Motors Assembled at Tobyhanna Army Depot Power Drone to World-Record Flight

View Online Motors Assembled at Tobyhanna Army Depot Power Drone to World-Record Flight Aug. 21, 2026 |  By Lindsay Grant, U.S. Army Materiel Command A battery-powered small unmanned aircraft system recently shattered a world endurance record, flying for more than eight hours in the desert heat — a milestone achieved using critical propulsion components assembled by the Army's organic industrial base.   During the Game of Drones 26-2 demonstration at Edwards Air Force Base, California, July 15-17, two brushless direct current motors assembled at Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pennsylvania, successfully powered a Group 1 small UAS to a record-breaking flight time of eight hours, 41 minutes and 43 seconds. The aircraft flew for approximately 300 miles before safely landing, surpassing the previous record by 50 minutes.   The record-breaking flight represents a major milestone for Army Materiel Command and its efforts to build secure, domestic supply chains for critical defense technologies. The demonstration served as the first major outdoor operational test of the Tobyhanna-assembled motors on an active aircraft.   "AMC is proud to provide materiel solutions to support innovation across the uncrewed systems spectrum," said Army Capt. Lee Washburn, AMC military liaison for advanced manufacturing of small UAS. "From providing components to soldiers at innovation labs, to providing industry clean supply chain solutions in support of drone dominance, it is our goal to continue to participate in events that demonstrate our capabilities and help refine our components for the warfighter based upon realistic testing."   Rapid, collaborative on-site manufacturing made the achievement possible. The drone was designed in less than 10 minutes using computer prompts via adaptability software. Within 24 hours of takeoff, the aircraft was fabricated inside a mobile containerized production factory using commercial 3D printers, integrated with the Tobyhanna brushless motors and a battery from an industry partner and assembled on-site by a three-person team.   The event, sponsored by the Defense Contract Management Agency blue list team, highlighted a strategic shift toward domestic production. By establishing manufacturing capabilities within the Army's organic industrial base, the service is working to eliminate foreign dependencies for critical parts.   "This is a huge milestone for AMC and Tobyhanna, considering the fact that we just cut the ribbon on the new brushless motor line on June 30," said Jon Strzelec, the AMC advanced manufacturing lead for small UAS.   AMC recently began transforming the organic industrial base to produce and assemble various critical small UAS components, including frames at Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, Illinois, and batteries at Red River Army Depot, Texas.   A key focus of this initiative is developing organic industrial base capabilities to help government, industry and academic partners secure Defense Contract Management Agency approval for systems and components to be included on the blue list. The blue list is an aggregated reference portal of compliant, cybersecure and U.S.-manufactured UAS platforms and components, facilitating safer, faster procurement for defense users. AMC is already seeing positive results through this initiative, having sent small UAS that the organic industrial base fully assembled to several Army units for use in training events. Additionally, two brushless motor form factors and multiple lithium-ion battery configurations from Tobyhanna are being tested on various platforms at Redstone Test Center's new UAS test operations center.   "Game of Drones was proof that industry and the government can work together in creative ways to produce exceptional results," Strzelec said. "The event showcases exactly what the Army set out to do — provide opportunities for industry to partner with the Army and let the Army leverage the innovation and technical depth of industry."   As AMC continues to scale its advanced manufacturing capabilities including chassis, circuit card assemblies and propellers, its coordination with Defense Contract Management Agency remains vital.   "As AMC's production efforts across the [organic industrial base] continue to expand, we will continue to work with [the Defense Contract Management Agency] in not only blue listing these components but also providing them to the experimental test force for Game of Drones events to innovate and break other performance and endurance records," Washburn said.   The small UAS performance data from Edwards Air Force Base has been officially submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records for verification.

