The Tomahawk cruise missile has been in the U.S. military's inventory since the 1980s. While slow by missile standards, the cruise missile flies around 100 feet (about 30 meters) off the ground, making it harder to detect by defense systems. The missile also boasts an impressive range of around 1,000 miles and precision guidance systems that make it the go-to weapon for striking targets that are deep inland or in hostile territory. President Donald Trump has hinted that he might give Tomahawks to Ukraine, which could make a key difference for Kyiv in its war with Moscow. While the United States launched Tomahawk missiles almost exclusively from ships or submarines, Ukraine doesn't possess a Navy with ships capable of carrying the 20-foot-long missile.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have arrived in Puerto Rico as the U.S. steps up its military operations against drug cartels in the Caribbean. The arrival comes more than a week after ships carrying hundreds of U.S. marines deployed to Puerto Rico for a training exercise. Puerto Rico's Gov. Jenniffer González said Hegseth and Caine visited the U.S. territory on Monday to support those participating in the training. The visit comes as the U.S. prepares to deploy 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico for operations targeting drug cartels.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at rebranding the Department of Defense as the Department of War. Some of Trump's Republican supporters in Congress have proposed legislation to make the name change official. Without a change in law, Trump plans to authorize the Pentagon to use secondary titles. The Department of War was the original name from 1789 until it was changed in 1947, two years after World War II ended. Trump has expressed a preference for the original name, saying it "just sounded better."

Boeing will build the Air Force's future fighter jet. President Donald Trump announced the choice Friday. The Pentagon says the new jet fleet will have stealth and penetration capabilities that far exceed its current fleet and is essential in a potential conflict with China. Known as Next Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD, the manned jet will serve as a quarterback to a fleet of future drone aircraft that would be able to penetrate China's air defenses. But critics have questioned the cost and necessity of the program. The Pentagon is still struggling to fully produce its most advanced jet and its future stealth bomber will have many of the same advanced technologies.

President-elect Donald Trump has stunned the Pentagon and the broader defense world by nominating Fox News host Pete Hegseth to be defense secretary. Trump has picked someone who's largely inexperienced and untested on the global stage to take over the world's largest and most powerful military. The news Tuesday was met with bewilderment and worry among many in Washington. Trump passed on a number of established national security heavy-hitters and chose an Army National Guard officer who's well known in conservative circles as a co-host of Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends Weekend." He could bring sweeping changes. Hegseth opposes "woke" programs that promote inclusion and he questions the role of women in combat.