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The Washington Post
Russia and Ukraine agreed March 25 to expand their initial limited ceasefire on energy infrastructure to include the Black Sea after U.S.-sponsored indirect talks in Saudi Arabia. In separate joint statements from the White House—one between the United States and Russia, another between the U.S. and Ukraine—the two countries agreed to “ensure safe navigation, eliminate the use of force, and prevent the use of commercial vessels for military purposes” in the Black Sea.
POLITICO
President Donald Trump is tightening his grip on Greenland, as Vice President JD Vance prepares for a last-minute, uninvited visit later this week. America has “to let them know that we need Greenland for international safety and security. We need it. We have to have it,” Trump said in an interview with radio host Vince Coglianese on March 26.
The Associated Press
The Atlantic on March 26 released the entire Signal chat among senior national security officials, showing that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided the exact timings of warplane launches and when bombs would drop—before the men and women flying those attacks against Yemen’s Houthis this month on behalf of the United States were airborne.
The Hill
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on March 26 doubled down on his assertion that he did not share classified plans to strike Houthi targets in a Signal group chat of Trump administration officials that was inadvertently shared with a journalist, who he claimed “has never seen a war plan.”
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The Wall Street Journal
A new U.S. missile system deployed in the Philippines puts key Chinese military and commercial hubs within striking distance and hands President Trump an early test of his commitment to deterring Chinese aggression against American allies in Asia.
DefenseScoop
Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be America’s top military officer, is about to take the next step in his confirmation process when he goes before members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to field questions about his views on critical national security issues.
The War Zone
The U.S. Air Force office responsible for the B-52 Radar Modernization Program (RMP) is asking for new information about options for derivatives of off-the-shelf multi-mode radars that could go into the bombers. At the same time, the service insists there has been no change to the current RMP plan to integrate a new Raytheon active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar primarily derived from the AN/APG-79 onto its B-52s, an effort that has suffered from delays and cost growth.
Breaking Defense
The U.S. government March 26 approved a potential $1.96 billion sale to Qatar of eight MQ-9B unmanned aerial vehicles, which, if completed, would mark the first sale of the General Atomics-produced drones to the Middle East. The potential deal also includes hundreds of bombs along with scores of missiles, several radars, radios, satellite communication ground systems and related equipment, along with US technical support.
Defense One
What’s better than being able to launch satellites quickly to orbit? Having them there already—or so goes the thinking behind a new $60 million Space Force contract to develop an “orbital carrier.”
Defense News
In the two weeks since Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a directive requiring the use of rapid procurement methods and contracting tools for all software acquisition, military officials and industry executives have expressed a mix of optimism and angst about the mandate, while also calling for more sweeping reforms to how the Pentagon develops, tests, and funds software-heavy programs.
SpaceNews
The U.S. military is preparing to award several high-stakes contracts for commercial satellite communications services this fall, signaling a growing reliance on private-sector capabilities for battlefield connectivity and global coverage. Among the key deals are a $500 million contract to support Marine Corps communications and a new procurement initiative for maneuverable geostationary small satellites.
Military Times
There are positive signs emerging about the troubled new system for moving service members’ household goods. Officials have seen a decline in the number of inconvenience claims being filed by service members for out-of-pocket expenses they incurred because of delays in shipments being picked up or delivered, said Air Force Gen. Randall Reed, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, in testimony.
One More Thing
Task & Purpose
Published March 12 by the 24th Special Operations Wing, this insane photo was taken earlier this month during a week-long selection course at Hurlburt Field, Florida for Special Tactics Officers, or STOs, the officer-version of enlisted Combat Controllers, or CCTs.
