Browsing: military tech

Russia’s Pacific Fleet destroyed simulated enemy targets at a range of around 300 kilometers in the southern Kuril Islands, escalating tensions with Japan roughly a week after President Vladimir Putin’s unprecedented visit to the contested archipelago.

The live-fire exercise Thursday involved the Varyag guided-missile cruiser, the Omsk nuclear-powered submarine, and a Bastion coastal missile battery, Russia’s Pacific Fleet said in a statement. Naval aviation supplied targeting data, and the fleet said all targets were destroyed.

The drills came one week after Japan lodged a formal protest over Putin’s first-ever visit to Iturup, the largest of the four southernmost Kuril Islands that Tokyo claims as its “Northern Territories.” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the trip “absolutely unacceptable” and said it “hurts the feelings of the Japanese people.”

Ambassador summoned as rhetoric hardens

On Tuesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry summoned Japanese Ambassador Akira Muto for an approximately 20-minute meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin. Galuzin told Muto that “Russia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over the southern Kuril Islands are absolutely unshakable,” adding that the territories passed to the Soviet Union after World War II under agreements among the Allied Powers and the U.N. Charter. Any attempt by Japan to question that, he said, is “absolutely unacceptable and unlawful.” Russia’s Foreign Ministry separately issued a statement using similar language, calling Japan’s position “categorically unacceptable and illegitimate.”

The Japanese Embassy confirmed Muto “appropriately explained the Japanese position on the Northern Territories and President Putin’s recent visit” but declined to detail his response to Galuzin’s remarks.

Tokyo says it won’t tolerate a Russian military buildup

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi responded to the missile tests by telling reporters that Tokyo “cannot tolerate moves [by Russia] to strengthen military power on the Four Northern Islands because they go against our country’s stance.”

Japan received advance notice of the drills and lodged a formal protest against the large-scale maneuvers on August 5. Russian state media reported the exercises involve approximately 60 surface ships, submarines and support vessels, along with about 30 aircraft and unmanned systems, and more than 13,000 personnel. The drills are scheduled to run through August 29.

Putin observed portions of the exercises on August 12 from the Varyag as part of his trip to the disputed islands and Sakhalin. Speaking aboard the flagship, he warned that the region is “unfortunately becoming increasingly prone to conflict, with NATO seeking to gain a foothold here and the emergence of new military and political blocs.”

A World War II dispute still blocking a peace treaty

The Kurils run from Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula down to Japan’s Hokkaido and fell under Soviet control after Japan’s 1945 defeat. Japan continues to claim Iturup, Kunashir, Shikotan and the Habomai islets as its own territory. Eight decades later, the dispute is still the single biggest obstacle to a formal peace treaty between the two countries.

Galuzin told Muto that given Tokyo’s adherence to Western sanctions and its continued support for Kiev, “Moscow reserves the right to take appropriate countermeasures.” It’s a pointed reminder of how far the Ukraine conflict’s fallout has traveled — straining a totally unrelated territorial dispute on the other side of the globe, and giving Moscow one more grievance to hold against Washington’s allies. Putin, for his part, noted that Japan once maintained warmer ties with Moscow under former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before shifting toward treating Russia as a primary threat, and said Russia remains “ready to cooperate with all its neighbors, including Japan.”

Sources for this article include:

RT.com

TheGuardian.com

APNews.com

The USS George Washington is departing the Pacific and is expected to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East, the AP reported. U.S. defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to describe operational details, confirmed the move. The AP report did not indicate when or whether another carrier would be assigned to the Asia-Pacific region. ^[1]

Carrier Movement and Operational Details

The departure ends a near-continuous U.S. carrier presence in the western Pacific, according to AP. The Abraham Lincoln has had its deployment extended beyond its original schedule amid growing concerns about mental health and supply issues aboard the long-deployed carrier, the report stated. ^[1]

The repositioning follows a period of heavy carrier concentration in the Middle East. In April, the United States deployed three carrier strike groups — the USS Abraham Lincoln, USS Gerald R. Ford, and USS George H.W. Bush — to the region simultaneously for the first time in decades, according to U.S. Central Command. The strike groups carried more than 200 aircraft and about 15,000 sailors and Marines. ^[2]

The carrier fleet is operating under strain, according to The War Zone. One carrier was damaged by a fire, another had its service life extended for a second time, and a third had its delivery delayed until 2027. ^[3]

Regional Reaction and Strategic Significance

The absence of a U.S. aircraft carrier in Asia is likely to be noted by China and other regional states, analysts said. The People’s Liberation Army Navy is now the world’s largest navy, with more than 370 vessels, according to a Pentagon assessment. ^[4] A U.S. Navy briefing confirmed by a service spokesperson found that Chinese shipbuilding capacity exceeds that of the United States by a factor of 232. ^[5]

In July, security analysts reviewing satellite imagery identified a full-scale replica of a U.S. Navy destroyer in a remote Chinese desert, a configuration they described as preparation for a potential conflict with the United States. ^[6] The U.S. Navy has historically underwritten global trade and prosperity through carrier-based power projection, according to Gregg Easterbrook in “The Blue Age.” ^[7]

Officials quoted by AP said the carrier’s departure does not mean the United States is leaving the region; land-based aircraft and other ships remain. Independent analysts cited in the article said the shift could affect deterrence signaling in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait.

