I - On Defense Podcast - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

IDF Starts Ground Operations in Gaza + President Trump and President Zelenskyy Phone Call Described as "Very Substantive" + Ukraine Receives Shipment of F-16 Warplanes + More Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

For review"

1. IDF Starts Ground Operations in Gaza. The IDF said Wednesday it had launched “pinpoint” ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip. The IDF said its operations were aimed at expanding the security zone near the border and creating a partial buffer between northern and southern Gaza.

2. Captured documents from Gaza show that in the years leading up to 07 October attack, Hamas developed a concrete plan to destroy the Jewish state, in full coordination with Hezbollah and Iran.

3. President Trump and President Zelenskyy Phone Call. President Donald Trump has held what he described as a "very good" hour-long phone call with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. President Zelensky described his conversation with President Trump as "positive", "frank", and "very substantive".

4. Ukraine Receives Shipment of F-16 Warplanes. The Ukrainian President stated that several F-16s had arrived but did not reveal the exact number of jets delivered.

5. The Ukrainian Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces claims fielding of a laser (direct energy) anti-aircraft system. Known as the Triton (English), the system was first publicly mentioned in mid-December 2024- and in February 2025, the Commander confirmed that the weapon was operationally deployed.

IDF Aerial Offensive in Gaza + President Trump & Russian President Phone Call + F-35 Joint Program Office Assures Allies that the Warplane Has "No Kill Switch" + More Mar 19, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. The Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile at Israel from Yemen Tuesday evening, marking the first attack from the Iran-backed group since the ceasefire came into effect in the Gaza Strip two months ago.

2. IDF Aerial Offensive in Gaza. The Israeli PM- Benjamin Netanyahu- said that the military campaign was launched on the recommendation of Israel’s intelligence services and the IDF, and that it was a last resort after weeks of failed efforts to get Hamas to free more hostages.

3. President Trump & Russian President Putin Phone Call.

4. Germany’s parliament on Tuesday voted in favor of amending the constitution to enable significantly increased defense spending. As a result, a new aid package to Ukraine worth €3 billion ($3.28 billion) could be released by Berlin by the end of this week.

5. F-35 Joint Program Office Assures Allies that the Warplane Has "No Kill Switch".

The Pentagon today attempted to reassure its international partners in the F-35 program that there is no “kill switch” on the stealth fighter jet that the US could use to render it ineffective — the latest signal that there are real concerns abroad about American stewardship of the program amid tensions with historical allies.

6. US “near peer” adversaries are “practicing dogfighting” in space to simulate orbital combat in yet another step up their wide-ranging effort to develop capabilities to deny, disrupt, degrade and/or destroy US space capabilities, the Space Force’s second in command warned today (General Michael Guetlein, Vice Chief of Space Operations).

And while General Guetlein did not specify which countries five satellites were involved, a Space Force spokesperson later told reporters that the demonstration was Chinese.

US CENTCOM Campaign Against Houthis + IDF Strikes Iranian Proxies in Gaza, S. Lebanon, & S. Syria + President Trump & Russian President to Speak Tuesday About Peace Negotiations + Canada Reconsidering Future F-35 Fighter Purchase + More Mar 17, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. US CENTCOM Campaign Against Houthis. More airstrikes are planned in the coming days.

USAF LTG Alexus G. Grynkewich, director for operations for the Joint Staff: "US CENTCOM began precision strike operations against the Houthis to restore freedom of navigation and American deterrence. The initial wave of strikes hit over 30 targets at multiple locations, degrading a variety of Houthi capabilities. Included among those targets were terrorist training sites, unmanned aerial vehicle infrastructure, weapons manufacturing capabilities and weapons storage facilities."

2. IDF Strikes Iranian Proxies in Gaza, S. Lebanon, & S. Syria.

3. President Trump & Russian President to Speak Tuesday About Peace Negotiations.

4. BBC Report: Ukranian Soldiers talk about combat actions in Kursk region. The BBC has received extensive accounts from Ukrainian troops, who recount a "catastrophic" withdrawal in the face of heavy fire, and columns of military equipment destroyed and constant attacks from swarms of Russian drones.

