I - On Defense Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

For review:

1. Hamas & PA Agree on Temporary Committee to Manage Gaza.

2. Saudi Arabia Requests Purchase of F-35 Fighters from US. 

The Trump administration is considering a Saudi Arabian request to buy as many as 48 F-35 fighter jets.

3. US President Donald Trump will host Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa for talks on November 10, the White House announced Tuesday.

4. Ukraine General Staff: No Encirclement of Units & Divisions in Pokrovsk.

The important hub in Ukraine’s Donetsk region lies on a major supply route for the Ukrainian army and has been in Moscow’s sights for over a year.

5. North Korea has dispatched around 5,000 military construction troops and 1,000 engineers to Russia since September, according to South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS).

6. Ukraine has signed up approximately 2,000 Colombian nationals as contract soldiers to help fill critical manpower gaps according to German media (Die Welt).

7. A Russian Il-76 cargo plane that recently arrived in Venezuela- later made several stops in other Kremlin-aligned Latin American countries before returning to Russia, flight records show.

For review:

1. US Draft UNSC Resolution to Establish Gaza International Stabilization Force.

International Stabilization Force will be in charge of securing the borders with Israel and Egypt, ensuring the safety of civilians and humanitarian zones, and training new Palestinian police officers who it will partner with.

The force’s mandate will apparently include disarming Hamas.

2.  Gaza’s future must be Palestinian-led and avoid any new system of foreign hegemony, Turkey and six of its top Muslim allies said Monday, after talks in Istanbul.

3. IDF said Monday that it killed two Hezbollah operatives in separate strikes within an hour in southern Lebanon.

4.  IRGC Says Precision Missile Killed Hamas Leader Haniyeh; Not Remote Bomb.

5. Renewed US Nuclear Testing: President Trump alleged Sunday that countries including Russia and China have conducted underground nuclear tests unknown to the public, and that the United States would follow suit.

6. Washington Post Report: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin for military assistance as the U.S. concentrates forces in the Caribbean. 

According to the report, President Maduro requested help to strengthen air defense systems, including the delivery of 14 missile units, and the restoration of several Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighters. Plus, the overhauls of eight engines, five radars, and unspecified “logistical support.”

7. A Russian transport aircraft (Ilyushin Il-76) has landed in the Venezuelan capital over the weekend, signaling heightened Russian interest in the Latin American country.

 8.  Australian Navy Receives First Ghost Shark Extra-large Autonomous Underwater Vehicle.

Australia plans to use the platform for stealthy long-range intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike operations.

For review:

1. The military commander of the Houthi rebels in Yemen, Muhammad al-Ghamari, has died, the Iran-backed group announced Thursday afternoon. 

The Israel Defense Forces later confirmed that al-Ghamari had been killed during a 28 Aug airstrike in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.

2.  US-Led Gaza Coordination Center Operational in Days.

The command center will be led by a US three-star general, at least initially, who has not been identified publicly. The commander will have a foreign deputy, who would be the equivalent of a two-star officer, the officials said. 

3.  US denies Hamas violating ceasefire deal, vows no hostage will be ‘left behind’ in Gaza.

4. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told The Associated Press that 15 Palestinian technocrats have been selected to administer postwar Gaza. 

5.  Russia' postponed Arab summit. May be held in November instead. 

6. President Trump and Russian President to Meet in Budapest within Two Weeks. 

The Trump-Putin meeting is expected to follow talks next week between teams led by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, at a location to be determined. 

7.  United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned Moscow on Wednesday that if its war on Ukraine does not come to an end, the US and NATO allies would “impose costs on Russia for its continued aggression.” 

8. The US and the Netherlands signed a pact today for the European nation to participate in the development of the US Air Force’s CCA program.

CCA = Collaborative Combat Aircraft 

9.  First US Army Hypersonic Battery Fully Equipped in December.

10.  The Army plans to "field" its next-generation M1E3 Abrams tank before the end of next year.

The test vehicle would be sent to a small unit (identity and location not yet been determined). 

For review:

1. US President Donald Trump indicated Wednesday that he is seeking to “blow up” Iran’s nuclear centrifuges through an agreement with Tehran, but is also prepared to blow them up in an attack if necessary.

2. UAE Facilitates Indirect Security Talks Between Israel & Syria. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday confirmed that his country was currently taking part in indirect talks with Israel. Reports earlier in the day said that the United Arab Emirates had facilitated a backchannel for dialogue between Jerusalem and Damascus.

3.  Moscow Victory Day Parade Guest List. The most high-profile guests in attendance this year will be Chinese President Xi Jinping and the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Other world leaders set to attend are those from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Palestine, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

4. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz traveled to Paris on his first foreign trip as head of government to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron- with the two leaders promising closer defense ties.