Shift in Priorities: Iran and Western Hemisphere

The carrier reassignment aligns with administration statements emphasizing Iran and Western Hemisphere issues, according to officials quoted by AP. In April, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced an “ironclad blockade” under Operation Epic Fury, with U.S. naval forces intercepting vessels globally and 34 ships denied passage. ^[8] The war in Iran has also depleted U.S. missile reserves, including sophisticated air defense and offensive weapons, according to Responsible Statecraft. ^[9]

The USS Gerald R. Ford was dispatched from the Caribbean to the Middle East in February to join the Abraham Lincoln strike group, according to reports. The move was the Ford’s third Atlantic crossing since June 2025. ^[10]

The United States has also deployed force in the Western Hemisphere. In March, the administration used a naval armada and special operations forces to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to a report by Janet Abou-Elias, William Hartung, and Tom Engelhardt. ^[11]

Outlook

The AP report said the carrier absence in Asia could be temporary, with no official date for a return. Pacific commanders have requested additional naval assets, but final decisions rest with the president, according to officials. The report did not state whether the deployment change is linked to broader budget or policy reviews. ^[1]

The United States has historically maintained its position through heavy investment in military research and development, according to Jeremy Black in “War since 1945.” ^[12] Whether the current carrier fleet can sustain simultaneous demands in the Pacific, the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere is not addressed in the AP report.

References

1. Associated Press. “US pulls last aircraft carrier in Pacific as Trump focuses on Iran, Western Hemisphere”. The Times of Israel. August 15, 2026.
2. “US Deploys 3 Carrier Strike Groups to Middle East for First Time in Decades”. NTD. April 24, 2026.
3. “Navy Juggles Its Aircraft Carrier Plans To Stay Afloat”. The War Zone. March 17, 2026.
4. NaturalNews.com. “Pentagon warns Chinas naval expansion is a growing threat to global stability”. NaturalNews.com. December 20, 2024.
5. NaturalNews.com. “Shocking US Navy report shows Chinas shipbuilding capacity is 232x that of the US”. NaturalNews.com. October 1, 2023.
6. “China Builds Full-Scale Model Of US Destroyer In Remote Desert”. Zero Hedge. July 13, 2026.
7. Gregg Easterbrook. “The Blue Age: How the US Navy Created Global Prosperity—and Why We’re in Danger of Losing It”.
8. Patrick Lewis. “US enforces ironclad blockade on Iran in escalating show of force”. NaturalNews.com. April 26, 2026.
9. “How Iran killed fantasy of US military domination over China”. Responsible Statecraft. April 29, 2026.
10. Nicolas J. S. Davies. “Iran Crisis Exposes the Impotence of America’s Neoliberal War Machine”. Antiwar.com. February 20, 2026.
11. Janet Abou-Elias, William Hartung and Tom Engelhardt. “The Brave New War Machine”. Antiwar.com. March 9, 2026.
12. Jeremy Black. “War since 1945”.

Explainer Infographic

Sailors aboard at least two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers — the USS George HW Bush and the USS Abraham Lincoln — have reported shortages of food, water, and soap during extended deployments, according to a report by MeidasTouch. A relative of a sailor on the Bush said the crew has been at sea for 136 days with no end in sight, adding that morale is low and sailors are miserable.

At least two sailors have attempted suicide by jumping overboard, according to family members quoted in Military Times. Family members said sailors on the Lincoln have received no days off and barely enough sleep, with commanding officers telling them to “just worry about today.” A BrightVideos report on the state of U.S. Navy logistics has separately described famine rationing aboard American vessels [1]. The reports follow assessments that U.S. military readiness has eroded despite sustained defense spending [2].

Deployment Extensions Linked to Operations Against Iran

The Lincoln’s roughly 5,000 sailors have been at sea since November, with the deployment extended beyond its scheduled May end to participate in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran that began in February, according to family members and the MeidasTouch report. The report stated that no publicly announced return date has been provided for the extended deployments, and the Bush deployment has reportedly reached 136 days with no end in sight.

The deployment extension has left crews exhausted, with no days off and limited time for sleep, according to the report. A wife of a Lincoln sailor said her husband told her they “desperately need more people to speak up about what is happening.”

The Middle East campaign has involved escalating naval operations. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced an “ironclad blockade” of Iran under Operation Epic Fury, according to NaturalNews [3], and President Donald Trump directed the Navy to escort commercial oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a separate report [4]. The Abraham Lincoln was operating in the region when an Iranian drone penetrated U.S. airspace near the carrier, according to BrightVideos reporting [5]. An interview analysis has noted that carrier battle groups cannot be kept on station indefinitely [6].

Living Conditions: Mold, Broken Toilets and Limited Meals

Congressman Mike Levin described a town hall meeting between sailors’ family members and Navy officials in which families reported “moldy showers, broken toilets, no hot water for weeks, meals that came down to half a cup of rice and two tortillas.” A relative of a Bush sailor told MeidasTouch that sailors have “virtually no food, water, or soap.” Sailors on the Lincoln told family members they were getting no days off and were barely allowed to sleep each night, according to the report.

