Military and Defense · Full chronicle and history

On October 18, 2026, Hegseth commented on China's military construction in the Pacific region, calling it the largest military buildup in modern history and even in world history. He said that the U.S. Department of Defense is ensuring readiness every day to deter any attempt that might seek to change the status quo.

According to X account @clashreport, US Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth stated in public comments that China, as a near-peer competitor to the United States, is currently carrying out what may be the largest military buildup in world history. Hegseth emphasized that this assessment is not exaggeration but a judgment based on objective facts.

After foiling a possible attack plot linked to Iran, the US military has pulled back all American bombers deployed at Royal Air Force Fairford in Britain to their home bases in the United States.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced the formal end of its military mission in Iraq to counter ISIS and an orderly withdrawal, as Iraq welcomes its Day of Sovereignty.

On September 14, 2026, the US Secretary of the Air Force formally acknowledged for the first time that the US military has deployed on-orbit space control weapons, saying they can protect US forces and counter enemy space capabilities when necessary. China's Foreign Ministry subsequently warned the US not to turn space into a battlefield and opposed the weaponization of outer space.

British police have arrested five British citizens suspected of preparing acts of terrorism after discovering suspicious activity near an air base used by US strategic bombers.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the CCP has passed the newly revised National Defense Mobilization Law, which will take effect on October 1, 2026.

Japan's Ministry of Defense released its 2026 Defense White Paper, designating China as the greatest strategic challenge facing Japan and emphasizing the Japan-U.S. alliance as the core of its national security.

U.S. company Shield AI and Taiwan's AEHC Technology demonstrated unmanned vessels equipped with AI autonomous software carrying out coordinated formation operations at Dapeng Bay in Pingtung, Taiwan, on July 29.

U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Alvaro Smith stated while attending the Army Day event at the Chinese Embassy in the U.S. that current U.S.-China military relations are at their most stable period in recent years.

The US military launched a new round of airstrikes against Iran in the early hours of July 21, hitting Iran's military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and air defense systems.

In April 2026, Yu Maochun said that in recent U.S. military operations involving Venezuela and Iran, Chinese-supplied air defense networks, radar systems and missile platforms repeatedly performed erratically against U.S. stealth and electronic warfare capabilities.

According to CBS News, former U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George issued a warning in December 2025 that shortages of critical Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems would persist through 2030. He was subsequently dismissed in April during the war with Iran.

In March 2025, the United States launched the first phase of upgrading the U.S. Forces Japan headquarters into a Joint Force Command, and Japan established a Joint Operations Command during the same period. The two sides said that a joint presence in the southwestern region is a priority and that the ability to access key terrain in the First Island Chain must be expanded.

The Viper Shield (AN/ALQ-254(V)1) electronic warfare system conducted its first development test in January 2025. Test pilot Major Anthony Pipe said the system's digital radar warning receiver presents threats to the pilot in a more precise and ergonomically sound manner.

The Financial Times, citing US officials, reported that Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun is under investigation for corruption.

Zhang Youxia meets with Russian Defense Minister Belousov, who is visiting China, in Beijing.

The US Department of Justice stated that Chinese-American Wei Jingchao conspired in 2022 to sell military secrets to China, was arrested in August 2025, and was sentenced to 200 months in prison.