US Department of Defense

A data breach at the Pentagon has affected nearly 3 million people, according to reporting by US broadcaster WQAD. Details about who carried out the breach, what data was exposed and who is at risk were not immediately available. The scale of the incident makes it one of the larger breaches involving US defense infrastructure in recent memory, and officials have yet to give a full public accounting.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has signed a directive aimed at defending the 2026 United States elections from foreign threats. The move puts the defense department formally into election-security planning ahead of the midterm contests. The exact scope of the directive, which agencies will be involved, and what specific threats it targets have not been detailed, and reactions to the order have so far been limited.

The US Department of War has awarded RTX a $20.7 billion contract to accelerate production of the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). The deal is intended to expand manufacturing capacity and replenish stockpiles of the air-to-air missile, which is widely used by US and allied forces. The announcement underscores continued heavy US investment in munitions production.

The Pentagon has opened an investigation into a data breach that exposed the personal information of US military members. Details on the scale of the breach, the type of data involved, and who is responsible have not yet been released. The incident raises concerns about the security of Defense Department systems and the potential risks to service members whose information was compromised.

A federal court has ruled that the Pentagon can designate AI company Anthropic as a supply chain risk, according to the El Dorado News-Times. The decision allows the Defense Department to maintain the designation against the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence firm, a move with potential implications for its ability to work with the US government and defense contractors.

The Pentagon is asking for $30 million to develop an AI-powered lie detection system, according to MIT Technology Review. The proposal would fund technology that uses artificial intelligence to assess deception, raising questions among readers about the scientific reliability of such tools and the privacy and civil liberties implications of deploying AI lie detectors in security or military screening.

SpaceX has carried out another classified launch for the US Department of Defense, with the payload and mission details kept secret. Observers believe the flight is part of the Pentagon's Starshield programme, SpaceX's military-focused satellite network, which is thought to be expanding with repeated dedicated national security launches in recent months.

The US Air Force has issued an official directive requiring every Airman and Guardian to update their religious affiliation records so they align with Department of Defense standards. The order applies across the entire force and reflects a broader effort to standardize personnel data across military branches, though the reasons behind the timing have not been detailed.

A US appeals court has upheld the Pentagon's blacklisting of artificial intelligence company Anthropic. The ruling means the Defense Department's decision to restrict dealings with the AI firm stands, dealing a setback to Anthropic's efforts to challenge the designation. The move places one of America's leading AI developers at odds with the Pentagon, raising questions about the government's relationship with major technology companies working on advanced AI systems.

A first-person account published in The Seattle Times lays out why the author is taking legal action against the Pentagon. The piece explains the lawsuit directly from the plaintiff's perspective, arguing the case matters beyond one person. It has drawn attention as part of the wider debate over transparency and accountability at the US Department of Defense, with readers weighing in on both sides of the legal challenge.