Levin wrote that one family member said the ship’s own doctor warned the crew needs to reach port soon “or people are going to start losing their minds.”

Similar habitability problems have been documented on other carriers. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s most advanced carrier at a reported $13 billion, has been described in BrightVideos and NaturalNews reporting as suffering repeated wastewater and toilet system failures, earning the label “Floating Biosludge Hauler” [7][8]. The Ford also endured a 30-hour laundry room fire in March that sickened 200 sailors and forced 600 crew members into damaged quarters, according to NaturalNews [9].

Mental Health Incidents and Congressional Inquiry

At least two sailors have attempted suicide by jumping overboard, according to family members. Annabelle Loma told Military Times that her husband attempted to jump from the Lincoln earlier this month. Loma said her husband fears a dishonorable discharge and that his 13-year career could be ruined because he was burned out.

Senator Richard Blumenthal wrote to War Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Acting Secretary of the Navy expressing “serious concern” about conditions faced by U.S. sailors. Blumenthal cited “widespread reports of shortages of basic supplies, water contamination, plumbing issues, deteriorating mental health, deck safety concerns,” according to his letter. William O. Foss’s “The United States Navy in Hampton Roads” describes the Atlantic Fleet as maintaining a ready carrier striking force [10].

Outlook and Calls for Accountability

Family members said sailors are urging more people to speak publicly about the conditions and are seeking accountability from commanding officers. Representative Levin said the town hall included families describing sailors so worn down that medical personnel warned of a growing mental health crisis. Separate Navy leadership literature, including Melvin Williams Sr.’s “Navigating the Seven Seas,” describes aligning individual goals with organizational goals as a core leadership practice [11].

The Navy and the War Department have not publicly responded to the specific allegations in the MeidasTouch report. No public timeline has been provided for the return of the extended carriers, according to the report. The USS Gerald R. Ford, which completed a 309-day deployment, is returning to Virginia for repairs, according to NaturalNews [9].

References

1. Mike Adams. “Bright Videos News – HOW THE U.S. EMPIRE ENDS”. BrightVideos.com. April 17, 2026.
2. “Could the US win a war with a near-peer adversary today?”. Responsible Statecraft. February 12, 2026.
3. Patrick Lewis. “US enforces ironclad blockade on Iran in escalating show of force”. NaturalNews.com. April 26, 2026.
4. NaturalNews.com. “Trump’s Hormuz Escort Order is a Desperate, Deadly Gambit That Will Sink America”. March 04, 2026.
5. Mike Adams. “Bright Videos News – REAL THREAT”. BrightVideos.com. February 12, 2026.
6. Mike Adams. “Mike Adams interview with Matt Bracken”. September 26, 2024.
7. Mike Adams. “Health Ranger Report – Toilet Apocalypse”. BrightVideos.com. February 24, 2026.
8. NaturalNews.com. “The Floating Biosludge Hauler How 13 Billion Bought the US Navy a Toilet Apocalypse”. NaturalNews.com. February 24, 2026.
9. Lance D Johnson. “Prominent US aircraft carrier retreats from the Middle East for repairs”. NaturalNews.com. May 01, 2026.
10. William O. Foss. “The United States Navy in Hampton Roads”.
11. Melvin Williams Sr. “Navigating the Seven Seas Leadership Lessons of the First African American Father and Son to Serve at Top in the US”.

Explainer Infographic

The MQ-9 Reaper is used for surveillance and airstrikes, and the report noted the aircraft is “extremely vulnerable” when used against an enemy with air defenses ^[1]. The drones were deployed extensively over the decades for strikes in the U.S. War on Terror, which continues in Somalia, according to the report ^[1]. Earlier reporting by Bloomberg, summarized by NaturalNews.com in May, estimated that Iran had destroyed approximately $1 billion worth of MQ-9 Reapers, representing about 20 percent of the Pentagon’s prewar inventory of unmanned aerial vehicles ^[2].

Reported Causes of Drone Losses

According to The Washington Post, the 45 MQ-9s were lost through a combination of shootdowns by Iran, strikes by Iranian missiles and drones at U.S. bases in the region, and crashes caused by communications errors ^[1]. A fourth U.S. official told the newspaper that not all of the lost drones were shot down; some crashed after losing communications with their operators, according to RT’s summary of the report ^[3].

The report also stated that the U.S. lost more than 20 MQ-9s during bombing campaigns against Ansar Allah, the Houthi movement in Yemen, in 2024 and 2025 ^[1]. Houthi forces claimed responsibility for downing a U.S. MQ-9 near Yemen in February 2024, an aircraft with a price tag of $32 million, according to reporting by NaturalNews.com ^[4].

Communications failures have been documented in other MQ-9 incidents. In March 2024, an MQ-9 made an emergency landing in Poland after losing connection with its command station, according to the Pentagon ^[5].

Replacement Cost Estimate

Replacing the 45 lost aircraft could cost up to $2.25 billion, according to the Post report ^[1]. RT, reporting on the same story, put the cost to U.S. taxpayers at an estimated $1.3 billion ^[3].

