Carlo Muñoz

Patrick Shanahan to be nominated as defense secretary

President Trump intends to nominate Patrick M. Shanahan as his permanent defense secretary, elevating him from an acting role, the White House said Wednesday.

May 9, 2019

India joins U.S. and Pacific allies to show force in Chinese contested waters

The Indian Navy has joined warships from the U.S., Japan and and the Philippines in a weeklong show of naval power against China, steaming an international armada through contested waterways in the South China Sea claimed by Beijing.

May 9, 2019

U.S. airstrikes hit Islamic State’s faction in Somalia

American airstrikes killed 13 militants affiliated with the Islamic State's burgeoning Somalia faction, as Washington and its allies attempt to stamp out the terror group's efforts to gain a wider foothold in North Africa.

May 9, 2019

Oman, U.S. ally, seeking stronger ties with Iran, report warns

Oman, the key American ally that helped Washington broker the now defunct 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, is quietly seeking to bolster ties with Tehran at the expense of its relationship with the U.S., conservative foreign policy experts warn.

May 8, 2019

Nicolas Maduro Venezuela military strength discussed by U.S., Colombia

U.S. and Colombian officials held a private high-level meeting at the Pentagon on Tuesday to share notes on current and future defense capabilities of embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in preparation for a possible American-led intervention.

May 7, 2019

China ramps up construction work on third aircraft carrier

The Chinese navy is ratcheting up work on its newest aircraft carrier that defense experts say may be able to conduct full-scale air and sea combat operations on par with the United States and its allies in the Pacific.

May 7, 2019

China seeks Arctic clout, ‘Polar Silk Road,’ Pentagon says

China has set its sights on the North Atlantic and Arctic Circle, planning to establish a new "Polar Silk Road" through the region in the coming years, Pentagon planners are warning in their latest assessment of Chinese military power.

May 2, 2019

Iran’s intelligence service tagged as a terror organization by exile group

The Trump administration should add Iran's intelligence organization to the list of foreign terrorist groups in order to hold Tehran's agents accountable for the various terrorist acts they have allegedly committed over decades, a leading Iranian opposition group said Wednesday.

May 1, 2019

Marines’ boot camps could go co-ed as soon as 2020

Male and female Marine Corps recruits could be training side by side as early as next year, ending the rules segregating recruits into separate training units at the Corps' famed boot camp.

May 1, 2019

U.S. troop deployments overseas fall sharply over past decade

The total number of American troops deployed across the globe has dropped at a rapid rate over the past decade, with the Trump White House poised to accelerate the trend by drawing down major U.S. combat operations worldwide.

April 30, 2019

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS leader, appears in video for first time in 5 years

He may have lost his hold on territory in Syria and Iraq and barely eluded the U.S.-backed forces who destroyed his "caliphate," but unbroken Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi re-emerged Monday, appearing for the first time in five years in a crude jihadi video to declare that his global terrorist organization is far from dead.

April 29, 2019

Pentagon denies loosening rules for U.S. troops on Mexican border

The Pentagon is not loosening the strict rules of engagement on the roughly 6,000 American troops deployed to the Mexico border, but will allow limited interactions between those forces and migrants looking to cross into the U.S.

April 26, 2019

Syracuse University offers boot camp for the political world

Syracuse University has announced plans for a new seminar program designed to put veterans through a crash course on the ins and outs of starting, running and winning a political campaign.

April 21, 2019

Turkey to consider Russian-made fighter jets, should U.S. cancel F-35 deal

Turkish defense officials are already weighing the possibility of adding Russian-made advanced fighter jets into their arsenal, should the U.S. ultimately scrap planned sales of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to Ankara.

April 19, 2019

Trump has praise for controversial Libyan Gen. Khalifa Haftar in phone call

The Trump administration is lauding Libyan military leader Khalifa Haftar, praising the former general's efforts to thwart terrorist groups in the divided North African country, according to the White House.

April 19, 2019

Patrick Shanahan dangles F-35 fighters to Turkey in bid to end Russia S-400 missile deal

Washington and Ankara are inching closer to holding senior-level, bilateral talks over Turkey's plans to buy the Russian-made S-400 missile system -- a deal that U.S. officials say would force the cancellation of planned sales of the advanced F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to the NATO ally.

April 18, 2019

U.S. boosting cyber defenses in face of Russian threat: Shanahan

America's cadre of cyber warriors are working tirelessly to curb the threat posed by Russian attacks on U.S. military and civilian networks, including those highlighted in Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Moscow's interference in the 2016 election, acting Pentagon chief Patrick Shanahan said.

April 18, 2019

U.S. airstrike kills key leader of Islamic State in Somalia, Pentagon says

The head of the Islamic State's Somalia faction was killed in a U.S. airstrike, less than a week after the Trump White House declared the national security threat posed by the east African nation constituted a national emergency.

April 15, 2019

David Berger, Marine Corps commandant nominee, told of identity crisis

An open letter to Lt. Gen. David H. Berger, the White House's pick to become Marine Corps commandant, is fueling debate over whether the Corps is in the midst of an identity crisis that could mean tighter budgets and fewer clear missions.

April 14, 2019

Pentagon prepares list of projects on ice to fund border wall

The Pentagon is expected to unveil the list of military construction programs department leaders will suspend in order to free up money for President Trump's Mexico border wall.

April 12, 2019