Israel and Ukraine have used drones against their adversaries in audacious ways that have helped the Pentagon see the need for new technology.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who announced he wouldn’t seek reelection following his decision to vote down President Donald Trump ’s sweeping domestic policy bill earlier this month, on Wednesday slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as “out of his depth” in his role at the Pentagon.

The memo directs the military services to create active duty formations by September, built for the sole purpose of scaling the use of drones across DOD.

The Pentagon is making a $400mn direct investment in a US rare earths producer, in an unusual arrangement highlighting the Trump administration’s determination to break Chinese dominance of critical minerals and bolster domestic supply chains.

Eric and Eliot cover the latest Pentagon dysfunction, with military aid to Ukraine stalled and mixed signals on Trump’s defense policy.

The U-turn was announced during a White House dinner Mr Trump was hosting for Binyamin Netanyahu, the visiting Israeli prime minister. Sitting next to him Pete Hegseth, America’s defence secretary, nodded in assent,

Hegseth speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on June 26, 2025. (Andrew Harnik / ) Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary,

Pentagon officials denied the narrative perpetuated by President Donald Trump that there was a lack of communication between the department and the White House regarding the temporary suspension of military aid to Ukraine.