An Air Force combat rescue officer from the 64th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron flies with an Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter crew over Kandahar, Afghanistan, during joint training on April 5, 2019. US Air Force Photo
Talks between the United States and the Taliban over Afghanistan’s future remain risky but necessary to reach a political settlement to end decades of war, a leading expert in South Asia security affairs said Monday. Read More
An F-35B Lightning II with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), prepares to land aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), while another F-35B Lightning II flies over on Dec. 4, 2018. US Marine Corps Photo
After eight months at sea with a squadron of F-35B Lighting II Joint Strike Fighters, the Marines and the Navy are seeing how the next-generation aircraft will expand the effectiveness of U.S. amphibious forces. Read More
The following is the Feb. 26, 2019 Congressional Research Service report, Afghanistan: Background and U.S. Policy In Brief. Read More
U.S. Army Soldiers assigned to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment watch an illumination round in the distance that was fired from their M777 Howitzer for an indirect fire mission in Southwest Asia on Dec. 2, 2018. US Army Photo
The U.S.- led military coalition needs to keep military pressure on the Islamic State even after the American withdrawal from Syria. And the U.S. needs to be prepared to still provide $4 billion yearly to Kabul after a troop drawdown in Afghanistan, U.S. Central Command commander Army Gen. Joseph Votel told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. Read More
An F-35B Lightning II assigned to the “Avengers” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 211 sits on the flight deck of the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) on March 7, 2018. US Navy Photo
USNI News polled its writers, naval analysts and service members on what they consider the most important military and maritime stories in 2018. This story is part of a series; please also see U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy Operations.
The Marine Corps spent 2018 preparing the force for a new era of warfare, modernizing how it conducts its business in ways large and small. Read More
Sailors huddle to communicate as an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 151 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the Arabian Sea on Dec. 18, 2018. US Navy Photo
Afghanistan – not Syria – has been the primary focus of the air wing embarked aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) since the carrier strike group entered U.S. 5th Fleet in early December, USNI News has learned. Read More
U.S. Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), stage ordnance before loading it into an F-35B Lightning II aboard the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) in preparation for the F-35B’s first combat strike, Sept. 27, 2018. US Marine Corps photo.
This post has been updated to include additional information from U.S. Naval Forces Central Command.
The Marine Corps’ F-35B Joint Strike Fighter has conducted its first-ever combat strike, completing a mission in Afghanistan today in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. Read More
The following is the June 1, 2018 Congressional Research Service In Focus Report, Recent Trends in Active-Duty Military Deaths. Read More
Army Lt. Gen. Austin S. Miller testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 19, 2018. DoD Photo
The nominee to lead American and coalition forces in Afghanistan said the key to safely withdrawing U.S. and coalition troops lie in reaching a political solution among the disparate parties and not simply disrupting Taliban operations or hunting down terrorist groups like the Islamic State, al Qaeda or the Haqqani Network. Read More
U.S. Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force – Crisis Response – Central Command train in Jordan on Feb. 26, 2018. US Marine Corps Photo
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Marine Corps’ Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Crisis Response force in U.S. Central Command is becoming increasingly distributed across the Middle East as its role evolves, but it is gaining additional aircraft and a ship it can call upon to help support its vastly spread out operations. Read More
