UK Ministry of DefenceJun 23, 2026
Guidance: Toponymic factfiles
Toponymic (place name) factfile papers produced by the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names (PCGN).
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Iran
Defense coverage and related entities in this cluster.
Defense NewsFeb 19, 2026
Iran-US nuclear talks may fail due to both nations’ red lines – but that doesn’t make them futile
"Talks do not necessarily need an end point — in the shape of a deal — for them to have purpose," argues an international relations professor.
The War ZoneFeb 18, 2026
What Iran’s Naval Exercise With China And Russia In The Strait Of Hormuz Actually Means
The Maritime Security Belt 2026 exercise comes as the U.S. is flowing forces to the Middle East ahead of a possible attack on Iran. The post What Iran’s Naval Exercise With China And Russia In The...
The War ZoneFeb 18, 2026
Major Deployment Of Rickety E-3 Sentry Fleet For Iran Crisis Highlights Worrisome Gaps
The shrunken E-3 fleet isn't getting any younger, and a replacement is still far off while demand for its services would be far greater in the Pacific. The post Major Deployment Of Rickety E-3 Sentry...
War on the RocksFeb 18, 2026
How Are Iran’s Proxies Doing Amidst a Weakened Regime?
In Jan. 2025, Farzin Zandi wrote, “How Iran Lost Before It Lost: The Roll Back of its Gray Zone Strategy,” where he argued Iran’s proxy network and gray zone strategy had significantly eroded over...
Breaking DefenseFeb 18, 2026
Saudi Arabia expands naval capabilities with four C-27J maritime patrol aircraft
Delivery of the first batch of C-27 J MPAs to the Royal Saudi Naval Forces is expected to commence in 2029.
Defense OneFeb 18, 2026
The D Brief: Sentinel’s progress; Buildup near Iran; Canada’s decoupling plan; Russia targets Ukrainian energy; And a bit more.
Initial Sentinel ICBM expected by early 2030, Air Force says. Service leaders say that the program will enter its engineering and manufacturing development phase this year, one year earlier than...
USNI NewsFeb 18, 2026
Russian Surface Action Group Underway for Asia-Pacific Deployment
A surface action group from the Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet recently departed Vladivostok for an Asia-Pacific deployment. Corvettes RFS Sovershenny (333) and RFS Rezkiy (343) and fleet oiler Pechenga...
War on the RocksFeb 18, 2026
Breaking Tehran’s Grip on Baghdad
What happens when the proxy network loses its patron but not its guns? We might be about to find out.Negotiations between the United States and Iran proceed, but the fact that the president has...
War on the RocksFeb 18, 2026
China Now Finds Itself in al-Qaeda’s Crosshairs
Could China replace the United States atop the target list of transnational jihadist groups like al-Qaeda? A recent statement released by Sheikh Saad bin Atef al Awlaqi, the emir of al-Qaeda in the...
The War ZoneFeb 17, 2026
Final Pieces Moving Into Place For Potential Attack On Iran
The latest flurry of U.S. assets heading to the Middle East includes many of the missing capabilities needed for a sustained air campaign. The post Final Pieces Moving Into Place For Potential Attack...
DefenseScoopFeb 17, 2026
How real-world ops are informing Naval Information Forces’ modernization pursuits
NAVIFOR plays a key part in the Navy’s ongoing integration of information warfare capabilities into its Maritime Operations Centers. The post How real-world ops are informing Naval Information Forces’...
USNI NewsFeb 17, 2026
Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Sailing in the Atlantic, Headed for Strait of Gibraltar
Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and its escorts are operating in the Atlantic Ocean as they sail to U.S. Central Command amid tensions with Iran, USNI News has learned. Gerald R. Ford and...
USNI NewsFeb 17, 2026
U.S. Forces Strike 3 Suspected Narco Boats in Eastern Pacific, Caribbean
The U.S. struck three boats Monday that were allegedly carrying illicit narcotics, killing 11 people in the strikes, U.S. Southern Command announced Tuesday. Two of the strikes were against boats in...