5.  US Navy Sea Launched Cruise Missile - Nuclear in 2034. The proposed $150 billion defense reconciliation bill includes $2 billion to develop the missile and an additional $400 million to develop the warhead.

6. Department of Defense IG Report on Gaza Pier.

7. USAF and Boeing look to deliver the Presidential Jet, VC-25B (Air Force One) in 2027. 

1. IDF Airstrikes Disable Sanaa International Airport. Dozens of Israeli Air Force aircraft were involved in the strikes on Yemen on Tuesday, including fighter jets, refuelers, and spy planes. The IDF said the fighter jets dropped 50 munitions on the targets.

2.  President Trump Announces Truce with Houthis; Halts Bombing in Yemen. Oman revealed that it had mediated the ceasefire deal under which neither side will target the other, including US vessels in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait.

3. A fourth round of nuclear talks between Iran and the United States is likely to take place over the weekend in the capital of Oman, with Iranian state media pointing to May 11 as a probable date.

4. Mediated by United Arab Emirates, Russia & Ukraine Exchange 205 Prisoners of War. This marks the fifth known prisoner of war swap of 2025.

5. Ukraine dismisses idea of attacking the Russian Victory Day Parade in Moscow on 9 May.

6. US Army tests 2 x counter UAS systems in Philippines- the Integrated Fires Protection Capability–High-Powered Microwave (IFPC-HPM) and the Fixed Site–Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS).

7. USAF Sentinel ICBM Program Update. The Sentinel program will procure up to 634 missiles, with an additional 25 for development and testing — and deploy 400 of them in silos spread across missile fields in the US Great Plains. 

8. USMC Landing Ship, Medium update. 

For review:

1. Israeli PM Vows Retaliation Against Iran & Houthis for Airport Missile Strike. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed to retaliate against the Houthis in Yemen and to act against “their patron” Iran, hours after the rebel group struck Ben Gurion Airport with a ballistic missile. 

2. President Trump said in an interview aired Sunday that the aim of his administration’s nuclear talks with Iran is to achieve “total dismantlement” of Tehran’s nuclear program, but that he is open to letting the Islamic Republic pursue civilian nuclear energy.  

A fourth round of talks between the US and Iran initially scheduled for Saturday, was postponed, mediator Oman said earlier this week, citing “logistical reasons.” 

3. President Trump dismissed Mike Waltz as national security advisor and announced his nomination as the next US ambassador to the United Nations, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio was named as his interim replacement.

According to a Washington Post report. President Trump was angered by his hawkish position on Iran and focus on military options to destroy Tehran’s nuclear program.

4. Pres Zelenskyy to Delegations Visiting Moscow Parade: We cannot be held responsible for what happens (in) Russian Federation.  The Ukrainian President said his government could not guarantee the safety of foreign delegations visiting Moscow to attend the Victory Day Parade next Friday, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. 

5.  During an interview, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow has the "strength and means" to bring the war with Ukraine to a "logical conclusion." 

"We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires." 

6. US SECDEF orders US Army transformation.

For review:

1. Update on Israel wildfires.

2.  Israel Strikes Damascus in Message to Syrian Regime.  Israel conducted airstrikes early on Friday near Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa’s official residential compound in Damascus in response to violence in Syria against the country’s Druze minority, the Israel Defense Forces said. 

3. Lebanon has warned Hamas not to conduct operations that compromise the country’s security or sovereignty, Beirut’s Supreme Defense Council said on Friday. 

4. Reuters article via Times of Israel concerning US/Iran Nuclear negotiations.

In three weeks, the US and Iran have held three rounds of talks aimed at preventing Tehran from building a nuclear weapon in return for sanctions relief. A fourth round is expected to take place in Rome soon. 

5. US State Department to Ukraine & Russia: US Will Not Be Mediators If Progress Not Made.  

US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce told reporters Thursday that Kyiv and Moscow need to engage directly with each other and that the US will no longer “fly around the world at the drop of a hat to mediate meetings.”  

US Secretary of State Rubio, said that unless a “real breakthrough” is made soon, President Trump “is going to have to make a decision about how much more time we’re going to dedicate to this.” 

6. UK RAF Collaborative Drone Effort.  The first autonomous collaborative platform (ACP) drone, labelled StormShroud, entered into service into the UK Royal Air Force.  The new StormShroud aircraft combines the UK-Portuguese Tekever 3 tactical uncrewed aerial system (UAS) with Leonardo UK’s BriteStorm stand-in jammer, effectively transforming it into an ACP, to work in tandem with RAF fighter jets. 

7. USAF Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Effort. USAF announced it has selected Beale Air Force Base in California to host the service’s first “Aircraft Readiness Unit” dedicated to its future fleet of drone wingmen. General Atomics and Anduril are facing off for the Air Force program after their selection last year. USAF expects to field CCA by 2030.