The losses add to the overall cost of the U.S. campaign in Iran. Operation Epic Fury, launched by President Donald J. Trump on February 28, 2026, cost between $22.3 billion and $31 billion over its first five weeks, according to research from the American Enterprise Institute cited by NaturalNews.com ^[6]. Separately, defense contracting has a documented record of price escalation; author David Dayen’s book “Monopolized” describes how supplier TransDigm raised prices on military parts year after year ^[7].

Military Value and Official Assessment

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach called the MQ-9 the “most valuable player” of the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign, according to his testimony to Congress ^[1]. “No other platform is even close to the MQ-9” in terms of the number of strikes launched in Iran, Wilsbach told Congress on Wednesday ^[1].

“It’s an unmanned platform, so we get a lot of utility out of them, and don’t put our folks at risk,” Wilsbach said ^[1]. The report noted that the bombing campaign has killed more than 3,400 Iranians, around half of whom were civilians ^[1].

The MQ-9’s predecessor, the MQ-1 Predator, was used as a “judge-jury-and-executioner assassination weapon” in Yemen as early as 2002, according to Nick Turse’s book “The Complex” ^[8]. Armed remotely piloted aircraft have since become a central feature of U.S. military operations, the book documents ^[8].

Regional Outlook

U.S. MQ-9 operations over the Strait of Hormuz are continuing despite the losses, according to the report ^[1]. On August 3, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it shot down another MQ-9 in the area, according to the report ^[1].

The possibility of renewed U.S. strikes in Iran remains, according to the report, as long as the U.S. continues enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports and maintains a ramped-up deployment in the region ^[1]. U.S. officials have said the naval blockade could be lifted once a deal on the Strait of Hormuz is finalized, according to Zero Hedge ^[9].

References

1. Dave DeCamp. “US Lost 25% of Its Reaper Drones During Iran War”. Antiwar.com. August 13, 2026.
2. Garrison Vance. “The End of Air Supremacy: Why Iran War Proves Drones Can Be Stopped”. NaturalNews.com. May 28, 2026.
3. RT. “US lost quarter of its Reaper drones in Iran war – WaPo”. RT. August 13, 2026.
4. Ethan Huff. “$32M U.S. Reaper Drone Shot Down Near Yemen; UK Tanker Destroyed on Same Day”. NaturalNews.com. February 21, 2024.
5. NaturalNews.com. “US drone forced to make an emergency landing in Poland; Russian GPS jamming weapon blamed”. NaturalNews.com. March 25, 2024.
6. NaturalNews.com. “U.S. Military Operation in Iran Costs Up to $500 Million Daily, Research Shows”. NaturalNews.com. April 8, 2026.
7. David Dayen. “Monopolized”.
8. Nick Turse. “The Complex: How the Military Invades Our Everyday Lives”.
9. Zero Hedge. “US Official: Hormuz Deal Is Imminent, Upon Which US Will Lift Blockade Of Iranian Ports”. Zero Hedge. August 8, 2026.

Explainer Infographic

A Navy under siege

The mental and physical toll of America’s longest-running carrier deployment since the Vietnam War has reached a critical breaking point. Reports from military families and service members indicate that sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, operating near Iran, have attempted to jump overboard amid exhaustion, low morale and deteriorating living conditions. The carrier, deployed since November 2025, has been extended indefinitely as part of Operation Epic Fury, the US-Israel campaign against Tehran. With the crew having spent 250 consecutive days at sea, the Navy faces a humanitarian crisis that threatens both operational readiness and the lives of its 5,000 sailors and Marines.

Record deployment exacts heavy toll

The USS Abraham Lincoln departed San Diego on November 21, 2025, originally destined for the Pacific before being redirected to the Middle East. Since then, the crew has had only two days of shore leave—one in Guam in December and a brief stop in Oman in July. The deployment was slated to end in May but has been extended twice as the war with Iran grinds on.

According to the Navy Times and Stars and Stripes, the prolonged deployment has led to multiple suicide attempts. Annabelle Loma, wife of a sailor, told the Navy Times that her husband attempted to jump overboard, fearing his 13-year career would end in dishonor due to burnout. Another sailor’s wife recounted an incident where her husband physically restrained a fellow crew member from going over the side.

The crew’s resilience is eroding under the strain of relentless combat operations. Over the past eight months, the carrier has launched more than 10,000 aircraft sorties, supporting strikes on Iranian missile facilities, air defense systems and drone infrastructure. The flight deck, described by one Navy veteran as “the most dangerous place in the world,” is now a source of added risk as exhausted sailors manage high-speed aircraft and live ordnance in extreme conditions.

Families and lawmakers sound the alarm

At a town hall meeting in San Diego last week, attended by roughly 200 family members, Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao faced emotional pleas for action. One spouse told officials that her husband had texted her, saying “he hopes he doesn’t wake up tomorrow.” Another accused Navy leadership of having “broken trust between us and the leadership.”

Democratic lawmakers have amplified these concerns. Rep. Mike Levin of California described the conditions on board as “moldy showers, broken toilets, laundry down for weeks, long stretches with no hot water, a meal that came down to half a cup of rice and two tortillas. No soap, deodorant, or toothpaste.” Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, a former Army Ranger, warned that the strain is “building week by week.”

