France has banned Israel from participating in Eurosatory, one of the world's largest arms shows that kicks off later this month, the Israeli government announced on Monday. "The French decision encompasses: a ban on government representatives attending the exhibition; a ban on opening an Israeli national pavilion; and a restriction limiting Israeli defense industries to displaying air defense products only, with offensive systems explicitly excluded," the Israeli defense ministry said in a statement. "As a result, the [Israeli defense ministry] will be unable to participate in the exhibition or establish a national pavilion," the statement added. An official from the French armed forces ministry confirmed the ban to POLITICO and said Israeli companies that showcase air and missile defense systems only will be allowed to attend.

Eurosatory starts on June 15 in Villepinte, in the Paris region. The arms fair is a chance for the world's largest weapons-makers, including Germany's Rheinmetall, the U.S.'s Lockheed Martin and South Korea's Hanwha Aerospace to showcase their military equipment, including tanks, artillery systems and rocket launchers. The move is likely to deepen a monthslong diplomatic rift between France and Israel, that culminated when Paris recognized Palestinian statehood in September last year. In March, Israel announced it would stop all defense procurement from France. On Monday, the French government sharply condemned Israel's assault in Lebanon and called for a U.N. Security Council emergency meeting.

It's not the first time that France, which hosts some of Europe's largest land, naval and air shows, has barred Israeli companies from attending. In 2024, the French government banned them from Eurosatory and naval arms show Euronaval over Israel's war on Gaza, and from the Paris Air Show in June last year. "This is a disgraceful decision, one that reeks of political and commercial calculation," the Israeli defense ministry said in its statement, hinting France was also banning Israeli companies because they're competing with the French industry.

The annual exercise, held for more than five decades since 1971, brings together some 20 vessels from 15 nations with around 6,000 personnel - roughly half the size of last year’s drills - during a period of heightened tensions in the Baltic region. Officials say the smaller footprint reflects operational realities rather than waning commitment, as Western navies remain tied up in other areas including the Middle East’s Strait of Hormuz and the Arctic. The US BALTOPS naval exercise, which takes place from June 4 to June 20, will still be the biggest maneuver in the Baltic Sea this year, with Washington providing the flagship Mount Whitney vessel, despite months of fierce criticism of NATO by U.S. President Donald Trump and plans to cut U.S. commitments to the alliance. While the U.S.-led exercise is not designed as a direct response to current events, German Rear Admiral Stephan Haisch said the timing inevitably amplifies its political relevance. “In this period, it is a sign of the alliance’s strength, that a major exercise is being conducted, under U.S. leadership, with broad NATO participation”, he said. “It is a sign of the alliance’s unity and strength, and I am speaking of all allies here.”

I wonder how it feels to be a US commander and have to go on about "NATO unity" in all public statements while your commander-in-chief is constantly whining about NATO

As Commander Task Force Baltic, Haisch is in charge of a multinational naval headquarters for the Baltic Sea, established by Germany in the coastal city of Rostock in 2024 amid a growing focus on the area as tensions with Russia grew. His headquarters is capable of leading NATO operations in the Baltic Sea during a conflict with Russia and will do so for the upcoming US BALTOPS drills which are traditionally planned by the U.S.

Securing vital sea routes

BALTOPS will begin with drills in the western Baltic before shifting eastward to rehearse resupply and protection of free sea routes around the Swedish island of Gotland - a core task for NATO as the region’s strategic importance has grown. Open sea routes are seen as critical, particularly for supplying the Baltic states - linked only by a narrow land corridor to NATO’s mainland - in a crisis. “Free sea lines of communication - that is central,” Haisch said, pointing to the need to safeguard military logistics as well as commercial shipping. Asked about past incidents in the Baltics attributed to Russia by Western officials, Haisch said he did not expect Moscow to cross a threshold that would trigger NATO’s collective defense clause, known as Article 5, even as tensions remain elevated. “I would assume Russia to stay below the Article 5 threshold if they seek to test us.”

With 830 interceptors funded through mandatory appropriations, the plan would significantly increase the Army’s ability to sustain missile defense operations during a prolonged conflict. The expansion strengthens the resilience of the U.S. layered air and missile defense architecture and reflects the increasing importance of countering large-scale missile attacks in future high-intensity warfare. According to FY2027 U.S. Army acquisition documents, the request is among the largest THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) interceptor procurements ever proposed by the service. The investment underscores the increasing importance of strategic missile defense as the Pentagon prepares for potential high-intensity operations against near-peer adversaries, particularly China.

THAAD, short for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, is the U.S. military's premier ground-based ballistic missile defense system designed to engage incoming missiles both inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere during the final stage of flight. Each THAAD battery combines AN/TPY-2 radar, fire control systems, launchers, and hit-to-kill interceptors capable of destroying ballistic missile threats through direct collision. The system provides a critical upper-tier defensive layer, complementing Patriot air and missile defense systems by engaging threats at greater altitudes and longer ranges. THAAD remains one of the most advanced ballistic missile defense systems operated by the United States. Developed by Lockheed Martin, the system is designed to intercept short-, medium-, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during the terminal phase of flight using hit-to-kill technology. Unlike conventional air defense missiles equipped with explosive warheads, THAAD interceptors destroy incoming threats through direct kinetic impact, providing a highly effective capability against ballistic missile attacks.

