Latest U.S. Department of Defense News

NATO approves a plan to speed security aid and training to Ukraine's beleaguered armed forces

Jun. 14, 2024 09:00 AM EDT

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO defense ministers on Friday approved a plan to provide reliable long-term security aid and military training for Ukraine after delays in Western deliveries of funds, arms and ammunition helped invading Russian forces to seize the initiative on the battlefield. ...

Japan has no plans to seek a suspension of Osprey flights despite restrictions in US

Jun. 14, 2024 07:38 AM EDT

TOKYO (AP) — Japan's defense chief said Friday that Japanese and American V-22 Ospreys are being safely operated in his country, and that he has no plans to request a flight suspension despite restrictions in the U.S. where ongoing safety and performance assessments will continue until next year....

Ospreys face flight restrictions through 2025 due to crashes, military tells Congress

Jun. 12, 2024 17:26 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The military’s hundreds of V-22 Ospreys will not be permitted to fly their full range of missions until at least 2025 as the Pentagon addresses safety concerns in the fleet, the head of the program told lawmakers at a hearing Wednesday. Vice Adm. Carl Chebi,...

US will send Ukraine another Patriot missile system after Kyiv's desperate calls for air defenses

Jun. 11, 2024 23:56 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will send Ukraine another Patriot missile system, two U.S. officials said Tuesday, answering Kyiv's desperate calls for more air defenses as it battles an intense Russian assault on the northeastern Kharkiv region. The officials said President...

As Congress investigates the Osprey, families balance grief with pilots' love for the warplane

Jun. 11, 2024 10:57 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The V-22 Osprey that crashed off the coast of Japan last year brought the aircraft's safety record back under scrutiny — but this time without one of its most vocal defenders. Air Force Maj. Jeff Hoernemann piloted the Osprey for more than a decade. Each time a...

US will store aid on secure beach in Gaza as UN pauses distribution from pier

Jun. 10, 2024 17:22 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said Monday that it plans to stockpile aid shipments on a secure beach in Gaza during a U.N. pause on distributing food from the American-built pier after one of the deadliest days of the Israel-Hamas war. The U.N. World Food Program, which works...

Third term for Modi likely to see closer defense ties with US as India's rivalry with China grows

Jun. 06, 2024 23:12 PM EDT

NEW DELHI (AP) — Fresh from declaring victory in India's election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered few details on the agenda for his third term, but went out of his way to underline he would continue to focus on raising the country's military preparedness and clout. That...

A new Nebraska law makes court diversion program available to veterans. Other states could follow

Jun. 06, 2024 18:13 PM EDT

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Facing his fifth drunk driving offense in 25 years, Robert Jackson of Olathe, Kansas, was given a choice: go to court and take a possible jail sentence, or commit to a diversion program that keeps military veterans out of jail. Jackson didn't hesitate to take the...

US defense secretary meets Cambodian officials to push for stronger ties with Chinese ally

Jun. 04, 2024 10:11 AM EDT

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with Cambodian officials on Tuesday to discuss a possible resumption of joint military exercises, suggesting the beginning of a thaw in relations between the countries that have been strained over Cambodia's growing closeness...

Pentagon chief extends deployment of aircraft carrier, ships in the Red Sea as Houthi attacks go on

May. 31, 2024 17:17 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group that for months has launched crucial strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen to protect military and commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden will remain in the region for at least another month, according to U.S. officials. ...