Allied forces

Voting results in Brazil show an ally of Senate President Davi Alcolumbre going down to defeat, even with backing from President Lula, alongside the loss of Hugo's father in another contest. The outcome is being read as a setback for the forces that backed the losing candidates and a sign of shifting alliances in Congress.

The U.S. military has pulled out of another base in the Middle East amid fears of drone attacks attributed to Iran and its allied groups. The withdrawal adds to a series of relocations of American forces in the region, reflecting heightened security concerns and escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran, with observers debating the strategic cost of ceding positions.

Fisica, Inc. has been awarded a U.S. Space Force contract to support the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) program, backing space domain awareness missions for the United States and its allies. The announcement, made via PR Newswire, positions the company as a contributor to tracking objects and threats in deep space.

Forces in Yemen have launched an offensive against the Houthi movement, according to reports circulating widely on social media. The development adds to years of conflict in the country, where the Houthis have controlled much of the north since taking the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. Details about the scale, location, and casualties of the operation remain limited, and observers are watching closely for confirmation and response from the group and its allies.

An open-source software platform has been developed that allows the military common operational picture to be displayed in any standard web browser, removing the need for specialised proprietary terminals. Reports highlight how browser-based access could make shared situational awareness cheaper and easier to deploy across units and allied forces.

Franco Gabrielli has entered the Italian political debate, declaring his support for a joint project with Enrico Letta's ally Lorenza Ruffini aimed at building a 'wider field capable of governing'. The former prefect and government official frames the initiative as an effort to unite progressive and reformist forces ahead of upcoming political contests, prompting discussion about possible alliances on the Italian centre-left.

Sudan's Joint Force, allied with the army in its war against the Rapid Support Forces, says it has taken control of Bir Saliba in West Darfur. The claim marks another shift in the contested Darfur region, where fighting between the army-aligned forces and the RSF has displaced millions and drawn warnings of ethnic violence and a worsening humanitarian crisis.

The United States has urgently withdrawn its bombers from a U.K. air base following what American officials describe as threats of an Iran-based plot against the installation. The withdrawal was carried out with unusual speed, according to The New York Times, underscoring concern within the Pentagon about the credibility of the threat and the vulnerability of forward-deployed aircraft to attack.

The New York Times reports that the United States is drawing down its military presence across multiple regions, from the Gulf to Britain, under Trump. The piece frames the moves as a broad retreat of American forces abroad, raising questions about the future of US commitments to allies in Europe and the Middle East.

Royal Marine commandos boarded a German submarine as part of a large-scale NATO exercise, demonstrating joint amphibious and special operations capability between allied forces. The drill highlights deepening UK-German military cooperation at a time when NATO is stepping up readiness exercises across Europe amid heightened security concerns.

Candidates backed by former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro performed strongly in elections even though he himself was barred from running. The results signal his political movement remains a powerful force in Brazil despite his ineligibility, reshaping calculations ahead of future contests and posing a challenge to the camp of his rival, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Sudan's army says it inflicted heavy losses on the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and their allied fighters in Blue Nile state, extending the two-year war beyond its earlier frontlines in Khartoum, Darfur and Kordofan. The claim could not be independently verified, and the RSF has not immediately commented on the reported fighting.

Foreign Policy reports that Russia's sustained air campaign against Ukraine is designed to exhaust Ukrainian air defences and drain the country's resources over time. The analysis frames Moscow's strategy as one of attrition, relying on waves of drones and missiles to force costly interceptions and stretch Ukraine's supply of interceptors and allied support.

The New York Times reports that Donald Trump is being forced into retreat on multiple fronts, from his approach to Iran to his dealings with the United Kingdom. The analysis frames these setbacks as signs of diminishing leverage for the US president on the world stage. Details of the specific reversals remain limited to the headline, but the framing suggests growing resistance to his policies both abroad and among allies.

The US Air Force's 84th Test Evaluation Squadron is providing Total Force support throughout the Pacific region, integrating active-duty, Reserve and Guard personnel in its testing and evaluation mission. The squadron's work supports air combat capabilities across Indo-Pacific operations, a region of growing strategic focus for the US military as it strengthens deterrence and readiness alongside allies and partners.

The United States has announced roughly $4 billion in military sales to Greece, part of a broader effort to deepen defense cooperation between the two NATO allies. The deal is expected to bolster Greece's armed forces amid regional tensions in the eastern Mediterranean and reflects Washington's continued push to strengthen security ties with partners on NATO's southeastern flank.

The New York Times reports on Ken Paxton's search for support in the Texas Senate race, examining which allies and forces the state attorney general is relying on in his campaign. The report raises questions about his backing as the contest for the Republican Senate nomination takes shape.

