Iran Claims 1st to Strike F-35

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Iran proclaimed itself the first nation in the world to strike an US F-35 Lightning II, one of the most valuable US aircraft and the backbone of the US’s fifth-generation warfighting capabilities, reports Economic Times. The Iranian military said the interception follows the successful downing of more than 125 US-Israeli drones by Iran’s defense systems.

A US F-35 was forced to make an emergency landing after flying a combat mission over Iran, reports Military Times. Sources have said the aircraft was struck by an Iranian munition. The pilot guided the aircraft to a US air base in the region and is in stable condition. Prior to Thursday’s incident, the US had lost four manned aircraft across the month of March.

The Pentagon wants roughly $200 billion to sustain its war in Iran, as senior military officials acknowledge that the Islamic Republic retains “some capability” to attack American assets and allies in the Middle East, reports Military Times. DefSec Pete Hegseth said, “that number could move,” adding, “It takes money to kill bad guys.”

The Trump administration has notified Congress of more than $16.5 billion in air-defense weapons sales to the Middle East, reports Defense News, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Jordan. The State Department said the secretary of state determined that an emergency justified the immediate sale, allowing the administration to bypass the typical congressional review process under the Arms Export Control Act.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, deployed in the Red Sea in operations against Iran, is expected to temporarily pull into port after a fire on board last week, reports Military Times. The carrier, America’s newest and the world’s largest, will head to Souda Bay on the Greek island of Crete.

Iraq has declared force majeure on all oilfields developed by foreign oil companies after military operations disrupted navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, halting most of the country’s crude exports, reports Reuters. Disruptions have caused storage capacity ​to reach its limits, the oil ministry said in a letter dated March 17.

Anduril Industries will begin building its new Fury, “loyal wingman,” high-speed combat drones in the coming days at a new facility in Ohio, reports Defense News. Anduril is one of a growing group of small defense firms hoping to win lucrative Pentagon contracts for next-generation weapons.

The Pentagon has renewed last year’s call for its civilian workers to volunteer up to 180 days with Homeland Security’s immigration-enforcement operations. Dated before the US-Israel strikes on Iran but only released this week to DoD leaders, a memo from Hegseth says, “I expect every supervisor to encourage their civilian employees to volunteer.” DHS is shut down by a funding lapse not impacting its law-enforcement functions. Defense One reports that DoD has already shed 60,000 employees, or 8% of its civilian workforce, and is now involved in a war.

Denmark dispatched soldiers and explosives to Greenland in January as part of a contingency plan to obliterate key runways if the United States attempted an invasion, reports Military Times. The strategy focused on landing strips in Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq to prevent US military aircraft from landing troops and equipment. Danish blood banks even flew in supplies to treat potential casualties.

Before sending care packages to service members involved in Operation Epic Fury, check the US Postal Service list of military post offices where mailing services have been temporarily suspended. Military Times reports there are currently 28 ZIP codes where mail services have been temporarily suspended, all of which appear to be Army or Air Force post offices. No ships are currently listed, although mail service is sporadic in many locations because of operational needs and restrictions. There are also 17 Diplomatic Post Office (DPO) suspensions.

A federal judge extended a restraining order blocking work on a Washington County, MD,  warehouse that Immigration and Customs Enforcement wants converted into an immigrant detention center for up to 1,500 people, reports Maryland Matters. The judge anticipates a ruling no later than April 16.

NextGov/FCW reports on 23 hours of court testimony into the DOGE cost-cutting group that officials say “felt more like a club” than like the agencies they were breaking. Clips of a deposition in a suit humanities organizations brought against the National Endowment for Humanities over DOGE-ordered grant cuts have gone viral. A Manhattan judge ordered that the videos be taken down after the government said that one of the DOGE employees involved with those cuts had been harassed and gotten death threats. Government Executive had already reviewed all 23 hours.

Air traffic controllers will use radar, not just visual checks, to ensure that helicopters maintain a safe distance from arriving and departing airplanes, the FAA announced last week. Military.com reports previous guidelines for pilots to maintain visual separation between helicopters and airplanes have failed to provide adequate protection around busy airports.

Veterans Affairs is developing a tool to analyze applications for disability claims applications for fraud—a program VA officials say could identify providers or companies that abuse the system, reports Military Times. The tool will not be used to pursue potentially fraudulent past claims.

Does serving in the US military guarantee citizenship? No, according to immigration attorneys and veterans’ advocates. Some veterans have found themselves navigating a complex legal system where military service alone is not enough to secure their place in the country. Military.com reports more than 40,000 noncitizens serve in the US military, and an estimated 115,000 noncitizen veterans live in the United States.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia will have been continuously guarded by service members for 100 years on March 25. The tomb was established in the wake of World War I, when an unknown soldier who died in the war was interred on Nov. 11, 1921. It’s first military guard was assigned on March 25, 1926, after the Army’s deputy chief of staff ordered such a presence over concerns the monument was not properly respected, reports Stars and Stripes.

