Category Archives: modern military conflict

Innovative Portuguese Drone Carrier takes to the water

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Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania this week launched the future NRP Dom João II, a Multi-Purpose Vessel (MPV) 10720 series ship for the Portuguese Navy.

The 353-foot, 7,000-ton vessel is designed for minimal manning (48 full-time crew) and can conduct everything from scientific research and drone experimentation to humanitarian relief and disaster support.

With a 308×36 foot flight deck and 650m² of hangar space, the vessel can transport and launch unmanned underwater, surface, and aerial vehicles, as well as carry up to 12 TEU containers housing mission-specific modular systems like a Role 2 NATO hospital or ROV equipment.

Dom João can carry a light battalion (300~ men) for brief periods and 10-12 RIBs to land them in a maritime raid force situation, backed up by at least two Agusta-Westland AW101 helicopters and assorted UAVs. The regiment-sized Portuguese Marines are certainly capable of providing such a force. 

Alternatively, Dom João can embark a force of light armor, provided a port is available, with her decks able to stow 18 vehicles, landed on a pier via an onboard 30-ton crane. The country’s army operates a decent quantity of Pandur 8x8s, 90mm-armed Commando V-150s, etc., and could make that happen.

In terms of UAVs, Dom João can also operate as a drone carrier with as many of the bad boys as you can stuff aboard her.

The fixed-wing UAVs are launched via a ski jump. Portuguese Navy image.

The mothership is shown with two notional fixed-wing UAVs on deck (they look like MQ-1C Grey Eagle, but the new MQ-9B STOL may be a better fit) as well as 6 quad-copter UAVs and one NH90 helicopter. The design seems to lack an aviation hangar. Below decks is a modular area to launch and recover AUV, UUV, and USV. Portuguese Navy image.

As noted recently by Jane’s:

The Portuguese Navy has acquired a wide range of unmanned systems in recent years, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as UAVision Aeronautics’ Spyro 4N and OGS42N/VN, Beyond Vision’s VTOne and HEIFU Pro, and Autel Robotics’ EVO II Dual 640T Enterprise V2 and EVO Nano; the LSTS’ Seacon-3 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV); and a shelter-based deployable ground control station.

The €132 million tender for Dom João was signed in 2023 and laid down in October 2024.

She will carry the name of the 15th-century Portuguese King who championed maritime exploration, broadening the work of his great-uncle, Henry the Navigator, and is scheduled for sea trials later this year.

While Dom João has no armament fitted, the MPV could be escorted in operations by the Damen-built former Dutch Karel Doorman-class frigates NRP Bartolomeu Dias (F333, ex-Van Nes) and NRP D. Francisco de Almeida (F334, ex-Van Galen) or the three newer Vasco da Gama (German MEKO 200) class frigates, which do.

A must for fans of the Jump Jet

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A U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II assigned to Marine Attack Squadron 223, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, taxis on the runway at Bodø Air Station, Norway, March 3, 2022. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Adam Henke)

This week’s Fighter Pilot Podcast is on the Harrier, specifically the AV-8B, and has as guests the final skipper, Lt. Col. “Traper” Cumbie, and XO Major Eric “Porky” Scheibe, of the last Marine Harrier squadron, VMA-223, the “Great American Bulldogs.”

The ‘Dogs have a hell of a history, flying Brewster F2A-1 Buffalos at the beginning of WWII, then moving to Wildcats and Corsairs (bagging 146 victories 1942-45), Panthers in Korea, Skyhawks in Vietnam, and the Harrier since 1987.

And yes, 223 supported True Lies back in the day with actual Harriers– you can even see the Bulldog on the side. The trio of Harriers used in the Schwarzenegger flick was real and loaned from the USMC to the production for $100,000 per day, plus $2,400 per flying hour per aircraft.

It is a treat and well worth your time.

