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05 Jun 25. Africom Strategy Focuses on Burden Sharing, Protecting U.S. Homeland. U.S. Africa Command’s approach aligns with the National Defense Strategy and guidance from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, said Africom’s commander, Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, during an interview yesterday at the Pentagon.
That approach, he said, prioritizes counterterrorism, and in particular, terrorists who have a propensity to attack the U.S. homeland.
His second priority is countering China’s military encroachment on the continent, noting that there are many shared interests globally on the continent of Africa, with like-minded nations having mutual goals with the United States.
Langley said that while the security and stability mission will be African-led and, to a degree, U.S.-enabled, “We need to do a sharing of the burden in providing stability and security on the African continent with our African partners as well as allies.”
The commander encourages African nations to assist one another, both bilaterally and multilaterally, in combating the growing terrorist threat. Nations across the Maghreb in northern Africa are of particular concern to allies and partners due to mass migration and terrorism.
Protecting strategic choke points is vital for global trade and freedom of navigation, Langley said. These include the Strait of Gibraltar, the Mediterranean Sea area between Sicily, Tunisia and Libya, the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandab Strait.
He said the National Guard State Partnership Program is especially helpful to Africom. The program, which began in 1993, aligns U.S. states with African nations. Globally, the guard partners with 60% of the world’s nations to foster trust, build capacity and increase resilience, thereby strengthening national security and U.S. interests abroad.
“There’s nothing that compares to the State Partnership Program,” he said. “They’re building institutional capacity across African countries and deepening partnerships through training and exercises. Competitors can’t match that.”
Langley added that there are nations not in that program who want to be, so he expects it to expand.
Despite successes in some parts of Africa, he said other parts are concerning, noting the conflicts and terrorist activities in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Somalia and other nations across the Sahel.
Langley stated that diplomacy is key in resolving these issues, and the Southern African Development Community, along with other African entities, is actively participating in these efforts. (Source: U.S. DoD)
04 Jun 25. Caine Calls on Industry: ‘Focus on Fighting the Next War, Not Fighting the Last War.’ The joint force alone can’t defend against the threats the United States faces today; it’s going to need help from the community of innovators responsible for driving America’s efforts on artificial intelligence, said Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during the AI+ Expo in Washington today.
“We cannot do this alone. We have to do this … together. And frankly, my friends, the joint force needs your help,” he said.
Right now, Caine said, the U.S. is dealing with an array of threats on the global stage, including the growth and increased activity of China’s military, events in the Middle East, the war between Russia and Ukraine, North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and counterterrorism activities.
He added that the country is facing an “axis of aligned powers” that have differing views from those of the U.S.
“Our adversaries are working together, sharing technologies and intelligence at unprecedented levels — decreasing the time required for them to field advanced technologies,” he said, noting the U.S. must produce its technology faster while working with private industry.
The general also acknowledged that working with the government can be a challenge for the private sector, and the federal government must make it easier for them to bring technology to the warfighter.
“Together, we’ve got to be focused on fighting the next war, not fighting the last war,” he said. “We need entrepreneurs, both in the private sector and in government.”
Caine said the joint force must continue to evolve to meet the needs of the president, the defense secretary and the nation, and noted that there are a handful of things it will need to do so.
“We’ve got to be properly armed,” he said. “We owe it to our nation’s warfighters to have the right combat capability with the right capacity, at the time that commanders in the field are contemplating plans and activities — not at the point of crisis or conflict.”
Accomplishing that, he said, means bringing in the right technology, including weapons, capabilities and decision-making tools. It also means having an acquisition process that allows the department to get those things.
“We’ve got to do some work on the requirements process, and I acknowledge that there are times, oftentimes, that the [U.S. government] needs to be better buyers,” he said. “I know this from my time in the private sector, where I tried to sell things to the government when I was an entrepreneur — it’s hard; it’s not easy.”
Secondly, Caine said, the Defense Department must be globally integrated. Combatant commands, geographical and functional commands and military services must be connected with other agencies, allies and partners.
The department must also integrate with technology innovators, he said. “[We must] scale that capability in order to meet the challenges that we need to. We’re doing awesome, but we can do more.”
Finally, Caine said, the military must be ready for what comes next.
“We’ve got to be clear-eyed that the joint force of the future needs to be organized, trained, equipped and rehearsed to be able to go not when we might want to, but to be able to go when we need to,” he said. “Our systems need to be built for the war of the future, not the war of the past — and this means using technology and innovation at the tactical edge.”
Caine called on the private sector for assistance. “Your nation needs you with a sense of urgency,” he told industry partners.
“We need your creative, innovative, patriotic and diabolical minds, 24/7, 365,” he said. “Peace in our nation will not be won by the legacy systems that we’ve had or the legacy thinking. It will be determined by the entrepreneurs and innovators and leaders, both in government and out of government, that create overwhelming strength.”
