Author: Braxton Taylor

A new partnership between a defense AI startup and a ship builder aims to accelerate the construction and maintenance of new American ships at a time when the Chinese Navy’s shipbuilding capacity is far outpacing the United States’. The partnership between Gecko Robotics—a company that uses AI and drones to accelerate maintenance—and BPMI was announced Tuesday in Pittsburgh, where President Donald Trump was meeting with AI companies and researchers.  BPMI is the prime contractor for the Navy’s nuclear propulsion program, tasked with  “engineering, procurement, and technical oversight of naval nuclear components,” according to the Navy. That includes the development of the Columbia…

Lockheed Martin has delivered all of the F-35 fighter jets that were stored in long-term parking at its facilities in Texas after software problems held up deliveries of the jet for a year. The Pentagon stopped accepting deliveries of the jet in July 2023 due to delays with an upgrade package, called Tech Refresh-3, but the company did not stop building them, resulting in 72 jets stacking up at Lockheed facilities during the year-long pause. Until now, the Pentagon has declined to say how many jets were affected. The final backlogged jet was delivered May 1, according to the JPO. Bloomberg was…

The House of Representatives draft version of the fiscal 2026 defense policy bill would require the Pentagon to create and maintain a database of all commercial vendors involved in clandestine military operations, a move aimed at tightening oversight and reducing counterintelligence risks across the U.S. defense ecosystem.A draft outline from the House Armed Services Committee’s intelligence and special operations panel lists the measure as part of the sweeping FY26 National Defense Authorization Act. The massive defense package is in the early stages of undergoing markups, and congressional appropriators have not yet assigned it a spending value. It will also need…

Falco Holsters has dropped a new series of multi-fit universal holsters across three distinct lineups. Each of these lineups, the Falco nylon and neoprene, Falco Timeless and Falco Leather Multi-Fit series, caters to different carry styles, price points and budgets. In total, Falco Holster’s three new lines are available in eight different pistol-frame sizes. These sizes cover the spectrum from the smallest micro-compact handguns and J-frame snub-nosed revolvers all the way to duty-size handguns, full-size government 1911s and L-frame revolvers.    “At Falco, we build solutions that make sense for the entire industry,” said Robert Kovac, CEO of Falco Holsters.…

XS Sights is now offering its popular R3D 2.0 night sights for Springfield Armory’s line of Echelon pistols. The XS Sights R3D 2.0 sights are some of the most popular products currently in the Texas-based sight company’s catalog and is the second-generation version of XS Sights’s original R3D series. This defensive carry/duty sight set consists of a low-profile, snag-free rear sight with a serrated face and a wide square notch and smaller tritium vials. The rear sight is juxtaposed against a front sight with an eye-catching bright green or orange high contrast photoluminescent “glow dot” that also has a central…

Trump promises Ukraine aid on Europe’s dime, with heavy penalties for Russia. On Monday, President Trump announced a new plan to increase sales of U.S. weapons to Europe in order to help support Ukraine, and promised aggressive new tariffs—perhaps as high as 100%—aimed at Russia’s trading partners should it fail to reach a peace deal in the next 50 days. Among the arms Trump said the United States would sell to Europe are a “full complement” of Patriot missiles and batteries, which are generally understood to be 32 missiles, though it varies depending on missile type. Such sales had been in…

The Accessible, Fun, and Community Driven Shooting SportWhat is IDPA?The International Defensive Pistol Association (IDPA) is a dynamic shooting sport that simulates real world self defense scenarios, making it both an exciting competition and a practical way to hone firearms skills. Founded in 1996 in Bogata, Texas, by Bill Wilson, John Sayle, Ken Hackathorn, Dick Thomas, Walt Rauch, and Larry Vickers, IDPA was created to address the gap in competitive shooting for practical, everyday carry firearms. Unlike other shooting sports that may prioritize specialized equipment, IDPA focuses on using handguns, holsters, and ammunition suitable for self defense, emphasizing skill over…

While the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) incensed many hunters and anglers earlier this year with funding cuts to public-land management agencies like the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, the organization is tracking down some questionable federal grants in other areas.One such example is a contract between the Department of the Interior and the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) that was canceled on June 10. Prior to its repeal, the grant was funneling nearly $14 million a year into a fishing and boating awareness campaign designed to increase participation in the activities.RBFF is no stranger to federal…

Hornady has launched Get Loaded Plus, making the biggest reloading promotion from Hornady even better. Handloaders from across the country know and trust the classic Get Loaded offer—and for the remainder of 2025, it’s more loaded than ever. Through Dec. 31, 2025, customers who purchase select Hornady reloading products can now choose between premium bullets or brass cases, plus they’ll receive a free HIT Target Impact Indicator with every qualifying purchase. Depending on the products purchased, handloaders can receive up to 500 bullets or five packs of brass cases (with values up to $306) plus the company’s all-new, HIT Target…

A new study sheds light on the impacts of bycatch from the commercial menhaden fishing industry on game fish populations along the Louisiana Coast. On July 8, 2025, researchers presented findings from the study to the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission.The results are startling. During the 2024 fishing season, menhaden boats, which use seine nets to secure their catch, were estimated to have led to the mortality of millions of non-target fish species, including 81 million croaker, 25 million sand seatrout, at least 22,000 breeding-size and 8,000 smaller redfish, also known as red drum, as well as other species such…