Defense OneFeb 17, 2026
The D Brief: Second carrier to Mideast; Hormuz closure; AI fallout at DOD; El Paso drone weapon; And a bit more.
As a second American aircraft carrier races to the Middle East, Iran says it has briefly closed portions of the Strait of Hormuz for live-fire military exercises as it continues negotiations over its...
War on the RocksFeb 17, 2026
Recalibrating U.S. Intelligence Strategy for an Uncertain Global Order
In the wake of 9/11, the newly established Office of the Director of National Intelligence produced the nation’s first National Intelligence Strategy, a document explicitly intended to guide reforms...
The War ZoneFeb 16, 2026
New GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator Parts Reverse Engineered From ATACMS Ballistic Missile Tech
Replacing GBU-57s dropped on Iran highlights issues that come from being locked into a single contractor, which the Pentagon is trying to change. The post New GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator Parts...
USNI NewsFeb 16, 2026
Report to Congress on Iranian Nuclear Programs
The following is the Feb. 9 2026, Congressional Research Service In Sight report, Iran’s Nuclear Program and UN Sanctions Reimposition. From the report UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015),...
War on the RocksFeb 16, 2026
The Sound of Munich: Autonomy, Anxiety, and the Twilight of Transatlantic Order
Munich was warmer than Washington this weekend, both in weather and in sentiment. Neither development was widely forecast. The sense of crisis in transatlantic relations was plain, especially on the...
USNI NewsFeb 13, 2026
Carrier Ford’s Extension to the Middle East Could Break Recent Deployment Records
This post has been updated to include details of the 2020 Nimitz Strike Group deployment. Aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), its escorts and embarked Carrier Air Wing 8 have been tasked...
The War ZoneFeb 13, 2026
Mini Missiles Used To Shoot Down Incoming Missiles Eyed For USAF Tanker Fleet
Tankers are increasingly vulnerable as enemy long-range missiles evolve, leading the USAF to explore 'hard kill' solutions. The post Mini Missiles Used To Shoot Down Incoming Missiles Eyed For USAF...
The War ZoneFeb 13, 2026
Navy’s Top Admiral Previously Said He Would “Push Back” Against Extending USS Gerald R. Ford’s Deployment
The admiral said keeping the carrier, which was just sent to the Middle East, at sea could result in big maintenance repercussions and crew strain. The post Navy’s Top Admiral Previously Said He Would...
Defense NewsFeb 13, 2026
US Air Force buying more bunker-buster bombs after Iran nuclear strikes
The 30,000-pound guided bomb is designed to penetrate an estimated 200 feet through rock or other hard substances before destroying enemy labs or bunkers.
The War ZoneFeb 13, 2026
USMC’s Old F/A-18 Hornets To Get Drone Swatting Laser Guided Rockets
The combat-proven APKWS II laser-guided rocket's use as a valuable low-cost air-to-air weapon continues to grow. The post USMC’s Old F/A-18 Hornets To Get Drone Swatting Laser Guided Rockets appeared...
Defense NewsFeb 13, 2026
USS Gerald Ford the second aircraft carrier sent to Middle East: Report
The USS Gerald Ford set out on deployment in late June 2025, which means the crew will have been deployed for eight months in two weeks time.
Defense OneFeb 12, 2026
Men lie, strategies lie—numbers don’t
The word counts of the new National Defense Strategy.
Defense NewsFeb 12, 2026
Syria says its forces have taken over al-Tanf base after handover from US
The military outpost was run for years by U.S. troops as part of the war against the Islamic State group.
Defense OneFeb 12, 2026
The D Brief: El Paso, explained; Navy ships collide; Marines’ aviation plan; Estonia’s warning; And a bit more.
Border patrol agents prompted the extraordinary U.S. airspace closure over El Paso Tuesday night and into Wednesday after using a high-powered laser to shoot down what was later revealed to be a party...
The War ZoneFeb 12, 2026
Second Carrier Strike Group Ordered To Spin-Up For Deployment To Middle East: Report
A second carrier group would provide additional tactical airpower for a sustained operation against Iran, but it wouldn't arrive for weeks at the earliest. The post Second Carrier Strike Group Ordered...