5. Sweden will donate 18 Archer artillery units and five Arthur counter-battery radar systems to Ukraine as part of its 18th aid package for Kyiv. The total value of the donations is 3 billion kronor ($296 million), with deliveries of Arthur systems planned to begin this year and Archer systems in 2026.

6. Canada Reconsidering Future F-35 Fighter Purchase. The Canadian military said while it is committed to the first 16 F-35As it’s on contract to buy from American defense giant Lockheed Martin, it is actively re-evaluating the rest of the multi-billion-dollar order.

Ottawa’s reconsideration of the deal could open a door for alternatives like the Saab Gripen Fighter- which was beat out by the F-35 for the competition to replace Canada’s legacy F-18 fleet.

430: NSA Waltz on Ukraine - Russia Negotiations: "Both sides are going to have to make compromises" + B-52 Bomber Flyover Marks Sweden's NATO Anniversary + US Budget CR Passes Senate + More Mar 14, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. US and Israeli Officials reach out to Sudan, Somalia, & Somaliland to discuss Palestinian resettlement during US proposed Gaza reconstruction plan. Officials from Sudan and Somalia said they had rejected overtures from the US, while officials Somaliland told The AP that they were not aware of any contacts.

2. US President Donald Trump has praised talks held with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the US proposed ceasefire deal with Ukraine as "good and productive". This comes after Putin and US envoy Steve Witkoff met in Moscow on Thursday evening.

3. NSA Mike Waltz on Ukraine- Russia Negotiations - "Both sides are going to have to make compromises."

4. B-52 Bomber Flyover Marks Sweden's NATO Anniversary. In addition, the bombers were taking part in a Bomber Task Force mission called Viking Nebula, alongside a pair of Swedish JAS 39 Gripens. The Swedish fighters escorted the B-52s to Vidsel Test Range, where the bombers released GBU-30 joint direct attack munitions. USAF said this was the B-52s’ first live weapons drop in Sweden since the country joined NATO last year.

5. US Budget CR Passes Senate. The Senate approved a funding bill that will keep federal agencies funded until Sept. 30, with a $892.5 billion defense topline that slightly exceeds that of fiscal 2024.

6. The US Senate today confirmed billionaire financier Stephen Feinberg to be the Defense Department’s number two official. Mr. Feinberg’s nomination was cleared in a 59-40 vote this afternoon.

429: Russian President on Ukraine Ceasefire - "We are in favor- but there are nuances" + Interim Syrian President Signs Temporary Constitution + Royal Netherlands Navy Fires Tomahawk Missile from Frigate + More Mar 13, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. Interim Syrian President Signs Temporary Constitution. The temporary constitution leaves the country under Islamist rule while promising to protect the rights of all Syrians for five years during a transitional phase.

2. A group of around 100 senior figures from among Syria’s Druze are expected to visit the Israeli Golan Heights on Friday, and meet Sheikh Muafak Tarif, spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel.

3. Russian President Putin on Ukraine Ceasefire - "We are in favor- but there are nuances. A ceasefire should lead to "an enduring peace and remove the root causes of this crisis", the Russian President said.

4. Russian forces have recaptured Sudzha, the largest town that Ukraine once occupied in the Kursk Region. Russia’s top general Valery Gerasimov claimed Wednesday that Russian forces had recaptured more than 86% of the Kursk area taken by Ukraine.

5. Defense Ministers from Estonia and Latvia are concerned that even if Russian President Vladimir Putin agrees to a ceasefire deal, the reprieve may only allow Moscow to further consolidate its military and industrial might, and use it again elsewhere.

6. Royal Netherlands Navy Fires Tomahawk Missile from Frigate. The Netherlands’ Ministry of Defence announced that the Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS De Ruyter (F804) launched a Tomahawk cruise missile off the coast of Norfolk, Virginia on Tuesday, marking the first time a Dutch warship fired the missile.