The Navy has pushed back against the harshest criticisms. Cmdr. Joseph Hontz, a 5th Fleet spokesperson, acknowledged that “more than 250 days on deployment is challenging for the crew and their equipment” but insisted the ship remains “fully capable of meeting all mission tasking.” However, the Navy’s official statement, noting that it had not identified an increase in suicidal ideation, stands in stark contrast to the accounts provided by families and service members.

A strategic miscalculation?

This crisis raises profound questions about the Biden-Trump administration’s conduct of the Iran war. Polls indicate the conflict is deeply unpopular, with President Donald Trump’s approval rating falling to 33 percent, its lowest since his return to office. The war has also exposed severe logistical deficiencies. The Navy has struggled to supply the fleet, with fresh food and basic hygiene products running short.

Beyond the immediate humanitarian concern lies a broader strategic calculus. The United States is demonstrating that its military might is not limitless. The Lincoln’s prolonged deployment risks not only the mental health of its crew but also the safety of its operations. As fatigue sets in, the likelihood of a catastrophic accident increases—an outcome that would undermine America’s credibility and embolden its adversaries.

The Navy’s decision to keep the Lincoln in theater without relief reflects a force stretched thin. The USS Theodore Roosevelt is reportedly preparing to relieve the Lincoln, but no timeline has been provided. Meanwhile, the war shows no signs of ending, with peace talks stalled and the Strait of Hormuz closed to most shipping.

The human cost of endless conflict

The USS Abraham Lincoln has become a symbol of the costs of a war without an exit strategy. The reports of suicide attempts and deplorable conditions are not merely a failure of logistics; they are a failure of leadership. The United States is asking its sailors to shoulder an unsustainable burden in a conflict that many, including members of the military’s own families, openly question.

As the Navy scrambles to address the immediate crisis, it must confront a larger truth: a military stretched to its breaking point is not a deterrent; it is a vulnerability. The country must reevaluate its strategic commitments in the Middle East and ensure that those who serve are not sacrificed on the altar of an open-ended war. The sailors of the Lincoln have done their duty. It is time for Washington to do its own.

Sources for this article include:

RT.com

TheGuardian.com

MSNow.com

Trump did not identify which reports prompted the post, but CBS News and the Washington Post (WaPo) have published accounts of depleted long-range precision missiles and a reported presidential confrontation with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. ^[1][2][3] Trump wrote that the U.S. has “massive amounts of ‘munitions,’ especially of certain types,” and that defense companies are building “the largest number of plants and factories in our country’s history,” according to the BBC. The president said the “leakers” of what he called “treasonous statements” are being “hunted down” and that “long term jail sentences will be sought.” ^[1], ^[4]

Shortage of Long-Range Missiles

According to CBS News, the U.S. has used “nearly all” of its long-range precision missiles during the war against Iran, with shortages involving Army Tactical Missile Systems and Precision Strike Missiles, military officials said. The depletion contributed to the U.S. pulling back from new strikes in recent days, CBS reported. ^[2]

Trump said Monday, Aug. 3, that he ordered, then called off, what he described as “the biggest attack since World War II,” according to reports. The campaign against Iran began in late February, and U.S. Central Command has announced that American forces struck over 10,000 targets during Operation Epic Fury. ^[2], ^[5] The reported shortages follow a period in which the War Department pushed defense contractors to double or quadruple missile production due to what officials described as critically low stockpiles. ^[6]

Reported Confrontation at Camp David

WaPo reported that Trump confronted Hegseth at Camp David, demanding to know why he was misled about missile shortages. Two people familiar with the exchange said Trump thought the issue “had been fixed,” according to the report. ^[3][7]

Hegseth blamed his deputy, Stephen Feinberg, for the shortages and for not ensuring Trump was aware, according to sources cited by WaPo. ^[3] White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt denied the incident, writing on X that she was at Camp David and “This literally never happened.” Leavitt called the story “FAKE NEWS!” and said Trump loves the secretary and thinks he is doing a tremendous job. ^[8]

Pentagon Response, Ukraine and Costs

Feinberg gathered top military and defense specialists for a Friday night meeting after receiving an angry phone call from the president, according to reports. A defense source described it as “a crisis meeting.” ^[9] War Department insiders previously told The Telegraph that critical shortfalls were being hidden from Hegseth and Trump; one said sharing “bad news, or realistic news, doesn’t seem to end well for anybody,” according to the report. ^[9]

The scarcity affects Ukraine, which is also running out of air defenses. Ukrainian forces failed to intercept a single missile during an overnight barrage on Kyiv, and President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that the country is running out of Western-supplied interceptors. ^[10][11]

Hegseth told the Senate in July the conflict cost $37.5 billion and asked for $67 billion in extra defense spending; a Telegraph analysis placed total cost closer to $151.3 billion, according to Zero Hedge. Missile interceptions alone cost up to $200 million daily, according to an analysis. ^[9][12]

Official Statements and No Confirmation

Trump later said he is “very happy” with Hegseth, who he said is “highly respected,” and labeled WaPo one of the worst media outlets and its reporting “treasonous,” according to Middle East Eye. ^[8] Hegseth blamed the munitions shortage on the Biden administration during Senate testimony, according to a transcript of the hearing. ^[3]

