New York, July 22 (IANS) An Indian-descent US soldier, Angela Rampersad, is feared killed during an Iranian attack on a base in Jordan, according to the Pentagon.The 25-year-old Army sergeant “is believed to have been killed in action on July 17, 2026, during an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan”, the Department of War said.“The incident is under investigation”, it said.She was previously listed as missing and her “status was updated to a Duty Status – Whereabouts Unknown…
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Washington, July 22 (IANS) The Trump administration faced bipartisan scrutiny in the US Senate over whether it was circumventing congressional war powers by restarting a statutory 60-day deadline after a temporary ceasefire with Iran collapsed.Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski raised the issue during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on President Donald Trump’s $87.6 billion supplemental funding request. She said hostilities began on February 28 without specific congressional authorisa…
Washington, July 22 (IANS) US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told senators that the war with Iran has cost an estimated $37.5 billion, as the Trump administration sought nearly $88 billion in emergency funding amid renewed fighting in the Strait of Hormuz.Hegseth disclosed the figure during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on President Donald Trump’s supplemental funding request. The administration is seeking $87.6 billion, including about $67 billion for the military.“The estimate …
Washington, July 22 (IANS) Senior US senators clashed sharply over President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, with Democrats calling it illegal and demanding that troops be brought home, while Republicans defended the president’s authority and said his actions were aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would force another vote this week to end US involvement in the conflict. He accused the administration of withholding information about Americ…
Washington, July 16 (IANS) The Pentagon has launched a fresh review of its now-defunct Covid vaccine mandate and ordered the eventual public release of an internal report, as the Trump administration moves to rebuild trust with service members discharged under the policy. The Department of War said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed both an independent review by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and a separate internal review to examine how the vaccine mandate was con…
Washington, July 16 (IANS) The Trump administration has pledged to overhaul the Pentagon’s procurement system to make it easier for defence technology startups and commercial innovators to compete for military contracts, arguing that the United States must move faster to keep pace with rapidly evolving security threats. Speaking at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit on Wednesday (local time), Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the administration was dismantling bureaucratic barriers…
Washington, July 16 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has said the United States is reshaping its military around artificial intelligence, robotics and other emerging technologies, as his administration seeks to accelerate innovation and prepare the armed forces for the next generation of warfare. Speaking at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit on Wednesday (local time), Trump said the government was working closely with technology companies and investors to speed up the development an…
Washington, July 16 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has said that his administration would seek a $1.5 trillion defence budget, describing it as a necessary investment to modernise the military, accelerate weapons production and strengthen America’s industrial base amid growing global security challenges. Speaking at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit on Wednesday (local time), Trump said the proposed spending plan would build on what he described as record military investments alre…
Washington, July 16 (IANS) The Pentagon has ordered mandatory testosterone deficiency screening for all active-duty and reserve service members aged 30 and above as part of a broader push by the Trump administration to improve military readiness, optimise combat performance and address what it describes as “Operator Syndrome.”Announcing the new policy on Wednesday (local time), Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had directed an enhanced screening protocol “…
Washington, July 15 (IANS) The Pentagon has signed framework agreements with three new industry partners to accelerate the testing and qualification of low-cost, air-launched cruise missiles for the US Air Force. The agreements with Anduril, CoAspire and Zone 5 cover the Family of Affordable Mass Missiles programme, known as FAMM.The initiative seeks to rapidly validate a new family of inexpensive cruise missiles and expand US weapons production.The Pentagon said the agreements were a direct res…