Innovations in AI, cyber, autonomy, space, energy, advanced manufacturing, data and computing power are what the chairman outlined as the most needed.
“We need your help with this,” he said. “I need you inspired to help us. You’ve got the agility, the boldness, the culture and spirit to do these big things, and we welcome your ideas.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
03 Jun 25. Senior Special Ops Leader Highlights AI’s Usefulness Beyond Battlefield. Although the U.S. Special Operations Command has embraced incorporating artificial intelligence into the 21st-century battlespace, one senior special operations forces leader noted that AI has non-tactical uses, which are proving very advantageous for the SOF community.
While speaking at the AI+ Expo in Washington today, Socom’s vice commander, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Frank L. Donovan, said AI tools are helping the command build its budget and run more efficiently at the administrative level.
He admitted that talking about budgets “doesn’t sound exciting,” but it’s important to Donovan to “show that we have a good return on the investment” that American taxpayers make in Socom.
“We use this tool, integrating data from across multiple databases into a single pool, and use generative AI to deliver insights and provide true courses of action to make sure that our baseline budget and our top line remains about constant,” he explained.
He added that such a process helps ensure the command is executing operations globally while cutting away excess and modernizing at the same time.
In terms of how human capital relates to budgeting, Donovan said the people who contribute to the process are still necessary for their valuable insights.
“We can have a large number of staff officers doing that type of work, and we want them still in the loop to provide their expertise,” he said. “But, we can move quicker — with more volume and data — to make a better decision.”
Socom has made significant AI-related inroads over the past year, particularly when it comes to software.
Last month, one industry expert said he would rate Socom’s overall progress on AI development as a “six or seven” on a scale of one to 10, noting that he sees areas where the command can continue to grow, including further integration of AI into legacy hardware systems.
Currently in its second year, the AI+ Expo is a forum for industry, government and academic research entities to exhibit some of the latest technological breakthroughs in AI, biotech, energy, networks, microelectronics, manufacturing and augmented reality, as well as discuss their implications for U.S. and allied competitiveness. (Source: U.S. DoD)
31 May 25. Trilateral Defense Consultations Ministerial Meeting Joint Statement on Efforts to Deepen Our Defense Cooperation. Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles, Japanese Minister of Defense Nakatani Gen, and U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth convened the fifteenth Trilateral Defense Ministerial Meeting (TDMM) in Singapore on May 31, 2025 during the 22nd International Institute for Strategic Studies Asia Security Summit (2025 Shangri-La Dialogue).
Through this meeting, we also mark our first ministerial session of Trilateral Defense Consultations (TDC), announced in November 2024. United by a shared commitment to each other and to collective deterrence, we acknowledge the remarkable progress made by our three countries to advance trilateral interoperability and operational coordination. Building on the discussion and joint statements of two Trilateral Defense Ministers’ Meetings in 2024, we reaffirm our efforts to deepen our practical cooperation and deliver on our ambitious agenda. The trilateral partnership ensures we are prepared to address the most consequential challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
We acknowledge the severe and complex security environment in the Indo-Pacific and the importance of the Australia-Japan-United States partnership to maintain and reinforce a free and open Indo-Pacific. We reinforce our commitment to working with partners and to demonstrating strong leadership to reinforce defense and deterrence capabilities of our respective countries.
Strategic Alignment and Operational Cooperation
We welcome practical progress under our TDC to support trilateral alignment of policy and operational objectives. We are bolstering cooperation across the Indo-Pacific, including enhancing activities in the area surrounding Japan and increasing Japan’s participation in Australia-United States force posture activities. Under the TDC, we reiterate our commitment to coordinate existing regional activities, align strategic communications, and discuss effective cooperation through initiatives including Table Top Exercises on responses to regional contingencies. As a priority, we direct each defense authority to further explore the reinforcement of systems, to support trilateral policy and operational coordination.
Australia and the United States welcome the establishment of the Japan-Self Defense Forces (JSDF) Joint Operations Command (JJOC) in March 2025. We look forward to continued improvement of trilateral operational coordination between our respective command centers, including with the upgraded United States Forces Japan and the reciprocal exchange of liaison officers between JJOC and Australia Headquarters Joint Operations Command.
We reiterate our commitment to increase bilateral and trilateral joint capabilities, including through:
• Further facilitating access of Australian Defence Force (ADF) and other partners’ forces to Japan to undertake more practical activities with JSDF in order to strengthen deterrence and response capabilities in the area surrounding Japan.
• The first trilateral F-35 activity in Australia at Exercise SOUTHERN CROSS in northern Australia (July 2026).
