Drone-Busters: Ukraine’s Yak-52s in Action
A Ukrainian Yak-52—once a humble trainer—now screams low over Kherson with a rear-seat gunner and a shotgun, turning the sky into a drone-killing skeet range.
Military
The Navy Moves Fast Forward with a New Rapid Capabilities Office and a Leaner Bureaucracy
The Secretary of the Navy is trading PowerPoint for prototypes—standing up a Naval Rapid Capabilities office to push real kit to sailors in months, while shuttering the slow-roll shops that couldn’t keep pace.
SOF Pic of the Day: SEAL Holds Down the Base Plate of an M252 81mm Mortar in Afghanistan
In the hands of a well-trained crew the M252 81mm mortar is a whispering killer that can rain fire nearly six kilometers away with steady, deadly grace.
Morning Brief: Admiral Daryl Caudle Becomes Navy’s Top Officer, Air Force Lifts Suspension on M18 Pistols, Coast Guard’s Historic Drug Seizure
Trump expands Guard role, Navy shake-up, record drug bust, Ukraine talks. Welcome to your SOFREP Morning Brief for Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
The Mexican Border Defense Medal Is Here
Call it what it is: a hard-earned border ribbon for the troops who kept the line tight while everyone else argued on TV.
Pentagon Ends Decades-Old Requirements Process to Speed Weapons Development
Pentagon kills JCIDS, betting speed over red tape—can faster weapons fielding outpace China without losing joint force rigor?
Today in History: From Washington in Flames to Battles That Shaped Two World Wars
From Washington in flames to clashes in Lorraine and the Solomons, August 24 marks turning points that reshaped wars across history.
Donald McPherson, America’s Last World War II Ace Pilot, Dies at 103
Donald McPherson, WWII hero and last US ace pilot, dies at 103, remembered for valor in combat and devotion to faith, family, and community.
Pentagon Leadership Shake-Up: Intel Agency Chief, Navy Reserve Leader, and SEAL Commander Removed
Defense Sec. Hegseth fires DIA chief Kruse, Navy Reserve leader, and SEAL commander amid wider Trump-era military shakeups.
National Geographic’s Top Guns: The Next Generation – Inside America’s Elite Fighter Pilot Training
Nat Geo’s Top Guns: The Next Generation takes you inside Navy fighter pilot training, where every flight could make or break a career.
Morning Brief: Fire Erupts on USS New Orleans Near Okinawa, North Korea Advances Nuclear-Armed Destroyer Trials
USS New Orleans fire, Microsoft protests, Russia hits Ukraine. It’s Thursday, August 21, 2025. This is your SOFREP Morning Brief.
Merlin Charts a Public Path as Artificial Intelligence Aviation Prime Contractor
Merlin’s AI autonomy takes flight: from C-130Js to KC-135s, the US military bets on aircraft-agnostic tech for the future.