 

A Big Cat Returns to Familiar Stomping Grounds

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The Bundeswehr has been showcasing modernized Kampfpanzer Leopard 1 A5s, revisiting the home team’s military training grounds.

Ausbildung ukrainischer Soldaten durch deutsche Streitkräfte am Kampfpanzer Leopard 1A5, auf dem Truppenübungsplatz Klietz, am 24.03.2026.

Ausbildung ukrainischer Soldaten durch deutsche Streitkräfte am Kampfpanzer Leopard 1A5, auf dem Truppenübungsplatz Klietz, am 24.03.2026.

Although the Cold War-era type ended production in 1984 and was decommissioned by the Germans in 2003, Ukrainian volunteers and conscripts are being trained on the vintage hull by soldiers of the Europäischen Ausbildungsmission (European Training Mission), or EUMAM UA.

Ausbildung ukrainischer Soldaten durch deutsche Streitkräfte am Kampfpanzer Leopard 1A5, auf dem Truppenübungsplatz Klietz, am 24.03.2026.

Ausbildung ukrainischer Soldaten durch deutsche Streitkräfte am Kampfpanzer Leopard 1A5, auf dem Truppenübungsplatz Klietz, am 24.03.2026.

Ausbildung ukrainischer Soldaten durch deutsche Streitkräfte am Kampfpanzer Leopard 1A5, auf dem Truppenübungsplatz Klietz, am 24.03.2026.

If the tanks look great, keep in mind that they had been well-maintained by their previous owners as investments, and when retired, were transferred to Rheinmetall and FFG to keep in controlled storage for potential future resale.

Instead of heading to Third World users, upwards of 200 such vehicles have been pledged to the Ukrainians from Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Germany.

Ukraine has received around 100 upgraded Leopard 1 A5 DK tanks from Denmark alone, which have been retrofitted with composite armor, laser rangefinders, thermal imaging optics, better commo, and modern night vision devices.

That, combined with the Leo’s stabilized 105mm L7A3 L/52 gun and well-trained crews, can make the old cat a bruiser against just about any Russian tank or armored vehicle encountered.

Despite the heavy drone-vs-drone nature of the fight in Ukraine, there is still plenty of room for armored forces.

With that being said, I would be remiss if I didn’t also note that work is simultaneously being done by John Cockerill Defence in Belgium to make remotely operated Leo 1s for Ukraine as well…

German Cold War-era Leopard 1 tank equipped with a modern Belgian remote-control turret, shown with a Ukrainian flag. This image is of a test vehicle modified by the Belgian turret specialist company John Cockerill Defence. (Image published by the Telegram channel BPMD, the official channel of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, on March 16)

George Neal takes to the water

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Back in early March, I visited Pascagoula and saw Ingalls’s dry dock uncharacteristically empty and a land-locked DDG, possibly the future USS George M. Neal (DDG 131), nudging very close to the ramp behind PCU USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129). 

Then, on 26 March, the dock was filled with Neal!

(To the far left by the mud lumps between Ingalls’ West Bank and Singing River Island). Photo by Chris Eger

Now, I can report that the fourth Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer built by Ingalls is waterborne, launched on 1 April (no fooling).

DDG 131 is named for AMM3 George Milton Neal, a Korean War veteran who earned the Navy Cross for his heroic actions with HU-1 while attempting to rescue a fellow service member under enemy fire.

As noted by Ingalls:

“Launching DDG 131 is a direct reflection of the hard work and dedication of our Ingalls shipbuilders,” said Chris Brown, Ingalls Shipbuilding DDG 51 program manager. “Seeing the ship reach the water for the first time is a proud moment for everyone involved and a real testament to the people who make this work possible for our U.S. Navy.”

As a Flight III Arleigh Burke‑class destroyer, DDG 131 represents the next generation of surface combatants for the U.S. Navy, featuring the Flight III AN/SPY-6 (V)1 radar system and the Aegis Baseline 10 combat system, designed to counter threats well into the 21st century.

Stirring news from the Great North!

