was "nothing controversial" about it and that it came because speechwriters, who use classified material, were now occupying the space. "The Pentagon Press Office has been redesignated as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility due to speechwriters from the Office of the Secretary of War sharing the facility," Valdez wrote. "These speechwriters routinely handle classified material as a result, journalists will no longer be permitted to enter the office space. There's nothing controversial about that." The latest move, first reported by The Washington Post, took place against a backdrop of escalating tensions between the U.S. media and the second Trump administration, which has played out both in the public ar

US Senate passes $901 bn defence bill, seeks clarity on drug boat strikes

The Senate gave final passage to an annual military policy bill Wednesday that will authorize $901 billion in defense programs while pressuring Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide lawmakers with video of strikes on alleged drug boats in international water near Venezuela. The annual National Defense Authorization Act, which raises troop pay by 3.8%, gained bipartisan backing as it moved through Congress, and the White House has indicated that it is in line with President Donald Trump's national security priorities. However, the legislation, which ran over 3,000 pages, revealed some points of friction between Congress and the Pentagon as the Trump administration reorients its focus away from security in Europe and towards Central and South America. The bill pushes back on recent moves by the Pentagon. It demands more information on boat strikes in the Caribbean, requires that the U.S. keep its troop levels in Europe at current levels and sends some military aid to Ukraine. But

US House passes defence bill to raise troop pay, overhaul weapons purchases

The House voted to pass a sweeping defence policy bill on Wednesday that authorises USD 900 billion in military programmes, including a pay raise for troops and an overhaul of how the Department of Defence buys weapons. The bill's passage comes at a time of increasing friction between the Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump's administration over the management of the military. The annual National Defense Authorization Act typically gained bipartisan backing, and the White House has signalled "strong support" for the must-pass legislation, saying it is in line with Trump's national security agenda. Yet tucked into the over-3,000-page bill are several measures that push back against the Department of Defence, including a demand for more information on boat strikes in the Caribbean and support for allies in Europe, such as Ukraine. Overall, the sweeping bill calls for a 3.8 per cent pay raise for many military members as well as housing and facility improvements o

Who is Ashley Tellis, Indian-origin expert held in US over China links?

Ashley Tellis, a leading US-India policy expert, was arrested for keeping over a thousand pages of top secret defence documents at his home

Indian-origin US strategic expert Ashley Tellis held over China links

Tellis is also a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington think tank

OpenAI wins $200 mn contract with Pentagon to pilot AI for defence tasks

OpenAI will work with the Defense Department to come up with ways that AI can help with administrative tasks, such as getting health care for US military members and helping prevent cyberattacks

Pakistan modernising nuclear arsenal to counter India's edge: US intel

A US intelligence report warns of Pakistan's growing nuclear capabilities, China's support, and security flashpoints with India, Iran, and Afghanistan

Explained: What is the US’ new ‘golden dome’ missile defense system? | Trump | Defence news

US President Donald Trump has announced an ambitious space-based missile shield called ‘golden dome’. Watch the video to learn all about it.

US approves $131 mn arms deal with India to boost Indo-Pacific vigilance

The deal includes the delivery of advanced SeaVision software to India, designed to enhance real-time maritime surveillance

US defense secy shared Yemen attack details in second Signal chat with wife

Pete Hegseth shared details about the Houthis attack in a second private Signal group chat that included his wife and brother: Details here

Pentagon axes $5.1 bn 'wasteful' IT deals with Accenture, Deloitte, others

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimates the Pentagon will save nearly $4 billion from the terminated IT and consulting contracts deemed non-essential

Trump halts Ukraine intel sharing, undermining HIMARS effectiveness

The US has suspended intelligence-sharing with Ukraine, limiting Kyiv's ability to use HIMARS effectively against Russia and raising concerns over its battlefield strategy in the ongoing war

Zelenskyy ready for strong investment, security deal with US president

Zelenskyy also spoke about his meeting with Trump's envoy Keith Kellogg in his address to the nation. He also said that Ukraine needs strong agreements with the US that truly work

Hegseth's former sister-in-law alleges wife's abuse in affidavit to Senate

Senators vetting the nomination of Pete Hegseth for US defence secretary received an affidavit on Tuesday from a former sister-in-law alleging that the onetime Fox News host was abusive to his second wife, to the point where she feared for her safety. Hegseth has denied the allegation. The sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, was formerly married to the nominee's brother, and in an affidavit obtained by The Associated Press, she said she believes that Pete Hegseth is "unfit" to run the defence department based on what she witnessed and heard. She said she first relayed her allegations to the FBI last December but was concerned that the information was not shared with Congress as senators consider Hegseth's nomination to lead the Pentagon. The affidavit describes Hegseth's treatment of his second wife, Samantha, and alleges repeat drunkenness and a domestic situation where Samantha had a safe word to indicate if she was in danger at home. Danielle Hegseth said Samantha texted that safe

$368 bn question: Will Trump renegotiate the AUKUS treaty or walk away?

This illustrates the enduring Australian government support for AUKUS and its centrality to our defence planning, as well as the significant concern this enthusiasm is not shared by Trump or his team

Trump's pick to lead Defence Department accused of sexual assault in 2017

Pete Hegseth, a popular Fox News host who is Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Defence, was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking appearance at a Republican women's event in Monterey, California, according to a statement released by the city. No charges were filed in the case. Hegseth's attorney, Timothy Parlatore, told The Associated Press the allegations were completely false. This was investigated by the police at the time and they found no evidence, Parlatore said. Monterey City officials declined to release a police report that documented the accusations and instead issued a brief statement Thursday night in response to press inquiries. According to that statement, Monterey Police were contacted in October 2017 to investigate a sexual assault that allegedly took place several days earlier at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Monterey and involved Hegseth. The person who reported the assault - whose name, age and sex were not released - had bruises on the

China's Hesai to continue lawsuit against US govt over blacklisting

The blacklist stems from the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which requires the Pentagon to identify 'Chinese Military Companies' operating in the US