Pentagon

• The U.S. Defense Department announced AI procurement contracts with seven companies: Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, OpenAI, SpaceX, and Reflection AI, which raised $2 billion in funding last year. • The AI products will be deployed in Impact Level 6 and 7 Defense Department systems capable of storing classified information, with access provided through an internal portal called GenAI.mil. • Anthropic notably was excluded from the contracts after the Trump administration designated it as a supply chain risk in February, though the Pentagon reportedly continues using Anthropic's Claude Mythos Preview model.

Agreements with artificial intelligence firms spark concerns over public spending, cyber security and domestic surveillanceSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe Pentagon said on Friday it had reached agreements with seven leading artificial intelligence (AI) companies: SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, Nvidia, Reflection, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services.“These agreements accelerate the transformation toward establishing the United States military as an AI-first fighting force and will strengthen our warfighters’ ability to maintain decision superiority across all domains of warfare,” the Pentagon said in statement. Continue reading...

• The Pentagon launched GenAI.mil in December 2025 as part of Project Maven, providing secure generative AI access to approximately 3 million Department of Defense staff members. • The platform embeds multiple leading AI models including Anthropic's Claude, Google's Gemini, xAI's Grok, and OpenAI's ChatGPT, enabling widespread AI adoption across military operations. • The initiative reflects the U.S. military's strategic priority to integrate advanced AI capabilities into defense operations and demonstrates significant government investment in dual-use AI technology.

Tech company is latest Silicon Valley firm to sign agreement with US military despite widespread employee oppositionGoogle has reportedly signed a deal with the US Pentagon to use its artificial intelligence models for classified work. The tech company joins a growing list of Silicon Valley firms inking agreements with US military.The agreement allows the Pentagon to use Google’s AI for “any lawful government purpose”, the report from the Information added, putting it alongside OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI, which also have deals to supply AI models for classified use. Similar agreements, both at Google and other AI firms, have sparked significant disagreements with the Pentagon and major employee pushback. Continue reading...

• Google and the U.S. Department of Defense have finalized an agreement allowing the Pentagon to use Google's AI models for classified military and defense purposes, amending an existing contract between the two entities. • The deal grants the DOD access to Google's artificial intelligence capabilities for what the company describes as "any lawful government purpose," expanding the scope of prior defense collaborations. • The partnership marks a significant expansion of Big Tech's involvement in U.S. defense operations, continuing a trend of major tech companies providing AI infrastructure to government agencies.

Internal email proposes US should reassess support for UK claim to islands because of lack of support for Iran warUK politics live – latest updatesThe UK’s position on the Falklands is resolute and unchanging, Downing Street has insisted, after a leaked Pentagon internal email proposed the US should reassess its support for Britain’s claim to the islands because of a lack of support over Iran.Keir Starmer’s spokesperson did not push back against the likely veracity of the email but insisted that the UK’s defence and security relationship with the US remained extremely strong. Continue reading...

Jim Taiclet spoke in earnings call as company expands contracts with the US government amid the Iran warLockheed Martin’s CEO has called the Trump administration a “golden opportunity” for the company as it expands its contracting work for the federal government amid the conflict in the Middle East.In an earnings call on Thursday covering the first quarter of 2026, Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet told investors that the company is well positioned “based on more available resources for us”. Continue reading...

Exit of John Phelan, navy’s top civilian official, comes a week after Pete Hegseth fired army’s top officerThe Pentagon announced on Wednesday that the navy’s top civilian official, John Phelan, the secretary of the navy, is leaving his job.In a statement posted to social media, Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesperson, said Phelan was “departing the administration, effective immediately” Continue reading...

Budget outlines funding for autonomous drone warfare program as experts say military unprepared for risksThe Pentagon is aiming to increase funding more than a hundredfold for an autonomous drone warfare program, according to budget documents released this week, signalling a major pivot towards AI-powered war.In its 2027 budget, the Pentagon has asked for over $54bn to fund the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group, a 24,000% increase on last year. Continue reading...

• The Pentagon is reportedly reaching out to civilian manufacturers including Ford and General Motors to boost weapons production, as years of supplying Ukraine followed by sustained Middle East operations have allegedly drained critical missile stockpiles. • Reports suggest the US military is facing a deepening munitions crisis affecting high-tech systems like THAAD and Tomahawk missiles, raising questions about industrial capacity to meet demand. • The growing focus on weapons production and ceasefire negotiations has sparked debate about whether diplomatic efforts are being driven by strategy or by supply constraints.

