SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS QUARTERFINALS (Games at 5 p.m. unless noted)
OPEN DIVISION Pool Play #4 Placentia Valencia at #8 Orange Lutheran #2 Mater Dei at #6 JSerra
DIVISION 1 Anaheim Canyon at Torrance Santa Monica at Servite, 3:30 p.m. Sunny Hills at Sultana El Segundo at Fontana, Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
DIVISION 2 Downey at El Dorado, 6 p.m. Newport Harbor vs. Crossroads, 6 p.m. at Belmar Park Bishop Amat at Culver City, 3 p.m. Patriot at Citrus Hill, 5:30 p.m.
DIVISION 3 West Torrance at Los Alamitos Godinez at Palmdale, 3 p.m. Channel Islands at Littlerock Knight at Calabasas, 3 p.m.
DIVISION 4 Cypress at Granite Hills Indian Springs at Sierra Vista Santa Paula at Irvine University Oxnard Pacifica at Lakewood
DIVISION 5 Crespi at Santa Ana Valley San Marcos at Mountain View Tustin at Esperanza, 6 p.m. Westlake at Camarillo
DIVISION 6 Viewpoint vs. Bishop Montgomery at South Torrance Coachella Valley vs. Animo Leadership, 4 p.m. at Edward Vincent Field Vista del Lago at Cerritos Valley Christian Lakeside at Ontario Christian, 3 p.m.
DIVISION 7 Maranatha vs. Cerritos, 5:30 p.m. at Gahr Edgewood vs. Pasadena Poly at San Marino Oakwood at Ganesha Palmdale Academy Charter at Pioneer
DIVISION 8 San Jacinto Leadership vs. Fairmont Prep, 3 p.m. at Great Park Bishop Diego vs. OC Pacifica Christian, 3 p.m. at Vanguard University Holy Martyrs vs. Rio Hondo Prep, 3 p.m. at Kare Park de Toledo at Thacher, Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Note:Semifinals Saturday; Finals Feb. 27 or 28.
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE CITY SECTION BOYS SECOND ROUND (Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)
DIVISION I #17 King/Drew at #1 Chavez #9 Angelou at #8 LA University #12 Sun Valley Poly at #5 Chatsworth #13 Van Nuys at #4 Granada Hills #19 LA Marshall at #3 Diego Rivera #11 San Pedro at #6 Cleveland #10 Carson at #7 Legacy #15 Granada Hills Kennedy vs. #2 Roybal, 2:30 p.m. at Contreras
DIVISION II #17 Canoga Park vs. #1 New West Charter, 2p.m. at Dignity Health Park #9 Santee at #8 South Gate, 4 p.m. #12 Arleta at #5 Annenberg #20 Neuwirth Leadership Academy at #4 Orthopaedic #14 Taft at #3 Fremont #22 Elizabeth at #6 Garfield #23 Huntington Park at #7 Alliance Health #15 RFK Community at #2 Locke
DIVISION III #17 West Adams at #1 LACES #9 Franklin at #8 Alliance Bloomfield #12 North Hollywood at #5 SOCES #13 Foshay at #4 San Fernando #14 Hollywood at #3 Gardena #11 Grant at #6 Animo Pat Brown #23 Sun Valley Magnet at #7 Collins Family #15 Bernstein at #2 LA Hamilton
DIVISION IV #16 Smidt Tech at #1 Mendez #24 New Designs University Park at #8 LA Roosevelt #12 MSCP at #5 East Valley #13 Animo South LA at #4 Maywood Academy #19 Lakeview Charter at #3 Downtown Magnets #11 Triumph Charter at #6 Panorama #10 Alliance Levine vs. #7 Aspire Ollin, 2 p.m. at Boyle Heights Sports Center #18 Port of LA at #2 Belmont
Note:Quarterfinals Friday; Semifinals Feb. 25; Finals Feb. 27 or 28.
