Latest U.S. Department of Defense News
Assailants in latest ship attack near Yemen were likely Somali, not Houthi rebels, Pentagon says
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.
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
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
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. ...
Fireworks workshop explosion leaves at least 4 dead in Mexico's central state of Puebla
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The explosion of a fireworks workshop near Mexico's Gulf coast left at least four men killed, authorities in the central state of Puebla said Wednesday. The blast occurred Tuesday in the township of Xiutetelco, Puebla, near the border with the neighboring state...
Senate panel takes a step toward ending Sen. Tuberville's blockade of military nominations
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats pushed ahead Tuesday with a resolution that would allow for the quick confirmation of hundreds of military nominees, an attempt to maneuver around a blockade from Sen. Tommy Tuberville over a Pentagon abortion policy. Almost 400 military...
Army Special Operations Command mourns 5 US troops killed in helicopter crash
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Army Special Operations Command on Monday identified the five Army aviation special operations forces killed when their helicopter crashed in the Eastern Mediterranean over the weekend, calling each a “national treasure” whose loss cut deeply. The...
US launches airstrike on site in Syria in response to attacks by Iranian-backed militias
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. carried out an airstrike on a weapons warehouse in eastern Syria used by Iranian-backed militias, in retaliation for what has been a growing number of attacks on bases housing U.S. troops in the region for the past several weeks, the Pentagon said. In...
Tuberville under pressure from Republicans over military holds, says he is reviewing options
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville said he's open to negotiating an end to his blockade of almost 400 military nominees after meeting with fellow Republican senators on Tuesday, signaling a shift after he has dug in on his protest of a Pentagon abortion policy for more than nine...
Senate confirms three military officers as Sen. Tuberville holds up hundreds more
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed three top military officers on Thursday — including the first female member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — as bipartisan frustration swirled around Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville for blocking hundreds more nominees. Republican senators...
