Golden Dome Will Protect Homeland, Provide Layered Defense, Leaders Say

View Online Golden Dome Will Protect Homeland, Provide Layered Defense, Leaders Say April 16, 2026 |  By David Vergun During a hearing yesterday in Washington before the House Armed Services Committee's strategic forces subcommittee, Marc Berkowitz, the assistant secretary of war for space policy, reiterated the need for the Golden Dome for America as he described the intensifying strategic competition facing the nation. The pace and scale of the threat is unprecedented; rivals are expanding, diversifying and increasing the sophistication of their arsenals in respect to missiles and other aerial weapons, Berkowitz said.  He noted that the Golden Dome is a comprehensive defense against the most catastrophic threats facing the United States — threats that include ballistic, hypersonic and advanced cruise missiles, as well as next-generation aerial weapons and nuclear threats.  "Golden Dome will protect our homeland, citizens, critical infrastructure and second-strike capability," Berkowitz said. "Today, our capability to defend the nation is limited, and its effectiveness is eroding against an increasingly advanced set of threats. Golden Dome will rectify this by creating a layered defense in depth of the United States." Regarding the cost, Berkowitz said it is significant, but a necessary investment to protect assets of "truly incalculable value" — the lives of U.S. citizens and the territorial integrity of the nation. "The cost of failing to defend our homeland would be infinitely greater," he added. Air Force Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, said his commands routinely intercept long-range bombers and other aircraft approaching North America, while standing ready to defend against long-range missile attacks 24/7. Guillot described several recent command initiatives to build on preparedness and respond to missile threats, including Northcom's activation of Joint Task Force Gold, which will serve as the operational arm for the future layered defense systems provided by the Golden Dome. Space Force Gen. Michael A. Guetlein, the Golden Dome program manager, said a new generation of advanced air and missile threats, unprecedented in their speed, numbers and lethality, now holds the American homeland at risk. "Our adversaries are not just expressing the intent. They are demonstrating the capability to threaten our families and our way of life; this threat is not theoretical. We see it unfolding in front of our own eyes every day," he said. Guetlein described Golden Dome as the cornerstone of the U.S. strategy to rapidly improve the defense of the homeland and ensure peace through strength. "The vision is ambitious, but it is achievable. The foundational technology exists today, and we are moving with the utmost urgency to bring it to bear. Our strategy is built on speed, affordability and partnerships," he said. The general said his priority is establishing a unified command and control network linked to the existing battle-proven systems, while investing in next-generation technology, as well as driving down the cost per intercept. Air Force Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, the Missile Defense Agency director, and Army Lt. Gen. Sean A. Gainey, commander of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, also testified.

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Descending From the Office A U.S. Air Force Academy Wings of Blue parachute team member jumps from a C-130J Super Hercules duri... Photo Details > Below the Radar Navy Lt. Cmdr. Connor O'Donnell, the lead solo pilot for the Blue Angels, the service's flight demon... Photo Details > All Photos

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Contracts for April 17, 2026