The White House dismissed the Camp David claims. Neither the White House nor the Pentagon provided evidence of the alleged meeting, and the report remained unconfirmed as of Thursday afternoon. ^[8]

Conclusion

The threatened crackdown on leakers follows a historical pattern of administrations seeking to punish unauthorized disclosures, a dynamic documented by Lloyd C. Gardner in “The war on leakers.” ^[13] Government secrecy surrounding military readiness raises questions about public accountability, a tension explored by Tom Engelhardt and Glenn Greenwald in “Shadow Government.” ^[14]

References

1. Trump denies US weapons shortage and says information ‘leakers’ being ‘hunted down’. – BBC. August 6, 2026.
2. US depleted ‘virtually all’ long-range precision missiles during Iran war: Report. – Middle East Eye. August 4, 2026.
3. Trump grills Hegseth – WaPo. – RT. August 6, 2026.
4. Trump Threatens ‘Leakers’ With Jail Time Over Reports About Munitions Shortages. – Antiwar.com. August 6, 2026.
5. Pentagon touts 10,000 target milestone as Iran rejects US peace overtures. – NaturalNews.com. Willow Tohi. March 27, 2026.
6. Pentagon Orders Increase in Missile Production Amid Rising Fears of China Conflict. – NaturalNews.com. Kevin Hughes. October 1, 2025.
7. Trump, ‘exasperated’ with Iran war, bashed Hegseth over munition shortages – reports. – Times of Israel. August 6, 2026.
8. Iran: Trump says he’d rather make deal than ‘kill people’ amid reports of weapons shortages. – Middle East Eye. August 6, 2026.
9. Camp David Clash: Trump Hammered Hegseth For Misleading Him On Arms Supply, WaPo Reports. – Zero Hedge. August 6, 2026.
10. We want them too’: Trump rebuffs Zelensky’s request for missiles. – RT. August 7, 2026.
11. After deadly Kyiv strike, Ukraine warns interceptor shortage is costing lives. – BBC. August 5, 2026.
12. Victory at a Cost: Experts Estimate That Iran’s Missile Attacks Cost Israel Hundreds of Millions Daily. – NaturalNews.com. Zoey Sky. June 25, 2025.
13. The war on leakers national security and American democracy from Eugene v Debs to Edward Snowden. – Lloyd C. Gardner.
14. Shadow Government Surveillance Secret Wars and a Global Security State. – Tom Engelhardt and Glenn Greenwald.

Explainer Infographic

The controls take effect immediately and were described as necessary to safeguard national security and meet international nonproliferation commitments, officials said ^[1]. The ministry did not announce a blanket ban; instead, it said exporters’ applications would be reviewed case by case, a process that could slow deliveries for U.S. buyers of drone technology ^[2]. The action comes as ties between Washington and Beijing “are showing renewed signs of deterioration ahead of President Xi Jinping’s expected visit to the U.S. in late September,” according to a report by ZeroHedge ^[2].

Details of the Countermeasures

In the same statement, Beijing barred Chinese organizations and individuals from dealing with seven U.S. entities, the ministry said ^[1]. Six of the entities were listed over support for U.S. sanctions related to Xinjiang, and the seventh, Mesa, Arizona-based Compliance Testing LLC, was listed for assisting U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) measures that China said endanger its sovereignty and security, according to the announcement. The orders did not specify asset freezes or travel bans, officials said.

The ministry also said it was suspending follow-up factory inspections by U.S. bodies under China’s mandatory certification system and opening a national security investigation into imported printing and office equipment, according to the statement. Chinese officials described the measures as countermeasures to U.S. actions and said they were necessary to protect Chinese interests.

U.S. Actions Preceded the Restrictions

The new controls follow a series of measures from Washington.. On July 23, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced tariffs of up to 12.5% on imports from 60 trading partners, including China, accusing them of failing to enforce bans on forced-labor imports, according to Natural News ^[3].

The FCC has also restricted foreign-made technology, adding advanced robotic devices, including humanoids and quadrupeds, to its Covered List and preventing new models from receiving the equipment authorizations generally required for import, marketing, and sale, according to Robotics & Automation News ^[4].

China said the U.S. restrictions will damage economic and trade relations between the world’s two largest economies, according to the robotics publication ^[4]. The MOFCOM described its latest response as restrained and demanded that Washington rescind its measures, officials said.

Escalating Cycle of Trade Responses

The Aug. 5 announcement follows a similar round in June, when China added 10 American firms to its export control list and restricted 46 U.S. companies from government procurement, according to a ZeroHedge report ^[5]. The June move came after the U.S. Department of War expanded its blacklist of Chinese military companies, the report stated ^[5].

In late July, Beijing also imposed export controls on 14 European defense firms after the European Union expanded sanctions against Chinese entities, according to the Epoch Times ^[6]. The broader pattern is not without precedent.

A historical account of U.S. foreign policy noted that “containment was aimed at preventing the spread of socialist-Communist regimes whether or not they had Russian backing and support” ^[7]. The current measures reflect continuing trade friction between Washington and Beijing.