7. US Foreign Military Sale to Australia: The US State Department has approved a potential $91.2-million sale of precision-guided munitions to Australia. Canberra will receive 54 x Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems-Alternate Warhead (GMLRS-AW) rounds, along with telemetry kits, engineering services, and related support. Lockheed Martin and Lockheed Martin Australia are the principal contractors.

428: Ukraine Will Agree to a 30 Day Ceasefire with Russia - US to Restart Military Aid and Intel Sharing + Iranian President to President Trump: "Do Whatever the Hell You Want" + Latest US Budget News + More Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. Ukraine Will Agree to a 30 Day Ceasefire with Russia - US to Restart Military Aid and Intel Sharing. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio: "We'll take this offer now to the Russians. And we hope that they'll say yes, that they'll say yes to peace. The President's objective here is, number one, above everything else, he wants the war to end, and I think today Ukraine has taken a concrete step in that regard. We hope the Russians will reciprocate."

2. Iranian President to President Trump: "Do Whatever the Hell You Want." Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that his country would not negotiate with the United States over its nuclear program while being threatened.

3. Israel and Lebanon agreed on Tuesday to open negotiations to delineate the border between the two countries, the Prime Minister’s Office said. Jerusalem and Beirut negotiated a maritime boundary in 2022 — but the two countries have yet to adopt an official land border.

4. Israeli journalists tour IDF posts atop Mount Hermon, on Syrian side of border. The IDF has established nine military posts inside Syrian territory, including two atop Mount Hermon. Three IDF brigades, under the 210th Bashan Regional Division, are deployed to the area.

5. Latest US Budget News: The Republican-led House voted Tuesday to pass a six-month funding bill that would prevent a government shutdown at the end of the week. The measure now heads to the US Senate, where its fate is uncertain.

427: Iran Supreme Leader Not Interested in Talks with "Bullying" Countries + Russian Forces Advance in Kursk Region + Iran - Russia - China Naval Drills in Indian Ocean + More Mar 10, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. Iran Supreme Leader Not Interested in Talks with "Bullying" Countries. Iran's Supreme leader has criticized "bullying" countries in an apparent response to US President Donald Trump's letter demanding negotiations over its nuclear program.

2. Israel on Sunday prepared to send a delegation to Doha for further talks on the Gaza truce.

3. Israel’s Energy Minister on Sunday instructed the Israel Electric Corporation to immediately cut off the supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip, in an apparent bid to pile pressure on Hamas, where 24 hostages presumed to be alive, and the bodies of 35 more, are still held.

4. Russian Forces Advance in Kursk Region. Russian forces on Sunday recaptured three more settlements in Russia's western Kursk region, the Defence Ministry said (Russian), as part of an operation to evict Ukrainian troops holding chunks of territory seven months after a cross-border incursion.

5. Norway will more than double its aid to Ukraine in 2025 to bring the annual total to $7.8 billion, Prime Minister Jonas Store announced Thursday.

6. France on Friday began handing over military bases in Senegal, as part of a withdrawal of troops from the west African nation where it has had a presence since 1960. The withdrawal follows the departure of French forces from Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad and Ivory Coast in recent years.

7. Iran - Russia - China Naval Drills in Indian Ocean. The drills “will begin on Tuesday in the port of Chabahar,” located in southeast Iran on the Gulf of Oman, the Tasnim news agency said, without specifying their duration. Azerbaijan, South Africa, Oman, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Sri Lanka will attend as observers.

8. The U.S. military’s classified mini-space shuttle- the X-37B- returned to Earth on Friday after circling the world for 434 days. The space plane blasted into orbit from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in December 2023 on a secret mission. Launched by SpaceX, the X-37B vehicle carried no people, just military experiments.

426: President Trump Sends Letter to Iran Supreme Leader + US & Ukraine to Discuss Peace in Saudi Arabia + France - Germany - Italy - UK - Support Arab Rebuild Plan for Gaza + More Mar 08, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. President Trump Sends Letter to Iran Supreme Leader. US President Donald Trump said he wants to negotiate a nuclear deal with Iran and sent a letter to its leadership this week suggesting talks with the Islamic Republic.