The defense secretary said his prayer drew on Ezekiel, but wording closely matches Quentin Tarantino dialogueIt was perhaps inevitable that a braggadocious Christian nationalist defense secretary elevated from his role as a weekend Fox News television host would pluck a fake Bible verse from a violent Hollywood blockbuster and present it at a Pentagon prayer session to rally the troops for the “holy war” in Iran.Certainly among a glut of stories swirling around Pete Hegseth this week, including articles of impeachment brought against him by a group of ambitious Democratic lawmakers, the bizarre allegation that the Bible-thumping Hegseth was passing off a fire-and-brimstone script by Quentin Tarantino, an Oscar-winning director, as the word of the Lord was far too compelling to ignore. Continue reading...

Paul Friedman grants New York Times’s motion to force implementation of earlier ruling that gutted restrictive new policyA federal judge on Thursday ruled that the Pentagon has not complied with an order last month that undid much of a restrictive new press pass policy implemented by the Department of Defense, and ordered the return of credentials to seven New York Times reporters.The newspaper, which sued the Trump administration in December, had urged the judge to compel implementation of his 20 March ruling after the Pentagon responded to the judge’s determination by creating a new press access policy, which the newspaper called an “end-run” around the judge’s ruling. The Pentagon had also announced the closure of the work space known as “correspondents’ corridor”. Continue reading...

Expert said federal law bars officials from taking actions in their jobs that benefit their own financial interestsA high-profile US defense department official who oversees the agency’s artificial intelligence efforts made a profit of up to $24m selling a private investment he held in Elon Musk’s AI company earlier this year, according to government ethics records released this month. The value of his stake totaled a maximum of a million dollars when he joined the department.Emil Michael, who is the Pentagon’s under secretary for research and engineering under the Trump administration, oversees negotiations with AI companies and has been pushing the defense department to rapidly increase the widespread use of AI. Continue reading...

• Inside the Pentagon, concerns grow over a disrupted war effort following the ouster of the Army chief amid Iran conflict tensions. • The leadership change raises fears as the U.S. navigates ceasefire challenges and threats against Iran. • This internal shakeup occurs alongside Democratic calls for a War Powers vote to curb Trump's military actions.

• US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized 5,000 National Guard deployment to Texas border on April 8, 2026, amid 15,000 monthly migrant encounters. • Troops will support Customs and Border Protection with logistics, not enforcement, following Supreme Court approval. • Move addresses cartel violence spike, including 22 murders in Juarez last week; Biden admin cites 'hemispheric crisis' impact on US fentanyl deaths (110,000/year).

• The Pentagon released new details on personnel reforms for U.S. Cyber Command to enhance cybersecurity operations. • Officials aim to utilize existing CyberCom powers and avoid creating a separate cyber force. • The reforms address growing cyber threats, bolstering U.S. defense amid rising incidents.

• The Pentagon is preparing plans for weeks of ground operations in Iran involving conventional infantry and special operations elements, with decisions now resting with President Trump, according to the Washington Post. • Trump raised the idea of U.S. forces seizing Iran's Kharg Island, the country's main oil terminal in the Persian Gulf, telling The Financial Times "Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don't. We have a lot of options." • Trump also claimed Iran agreed to allow 20 ships carrying oil through the Strait of Hormuz starting Monday morning as a "sign of respect," while the White House emphasized no final decision has been made on military operations.

Conflict shows signs of entering new, more dangerous phase as additional 3,500 US troops arrive in the Middle EastUS lawmakers responded to reports that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, as thousands of US troops assemble in the Middle East and the conflict showed signs of entering a new, more dangerous phase.Officials told the Washington Post that a ground operation in Iran could be limited to raids by Special Operations forces and infantry troops, but it was unclear whether Donald Trump would approve any of the Pentagon’s plans. Continue reading...