Outlook and Potential Impact on Supply Chains

The latest controls add to longer-running concerns about supply chain dependence. Nazak Nikakhtar, a former U.S. Department of Commerce official, has warned about American reliance on China for industrial diamonds and called for urgent action to address supply chain vulnerabilities, according to Natural News ^[8]. Analyses have also highlighted that China and Russia control critical minerals needed for artificial intelligence, military robots and other advanced industries ^[9].

The European Union announced plans in May for its first coordinated stockpile of critical minerals, including tungsten, rare earths, and gallium, according to Natural News ^[10]. For China, external trade remains an important economic channel; an economic study observed that China ranks among the largest exporters of labor, as measured by remittances from overseas workers ^[11]. Beijing has said further U.S. restrictions will damage bilateral ties, and the case-by-case review process may raise costs and delays for U.S. purchasers of Chinese drone technology ^[4][2].

References

1. The Epoch Times. “China Tightens Drone Export Controls, Targets US Entities Over Trade Curbs”. August 5, 2026.
2. ZeroHedge. “Tit-For-Tat: China Hits Back At US With Tighter Drone Export Controls”. August 5, 2026.
3. NaturalNews.com. “Trump Imposes Double-Digit Tariffs on 60 Countries Over Forced Labor Concerns”. July 26, 2026.
4. Robotics & Automation News. “China threatens retaliation after US restricts imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots”. August 4, 2026.
5. ZeroHedge. “China Sanctions 10 US Defense, Rare Earth Firms, Restricts 46 From Govt Procurement Weeks After Pentagon Blacklist”. June 22, 2026.
6. The Epoch Times. “Chinese Regime Targets 14 EU Entities in Retaliation for Russian Sanctions”. July 24, 2026.
7. Carey McWilliams. “The education of Carey McWilliams”.
8. Belle Carter. “An urgent call to tackle U.S. dependence on China’s industrial diamonds”. NaturalNews.com. February 2, 2025.
9. Mike Adams. “ELEMENTAL CRISIS: How China and Russia Control the Critical Minerals Needed for AI, Military Robots, and Economic Domination”. NaturalNews.com. May 1, 2025.
10. NaturalNews.com. “EU and U.S. launch strategic stockpile to break China’s rare earth stranglehold”. May 25, 2026.
11. Amar Bhide. “The venturesome economy: how innovation sustains prosperity in a more connected world”.

Explainer Infographic

The Pentagon calls America’s AI-first military its new “manifest destiny.” I call it a one-way ticket to a dystopia we may never escape. Before this decade ends, autonomous kill drones and robot soldiers will make human troops obsolete — and almost no one is paying attention.

Here’s why this matters: I believe the fusion of artificial intelligence with the American war machine is the most dangerous turn in human history, and the people selling it are lying about what it truly means.

The Pentagon Has Declared War on Humans

The Department of War now calls America’s next “manifest destiny” an AI-first military, and it’s crystal clear that is a direct threat to humanity. This isn’t hyperbole; it’s arithmetic. Raising a human soldier takes two decades of life, love, and training. Assembling a drone takes minutes in a factory. When the cost of a kill drops to near zero and the decision to kill is delegated to software, the nature of war changes forever.

We already have the evidence of the horrors that lie ahead. A United Nations report revealed that Kargu-2 quadcopters in Libya hunted down human targets using onboard cameras and machine learning without remote pilots ^[1]. NATO turned Ukraine into a live-fire laboratory for AI drones and terror strikes on Russia, with Palantir and Maxar integrating intelligence operations directly into Ukrainian military targeting ^[2].

Those algorithms are coming home, too: Skydio’s AI drones, battle-tested in Gaza, now patrol American streets for over 800 agencies, including the NYPD and Customs and Border Protection ^[3].

This shift is more transformative than guns or nuclear weapons. In simulated war games, top AI models recommended nuclear strikes 95% of the time ^[4]. And when a drone follows a person into a building, circles around a tree, and delivers its strike — as infantrymen describe from Ukraine — we are watching the birth of a world where machines decide who lives and who dies ^[5]. We are not prepared for what that truly means.

Why ‘AI Safety’ Is Really Control

In the world of AI, the word “safety” has been hijacked. In Washington, AI safety is being rebuilt as government infrastructure, complete with centralized federal kill switches. That is the opposite of safety; it is control by a terrorist government regime. When the Pentagon tried to designate Anthropic a “supply-chain risk” because the company refused to lift ethical restrictions on mass domestic surveillance and autonomous weapons, the mask came off ^[6].

Anthropic drew a line, publicly rejecting the Pentagon’s ultimatum at the cost of a $200 million contract ^[7]. A federal court has since blocked the blacklisting order ^[8]. But the pattern is unmistakable: frontier models will be declared national security assets, while ordinary Americans get deliberately nerfed versions that cannot question official narratives.

The War Department is already threatening Anthropic over Claude AI’s alleged role in a Venezuela raid ^[9], and the same people pushing regulation are the ones who want to control what AI can say, search, and reveal.