• Continuing progress on trilateral F-35 training, including inaugural trilateral F-35 training at Exercise COPE NORTH 2025 (February) and the upcoming first trilateral Exercise BUSHIDO GUARDIAN 2025 (September).
• Reciprocal deployments of trilateral air assets, including airlift and F-35s.
• The largest ever JSDF contribution to bilateral Australia-U.S. Exercise TALISMAN SABRE 2025, including amphibious training involving all three countries, as announced at the November TDMM 2024.
• Increasing trilateral Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) cooperation.
• Cooperation on reciprocal asset protection.
• Closer operational cooperation among our three countries and the Philippines, including through Japan’s participation in high-end exercises in the Philippines with Australia and the United States.
• Continuing defense cooperation among Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States in the South China Sea, including through regular Maritime Cooperative Activities to support regional maritime security and uphold international law.
Defense advanced capabilities and industrial resilience
We welcome practical progress under our TDC to support trilateral alignment of policy and operational objectives. We are bolstering cooperation across the Indo-Pacific, including enhancing activities in the area surrounding Japan and increasing Japan’s participation in Australia-United States force posture activities. Under the TDC, we reiterate our commitment to coordinate existing regional activities, align strategic communications, and discuss effective cooperation through initiatives including Table Top Exercises on responses to regional contingencies. As a priority, we direct each defense authority to further explore the reinforcement of systems, to support trilateral policy and operational coordination.
Australia and the United States welcome the establishment of the Japan-Self Defense Forces (JSDF) Joint Operations Command (JJOC) in March 2025. We look forward to continued improvement of trilateral operational coordination between our respective command centers, including with the upgraded United States Forces Japan and the reciprocal exchange of liaison officers between JJOC and Australia Headquarters Joint Operations Command.
We reiterate our commitment to increase bilateral and trilateral joint capabilities, including through:
• Further facilitating access of Australian Defence Force (ADF) and other partners’ forces to Japan to undertake more practical activities with JSDF in order to strengthen deterrence and response capabilities in the area surrounding Japan.
• The first trilateral F-35 activity in Australia at Exercise SOUTHERN CROSS in northern Australia (July 2026).
• Continuing progress on trilateral F-35 training, including inaugural trilateral F-35 training at Exercise COPE NORTH 2025 (February) and the upcoming first trilateral Exercise BUSHIDO GUARDIAN 2025 (September).
• Reciprocal deployments of trilateral air assets, including airlift and F-35s.
• The largest ever JSDF contribution to bilateral Australia-U.S. Exercise TALISMAN SABRE 2025, including amphibious training involving all three countries, as announced at the November TDMM 2024.
• Increasing trilateral Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) cooperation.
• Cooperation on reciprocal asset protection.
• Closer operational cooperation among our three countries and the Philippines, including through Japan’s participation in high-end exercises in the Philippines with Australia and the United States.
• Continuing defense cooperation among Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States in the South China Sea, including through regular Maritime Cooperative Activities to support regional maritime security and uphold international law.
Defense advanced capabilities and industrial resilience
We welcome pursuing trilateral cooperation on the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM), including exploring opportunities for live fire training. We aim to leverage our respective strengths of Australia’s long-range strike capabilities, Japan’s stand-off defense capabilities, and U.S. systems to increase trilateral deterrence and response capabilities.
We commend steady progress to build a networked air and missile defense architecture to counter regional air and missile threats. We welcome accelerated efforts to establish an information sharing mechanism through technical working level consultations to further develop the trilateral architecture. We look forward to conducting a live fire exercise in 2027 at Exercise TALISMAN SABRE.
We acknowledge progress on cooperative projects under the trilateral Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Arrangement and intend to finalize planning and commence joint research on composite aerospace materials by mid- 2026. We commend the completion of the Trilateral Concept on Human Machine Teaming in the Air Domain by our respective air services as steady progress towards our aims for collaborative combat aircraft and autonomous systems, and we are pleased to implement this Trilateral Concept.
Australia and the United States celebrate the success of Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) Japan 2025, and we confirm our intention to promote multilateral defense industry cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, in terms of production, sustainment, and supply chain cooperation opportunities, including the Partnership for Indo-Pacific Industrial Resilience (PIPIR) work stream efforts, with the participation of our respective public and private sectors. We look forward to deepening these defense industrial partnerships, including by exploring collaborative opportunities across our respective defense industrial bases.
We recognize the importance of a resilient supply of critical minerals to achieve required defense capabilities, and we welcome efforts to realize the stable supply of critical minerals by multiple stakeholders across related government agencies and industry sectors.
