🔥 US forces hit ISIS targets in Nigeria, Trump says

📬 In Today’s Defense Brief

🇨🇳 China military buildup leaves US “increasingly vulnerable”: Pentagon report — Read More

🪖 Military hits best recruiting numbers in 15 years, Pentagon says — Read More

⚙️ How the new Navy-Palantir ‘ShipOS’ partnership is informed by Project Maven — Read More

🎮 Now you can train for the next drone war on simulated Ukrainian front lines — Read More

🔥 US forces hit ISIS targets in Nigeria, Trump says — Read More

🎱 Plus 10 other news stories you may like

📰 Full Breakdown

🇨🇳 China military buildup leaves US “increasingly vulnerable”: Pentagon report — Read More

• A new congressionally mandated Pentagon report argues China’s modernization drive is making the U.S. homeland “increasingly vulnerable,” citing expanding capabilities across cyber, space, and nuclear domains. The assessment frames the trend as a direct, multi-domain risk to Americans’ security even as Washington pursues more constructive diplomacy with Beijing.

• On Taiwan, the report says the PLA is moving toward Xi Jinping’s directive to be ready for a “strategic decisive victory” by 2027, and states plainly that China expects to be able to fight and win a war over Taiwan by the end of that year. It also says China tested key invasion components in 2024 exercises, including strikes and port-access denial.

• The report highlights rapid gains in space-based ISR (tripled ISR satellite platforms by January 2024 versus 2018), continued nuclear expansion despite a “low 600s” warhead count through 2024, and silo activity suggesting DF-31 class ICBMs. It also cites cyber “pre-positioning” tied to major espionage campaigns, and notes growing China-Russia operational coordination, including a combined bomber patrol into Alaska’s ADIZ.

🪖 Military hits best recruiting numbers in 15 years, Pentagon says — Read More

• Pentagon officials say fiscal year 2025 produced the strongest overall recruiting performance in roughly 15 years, with all active-duty services meeting or exceeding their targets. DoD cited an average of 103% across the five active-duty branches, a notable turnaround after several years of recruiting shortfalls and missed goals across parts of the force.

• The reported FY25 results included: Army 62,050 on a 61,000 goal (101.72%); Navy 44,096 on a 40,600 goal (108.61%); Air Force 30,166 on a 30,100 goal (100.22%); Space Force 819 on a 796 goal (102.89%); and Marine Corps 26,600 on a 26,600 goal (100%). Most reserve components also met their goals, with the Army Reserve notably below target.

• Officials credited process and policy changes, including improved medical screening and reduced delays in entrance processing, plus “prep” programs that help near-qualified applicants raise test scores or fitness levels. At the same time, recent watchdog scrutiny has questioned how some services counted aptitude results for recruits who completed preparatory pipelines, adding pressure to prove the surge is both real and sustainable.

⚙️ How the new Navy-Palantir ‘ShipOS’ partnership is informed by Project Maven — Read More

• The Navy and Palantir outlined a $448M effort to roll out an AI-powered “shipbuilding operating system,” ShipOS, across public and private shipyards and suppliers. Leaders pitched it as a way to optimize construction and readiness workflows—and to help surge nuclear submarine production—at a time when industrial delays and throughput constraints are dogging key maritime programs.

• Senior Navy and Palantir officials described ShipOS as a productivity layer for the maritime industrial base, including tools to surface workflow choke points, automate manual tasks, and provide program managers better visibility into schedule, cost, and risk. Palantir’s Mike Gallagher framed it as a “software Iron Man suit” for shipyard workers—aimed at making inherently hard work more efficient and predictable.

• Officials explicitly linked the approach to lessons from Project Maven, arguing that the same core data/AI concepts can be applied to manufacturing outcomes rather than targeting. Notably, the deal includes a shared-savings mechanism in which Palantir’s payout is tied to measurable impact—shifting some performance risk onto the vendor and signaling that the Navy wants faster learning cycles and quantifiable results from AI in shipbuilding.

🎮 Now you can train for the next drone war on simulated Ukrainian front lines — Read More

• Defense One argues Ukraine has proven drones are no longer a niche support tool—they’re central to modern combat, from reconnaissance to precision strikes and deep attacks. The piece points to rapid battlefield adaptation and the growing recognition that drone operations require not just hardware, but trained operators who can survive complex air defenses, EW, and unforgiving tactical environments.

• The article spotlights the “Ukrainian Fight Drone Simulator,” a public version of a high-fidelity training platform built by Simtech Solutions. The developer claims the underlying system has trained more than 5,000 Ukrainian military pilots to “flight-ready” status and that simulator-trained pilots have successfully struck over 100,000 real-world targets—underscoring how simulation has become a quiet force multiplier in the conflict.

• It emphasizes realism and training discipline over “gaming,” noting effective use often requires an RC-style controller similar to what operators use in real life. The simulator models different drone classes and loadouts—bomb-drop configurations and heavier kamikaze drones carrying large munitions—while forcing tradeoffs like battery management and route planning around defenses, reinforcing the message: producing drones is fast; producing capable pilots isn’t.

🔥 US forces hit ISIS targets in Nigeria, Trump says — Read More

• President Donald Trump said the U.S. launched a “powerful and deadly” strike against ISIS militants in northwest Nigeria, framing it as a response to attacks he said were targeting Christians. U.S. Africa Command said the strike occurred in Sokoto state, was coordinated with Nigerian authorities, and killed multiple ISIS militants at known camps.

• Nigerian officials described the action as a joint operation against “terrorists,” emphasizing intelligence sharing and strategic coordination with the United States and downplaying any religious framing. Nigeria’s foreign minister said planning had been underway for some time and indicated additional joint strikes could be possible depending on leadership decisions in both countries.

• Reporting also noted the U.S. had been conducting intelligence-gathering activity over parts of Nigeria in recent weeks, and the Pentagon released imagery of at least one projectile launched from a warship. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly thanked Nigeria for cooperation and hinted at further action, while Nigerian leaders reiterated commitments to protect both Christians and Muslims amid broader insecurity.

🌏 Other Important News

✈️ Air

• Air Force abandons sweeping reoptimization as Army, Marines push forward with transformation efforts — Read More

• Chinese fighter jet exports set to grow significantly — Read More

• Textron supply T-6 Texan II to JASDF — Read More

🌊 Sea

• Top Stories 2025: International Naval Acquisition — Read More

• China wants nine aircraft carriers by 2035, says new Pentagon report — Read More

• South Korea builds autonomous backbone for naval manned-unmanned teaming — Read More

🧠 C2

• Report to Congress on potential implications of the National Defense Strategy — Read More

🏭 Industry

• Industry chaos, congressional clampdowns and secret CCA contracts: 2025 review — Read More

• ‘Very, very strange time’: After a big 2025, what’s next for the defense industry? — Read More

🌍 Global

• Libya’s military chief dies in plane crash in Turkey — Read More

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