Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker

July 31, 2026 | Reagan Easter |

Bulgaria approved U.S. Tankers Over Tehran’s Objections

Bulgaria’s parliament approved a U.S. request to station up to eight KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft and 250 military personnel at Bezmer Air Base in southeastern Bulgaria despite direct, public objections...

April 3, 2026 | Joe Truzman, Bill Roggio

Iran downs US fighter jet, 1 crew member recovered, rescue operation ongoing for second

Iran reportedly shot down a US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle on April 3, marking the first confirmed loss of a manned American fighter jet inside Iranian territory since the start of Operation Epic Fury...

March 19, 2026 | Leah Siskind, Marina Chernin

Deepfakes on the Front Lines: Iran’s AI Disinformation Campaign

The war with Iran has triggered a torrent of disturbing AI-generated imagery, videos, and narratives circulating widely on social media — such as smoke billowing from a Bahraini high-rise or rockets...

March 13, 2026 | Bill Roggio, Bridget Toomey

Iran-backed Iraqi militias claim downing of US aircraft, US says not due to ‘hostile fire’

Iraqi militias loyal to the Iranian regime claimed that they shot down a US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker over western Iraq on March 12. The US military has confirmed that the tanker crashed but stated...

September 19, 2025 | Mariam Wahba, Ryan Brobst

As Beijing beckons, is Washington sleepwalking on Egypt?

While Chinese fighter jets split Egypt’s skies in May, it was American armor that shook its sands earlier this month. Bright Star 25, one of the world’s largest multinational military...

June 17, 2025 | |

U.S. Boosts Middle East Military Presence Amid Ongoing Israel-Iran Conflict

U.S. Deploys Air and Naval Assets to Middle East: The U.S. military has reportedly surged large numbers of military assets to the Middle East and dozens of aerial refueler aircraft...

June 16, 2025 | Janatan Sayeh |

Israel widens air campaign, hits Iran’s critical infrastructure, propaganda hubs (June 15–16 updates)

Israel has expanded its precision strikes across Iran. As Iran’s missile stockpile dwindles and top regime officials are either dead or in hiding, the Israeli military has now begun targeting critical...

March 6, 2025 | |

U.S. Conducts Bomber Task Force Mission as Iran Threat Looms

U.S. B-52 Flew with Israeli and British Fighters: U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it had conducted its third bomber task force mission in the Middle East in two weeks...

July 12, 2023 | |

Eyeing Iran, U.S. and Israeli Air Forces Hone Long-Range Strike Skills

U.S. Central Command and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on July 10 that they are conducting a combined military exercise in Israel this week as part of the Juniper Oak exercise series. The...

July 10, 2023 | RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Jack Sullivan

Keep Air Defense at the Top of NATO’s Agenda in Vilnius

Despite reports that Russia’s missile supplies might be running low, Ukraine faces a renewed aerial bombardment from the Russian military. According to the BBC, the month of May saw Ukraine receive a...

December 1, 2022 | |

Eyeing Iran, the U.S. and Israel Conduct Combined Air Exercise

The United States Air Force and the Israeli Air Force began a combined air exercise in Israel on Tuesday that includes fighter aircraft from both countries and a U.S. air refueling tanker. The exercise helps build the readiness of both air forces and their ability to operate together while honing some of the exact capabilities Israel would need to conduct a successful kinetic strike against the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear program. While a Pentagon spokesperson portrayed the exercise as routine, statements from the Israeli prime minister and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) left little doubt about their intended audience in Tehran.

April 30, 2021 | Bradley Bowman, Ryan Brobst

The Iniochos military exercise in Greece is bad news for Iran

Greece hosted the Iniochos 2021 military exercise in April, welcoming military forces from the United States, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus and a number of other nations. In addition to improving...

December 15, 2020 | Bradley Bowman, Maj. Scott D. Adamson

Lessons From the European Deterrence Initiative

December 15, 2020 | Mathew Ha, Maj. Stephanie Mafrici, David Maxwell

Japan Remains the Cornerstone of the Pacific

December 15, 2020 | Bradley Bowman, LTG (Ret.) Ben Hodges

Preserving America’s Military Posture in Germany

March 25, 2020 | Bradley Bowman, Mikhael Smits , Maj. Liane “Trixie” Zivitski

As U.S. Struggles with Coronavirus, Moscow Probes American Defenses

As the Coronavirus crisis escalated earlier this month in the United States, Moscow repeatedly sent Tu-142 long-range reconnaissance aircraft to probe America’s homeland defenses. The incursions into...