Latest U.S. Department of Defense News

Ospreys had safety issues long before they were grounded. A look at the aircraft's history

Dec. 07, 2023 18:57 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — When the U.S. military took the extraordinary step of grounding its entire fleet of V-22 Ospreys this week, it wasn’t reacting just to the recent deadly crash of the aircraft off the coast of Japan. The aircraft has had a long list of problems in its short history. ...

US announces new weapons aid for Ukraine as Congress is stalled on more funding

Dec. 06, 2023 14:44 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is sending a $175 million package of military aid to Ukraine, including guided missiles for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), anti-armor systems and high-speed anti-radiation missiles, the Pentagon and State Department announced on Wednesday. ...

Lawyer picked to prosecute Army sexual assault is fired over an old email doubting victims' claims

Dec. 05, 2023 18:50 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The lawyer selected to be the Army's first top prosecutor of sexual assaults under an overhaul of the military justice system has been fired because of an email he sent 10 years ago appearing to belittle victims’ assault allegations. Brig. Gen. Warren Wells was...

Senate approves hundreds of military promotions after Republican senator ends blockade of nominees

Dec. 05, 2023 18:44 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate in a single stroke Tuesday approved about 425 military promotions after Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama ended a monthslong blockade of nominations over his opposition to a Pentagon abortion policy. Tuberville had been under pressure from members of...

Defense head calls out those who advocate isolationism and 'an American retreat from responsibility'

Dec. 02, 2023 17:03 PM EST

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday denounced those who advocate “an American retreat from responsibility” and said sustained U.S. leadership is needed to help keep the world as safe, free and prosperous as possible. He also urged Congress to end the partisan...

Somali maritime police intensify patrols as fears grow of resurgence of piracy in the Gulf of Aden

Nov. 30, 2023 07:36 AM EST

BOSASO, Puntland (AP) — Somalia’s maritime police force on Thursday intensified patrols in the Gulf of Aden following a failed pirate hijacking of a ship earlier this week. The commander of the maritime force in the semiautonomous region of Puntland, Abdullahi Mohamed Ahmed, told...

Assailants in latest ship attack near Yemen were likely Somali, not Houthi rebels, Pentagon says

Nov. 27, 2023 13:05 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The five armed assailants captured by U.S. forces after seizing a commercial ship near Yemen over the weekend were likely Somali and not Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, the Pentagon said Monday. Recent attacks on commercial vessels have been conducted by Houthis,...

Pentagon's AI initiatives accelerate hard decisions on lethal autonomous weapons.

Nov. 25, 2023 11:49 AM EST

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (AP) — Artificial intelligence employed by the U.S. military has piloted pint-sized surveillance drones in special operations forces’ missions and helped Ukraine in its war against Russia. It tracks soldiers’ fitness, predicts when Air Force planes need maintenance and...

Insider Q&A: Pentagon AI chief on network-centric warfare, generative AI challenges

Nov. 20, 2023 10:21 AM EST

The Pentagon's chief digital and artificial intelligence offer, Craig Martell, is alarmed by the potential for generative artificial intelligence systems like ChatGPT to deceive and sow disinformation. His talk on the technology at the DefCon hacker convention in August was a huge hit. But he's...

Biden and Xi agree to restore some military-to-military communications between the US and China

Nov. 15, 2023 21:39 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed Wednesday to restore some military-to-military communications between their armed forces as the two leaders met for hours on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. ...