GIRLS SEMIFINALS
OPEN DIVISION #5 Palisades vs. #1 Cleveland, 5 p.m. at Taft #6 New West Charter at #7 Granada Hills, 7 p.m.
Note:Finals Feb. 27 or 28 at TBA.
SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS QUARTERFINALS (Games at 5 p.m. unless noted)
OPEN DIVISION Pool Play #1 Santa Margarita at #4 Oaks Christian #2 Redondo Union at #3 Mater Dei
DIVISION 1 Rosary Academy vs. Westlake, 7 p.m. at Cal Lutheran Newport Harbor at Orange Lutheran Etiwanda at Eastvale Roosevelt, 6 p.m. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Harvard-Westlake, 5:30 p.m.
DIVISION 2 Saugus at Ayala San Marino at Portola, 3 p.m. Millikan at Warren, 3 p.m. Riverside King at Bonita, 3 p.m.
DIVISION 3 Crescenta Valley at Valencia La Salle at Paloma Valley, 3 p.m. La Canada at Quartz Hill, 3 p.m. Simi Valley at Flintridge Prep, 3 p.m.
DIVISION 4 Patriot at San Jacinto, 3 p.m. Arcadia at Granite Hills, 3 p.m. Laguna Hills vs. Immaculate Heart, 5:30 p.m. at Glendale College Chino at Arlington, 3 p.m.
DIVISION 5 Artesia at Anaheim, 3 p.m. Grand Terrace at Coachella Valley La Palma Kennedy at Sultana, 3 p.m. Alemany vs. Del Sol at Rio Mes
DIVISION 6 Adelanto at Ocean View Palmdale Aerospace at St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy Segerstrom at Arroyo Valley, 3 p.m. Mayfair at Grace, 3 p.m.
DIVISION 7 Nuview Bridge at Savanna Ganesha vs. SM Pacifica Christian, 3 p.m. at Airport Soccer Complex Cate at Santa Rosa Academy San Gabriel at Azusa, 3 p.m.
DIVISION 8 CAMS at Mountain View, 3 p.m. Buckley at Milken, 3 p.m. Big Bear at Environmental Charter, 3 p.m. Miller at Webb, 3 p.m.
Note:Semifinals Saturday; Finals Feb. 27 or 28.
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE CITY SECTION BOYS SEMIFINALS (Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)
OPEN DIVISION #4 Palisades at #1 El Camino Real #6 Marquez at #2 South East, 6 p.m.
Note: Finals Feb. 27 or 28 at TBA.
GIRLS QUARTERFINALS (Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)
DIVISION I #8 Van Nuys at #1 Birmingham #5 Chatsworth at #4 Granada Hills Kennedy #11 LA Hamilton at #3 Wilmington Banning #15 King/Drew at #7 Eagle Rock
DIVISION II #8 Mendez at #1 South East #13 Lakeview Charter at #5 Animo Bunche #19 Bravo at #6 LA Roosevelt #7 Garfield at #2 Gardena
DIVISION III #9 Maywood CES at #1 Fairfax #5 Reseda at #4 Marquez #6 Verdugo Hills at #3 Huntington Park #7 Santee vs. #18 Manual Arts / #2 Angelou
DIVISION IV #16 Franklin at #9 Aspire Ollin #13 Arleta at #12 Monroe #6 Animo De La Hoya at #3 Camino Nuevo #10 Sun Valley Poly at #2 Fremont
Note: Semifinals Feb. 24; Finals Feb. 27 or 28 at TBA.
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The U.S. government has accused China of secretly conducting at least one “yield-producing nuclear test” in recent years despite the country having a stated moratorium on such activities. Last year, U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to engage in new nuclear testing “on an equal basis” with China and Russia, but it remains unclear what that might mean and what action has been taken. The new test allegation also comes as American officials continue to call for a new nuclear arms control treaty that includes China to succeed the New START agreement with Russia, which sunset yesterday.