The scale of the FY2027 request signals a significant shift in U.S. Army missile defense planning. Historically, THAAD interceptor procurement has been relatively limited due to the system's specialized mission and high acquisition cost. The proposed purchase of 857 interceptors, therefore, represents not only replenishment of existing stocks but also a substantial increase in the Army's capacity to sustain missile defense operations during prolonged crises or major conflicts. The request comes as U.S. military planners place growing emphasis on the Indo-Pacific theater, where China's People's Liberation Army Rocket Force has developed one of the world's largest inventories of conventional ballistic missiles. Over the past two decades, Beijing has fielded increasingly capable missile systems designed to threaten U.S. forces, allied military installations, logistics hubs, and critical infrastructure throughout the Western Pacific. Among the most significant challenges are China's DF-21 and DF-26 ballistic missiles, which enable the People's Liberation Army to conduct long-range, precision strikes against regional targets. These systems are intended to complicate U.S. force deployment and sustainment during a conflict by targeting air bases, ports, command centers, and other key military facilities. Expanding THAAD interceptor inventories directly strengthens U.S. forces' ability to defend these assets and maintain operational effectiveness under missile attack.

The procurement also reflects broader lessons learned from recent conflicts and war-gaming assessments conducted by the U.S. Department of Defense. Military planners increasingly recognize that future high-intensity warfare could involve sustained missile campaigns that require significantly larger interceptor inventories than those maintained in previous decades. The ability to absorb repeated attacks while continuing defensive operations has become a central requirement for modern missile defense forces. Beyond protecting U.S. military installations, additional THAAD interceptors would enhance the credibility of America's regional security commitments. THAAD batteries already contribute to missile defense missions in key locations such as Guam and South Korea, while supporting the broader integrated air and missile defense architecture that protects U.S. forces and allies. Larger interceptor stockpiles would improve readiness and reduce the risk of inventory shortfalls during extended operations. The proposed acquisition aligns with ongoing Pentagon efforts to build a layered missile defense network integrating THAAD with Patriot air and missile defense systems, Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense capabilities, the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS), and future regional defense initiatives. This architecture is intended to provide multiple opportunities to defeat incoming threats while increasing the survivability of forward-deployed forces.

The industrial implications of the procurement are equally significant. A production order of this magnitude would support sustained manufacturing activity across the U.S. missile defense industrial base and could drive further investments in production capacity. As global demand for advanced missile defense systems continues to grow, maintaining robust interceptor manufacturing capabilities has become a strategic priority for both the Pentagon and Congress. The FY2027 THAAD request ultimately highlights how missile defense is becoming a central component of U.S. deterrence strategy in the Indo-Pacific. By dramatically increasing interceptor inventories, the U.S. Army is preparing for an operational environment in which ballistic missile attacks may be a defining feature of future conflicts. The planned acquisition of 857 THAAD interceptors demonstrates Washington's determination to ensure that U.S. forces and allies can withstand sustained missile campaigns while preserving freedom of action across one of the world's most strategically important regions.

Pentagon leaders cut their department’s workforce by more than 10 percent with little regard for the effects—and still has no plans to assess them, according to a congressional watchdog report released on Friday. The department shed 78,000 civilian employees in 2025 through a mix of voluntary resignations, involuntary layoffs, and a hiring freeze that resulted in nearly 60,000 fewer new hires than in recent years, the report found. “But we found that DOD didn’t consistently analyze the impacts of these reductions, either in 2025 or in prior years,” according to the report. “DOD also doesn’t have a plan to assess lessons learned from its 2025 workforce reductions.”

learning lessons? that's woke, buddy

In their response to the report, Defense officials agreed that they should “develop and implement a plan for collecting and sharing lessons learned from the Department's implementation of workforce reduction efforts.” The officials did not indicate whether that would happen. Soon after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took office, the Pentagon announced it would cut 5 to 8 percent of its civilian workforce. Within a year, the number swelled to about 110,000—about 14 percent of DOD civilians—including laid-off probationary employees, deferred resignations, and voluntary early retirements. Some 30,000 people were hired for a short list of jobs exempted from the hiring freeze, putting the net loss at just over 10 percent.

Of the 28 Defense agencies, offices, and other organizations targeted for workforce cuts by the Trump administration’s fiscal 2026 budget request, at least three did not give the required explanation to Congress about why and how the cuts would be made, GAO found. Those were the Joint Staff, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency, according to the report. “According to component officials, DOD had not provided guidance for when and how to conduct and document this analysis,” the GAO found. And further, the GAO found, the Pentagon didn’t plan to assess how the cuts affected productivity. In March, the Partnership for Public Service published a survey that found morale among DOD employees has tanked during the current administration. Only 9 percent of Army Department employees agreed that “Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s political leadership team generates high levels of motivation in the workforce,” the survey found, the most satisfied of any of the large government agencies surveyed.