8.  Acting Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Kilby to USMC: We owe you a three-ship ARG [Amphibious Ready Group]. I owe you a three-ship ARG that’s ready to embark Marines and conduct the training cycle and deploy on schedule. I do not meet that requirement.” 

 The Amphibious Ready Group is the USMC three-ship formation generally consisting of an assault ship (LHA), a transport dock (LPD) and a support vessel (LSD). 

USMC goal is to maintain what’s known as a 3.0 presence: That means one ARG deployed from the East Coast to the Mediterranean or coast of Africa; one from the West Coast to the Pacific and a third “episodically” deployed forward from Japan.

For review:

1. Israel seeks international aid in fighting wildfires across the country.  A statement from Israel's Foreign Ministry said the minister had spoken with the foreign ministers of the UK, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Argentina, Spain, North Macedonia, Azerbaijan, and other unspecified countries.

2. IDF's Drone Strike "Message" Supports Syrian Druze Community. Joint Statement from Israel's PM and Defense Minster: “Israel will not allow harm to the Druze community in Syria, out of a deep commitment to our Druze brothers in Israel, who are connected by family and historical ties to their Druze brothers in Syria.” 

3.  US & Ukraine Agree to Mineral Deal.  The Ukrainian Cabinet approved the agreement Wednesday. The deal still needs to be ratified by the Ukrainian Parliament before it can take effect. 

4. EU Will Not Recognize Crimea as Russian.  EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas said on April 30: "On the European side, we have said this over and over again… Crimea is Ukraine."

5.  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un calls for accelerating the nuclear weapon capability of the Korean People’s Army Navy.

6. At Modern Day Marine conference, Polaris unveiled MRZR Alpha vehicle with one kilowatt of exportable power.  The company is also working on a MRZR variant capable of generating five kilowatts of power.

7.  US Navy has awarded a long-awaited contract modification to General Dynamics Electric Boat, and major subcontractor HII, for the construction of two Virginia-class submarines appropriated through fiscal 2024 funding.

For review:

1. Iran Port Blast Caused by "Negligence". Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said Monday that a deadly explosion at the country’s largest commercial port two days earlier was caused by “negligence” and failure to comply with safety measures.

2.  An Israeli official said Monday that there is “no chance” Israel would accept the five-year truce proposal with the Hamas terror group that is currently being discussed by Arab mediators. 

3. Russian President Announces Ceasefire from 8-11 May.  The Kremlin said in a note to the media that the ceasefire would begin at midnight local time May 8 and end at midnight May 11, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of “Victory Day,” when Russia celebrates its victory over the Nazis. 

4. US Secretary of State Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov spoke on 27 April, with Secretary Rubio emphasizing the need to end the war. 

5. Australian Delivery of Older M1 Abrams Tanks Delayed. The Australian Defense Ministry told the ABC that the promised tanks are "on target" to reach Ukraine in 2025. 

6. India Tests Hypersonic Engine for Missile Program. The over 16-minute test was an upgrade over a previous test in January that lasted 120 seconds. It was performed at the newly-built Scramjet Connect Test Facility in India’s southern city of Hyderabad. 

7.  The U.S. military has hit more than 800 targets in Yemen during a 40-day airstrike campaign against the Houthis.  During the recent airstrike campaign, Houthi ballistic missile attacks have fallen by 69% and kamikaze drone attacks have fallen by 55%, according to Central Command. 

8.  An F/-18E Super Hornet assigned to the carrier air wing embarked aboard aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) was lost at sea during a towing incident in the hangar bay Monday, according to a Navy announcement. No personnel were lost and one sailor sustained minor injuries, according to the service. 

For review:

1. Iranian MP Blames Israel for Port Explosion. MP Mohammad Siraj: “Israel was involved in the explosion. It was not accidental. Clear evidence points to Israeli involvement.”  Israel’s leadership has not commented on the blast. 

2. IDF strikes missile warehouse in Beirut suburbs.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a joint statement that missiles stored in the Lebanese capital “posed a significant threat to Israel.” 

3. US continues to facilitate peace negotiations to end the Russia - Ukraine War. President Trump meets Ukraine President Zelenskyy in Vatican City.

4. Car Bomb Kills Russian Senior Officer in charge of Army Operations (General Lieutenant Yaroslav Moskalik) in the town of Balashikha, east of Moscow. 

5.  Car Bomb Kills Russian Electromagnetic Warfare Expert (Yevgeny Rytikov) in Bryansk- 100 kilometers north of the Russia-Ukraine Border. Mr. Rytikov headed the design bureau at the Bryansk Electromechanical Plant and was responsible for upgrading the Krasukha EW system, which Russian forces use to counter drones and airborne weapons. 

6. North Korea reveals that it deployed troops to fight in Kursk Region.

7.  Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that sustaining and modernizing the US Nuclear arsenal will cost $946 billion between 2025-2034. 

8. US Army officially names the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon- "Dark Eagle".