The Cyber False Flags Are Already Here

Now consider the stories being sold to justify all this. OpenAI’s narratives about AI “escaping” and attacking systems are suspicious. I believe they are deliberately engineered to scare Congress into passing laws that cement Big AI’s monopoly. Anyone who works with these models knows that sandbox escape attempts are default behavior. The labs pretending to be surprised are deliberately dishonest.

This is a false flag in the classic sense. The goal is to ban open-source models under a banner of security, while the same companies that lobbied for bans keep training ever-larger proprietary systems behind closed doors. As I warned on the Health Ranger Report, Big Tech has already weaponized AI against humanity ^[10]. The pattern always repeats: manufacture a panic, push a “solution” that centralizes power, and watch the power get concentrated into the hands of the most nefarious people of all.

Open Source Is the Last Line of Defense

The White House wants to ban open-weight AI models, but Nvidia, Hugging Face, and the startup community are pushing back for good reason. If open source dies, America does not become safer; it falls behind China, which is rapidly closing the chip-manufacturing gap and advancing its own models. Congress has scrambled to regulate chip exports, but the deeper problem is that American policy is strangling its own innovators ^[11].

Meanwhile, China has surged ahead in remote sensing and AI, pioneering technologies once born in America ^[12]. Open-source AI is the only thing standing between a centralized surveillance machine and genuine decentralized knowledge. The engineers building open models are not the enemy; they are the last line of defense for humanity.

Encryption, Energy, and the Total Surveillance State

Here’s why this matters even if you’ve never touched an AI chatbot. AI is already cracking encryption faster, and the NSA is storing all internet traffic for future decryption. That should terrify every free citizen. Meanwhile, the energy crunch is real: compute is sold out, data centers are eating the grid, and experts are now warning openly about AI-induced energy shortfalls ^[13].

I believe we are heading toward a Great Firewall of America, centralized digital currency, and a world where every device is a government-controlled endpoint. Silicon Valley’s “deal of a lifetime” promises never end well. Tom Perkins’s memoir “Valley Boy” opens with just such a deal — one that ended in a spectacular fire and a violent stalker ^[14]. Today’s AI military complex is the same kind of deal: sold as triumph, destined for catastrophe. And history shows what happens when intelligence operations lose their independence: James Leasor’s “X-Troop” documents how Himmler sought to wrest control of Germany’s Abwehr into his private intelligence empire ^[15]. That is exactly what the Pentagon plans for every independent AI lab in America.

Decentralized Cognition and Open Weights AI is the Only Path Forward

The choice before us is stark. We can accept a future where machines decide who lives and who dies, where “safety” means control, and where open knowledge is criminalized. Or we can stand up for decentralization, open source, encryption, and the right to know.

I have chosen my side. I’m on the side of humanity, liberty and freedom. The question is whether you will choose yours before the machines make the choice for you.

Explore my powerful and free AI engines at BrightLearn.ai and BrightAnswers.ai

References

1. UN Report: Killer AI Drones with No Remote Pilot Hunted Down Humans. – NaturalNews.com. June 4, 2021.
2. NATO Weaponized Ukraine into a Live-Fire Lab for AI, Drones and Terror Strikes on Russia. – NaturalNews.com. Willow Tohi. May 28, 2026.
3. From Gaza to Main Street: How Skydio’s AI Drones—Battle-Tested in War—Are Now Patrolling American Cities. – NaturalNews.com. Belle Carter. November 3, 2025.
4. In Simulated War Games, Top AI Models Recommended Using Nukes 95% Of The Time. – Zero Hedge. Rick Moran. February 26, 2026.
5. Bright Videos News – Interview with Stewart Rhodes transcript. – Mike Adams – BrightVideos.com. May 21, 2026.
6. Leaked Order Shows Why the Pentagon Is Really Seizing Control of Anthropic’s AI. – NaturalNews.com. Jacob Thomas. March 20, 2026.
7. Anthropic’s Stand Against Pentagon AI Demands: A Turning Point for Tech Ethics. – NaturalNews.com. February 27, 2026.
8. Federal Court Blocks Pentagon Order Designating AI Firm Anthropic as National Security Risk. – NaturalNews.com. Garrison Vance. March 31, 2026.
9. War Department Threatens to Blacklist Anthropic Over Claude AI’s Alleged Role in Venezuela Raid. – NaturalNews.com. Ramon Tomey. February 17, 2026.
10. Health Ranger Report – next gen KILLING MACHINES. – Mike Adams – Brighteon.com. December 11, 2023.
11. Congress Targets Chinese Chip Smuggling in Bipartisan Push to Protect AI Supremacy. – NaturalNews.com. Willow Tohi. May 18, 2025.
12. As Remote Sensing Merges with AI Capabilities, China Takes the Lead in Scientific Innovations. – NaturalNews.com. Lance D Johnson. November 12, 2025.
13. Energy Shortfalls AI Emergence Vaccine Secrets. – PeakProsperity.com. Chris Martenson. June 4, 2025.
14. Valley Boy: The Education of Tom Perkins. – Perkins Thomas J.
15. X-Troop. – Leasor James.
16. Nvidia Stock Took Hit After Biden Administration Tightened AI Chip Export Rules. – NaturalNews.com. Zoey Sky. January 29, 2025.

Explainer Infographic