Defense Secretary Austin will bid farewell Friday following a term that included three major military crises, a global pandemic and a brush with cancer.

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, faced scrutiny over his level of experience and personal conduct in a

During the confirmation hearing, Hegseth said if confirmed as defence secretary, he would follow the law. When King asked, “Are you OK with waterboarding”, Hegseth said, “Senator, the law of the land is that waterboarding is not legal.”

The Biden administration has doubled down on its unusual court battle to derail a plea deal that the government itself had reached with accused 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

Advocates for people with HIV are concerned the Biden administration will not fully implement a ruling that allows enlistment by healthy HIV-positive Americans, leaving the matter to Trump.

The Biden administration has succeeded in temporarily blocking alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed from entering a guilty plea that would spare him the risk of execution for Al Qaeda's Sept.

This post has been updated with additional details from the Navy. President Joe Biden said that the next two Ford-class aircraft carriers will be named after former presidents Bill Clinton and George W.

During his time Austin oversaw the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, led the more than 50-nation coalition supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia, and directed the most intense naval combat operation since World War II in the Red Sea, following the Hamas attack upon Israel.

Democrats say Hegseth’s lack of experience, comments about women and Black troops, and allegations of excessive drinking and sexual misconduct make him unfit to serve. Some takeaways from the hearing:

Austin’s five-year spending plan includes a projection to spend as much as $1 trillion on defense as soon as 2028. Meanwhile, Biden increased the 2025 budget by just 1%. In a letter dated Nov ...

Outgoing US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin proposes increasing defence spending by $50 billion for 2026, potentially pushing the budget beyond $1 trillion by 2030. The increase seeks to meet ...

Outgoing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recommended the US government boost defense spending by about $50 billion more than projected in fiscal year 2026 with increases that would push the ...