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Updates from Ice Camp, 1 CRPG, and the Marines in Norway.

So much great content has been coming from Ice Camp 26 (Boarfish), which is running for three weeks in the Beufort Sea with the surfaced USS Delaware (SSN 791) and Santa Fe (SSN 763)— marking the 100th American ice surfacings, along with personeel from U.S. Marine Corps, Air National Guard, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force, French Navy, Royal United Kingdom Navy, Norwegian Defence Research Institute, and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.

Beaufort Sea, Arctic Circle – Operation ICE CAMP 2026 participants from Arctic Submarine Lab, Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center Detachment San Diego, Underwater Construction Team (UCT) TWO, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation Science, and various U.S. Navy commands pose for a photo at ICE CAMP Boarfish 2026, Mar. 17. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jacob D. Bergh)

Add to this the stuff coming from the 2,800-mile snowmobile-borne High Arctic sovereignty patrol of the Yellowknife-based 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group (1 CRPG/GPRC), which is visiting 17 remote communities across the country’s arctic regions. The patrol has reached Naujaat and Hudson Bay, and is finally turning South.

1 CRPG GPRC Canadian Rangers Long Range patrol at Kugaaruk radar station

1 CRPG/GPRC Canadian Rangers Long Range patrol at the long abandoned circa 1903 NWMP barracks, on Hudson Bay’s Cape Fullerton

Finally, check out this great U.S. Marine Corps video by Sgt. Noah Masog highlighting Exercise Cold Response 26 in Norway.

Welcome Back, Big Maime!

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The Navy commissioned the 25th Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Massachusetts (SSN 798) in a traditional ceremony held Saturday, 28 March, in Boston Harbor. Delivered to the Navy last November, she is the 6th commissioned warship on the Navy List to carry the name of the Commonwealth.

As the Navy welcomed its seventh Flight VI Virginia to the fleet, the crew of its oldest warship, the frigate USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”), honored the moment by rendering a historic salute to her joining the fleet, complete with flintlocks and carronades.

The USS Constitution sails past the Virginia-class nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine USS Massachusetts (SSN 798) during Massachusetts’ commissioning in Boston, on March 28th, 2026. Massachusetts is the newest fast-attack submarine and the fifth U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Lucas J. Hastings)

BOSTON (March 28, 2026) Sailors assigned to the Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS Massachusetts (SSN 798) stand at attention aboard the boat as the USS Constitution prepares to render a salute during Massachusetts’ commissioning ceremony in Boston Harbor, March 28, 2026. Massachusetts is the newest fast-attack submarine and the fifth U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kaitlin Young)

“From wooden hulls and sail power to nuclear propulsion and advanced undersea warfare capabilities, this moment reflects the enduring strength, innovation, and readiness of the United States Navy.”

Marines OK Optics for Pistol Qualifications, Kinda

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The nation’s 911 force is now officially authorizing pistol quals with a red dot optic, provided it is one very specific system.

On March 13, Marine Administrative Message (MARADMINS) 104/26 updated that the service’s Marksmanship Program will include the paragraph, “Marines are authorized to use unit funded Using Unit Responsibility Item, M17 Romeo red dot optic, National Stock Number 1240-01-713-9795 for Combat Pistol Program (CPP) qualifications.”

In short, so long as the SIG M17 Romeo sight is used– which was designed specifically for the P320-based M17 and M18 9mm Modular Handgun System– and it is bought with unit funds, the country’s premier amphibious warfare force can run red dots in qualifications.