Defense OneFeb 11, 2026
The D Brief: More borderland, militarized; Every soldier a drone pilot; USAF hones hub-and-spoke basing; El Paso airport briefly closed; And a bit more.
The U.S. military is taking control of more Texas land, citing "security operations along the U.S. southern border," Defense One 's Thomas Novelly reported Tuesday. The seizure has raised questions...
Breaking DefenseFeb 11, 2026
‘Under destruction’? US tensions with NATO allies to take center stage at Munich conference
Besides transatlantic tension, other topics on the agenda at the Munich Security Conference include AI, climate change, hybrid warfare, nuclear security and space.
Defense NewsFeb 11, 2026
Estonian spies believe Europe’s collective deterrence push is working
Russia’s military-industrial complex, even if strained by sanctions, has continued to grow significantly, the Estonian intelligence assessment notes.
War on the RocksFeb 11, 2026
Pauses Without Peace: What Last Year’s Ceasefires Reveal About Global Conflict Management
What if the United States isn’t ending wars, just interrupting them?Since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump — who has repeatedly described himself as a “President of Peace” — has...
War on the RocksFeb 11, 2026
Sweet Nothings: Rutte’s Trump-Whispering Is Counterproductive
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte might have been the only European in the room who enjoyed President Donald Trump’s lengthy, meandering speech last month at the World Economic Forum at Davos. He was...
Defense OneFeb 11, 2026
With an eye on China, Air Force hones its hub-and-spoke approach to basing
“The strategic attention is here in this theater,” undersecretary says during a visit to the Indo-Pacific.
The War ZoneFeb 10, 2026
F-35A Stealth Fighters Moving Closer To Middle East As U.S. Military Buildup Continues
Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran to stave off war have so far proven inconclusive. The post F-35A Stealth Fighters Moving Closer To Middle East As U.S. Military Buildup Continues appeared first...
War on the RocksFeb 10, 2026
Does Guaranteeing Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge Still Serve U.S. Interests?
In early January 2026, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dropped a bombshell. In an interview for the Economist, he claimed that he sought to “taper off” the $3.8 billion in military aid that...
War on the RocksFeb 10, 2026
Biodefense Blind Spot: Why Washington Confuses Pandemics with Bioweapons
The next great biological threat may not begin in a wet market, a jungle, or a laboratory accident. It may begin on a laptop with a commercially available AI model.In October 2025, AI researchers from...
The War ZoneFeb 9, 2026
A-10 Warthog Protects Mine-Hunting Littoral Combat Ship In Persian Gulf Drill
The A-10, now in the twilight of its career, is uniquely suited to protect naval assets from lower-end threats, such as swarms of Iranian small boats. The post A-10 Warthog Protects Mine-Hunting...
The War ZoneFeb 9, 2026
Laser-Guided Rocket-Armed F-15E Strike Eagles Make Super Bowl Cameo Appearance
F-15Es sitting ready to knock down drones in the Middle East were highlighted during the National Anthem, along with the crews that keep them flying. The post Laser-Guided Rocket-Armed F-15E Strike...
Defense NewsFeb 9, 2026
US Air Force needs 500 next-gen fighters, bombers to beat China, think tank says
"No more ‘divest to invest,’” aviation expert Heather Penney said, arguing that the Air Force needs to dramatically boost its F-47 and B-21 acquisition.
The War ZoneFeb 9, 2026
Undersea Drone That Attaches Itself To Other Vessels Unveiled By Lockheed
Lamprey can launch aerial drones, launch decoys, and fire torpedoes after arriving discreetly in an operating area by hitching a ride. The post Undersea Drone That Attaches Itself To Other Vessels...
Defense OneFeb 9, 2026
The D Brief: More maritime strikes, seizure; Warships off Haiti; US official hints at new nukes; Introducing ‘Fictional Intelligence’; And a bit more.
The U.S. military seized its eighth tanker allegedly linked to Venezuela, the Defense Department said on social media Monday. The interdiction occurred "without incident in the INDOPACOM area of...