View Online FOR RELEASE AT 5 PM ET Contracts For April 17, 2026 ARMY Aacon - Raven Volt JV LLC,* Louisville, Kentucky (W912QR-26-D-A027); Bering-Weston JV LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska (W912QR-26-D-A028); CAVU Green LLC,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (W912QR-26-D-A029); Fesco CLP JV LLC,* Frederick, Maryland (W912QR-26-D-A030); Reliance Construction Management Co.,* Cary, North Carolina (W912QR-26-D-A031); Brasfield & Gorrie LLC, Birmingham, Alabama (W912QR-26-D-A032); CDM Constructors Inc., Boston, Massachusetts (W912QR-26-D-A033); City Light & Power Inc., Denver, Colorado (W912QR-26-D-A034); Commercial Contracting Corp., Auburn Hills, Michigan (W912QR-26-D-A035); Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Greeley, Colorado (W912QR-26-D-A036); Honeywell International Inc., Duluth, Georgia (W912QR-26-D-A037); Parsons Government Services Inc., Centerville, Virginia (W912QR-26-D-A038); Tutor Perini Corp., Sylmar, California (W912QR-26-D-A039); and Weston Solutions Inc., West Chester, Pennsylvania (W912QR-26-D-A040), will compete for each order of the $2,000,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design-build and design-bid-build construction services supporting the Energy Resilience and Conservation Investment Program nationwide. Bids were solicited via the internet with 30 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 16, 2036. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Moorestown, New Jersey, was awarded a $101,648,477 modification (P00004) to contract W31P4Q-25-C-0023 for contractor field service representatives maintenance tasks, troubleshooting, technical manuals, sparing, and test event support. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2029. Fiscal 2026 research, development, test, and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $7,079,390 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE EMC Corp., Hopkinton, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $984,306,494 ceiling, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for instrumentation, configuration, management, support, and development III. This contract provides continued modernization, sustainment, and maturation of test and assessment data technologies. Work will be performed at Irvine, California and is expected to be completed by April 16, 2036. This contract was a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2026 operation and maintenance; and research development, test, and evaluation in the amount of $121,003 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA930226D0002).     The Boeing Co., Long Beach, California, has been awarded a $166,813,868 modification (P00027) to a previously awarded contract FA8526-21-D-0001 for C-17 Globemaster III sustainment for Ordering Period Five landing gear spares. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $8,046,963,795 from $7,880,149,927. Work will be performed at various locations including but not limited to Long Beach, California; San Antonio, Texas; Robins Air Force Base, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; McCord AFB, Washington; and various locations around the globe, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2027. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Australia, Canada, India, Kuwait, the NATO Airlift Management Program, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Fiscal 2026 and 2027 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $134,664,286; and FMS funds in the amount of $32,149,582 will be obligated in fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027. The Air Force Lifecycle Management Center, Robins AFB, Georgia, is the contracting activity.    Southern Management Inc., Goldsboro, North Carolina, was awarded a $19,296,958 task order for the repair of airfield pavements. This contract provides for airfield construction activity and materials including the removal and replacement of concrete and asphalt. Work will be performed on Seymour Johnson AFB, Goldsboro, North Carolina, and is expected to be completed Sept. 14, 2027. The order was an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract issued from a competitive source acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $19,296,958 are being obligated at time of award. The 4th Contracting Squadron, Goldsboro, North Carolina, is the contracting activity (FA480926F0029).    IOTAI Inc., Fremont, California, has been awarded a $15,520,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Advanced Electronic Warfare-Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance with AF CyberWorx. This contract will provide for the design, development, and deployment of advanced communication technologies. Work will be performed at various locations in the continental U.S. and is expected to be completed by April 17, 2028. This award is the result of a Commercial Solutions Opening. Fiscal 2025 procurement funds in the amount of $15,520,000 are being obligated at time of award. The 10th Contracting Squadron, U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA7000-26-C-0007).   Spectral Sciences Inc., Burlington, Massachusetts, has been awarded an $11,919,827 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a Performance Modeling Toolkit for autonomous, trusted AI target detection, tracking, and identification and classification. This contract supports an interdisciplinary solution that leverages sensor performance modeling and trusted AI algorithms. Work will be performed at Burlington, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by July 16, 2031. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition, and one offer was received. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $72,341 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9453-26-C-X013). (Awarded on April 16, 2026). NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Littleton, Colorado, is being awarded a $30,000,000 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and firm-fixed-price contract (N00039-19-D-0006). This modification is for continued support of the Navy and other agencies’ Radiant Mercury (RADMERC) operations to securely transfer data across different security domains. The contract provides for the installation, program management, maintenance, modernization and sustainment of RADMERC systems. It will also provide system security authorization support, along with logistics and training services. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; they will be obligated on individual delivery orders. This modification increases the estimated value of the contract from $104,242,344 to $134,242,344. The current option period's performance is from Oct. 27, 2021, to Sept. 30, 2029, and will not be extended by this modification. The Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co., Tewksbury, Massachusetts, is awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Subarray Transmit Orthogonality for Receive Multiplexing (STORM) program. This contract provides for the expansion and exploitation of transmit multiplexing for SPY-6. STORM introduces two capabilities in the base program: Subarray-Level Independent Transmit and Directional Modulation. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Massachusetts (40%); Marlborough, Massachusetts (40%); and Portsmouth, Rhode Island (20%). Work is expected to be completed in April 2029. The total cumulative value of this contract, including a 36-month base period and four option periods that may run concurrently throughout the period of performance, is $22,652,908. Fiscal 2026 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,043,980 are obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under long range broad agency announcement (BAA) (N0001425SB001) entitled “Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology.” Since proposals were received throughout the year under the Long-Range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N0001426C1110). *Small business

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Hegseth Urges Iran to 'Choose Wisely' During Epic Fury Ceasefire, Blockade