M17 Romeo on an M17 MHS pistol
The Romeo M17 sight (NSN: 1240-01-713-9795), seen attached to an M17 MHS handgun, is a mil-spec, fully enclosed and gas-purged red dot reflex sight with a distortion-free glass aspheric lens. It is submersible to depths up to 35 meters. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
M17 Romeo on an M17 MHS pistol
The optic incorporates a high-efficiency point source red LED emitter, with 2 MOA dot/32 MOA circle reticle, independent brightness adjustment buttons, 15 brightness settings including night vision settings, and a side-mounted CR2032 battery compartment with a threaded battery cap so the optic does not need to be removed from the pistol for battery changes. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Completely U.S. made and constructed of forged 7075 aluminum with a beryllium copper flexure arm (more on that in a minute) the Romeo M17 has an extremely low deck height so that armorers can reuse standard iron sights, has 15 illumination settings (including three for use with Gen 3+ night vision), beats drop and submersion tests, and, importantly, has an integral loaded chamber gas deflector shield that keeps the MHS from gassing up the lens after 10-15 rounds.

SIG Sauer M17 MHS pistol with Romeo M17 MRD sight
The Romeo M17 is a hoss. This installed example we saw dropped from 10 feet onto concrete at SIG’s plant in Oregon earlier this year with nothing but cosmetic damage to the housing. SIG explained to Guns.com that the Romeo M17 has surpassed 100,000 rounds in testing without loss of zero or parts breakage.  (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
SIG Sauer Romeo M17 MRD sight flexure arm
That magical Romeo M17 flexure arm. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)
SIG Sauer Romeo M17 MRD sight flexure arm
Installed near the base of the Romeo M17, the arm provides a backbone – so to speak – for the sight, cutting down on the number of parts that can fail. That, combined with the unique mounting process used on the sight that gives it six points of contact with the pistol host, makes it so tough. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)

Marines deployed with the Fleet have already been seen with red dot-equipped M17 Romeo-equipped M18s and Surefire X300 white lights.

M17 Romeo on an M18 MHS pistol
A U.S. Marine with Maritime Special Purpose Force, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), fires an M18 pistol during a qualification range aboard San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28), while underway in the Caribbean Sea, Feb. 22, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo)
M17 Romeo on an M18 MHS pistol
An inset of the above image, clearly showing the M17 Romeo on an M18 MHS pistol. (U.S. Marine Corps photo)

The Marines adopted the M18 in 2019, ordering 35,000 of the SIGs to not only replace legacy Beretta M9s but also the Colt M45A1 CQB .45ACP railgun and the M007 Glock.

French going big with new 80,000 ton CATOBAR CVN

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As any navy expert will concede, having just a single aircraft carrier in your fleet is essentially having a carrier in name only, as the prospect of keeping it continuously ready to deploy is a farce. A carrier strike force “in-being.” An exercise in carrier theory. A headquarters float for a naval parade.

Sure, there have been many countries that tried the single-carrier concept during the Cold War —Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Thailand, the Netherlands —but they all decided that the money would be better spent on more escorts, submarines, and perhaps an LPH/LPD or two.

The juice just wasn’t worth the squeeze. At best, a sole carrier allowed them to go to sea for a few week-long workups one year and a short 4-6 month deployment the next, then have to go totally offline for most of a year every six or seven years for refit and refurbishment in a pretty big dry dock that they may not have. Then there is the problem of keeping a carrier air wing operational, sans carrier.

A few other navies briefly operated two (even conceptually three) carriers then downshifted to a single flattop due to budgetary reasons (Canada and Australia), but, as witnessed by the Royal Navy’s ups and downs when it comes to keeping two-three CV/CVLs since the 1970s (albeit with a zero carrier gap from 2014 to 2017), the Soviet’s four 40,000-ton Kiev class (Project 1143 Krechyet) Yak-38 carriers in the 1980s, Italy’s own two-top policy since 2009, and India’s decision to operate at least two since 2013, that figure is the bare minimum to ensure that, maybe, there would be one ready when needed.

France was an early adherent to this rule, having operated 2-4 carriers almost continuously from 1932 to 1997, 65 years (with a gap from November 1942 to April 45).

Pre-WWII, they had the 12,000-ton cruiser-armed seaplane carrier Commandant Teste (which could carry 26 aircraft and had four catapults) and the small (598-foot, 22,000 t) carrier Bearn, the latter of which was really just a Treaty-era use of an incomplete Normandie-class battleship hull. Two planned 35,000-ton Joffre-class carriers never made it off the drawing board before 1940.

French Aircraft Carrier Béarn, in exile in Martinique, Feb 1941, LIFE David E. Scherman

During WWII, the Free French picked up the U.S.-built escort carrier Dixmude (A609) (ex-HMS Biter, ex-Rio Parana) in April 1945, then soon added the 18,000-ton British Colossus-class carrier Arromanches (R95).

French Douglas SBD Dauntless au-dessus du porte-avions Arromanches.

The French carrier force grew to four with the loan of two 15,000-ton Independence-class light carriers in the early 1950s: Bois Belleau (R97) (ex-USS Belleau Wood) and La Fayette (R96) (ex-USS Langley), and would operate through 1960.

By 1961, the first of two 32,000-ton French-built Clemenceau-class CATOBAR carriers, Clemenceau (R98) and Foch (R99), entered service, while a larger 45,000-ton CV, Verdun, was only canceled later.

French carrier Arromanches in her 1960s Commando Carrier role. The ex-HMS Colossus (15), Arromanches served in the French fleet from 1946 to 1974, transitioning from fixed-wing fleet carrier off Indochina and Algeria, then in a commando LPH role, and finally as a training carrier (AVT)

From 1963, when Foch entered the fleet through 1974 when Arromanches was decommissioned and returned to the British, the French had two brand-new fleet carriers and a third legacy training/commando carrier on hand.

French aircraft carriers Foch (R99) and Clemenceau (R98) in 1977

It was only in October 1997 that the French reduced to a single carrier (something they hadn’t done since Commandant Teste joined Bearn back in 1932) when Clemenceau struck. The worn-out Foch herself was retired in November 2000, leaving France with zero carriers for six months until the 42,000-ton CVN Charles de Gaulle commissioned in May 2001.

Charles de Gaulle at Goa, December 2025

Since then, France has been the only country in history to run a CVN other than the U.S. (even the Chinese and Russians have only operated conventionally powered flattops), which is an accomplishment. She has had several gaps in her career, leaving France sans carrier aviation, including a 15-month refit in 2007-08 (just six years after entering service) and an 18-month midlife upgrade and refit in 2017-18.

Still, she has conducted at least 11 extensive overseas deployments to the Indian Ocean/Pacific, the latest being Clemenceau 25.

Curiously, Charles de Gaulle was at sea when the latest combat in the Middle East broke out earlier this month, off Sweden, and has now been redeployed to the extended region (Cyprus), even while both British flattops (which are much newer) are sidelined for months.

So, surprisingly, Paris is moving forward with a sort of super-Charles de Gaulle as a replacement for the now 25-year-old CVN, rather than two smaller ships (ala HMS Queen Elizabeth), which arguably would be more capable of providing continuous coverage.

At least the new French carrier will be a big one. A super carrier by any post-1945 definition.

At 78,000 tons with two K22 nuclear reactors, the planned France Libre (Free France), pennant R92, is set to replace CDG in 2038ish, with the first steel plate being cut in 2031. Like CDG and the Clemenceaus, she will be CATOBAR and will be able to carry a 70-80 aircraft CVW.

The sizzle reel from Nava Group:

Colt Bags $198 Million Canadian Modular Rifle Contract

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Colt is the winner of the Canadian Modular Rifle, or CMAR, program, to replace the current C7/C8 service rifle fleet, which has been in service for more than 35 years in the land of the Blue Jays and Silver Medal Olympic hockey teams. The contract is valued at CAD $273 million ($198 million USD).

As part of the contract, which requires at least 80 percent domestic production, Colt will deliver up to 30,000 General Service (GS) rifles between 2026 and 2029 from its Kitchener, Ontario, factory. The contract includes provisions for a possible increase in the volume of deliveries with a Phase 2 option including 19,207 GS rifles and 16,195 “Full Spectrum” rifles, the latter outfitted with optics and other accessories. The full award covers a maximum of 65,402 rifles.

The Canadian Armed Forces contains approximately 68,000 active and 32,000 reserve personnel, with about one third of those– 44,000– being in the Army.

Canadian Modular Rifle, or CMAR, with MFMD
The 5.56 NATO caliber Colt CMAR, type classified as the C25 in the above image, uses a monolithic upper receiver, chrome-lined free-floating barrel, ambidextrous controls, and a full-length STANAG 4694 top rail with M-LOK slots on the forearm. Accessories include a Magpul MOE grip and CTR adjustable stock. Photos: Department of National Defence/Ministère de la défense nationale 

An interesting factor on the CMAR is its use of an all-in-one combination flash hider/muzzle brake/flow-through suppressor, the Multi-Function Muzzle Device, or MFMD. Designed by Utah-based Strategic Sciences, the modular MFMD is billed as delivering in terms of sound (sub 140dB for all systems), flash (99 percent reduction), and recoil (60 percent faster follow-up shots) with a durability comparable to the barrel’s life cycle.

Canadian Modular Rifle, or CMAR, with MFMD
Initial production will be for 30,000 rifles between now and 2029, with as many as 35,000 additional rifles to follow. 
Colt C8A4 optics
What optics the new CMAR will carry is probably TBD at the moment, with the Canadian Army trialing several dots and LPVOs by Steiner and SIG on the interim C8A4 in the past year. The current standard day optic in Canadian service is the 3.4x fixed power Elcan C79 (M145 in U.S. service), which was adopted in 1989.  

As for what will happen to the country’s soon-to-be surplus C7 rifles and C8 carbines, which are based on the Colt M16A3 and M4, respectively, it is likely they will be retained in arsenal storage as the Canadian Armed Forces is seeking to expand its Primary reserve forces from the current 23,561 part-time members to 100,000 and beef up the current force of 4,384 inactive or retired Supplementary Reserve members to 300,000, figures not seen under the Maple Leaf flag since World War II!

Canada adopted the license-built C7 series in 1984, replacing semi-auto inch-pattern FN FAL pattern C1A1 rifles in 7.62 NATO, which entered service in the 1950s.

Soldiers of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada training at CFB Gagetown with C1A1s, circa 1974 (Library and Archives Canada MIKAN 4235794)

The Realm of the Valkyries

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Official caption: “A sailor assigned to the USS Thomas Hudner attaches chains to an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter during flight deck operations as part of Operation Epic Fury in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, 16 March 2026.”

Note the four-pack of AGM-114 Hellfires, which entered Navy service in 1998.

VIRIN: 260316-N-NO146-1066M (Released).

CENTCOM officials claim to have destroyed, sunk, or seriously damaged over 100 and possibly as many as 130 Islamic Republic of Iran Navy (IRIN) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC-N) naval vessels since the beginning of Epic Fury. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the smaller vessels were bagged via Hellfire.

An Atlantic Fleet Flight IIA Burke, USS Thomas Hudner (DDG-116), has been seen with MH-60s from the Jacksonville-based Valkyries of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 50 aboard, with a big .50 cal on the starboard side and a four-pack of Hellfires to port.

AN MH-60R Seahawk helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 50, departs Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) during flight operations while underway in the Caribbean Sea, Dec. 27, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Navy photo)

A U.S. Sailor, assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 50, performs clear and safe checks on a .50 caliber machine gun on an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), while underway in the Caribbean Sea, Dec. 27, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect

A U.S. Sailor, assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 50, refuels an MH-60R Seahawk during flight deck operations aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), while underway in the Caribbean Sea, Dec. 26, 2025. U.S. military forces are deployed to the Caribbean in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland. (U.S. Navy photo)

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