Cooperation with regional partners
We affirm our shared ambition to further expand cooperation with regional partners in the Indo-Pacific, such as India, the Philippines, and the Republic of Korea, in order to reinforce deterrence and stability in the Indo-Pacific. We welcome continued engagement of our three countries with Pacific Island countries, as exemplified by Japan’s participation in Exercise PUK PUK and Operation RENDER SAFE in 2025. (Source: U.S. DoD)
30 May 25. Hegseth Outlines U.S. Vision for Indo-Pacific, Addresses China Threat. While delivering plenary remarks at a Singaporean security summit today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined to numerous Asian ally countries DOD’s vision for the Indo-Pacific region, while also addressing the strategic threat posed by China.
Speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue, Hegseth began his remarks by underscoring the Defense Department’s priorities of achieving peace through strength by focusing on restoring the warrior ethos, rebuilding the military and reestablishing deterrence.
The secretary then used the topic of deterrence — noting, specifically, that our allies around the world are beginning to invest more in their self-defense — to segue into speaking about the Indo-Pacific region.
“As our allies share the burden, we can increase our focus on the Indo-Pacific: our priority theater,” Hegseth said.
Stating the futures of the U.S. and its Indo-Pacific allies are “bound together,” Hegseth said the security and prosperity of Americans are linked to the security and prosperity of U.S. ally countries’ citizens.
“We share your vision of peace and stability, of prosperity and security and we are here to stay,” he said.
The future vision for the Indo-Pacific in one “grounded in common sense and national interests,” Hegseth said where the U.S. and its allies work together while respecting their mutual self-interests and engaging on the basis of sovereignty and commerce, as opposed to war.
The secretary pointed out, as President Donald J. Trump continues to lead European allies to step up in their self-defense, the U.S. can then focus more resources on the Indo-Pacific region.
“This enables all of us to benefit from the peace and stability that comes with a lasting and strong American presence here in the Indo-Pacific,” Hegseth said.
“These benefits, they only multiply when our allies and partners are also strong,” he added.
Regarding American influence in the region, Hegseth said the U.S. isn’t interested in the approach to foreign policy of the past.
“We are not here to pressure other countries to embrace and adopt our politics or ideology; we are not here to preach to you about climate change or cultural issues; [and] we are not here to impose our will on you. We are all sovereign nations,” Hegseth said, adding the U.S. seeks to work with its allies in areas where mutual interests align for peace and prosperity.
“On this sure foundation of mutual interests and common sense, we will build and strengthen our defense partnerships to preserve peace and increase prosperity,” he said.
Pivoting to the threat China poses to the region, Hegseth made clear the U.S. is not actively seeking conflict.
“We do not seek conflict with communist China … But we will not be pushed out of this critical region and we will not let our allies and partners be subordinated and intimidated” he said.
Noting China is “credibly preparing to use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific,” Hegseth said any attempt by China to conquer neighboring Taiwan would result in “devastating consequences” not just for the Indo-Pacific, but the entire world.
“There’s no reason to sugarcoat it: the threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent,” Hegseth said adding while nobody truly knows what China might ultimately do, the U.S. and its allies must none the less be ready with “urgency and vigilance.”
While once again reiterating the U.S. seeks peace as opposed to war, Hegseth said the U.S. must also be prepared for armed conflict.
“If deterrence fails — and if called upon by [the] commander in chief — we are prepared to do what the Department of Defense does best: to fight and win, decisively,” he said.
Hegseth then revisited the topic of reestablishing deterrence in the region.
The U.S. is working that line of effort in three ways, he said: improving DOD’s forward force posture, helping allies and partners strengthen their defense capabilities and rebuilding U.S. and ally countries’ defense industrial bases.
“Across the board, the United States, our allies and our partners have made great progress in these — and many other — areas toward achieving peace through strength,” Hegseth said.
“But we have to do this quickly, and we have no time to waste,” he added.
Hegseth wound down his remarks by emphasizing those who long for peace must prepare for war, and the U.S. is looking to its partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific to do just that.
“Our time is now,” Hegseth said, adding the threats the U.S. and its allies are facing will not wait.
“And nor can we,” he concluded. (Source: U.S. DoD)
30 May 25. Harvard’s US-funded defense projects totaled $180m in recent years, study shows
• Summary
• Trump administration cut an estimated $180m in Harvard’s defense projects
• Funding cuts affect military medical and scientific research, Govini analysis shows
• Harvard sues, claiming cuts violate free-speech rights
When the Trump administration cut federal funding to Harvard University, it abruptly ended an estimated $180 m that the federal government had poured into U.S. military projects at Harvard in recent years, according to an analysis from a defense software company.
The Trump administration announced in April that it was moving to freeze $2.2bn in grants and $60 m in contracts to Harvard University. President Donald Trump said he was trying to force change at Harvard – and other top-level universities across the U.S. – because in his view they have been captured by leftist “woke” thought and become bastions of antisemitism. (Source: Reuters)
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