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Readout of the 16th U.S.-Kuwait Joint Military Commission

View Online Readout of the 16th U.S.-Kuwait Joint Military Commission Aug. 21, 2026 |  By War.gov From August 19-20, Deputy Assistant Secretary of War (DASW) for Near East and Central Asia Michael P. DiMino IV and Kuwait's Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Khaled al-Shriaan co-chaired the 16th U.S.-Kuwait Joint Military Commission (JMC) at the Pentagon alongside representatives from U.S. Central Command, the Joint Staff, the Maryland National Guard, and the State Department.  Exemplified by recent operations and decades of cooperation, the delegations emphasized their commitment to a strong, reciprocal, and enduring defense partnership and formalized operational roadmaps that will further advance our mutual defense interests. During the dialogue, the delegations exchanged assessments of regional security challenges and discussed opportunities for Kuwait to continue bolstering its defense capabilities against shared threats. They discussed mitigating such threats through greater interoperability, expanding cooperation on maritime security, and enhancing regional integrated air and missile defense architectures. Both leaders highlighted how the proliferation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) has transformed warfare, underscoring the critical importance of deeper integration.  Kuwait is committed to deepening its investment in its own defense and in the U.S. Defense Industrial Base, highlighted by a pending $1.98 billion acquisition of Anduril counter-small UAS (C-sUAS) systems as part of a broader Kuwaiti plan to expand foreign military sales (FMS).  Additionally, the delegations discussed the America First Arms Transfer Strategy and related efforts to streamline FMS processes and accelerate the modernization of Kuwait's armed forces. Additionally, DASW DiMino formally announced Kuwait's acceptance into the State Partnership Program and its pairing with the Maryland National Guard (MDNG), represented at the JMC by Adjutant General Major General Janeen Birckhead.

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Department of War Releases Its Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military

View Online Department of War Releases Its Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military Aug. 21, 2026 |  By War.gov The Department of War released its Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military today. The Department remains committed to preventing sexual assault and sexual harassment, and continues to confront and counter harmful behaviors, provide victim assistance, and strengthen command climates. "Dignity, respect, and discipline are foundational to the warrior ethos and the overall preparedness of the force. Sexual assault and sexual harassment undermine these values, eroding trust and threatening the mission," said Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness Anthony J. Tata. "The FY 2025 report underscores our ongoing commitment to maintaining high standards, protecting our people, and building a unified, ready, and lethal fighting force," added Tata. Required by Congress, the Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military presents critical statistics, trend analyses, and updates on the Department’s ongoing efforts to prevent and respond to sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military. The FY 2025 report incorporates findings from the 2025 Workplace Experiences Survey – a congressionally mandated assessment measuring the prevalence of unwanted sexual contact, sexual harassment, and sex discrimination across the force. It shows that the prevalence of unwanted sexual contact among active-duty Service members decreased from FY 2023 – the last time that the Workplace Experiences Survey was administered – to FY 2025. The estimated rate of unwanted sexual contact for active-duty men decreased from 1.3% to 1.0% and the estimated rate of unwanted sexual contact for active-duty women decreased from 6.8% to 4.3%. Based on these rates, the Department estimates that 20,492 Service members experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact in FY 2025, which is 8,500 fewer personnel compared to FY 2023. Likewise, the FY 2025 report shows that the prevalence of sexual harassment within the active-duty force decreased between FY 2023 and FY 2025. The estimated rate of sexual harassment for active-duty men decreased from 5.8% to 4.4% and the estimated rate of sexual harassment for active-duty women decreased from 24.7% to 17.5%. Finally, the FY 2025 report shows that reporting of sexual assault incidents by active-duty Service members increased from 25% in FY 2023 to 33% in FY 2025. The Department continues to encourage greater reporting to connect warfighters with vital restorative care and enable leadership to hold offenders appropriately accountable. The Department remains focused on strengthening prevention and response activities and ensuring that Service members can operate with confidence and maintain absolute focus on the mission. The FY 2025 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military is available at https://www.sapr.mil/.

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Today in DOW: Aug. 21, 2026

Today in DOW: Aug. 21, 2026 Open Press Events Secretary of War The secretary has no public or media events on his schedule.   Read More > Deputy Secretary of War The deputy secretary has no public or media events on his schedule.   Read More > Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman has no public or media events on his schedule.   Read More > Vice Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff The vice chairman has no public or media events on his schedule.   Read More > View All Postings   Contacts Additions and corrections for Today in DOW are invited and should be directed to the press desk by calling +1 (703) 697-5131 or +1 (703) 697-5132. For additional media information click here. Public Inquiries Contact us for more information, if you have questions or for technical support. Media Questions News media representatives with questions for the Department of War may reach our press desk by calling +1 (703) 697-5131. Duty Officer A public affairs duty officer is available 24 hours a day through +1 (703) 697-5131.

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