View Online Hegseth Urges Iran to 'Choose Wisely' During Epic Fury Ceasefire, Blockade April 16, 2026 |  By C. Todd Lopez The U.S. and Iran entered a two-week ceasefire in combat operations April 8, and the U.S. initiated a naval blockade in the Persian Gulf for ships that have been doing business with Iran, April 13. During a press briefing at the Pentagon today, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth urged the new Iranian regime to make wise choices during this lull in combat operations, and to work in good faith toward a deal with the United States — one that President Donald J. Trump said last week might usher in a "golden age" for the Middle East — but one which would also prevent Iran from ever having a nuclear weapon. The secretary also warned Iranian military leadership, "We're watching you. Our capabilities are not the same — our military and yours. Remember, this is not a fair fight. We know what military assets you are moving and where you are moving them to." Hegseth also reminded Iranian military leadership that it no longer has the ability to reconstitute its own forces because as part of Operation Epic Fury, U.S. Central Command forces destroyed the Iranian military industrial base. "You are digging out your remaining launchers and missiles with no ability to replace them," Hegseth said. "You have no defense industry, no ability to replenish your offensive or defensive capabilities ... you can move things around, but you can't actually rebuild." Regarding the U.S.  blockade on ships going to and leaving Iranian ports, the secretary told Iran that the right thing to do — to avoid continued military action and to remove the blockade — is to make a deal with U.S. negotiators.  "As our negotiators have said ... Iran can choose a prosperous future, a golden bridge, and we hope that you do — for the people of Iran," Hegseth said. "In the meantime, and for as long as it takes, we will maintain this ... successful blockade." Iran making the right choice, Hegseth said, means a golden age. A bad choice means more bombs and a continued blockade. And in either case, he said, Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. "The War Department will ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon," he said. "We prefer to do it the nice way, through a deal led by our great vice president and negotiating team; or we can do it the hard way. We urge this new regime to choose wisely." Effective, Limited Blockade Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that the very effective blockade is a targeted operation. "This blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports," Caine said. "The U.S. action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Enforcement will occur inside Iran's territorial seas and in international waters." Caine said U.S. forces in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility would also pursue "dark fleet vessels" who had left Iran before the blockade was set up, including those which provide material support to Iran and those carrying Iranian oil. "As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions or insurance requirements," Caine said. More than 10,000 sailors, Marines and airmen, over a dozen ships and dozens of aircraft are executing the blockade mission, which Caine said has proven successful in turning ships away, and which so far has not required any aggression. "Any ship that would cross the blockade would result in our sailors executing preplanned tactics designed to bring the force to that ship; [and] if need be, board the ship and take her over. That includes a series of escalated force options, which could include warning shots and others," Caine said. Using an on-screen graphic in the Pentagon briefing room, Caine showed all of the ships that opted to turn away rather than face the American blockade. "Thirteen ships have made the wise choice of turning around," Caine said. "And as we continue to hold this blockade at the order of the secretary and the president, any vessel that [fails] to comply with our instructions will be dealt with accordingly. ... As of this morning, U.S. Central Command has not been required to board any particular ships." Motivated, Focused, Vigilant, Ready Centcom Commander Adm. Bradley Cooper just returned from a second trip to the Middle East. His first trip happened while kinetic operations were underway as part of Epic Fury. His second visit was during the ceasefire and the naval blockade. During those trips, he visited with troops in 70 different locations, he said, including fighter pilots, troops who brought home the F-15 crew who were downed in Iran, teams who launch one-way attack drones into Iran, those using artificial intelligence to make faster decisions, Space Force and cyber specialists, logisticians, sustainers and air defenders who shot down Iranian ballistic missiles. "My personal assessment, after these couple of trips, is our troops are highly motivated, they're focused, they're vigilant and they're ready, and they're using this time [the ceasefire] to do a couple of things," he said. "We're rearming, we're retooling and we're adjusting our tactics, techniques and procedures. There's no military in the world that adjusts like we do, and that's exactly what we're doing right now during the ceasefire."

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Secretary of War General and Flag Officer Announcements for April 15, 2026

View Online IMMEDIATE RELEASE Secretary of War General and Flag Officer Announcements for April 15, 2026 April 15, 2026 Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced today that President Donald J. Trump has made the following nominations: Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Roger B. Turner Jr. for reappointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific and commanding general, Fleet Marine Force Pacific, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii.  Turner is currently serving as commanding general, III Marine Expeditionary Force and commander, Marine Forces Japan, Okinawa, Japan. Army Maj. Gen. Constantin E. Nicolet for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as director, Warfighter Support, Office of the Under Secretary of War for Intelligence and Security, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.  Nicolet currently serves as special assistant to the Under Secretary of War for Intelligence and Security, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Air Force Maj. Gen. Christopher J. Niemi for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as deputy chief of staff, Strategy, Design and Requirements, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.  Niemi is currently serving as the military deputy, Air Force Futures, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Keith D. Reventlow for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as director for Logistics, J-4, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.  Reventlow is currently serving as commanding general, Marine Corps Logistics Command, Albany, Georgia. Army Maj. Gen. Monte L. Rone for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as commanding general, First U.S. Army, Rock Island, Illinois.  Rone currently serves as commanding general, 1st Infantry Division and Fort Riley, Fort Riley, Kansas. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. George B. Rowell IV for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as deputy commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii.  Rowell is currently serving as director, J-5, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Camp H. M. Smith, Hawaii. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Thomas B. Savage for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as deputy commandant, Training and Education, and commanding general, Training and Education Command, Quantico, Virginia.  Savage is currently serving as commanding general, 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, California. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. James B. Wellons for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as deputy commandant for Programs and Resources, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.  Wellons is currently serving as special projects officer to the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.  Marine Corps Col. Peter D. Houtz for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Houtz is currently serving as assistant judge advocate general of the Navy, Office of the Judge Advocate General, Office of the Secretary of the Navy, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. Air Force Col. Deane E. Thomey for appointment to the grade of brigadier general.  Thomey is currently serving as the deputy director of Air National Guard Operations, Air National Guard Readiness Center, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Secretary Hegseth also announced today that the president has made the following nominations: Navy Vice Adm. John F. Wade for reappointment to the grade of vice admiral, with assignment as senior military assistant to the Secretary of War, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.  Wade is currently serving as commander, Third Fleet, San Diego, California. Navy Rear Adm. Douglas L. Williams, for appointment to the grade of vice admiral, with assignment as director for Strategic Systems Programs, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.  Williams is currently serving as director for Test, Missile Defense Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

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