The former US Navy frigate USS Klakring was sunk as a target during a sinking exercise involving the United States and Royal navies. The drill, reported by USNI News with video footage, allowed both forces to practice live-fire engagements against a decommissioned hull, a standard method for testing weapons and coordinating allied naval operations at sea.

The United States has abruptly withdrawn its bombers and all aircraft from RAF Fairford, a key US Air Force base in Gloucestershire, England, citing unspecified concerns. The sudden pullout of strategic bombers from one of America's main forward operating bases in Europe has raised questions about US military posture in the region and its commitments to European security.

President Donald Trump said an unspecified threat prompted the United States to withdraw bombers from a British air base, according to a Reuters report. The announcement raises questions about the nature of the threat and the state of US-UK defence cooperation. Details about which bombers, which base, and the credibility of the threat have not been disclosed.

The Sudanese army says it has repelled an attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and an allied rebel group near the border with Ethiopia. The clash marks a further spread of Sudan's civil war, which began in April 2023 and has already displaced millions and pushed parts of the country into famine conditions.

A United States official says a base in the United Kingdom faced Iran-linked threats aimed at killing American troops and destroying aircraft stationed there. The claim underscores ongoing concerns about Iranian-aligned activity targeting US personnel and assets in allied territory, and it has drawn attention to security measures around US forces hosted at British installations.

Portugal has opened an investigation into whether the United States used the Lajes Air Base in the Azores ahead of military action against Iran. The probe examines whether Washington violated the terms governing American use of the Portuguese territory. The story is drawing attention because Lajes has long been a strategic refuelling stop for US forces crossing the Atlantic.

Azerbaijan, Turkey and Uzbekistan are taking part in a major joint military exercise, according to Euronews. The drills bring together the armed forces of the three Turkic-speaking states, underscoring deepening defence cooperation in the region. The report gives no further details on the scale, location or timing of the exercise.

Poland is drafting legislation on a 'pre-war state' that would allow its military to respond faster to emerging threats. The document is expected to simplify the movement of Polish and allied troops, strengthen cooperation between the army and internal security services, and adapt existing rules to counter hybrid threats. The move reflects Warsaw's broader effort to prepare its armed forces and legal framework amid heightened security concerns in the region.

Allies of the Mecca Pact have pledged to deploy forces rapidly to Saudi Arabia if needed, according to a report by i24NEWS. The commitment signals strengthened mutual defence coordination among the pact's member states, placing Saudi Arabia's security at the centre of the arrangement. Details on the size, timing, or triggers for such a deployment were not provided in the report.

NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Alexus Grynkewich, is developing a strategy Bloomberg describes as a "Theory of Victory" — a plan for achieving a swift victory should Russia attack the Alliance's eastern flank. The approach reportedly centres on mass use of drones and artificial intelligence alongside conventional forces, reflecting lessons drawn from the war in Ukraine.

The Trump administration has told Germany and France to draw down their emergency diesel inventories to help ease soaring global fuel prices, or potentially face a US diesel export ban, according to three people close to the discussions. The demand puts pressure on European governments to sacrifice their own energy security cushions, and is drawing attention for its unusually forceful handling of allies on energy policy.

Ethiopian federal troops and allied fighters have taken control of Mekelle, the capital of the Tigray region, after TPLF forces withdrew from the city. The development marks a major shift in control of the regional capital, with reports indicating government forces moved in unopposed as the TPLF pulled back.

The U.S. Air Force is withdrawing all of its B-1B Lancer bombers from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, flying the entire deployed fleet back to the United States. The bombers had been rotationally deployed to the British base for missions and training alongside NATO allies. The departure ends the current bomber task force presence in the U.K., and observers are weighing what the move signals for U.S. force posture in Europe.

President Trump has named Jay Clayton as the administration's AI czar, tasked with leading a new 'Super Intelligence Force' overseeing artificial intelligence policy. The appointment places a key ally in charge of the government's AI strategy as competition with China and the tech industry intensifies. Observers are weighing what Clayton's background means for regulation and innovation policy.

Russian jet-powered attack drones are reportedly flying too fast for many of Ukraine's existing air defenses, forcing manufacturers in Ukraine and allied countries to accelerate development of new interceptor drones capable of matching their speed. The shift highlights how cheap, fast drones are changing battlefield dynamics and straining costly missile-based defense systems.

A blogger has reviewed a book about the Battle of the Bulge, focusing on the December 1944 siege of Bastogne, where American forces held out while fog grounded German air support and armoured columns broke through Allied lines. The review highlights how weather and encirclement shaped one of the defining engagements of the Second World War in Europe.