The US military launched an operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, with limited ground-to-air fire but no aerial resistance. Experts suggest that Venezuela's air force was taken by surprise and prioritized withdrawal and dispersion of its assets.
The US approval of a $11 billion weapons package for Taiwan has elevated tensions across the Taiwan Strait. China's layered approach to GPS disruption using terrestrial and fiber-based assets provides an operational tempo advantage if US forces operate under degraded or deceptive GPS conditions.
The Pentagon announced it was adding Xai's Grok to GenAI.mil, a secure version of popular AI tools, amid concerns about defense spending. Meanwhile, North Korea unveiled its first nuclear-powered submarine, while China conducted a large-scale exercise in Taiwan's airspace.
China has successfully completed the first flight of its large unmanned 'mothership' aircraft, Jiutian, which is designed to carry dozens of smaller drones. The platform can deploy up to 100 UAVs in flight and has a range of several thousand miles.
Breaking Defense reports that China will likely dominate defense headlines in 2026, with tensions simmering in the South China Sea and around Taiwan. Japan may see an increased PLAN presence, while Russia joins Chinese forces.
Breaking Defense reports on China's military parade showcasing its nuclear triad and new missiles, including the HQ-29 anti-satellite interceptor. This event highlights China's growing belligerent behavior in the Indo-Pacific region, with implications for regional security.
Breaking Defense reports on the most significant news stories from the Middle East in 2025, including Turkey's Steel Dome air defense system, Saudi Arabia's potential deal with General Atomics, Egypt's military drills with China, UAE's satellite launch plans, and the Middle East defense industry's growing presence in SIPRI's Top 100. The region's defense landscape is characterized by increased investment, cooperation, and competition, reflecting the complex web of alliances and rivalries that shape global security.
In 2025, Breaking Defense covered several high-profile stories that resonated with its audience, including the Army secretary's views on prime contractors, a canceled wearable solicitation, AFRICOM chief warnings about China's efforts to replicate US assistance, potential termination of General Dynamics' oversight of 155mm production lines, and questions surrounding future Gripen sales. These stories reflect the shifting landscape of defense spending and policy changes in 2025.
According to Chief Master Sergeant Ron Lerch, senior enlisted advisor to the deputy chief of space operations for intelligence, China and Russia are experimenting with stealth technologies aimed at making it harder for radar and telescopes to find their satellites. The Chinese military has been experimenting with shaping microsatellites since 2012, while Russia recently orbited an experimental satellite called Mozhayets in medium Earth orbit with very low visibility.