2. New Syrian government consolidating security against Pro-Assad forces in the Alawite Minority. A Syria war monitor reported on Saturday that over 530 civilians from the Alawite minority had been killed in recent days by security forces, as authorities clash with militants loyal to the former government of Bashar al-Assad. The civilian deaths bring the overall toll to 745 people, including 93 members of the new government’s security forces and 120 pro-Assad fighters.

3. France - Germany - Italy - UK - Support Arab Rebuild Plan for Gaza. “The plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises – if implemented – swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza,” the ministers said in a joint statement.

4. US & Ukraine to Discuss Peace in Saudi Arabia. From Ukrainian President Zelenskyy: "Next Monday, I have a visit planned to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with the Crown Prince. After that, my team will stay in Saudi Arabia to work with our American partners," Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X. "Ukraine is most interested in peace."

5. Singapore announced a 12.4% defense budget hike on 03 March, with major new equipment on order. The FY2025 defense budget is slated to reach US $17.4 billion.

6. USAF Collaborative Combat Aircraft prototypes (two variants) receive series designations: General Atomics designation: YFQ-42A; & Anduril designation: YFQ-44A. (Y = Prototype; F = Fighter; & Q = Drone.)

7. US Army selects Textron Ripsaw M3 as promising Robotic Combat Vehicle prototype for development.

425: US Pauses Intelligence Sharing with Ukraine + New IDF Chief of Staff: 2025 - A Year of War + US Unfreezes $95 Million Aid Package to Lebanese Armed Forces + More Mar 06, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. New IDF Chief of Staff: 2025 - A Year of War. New IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir stated that 2025 would be “a year of war” with a focus on the Gaza Strip and Iran.

2. US Unfreezes $95 Million Aid Package to Lebanese Armed Forces.

3. US Pauses Intelligence Sharing with Ukraine. Comments from top Trump administration officials suggest the decision is part of the broader negotiations between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to negotiate a peace deal with Russia, and that intelligence could begin flowing to Ukraine again soon. CIA Director John Ratcliffe called the suspension a “pause".

4. Denmark picked Norwegian ammunition maker Nammo to restart a shuttered ammo plant for production of small- and large-caliber ammunition, the country’s defense ministry said. Nammo will produce 155 mm and 120 mm shells at the Elling plant, as well as 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm caliber cartridges.

5. As development continues, the USAF is fielding inquiries on Foreign Military Sales for new MH-139 Grey Wolf Helicopter. The MH-139 Fleet is primarily tasked with supporting nuclear security, as well as ferrying VIPs in the Washington, DC-area.

424: Arab Leaders Adopt Egypt's Gaza Reconstruction Plan + Ukraine President Proposes Partial Ceasefire + EU Ready to Spend $843 Billion to Rearm Europe + Lockheed Out of Navy's F/A XX Competition + More Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

For review:

1. Arab Leaders Adopt Egypt's Gaza Reconstruction Plan. The Egyptian plan, called “Early Recovery, Reconstruction, Development of Gaza,” is based on “preserving the rights, dignity and humanity of the Palestinian people, and on the horizon of a two-state solution.”

2. Ukraine President Proposes Partial Ceasefire. Ukraine is proposing to Russia a “truce in the sky” – that is, a halt to mutual long-range drone and missile strikes against civilian infrastructure and, above all, against their respective energy industries.

3. EU Ready to Spend $843 Billion to Rearm Europe. Unveiling the plan, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, was blunt, saying, “We are in an era of rearmament. And Europe is ready to massively boost its defense spending.” “This is Europe’s moment, and we must live up to it,” she added.

4. During an address to a Joint session of Congress, President Trump announced the creation of a shipbuilding office in the White House centered on revitalizing the nation’s commercial and naval shipbuilding industry.

5. 20 Additional Missile Silos emplaced at Fort Greely, AK. Boeing has finished building 20 x new silos for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System at Fort Greely, Alaska, growing the number of interceptors that can be emplaced there from 40 to 60.

6. Lockheed Martin Out of Navy's F/A XX Competition- leaving Northrop Grumman and Boeing in the running to replace the F/A-18 and E/A-18 with a new air superiority fighter.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

I – On Defense Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected