Military News
Coverage of the armed forces, defense spending, and global security challenges. The Daily Signal offers news, analysis, and conservative commentary.
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opinion
A Shrinking Fleet and Slower Shipyards are Forcing Unsustainable Deployments for the US Navy
Since the end of the Cold War, for 30 years, the U.S. Navy has sustained a third of its fleet deployed on the backs of sailors and sometimes taking shortcuts at the shipyard—this approach is breaking down, according to the Government Accountability Office and the Congressional Budget Office. But with what is being called a… -
opinion
Why 2026 Could Be the Most Dangerous and Transformational Year Since World War II
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson. 2026 looks like it’s going to be the most tumultuous, geo-strategically significant and dangerous year since the fall of the Soviet… -
opinion
Media Is in a Tizzy Because We Give Troops Good Food Sometimes
In World War II, the U.S. Navy operated “ice cream” barges behind ships to make sure our sailors had a few comforts in the most terrible war in human history. That we were able to operate such a fleet is a testament to American logistical magnificence, but if it were in operation today under President Donald Trump, the… -
opinion
‘It’s a Very Surreal War’
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of today’s video from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to see more of his videos. Hello, this is Victor Davis Hanson for The Daily Signal. We’re in the second week, just completing it, of the so-called Iran war. This effort of the… -
opinion
The Reading Wars
“My child can’t read!” That’s become a common complaint from parents. Why? It might be because kids are distracted by social media and video games. But I think it’s also because reading instruction became lazy and political. “Progressives” at teachers’ colleges pushed a reading technique called “Balanced Literacy.” Instead of memorizing sounds and letters, teachers… -
news
Recent ISIS Attacks Represent Part of Broader Threat, Muslim Reformer Warns
Amid concern that radical Islam is influencing violent attacks across America in the wake of President Donald Trump’s Operation Epic Fury in Iran, a Muslim reformer warns that Americans can expect more attacks in the short term, though he expects a positive result in Iran will bring the threat to an end. “In the next… -
opinion
‘War on Poverty’ May Have Created a Permanent Underclass, Economists Say
America’s “War on Poverty,” launched by President Lyndon Johnson in 1964, has expanded into a vast array of federal social welfare programs that today exceed $1 trillion per year. Upon signing the Economic Opportunity Act, Johnson stated: “This is not in any sense a cynical proposal to exploit the poor with a promise of a… -
opinion
The Scientific Shift Toward God
Recent advanced scientific evidence points to the existence of God. This is the provocative thesis of Michel-Yves Bollore and Olivier Bonnassies’ book, “God, the Science, the Evidence: The Dawn of a Revolution.” The book was originally published in French and was recently translated into English. Its authors claim there is little proof for the age-old… -
news
Mainstream Media Ignored Gabbard’s Stark Warning on Islamist Ideology
America’s mainstream media mostly ignored Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s detailed warning about the growing threat of Islamization in the United States, which was issued a few days before Christmas last year during a Turning Point USA event. Conservative media like The Daily Caller devoted significant space to the speech, but a search of The New York Times… -
news
Lawmakers Look to Ensure Military Is Prepared for Long-Term Threats
As Operation Epic Fury continues against Iran, elected officials and national security experts gathered at The Heritage Foundation to discuss what needs to be done to ensure the American military is capable of defending the homeland. The Heritage Foundation event followed the release of the 2026 Index of U.S. Military Strength, an index that annually… -
news
US Sub Sinks Iranian Warship off Sri Lanka, Killing 87 and Expanding War Zone
REUTERS—A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, killing dozens of sailors and dramatically widening Washington’s pursuit of the Iranian navy. Sri Lanka’s deputy foreign minister identified the warship as the frigate IRIS Dena, and said it was heading back to Iran from an eastern Indian port. The attack happened… -
news
US Military Power Does Not Match Threat Level, Report Finds
The newly released 2026 Index of U.S. Military Strength finds that threats to U.S. vital interests are “high,” but America’s military power to counter the threats is only “marginal.” The threat facing America today is greater than that which the Soviet Union posed in the 1980s, according to Robert Greenway, director of the Allison Center… -
opinion
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address Has a Sobering Message for America Today
It is no small thing to grasp the true significance of current events, let alone their spiritual meaning. Sure, any man can tell you that the southern states seceded because Abraham Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election, and that they did so because Lincoln aimed to keep slavery out of the federal territories. Few at… -
opinion
Is This a Just War?
Early Saturday morning, President Donald Trump announced the start of what he described as “major combat operations in Iran.” In a statement, Trump outlined what he said were decades of hostile actions by the Iranian government, along with more recent failed efforts to reach diplomatic settlements. Trump said Iran’s refusal to halt its pursuit of… -
news
Hegseth Pronounces ‘Weakness’ and ‘Wokeness’ Dead in US Military
CAMDEN, Ark.—Secretary of War Pete Hegseth toured key weapons manufacturing facilities on Friday and delivered a message of U.S. military “dominance” as a military operation against Iran appears to grow increasingly likely. “We’re sending a clear, sustained demand signal to American industry: We want the best and we need it yesterday,” Hegseth told about 1,500… -
news
Heritage Hires Conservative Stalwart as Distinguished Fellow
Daniel McCarthy has joined The Heritage Foundation as a distinguished fellow in conservative thought within the B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies, the think tank announced on Tuesday. McCarthy is a widely read conservative journalist and joined Heritage from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, where he was the vice president of publications. McCarthy’s work will focus on “conservative thought, America’s founding, and republican order,” the press release claimed. “I’m thrilled… -
news
Some US Troops Departing Syria, Official Says
REUTERS—Some U.S. troops are leaving Syria as part of a “deliberate and conditions-based transition,” a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday. The Wall Street Journal reported the United States was withdrawing all of its roughly 1,000 troops from Syria. “U.S. forces remain poised to respond to any ISIS threats that arise in the region as we support partner-led… -
news
US Troops Begin to Arrive in Nigeria
About 100 U.S. troops have landed in Nigeria to aid the African nation in its fight against radical Islamic terrorism. The troops will focus on training and advising the local army, according to a statement from the Nigerian military on Monday. Another 100 U.S. troops are expected to arrive in Nigeria soon as the two countries work to combat the threat Islamist groups pose to the nation’s Christian communities. More… -
opinion
Warning Signs for Republicans in 2026
Republicans are beginning to sound the alarm about the 2026 midterm elections, and not without reason. The concern was crystallized by a Texas state Senate race in a district President Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024, but which recently shifted 14 points toward Democrats—a staggering 31-point swing. That race is not an anomaly…. -
opinion
America’s Population Is Set to Start Shrinking in 2030. Can It Be Reversed?
A new report by the Congressional Budget Office shows that, absent immigration, America’s population will begin to shrink by 2030. As we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, this projection underscores a hard truth: the collapse of marriage and family life represents the gravest threat to our great nation’s future. That is why…