• The Pentagon is considering deploying up to 10,000 additional troops to the Middle East beyond the 1,500 already mobilized from the 82nd Airborne Division, according to a senior U.S. defense official. • U.S. Central Command reported striking more than 8,000 targets, including over 130 Iranian naval vessels, while Israel confirmed dropping more than 15,000 munitions as part of coordinated Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion campaigns launched on February 28. • U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on March 27 that Washington expects the operation against Iran to conclude "within weeks, not months" and that the U.S. can meet all objectives without using ground troops.

• The Pentagon is developing military options described as a 'final blow' against Iran that could include ground forces invasion, according to Axios reporting on March 27. • One plan involves invading or blockading Kharg Island, Iran's main oil export terminal; another would send U.S. forces into Iran's interior to secure highly enriched uranium at nuclear facilities. • The escalation plans emerge as President Trump extended his ultimatum deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to April 6, marking the third delay since initially setting the deadline for March 27.

• The US Pentagon is developing plans for a 'final blow' in the Iran war, involving ground troops and massive bombing, as reported by Axios citing two US officials and knowledgeable sources on March 27, 2026. • US Central Command confirmed an Israeli airstrike killed Iran's IRGC Navy commander, amid escalating naval tensions near the Strait of Hormuz. • The Wall Street Journal revealed considerations for deploying 10,000 additional US troops with armored vehicles to the Middle East, coordinating with existing Marines and the 82nd Airborne Division.

• U.S. District Judge Rita Lin ruled in favor of AI firm Anthropic, temporarily blocking the Pentagon from branding it a supply chain risk after failed defense contract talks. • The ruling also halts President Trump's directive for federal agencies to stop using Anthropic's Claude AI, following a hearing on March 24 in San Francisco federal court. • Judge Lin criticized the measures as punitive rather than protective, noting the government could simply cease using Claude without broader actions.

Face-off is over company’s refusal to let defense department use its Claude AI model in autonomous weapons systemsA federal judge in California sided with Anthropic in its case against the Department of Defense on Thursday, ordering a temporary pause on the government’s punitive measures against the artificial intelligence firm.Judge Rita Lin granted Anthropic’s request for a temporary injunction while the northern district court of California hears the company’s case. Anthropic argued that the Department of Defense and Donald Trump violated its first amendment rights in declaring the company a supply chain risk and ordering government agencies to cease using its technology. Continue reading...

Remarks come after defense secretary calls for changes to military’s chaplain corps, which had been ‘watered down’The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, prayed during a religious service at the Pentagon that there be “overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy”.The Christian worship service, held on Wednesday before military and civilian workers at the Pentagon, was Hegseth’s first since the Iran war began, the Associated Press reported. Continue reading...

• The Pentagon has deployed approximately 2,000 soldiers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, providing President Trump with additional military options while he pursues diplomatic efforts with Iran. • The troop movement occurs as the Trump administration has sent Iran a 15-point ceasefire plan through Pakistani intermediaries, according to officials briefed on the diplomacy. • The dual strategy reflects efforts to find an economic off-ramp from the Middle East conflict while maintaining military readiness, though Iran has given a negative response to the ceasefire proposal.

• Anthropic filed a lawsuit in San Francisco federal court on March 24, 2026, urging a judge to block the Pentagon's designation of the AI firm as a supply-chain risk. • The company described the label as 'unprecedented and stigmatizing,' amid a feud with the Trump administration over potential AI use in warfare. • A hearing occurred on Tuesday before Judge Lin, with Anthropic also filing a separate case in Washington, D.C. federal appeals court.

• The Pentagon is planning to deploy a brigade combat team from the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East to support operations against Iran, The Wall Street Journal reported on March 25. • The troop deployment occurs simultaneously with diplomatic efforts, as the Trump administration seeks a one-month ceasefire and explores negotiations with Iranian intermediaries including special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Vice President JD Vance. • The military buildup underscores the dual-track approach: escalation preparations alongside peace negotiations, even as Israel continues wide-scale military strikes on Iranian targets including government infrastructure.

Spokesperson says New York Times ‘will be going back to court’ after defense department hastily announces new arrangementSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxJournalists who cover the Pentagon are pushing back against a new press access arrangement hastily announced by the Pentagon, calling it “an end run” around a federal judge’s ruling to restore their access.Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesperson, announced Monday night that the department would permanently close a designated work space for journalists known as “correspondents’ corridor” and create a “new and improved press workspace” in an annex facility outside the building. Continue reading...