Political upheavals in Washington and radical changes in American defense doctrine mark today. The administration of President Donald Trump is facing heavy internal criticism over his management of the military, while the White House is increasing economic pressure on its allies in the Middle East.
“A complete mess“: NYT with a shocking investigation into the Pentagon
The prestigious American newspaper The New York Times (NYT) published an extensive investigative report that revealed serious administrative and operational chaos in the US Department of Defense. The criticism is aimed directly at Defense Secretary Pete Hegsett. According to Pentagon sources quoted by the publication, the ministry is in "complete chaos" due to the lack of a clear management structure, mass layoffs of experienced personnel, and delays in key strategic decisions. The NYT emphasizes that Hegseth's lack of experience in large-scale government is beginning to undermine the combat readiness of American forces at a time of heightened global tensions with Russia and China.
Trump: Pay Us to Guard the Strait of Hormuz
Against this backdrop, President Donald Trump has blown up international diplomacy with a new ultimatum. He categorically demanded that countries that rely on oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz fully reimburse the United States for the accumulated costs of security in the region. Trump emphasized that the American fleet has been guarding the most important sea artery for oil trade for decades, from which wealthy Asian and European nations mainly profit. “The United States will no longer pay to protect foreign commercial interests for free”, the American leader said, threatening to withdraw the warships if financial retribution is not received.
Military Revolution: Expanding the Vectis Drone Program
To compensate for the possible reduction of manpower on the front lines, the Pentagon officially announced a massive expansion of the previously secret military program Vectis. The project envisages accelerated production and deployment of a new generation of autonomous unmanned aircraft (drones), which will be software integrated with the “invisible“ fifth-generation fighters F-35 Lightning II.
These high-tech drones will act as "Loyal Wingmen" to manned fighter jets. They will be able to autonomously:
To conduct reconnaissance in the deep rear of the enemy. To serve as decoys for enemy air defense (ADF). To carry and fire additional missiles on command from the F-35 pilot.The integration of the Vectis system is described by experts as the biggest technological leap in military aviation in the last decade, aimed at maintaining US dominance in the air against modern Russian and Chinese anti-aircraft systems.