Contracts awarded in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., March 19-20, 2026:

ARCH Systems LLC, Baltimore, Maryland, was awarded a $21,450,716 firm-fixed-price and time and materials contract for the Kessel Run Enterprise software toolchain requirement. This contract provides for a turnkey software environment solution for authorized personnel directly supporting agile development and Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery of software. Work will be performed at Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by April 2029. This contract was a competitive acquisition and six offers were received. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $5,500,128 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Command, Control, Communications, and Battle Management Kessel Run, Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts is the contracting activity (FA8730-26-F-B001).

The SURVICE Engineering Company LLC, Belcamp, Maryland, was awarded a $19,163,162 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of tactical resupply vehicles with ancillary support, trainer boxes, program and engineering support, and logistics services and spares/repairs. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 17, 2028. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-26-F-0223). (Awarded March 19, 2026).

Dawson CMS LLC, Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a fixed-price contract bridge (HT001524C0005 P00011) with a value of $13,029,886 to support the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Market Technology Integration Office (MTIO) and provide program management support services in support of the DHA, MTIO, and other organizations. Services include, but are not limited to, the following areas: program management, technical support services, subject matter expert services, information system security, network administration, systems administration, and help desk support services. This support enables the MTIO to properly support the 48 sites that have staffed facilities worldwide. This contract was a direct 8(a) acquisition. This is a 12-month bridge to the base contract. Location of performance is worldwide with a March 28, 2027, performance completion date. The base year is funded with fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $13,029,886. The Defense Health Agency, Enterprise Medical Services Contracting Division, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Feb. 27, 2026).

Amee Bay LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska (N42158-26-D-S001); AMP United LLC,* Dover, New Hampshire (N42158-26-D-S002); Delphinus Engineering Inc.,* Newtown Square, Pennsylvania (N42158-26-D-S003); Get It Industrial Marine LLC,* Portsmouth, Virginia (N42158-26-D-0004); Glotech Inc.,* Rockville, Maryland (N42158-26-D-S005); Mid Atlantic Engineering Technical Services Inc.,* Chesapeake, Virginia (N42158-26-D-S006); Mills Marine & Ship Repair LLC,* Suffolk, Virginia (N42158-26-D-S007); Orbis Sibro Inc., doing business as Orbis,* Charleston, South Carolina (N42158-26-D-S008); Owl International Inc., doing business as Global a 1st Flagship Co.,* Irvine, California (N42158-26-D-S009); Q.E.D. Systems Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N32253-26-D-S010); and Tecnico Corp.,* Chesapeake, Virginia (N42158-26-D-S011), were awarded a combined $114,021,616 firm-fixed-price level-of-effort, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement involving specific supply of production touch labor to support the repair, maintenance and alterations requirements for U.S. Navy waterborne vessels, surface ships and submarines at any location under Norfolk Naval Shipyard Naval Support Activity and Lead Maintenance Activity cognizance. Each awardee will be awarded $1,000 (minimum contract guarantee per awardee) at the task order level upon contract award. These contracts bring a cumulative value of $114,021,616 over a five-year ordering period to the eleven vendors combined. Work will be performed in the state of Virginia and is expected to be completed by March 2031. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $11,000 will be obligated at the task order level after award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. All other funding will be made available at the task order level as contracting actions occur. This contract was competitively procured via the SAM.gov website, with 13 offers received. Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded March 4, 2026).

National Industries for the Blind,** Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $10,085,250 modification (P00010) exercising the second one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-24-D-B015) with four one-year option periods for moisture wicking t-shirts. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are North Carolina and New Jersey, with a March 27, 2027, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2026 through 2027 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-24-D-B015).

LeoLabs Federal Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $9,872,856 contract modification (P00004) to a previously awarded contract (FA8820-25-C-B004) for Advanced Ultra-High Frequency Phased Array Radar. The modification brings the total cumulative value of the contract to $23,958,909 from $14,086,053. Work will be performed at Chantilly, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 22, 2029. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $4,922,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Space Systems Command Directorate of Contracting, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, was awarded a $15,383,494,792 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-2117) for additional Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines design, class lead yard support and sustainment, integrated enterprise plan initiatives for the class, and submarine industrial base supplier development enhancement efforts to support Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program execution. The industrial base development work is for the furtherance of the Navy’s plan of serial production of Columbia- and Virginia-class attack submarines. Funding is pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2026 (Public Law 119-75). Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut (21%); Newport News, Virginia (6%); Sunnyvale, California (5%); Menomonee, Wisconsin (4%); Quonset Point, Rhode Island (4%); Fitchburg, Massachusetts (3%); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (3%); Mobile, Alabama (2%); Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (1%); and other locations less than 1% (51%), and is expected to be completed by June 2035. Fiscal 2026 national sea-based deterrence fund funds in the amount of $3,068,073,260 (95%); fiscal 2025 maritime industrial base funds in the amount of $74,000,000 (2%); fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $73,214,000 (2%); and fiscal 2026 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,837,000 (<1%), will be obligated at the time of award, of which $3,144,910,260 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.