Middle East • Page 4 of 453 • The Defense Post

Sep- 2026 -

28 September

Dive-LD unmanned underwater vehicle. Photo: Anduril Industries

Iran to Reverse-Engineer Seized US Drone Submarine

The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps plans to reverse-engineer a captured American unmanned underwater vehicle recovered near the Strait of Hormuz.

25 September

Roketsan's Karaok successfully hits an aerial target.

Jodesz Gavilan

Turkey’s KARAOK Anti-Tank Missile Scores First Air Hit

Roketsan’s KARAOK anti-tank missile has hit an aerial target for the first time, expanding the weapon’s demonstrated capabilities beyond ground targets.

24 September

Rojoef Manuel

Turkey Cements Bashiqa-Zilkan Military Camp Handover to Iraq

Turkey has agreed to a phased transfer of the Bashiqa-Zilkan military base in northern Iraq to Baghdad’s control, following a bilateral meeting in New York.

24 September

Akhsan Erido Elezhar

Israeli Firm Transforms Patrol Vehicles Into ‘Mobile Intelligence Capsules’

ESC BAZ has presented sensor-equipped patrol and assault vehicles to the Israel Defense Forces’ 96th Division, pitching them as mobile intelligence hubs for reconnaissance, security, and first-response missions.

24 September

Inder Singh Bisht

Israel Picks Firms for State-Backed Defense-Tech Investment

Israel has selected two domestic firms to establish state-backed venture capital funds to invest in risk-intensive defense-tech startups.

22 September

Israeli soldiers coordinate during a field operation. Photo: IDF

Samantha Alexa

Israeli Military Launches Dedicated AI Branch to Drive Autonomous Warfare

Artificial intelligence is gaining a dedicated home within the Israeli military as the Israel Defense Forces brings AI, drones, robotics, and other autonomous capabilities under a single new branch.

22 September

Image shows a. RAF Voyager from RAF Brize Norton landing at Nellis Air Force Base during Red Flag 23-1. A Royal Air Force detachment, operating from Nellis Air Base Nevada, is honing its cutting-edge air combat skills in the largest scale Exercise Red Flag to date. Exercise Red Flag is the pre-eminent annual air combat training exercise run by the United States. The United States Air Force has expanded this long-established exercise to include a vastly increased geographical area to challenge participants to overcome what USAF planners are calling the Tyranny of Distance in addition to the traditional combat air missions of previous exercises. The Exercise has previously been run over the Nevada Test and Training Range and area of 12,000 square miles of airspace and 2.9 million acres of land. Now training areas in Utah and California have been added, as well as missions being flow out over the Californian Pacific Coast. The exercise area has therefore become vast and is aimed to reflect the challenges of conducting air operations at range The RAF detachment of around 300 personnel currently taking part on the exercise is operating seven Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth based II (Army Co-operation) Squadron, plus a Voyager operated from 10 and 101 Squadron based at RAF Brize Norton. In addition, aircrew from 51 Squadron based at RAF Waddington have been integrated into the flight crew of a USAF RC-135 Rivet Joint intelligence gathering aircraft. Australia is the only other nation participating, reflecting the close Defence partnership between our three countries.

Giulia Bernacchi

UK to Deploy Refueling Aircraft in Support of Saudi Air Defenses

The UK will deploy an aerial refueling aircraft to support Saudi Arabia’s response to Houthi missile and drone attacks.

22 September

An armed Iranian police officer holding a rifle monitors the area as motorcyclists ride beneath a billboard depicting an AI-generated image of the Strait of Hormuz and an effigy of US President Donald Trump, displayed on the wall of a state building in downtown Tehran, Iran, on May 3, 2026.

Giulia Bernacchi

US Military Estimates Iran War Cost at $43.6B

US military spending on the war with Iran reached an estimated $43.6 billion, according to figures US Central Command provided to Congress.

22 September

Akhsan Erido Elezhar

Israel Brings Algorithm-Guided Strike Weapon to F-35 for First Time

Israel’s F-35 jets are gaining a new strike option as Rafael Advanced Defense Systems integrates its SPICE 1000 air-to-surface munition onto the fighter aircraft for the first time.

21 September

Christine Casimiro

Czechia Becomes First NATO Operator of Israeli SPYDER Air Defense System

Czechia has become the first NATO country to introduce the Israeli-made SPYDER air defense system into service, advancing efforts to strengthen and modernize its national air defenses.

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