“Today, I can reveal that the U.S. government is aware that China has conducted nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with designated yields in the hundreds of tons,” Thomas DiNanno, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, said during a speech at the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, Switzerland this morning. “The PLA [China’s People’s Liberation Army] sought to conceal testing by obfuscating the nuclear explosions because it recognized these tests violate test ban commitments.”
Then Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas DiNanno seen descending into a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch facility at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota during an inspection in 2019. US State Department
China is a signatory to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), but has never ratified it. The same is true of the United States. Both countries have stated self-imposed moratoriums on yield-producing nuclear testing. The CTBT does not prohibit sub-critical testing, which does not involve a full-fledged nuclear reaction. China’s last acknowledged critical-level nuclear test was in 1996. The last U.S. test of that kind was in 1992.
“China has used decoupling – a method to decrease the effectiveness of seismic monitoring – to hide its activities from the world,” DiNanno added. “China conducted one such yield-producing nuclear test on June 22nd of 2020.”
China has conducted nuclear explosive tests, including preparing for tests with designated yields in the hundreds of tons… China has used decoupling – a method to decrease the effectiveness of seismic monitoring – to hide its activities from the world. China conducted one such…
— Under Secretary of State Thomas G. DiNanno (@UnderSecT) February 6, 2026
As an aside, the last official nuclear test in Russia came in 1990, just before the fall of the Soviet Union. The United Kingdom, France, India, and Pakistan also conducted yield-producing nuclear tests at various points in the 1990s. North Korea is the only country known to have conducted such tests since 2000, with the detonation of five devices in separate instances between 2006 and 2017.
The video below offers an excellent graphical representation of the extent of known nuclear testing, covering detonations between 1945 and 1998.
A Time-Lapse Map of Every Nuclear Explosion Since 1945 – by Isao Hashimoto
At the time of writing, the U.S. government does not appear to have provided further details about the newly alleged Chinese nuclear testing. When American officials arrived at their current assessments about these activities is also unclear.
The U.S. State Department made no mention of any such testing in China in its most recent routine international arms control compliance report, published in April 2025. That report did reiterate previous U.S. accusations that Russia has engaged in supercritical nuclear testing in violation of its commitments to multiple test ban treaties, something DiNanno also highlighted in his speech today. Russia is a signatory to the CTBT and had previously ratified it. Russian President Vladimir Putin revoked that ratification in 2023 after the country’s parliament, or Duma, passed a law approving that action.
The Pentagon’s annual report to Congress on Chinese military developments, published in December 2025, also makes no mention of Chinese nuclear testing.
“They [China and Russia] don’t go and tell you about it,” Trump said. “You know, as powerful as they are, this is a big world. You don’t necessarily know where they’re testing. They — they test way under — underground where people don’t know exactly what’s happening with the test.”
“You feel a little bit of a vibration. They test and we don’t test,” Trump continued. “But Russia tests, China — and China does test, and we’re gonna test also.”
In an earlier compliance report, the State Department had raised concerns about work China was observed doing at its Lop Nur nuclear test site in 2019. That report was notably published in June 2020, the same month Under Secretary DiNanno says the PLA conducted the yield-producing test.
“China’s possible preparation to operate its Lop Nur test site year-round, its use of explosive containment chambers, extensive excavation activities at Lop Nur, and lack of transparency on its nuclear testing activities – which has included frequently blocking the flow of data from its International Monitoring System (IMS) stations to the International Data Center operated by the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organization – raise concerns regarding its adherence to the ‘zero yield’ standard adhered to by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France in their respective nuclear weapons testing moratoria,” the report explained.
Following Trump’s interview in November 2025, Chinese authorities had pushed back and reiterated the country’s stated commitment to its moratorium on nuclear testing.
“China notes that the U.S. continues in its statement to hype up the so-called China nuclear threat. China firmly opposes such false narratives,” Chinese Ambassador Shen Jian, Deputy Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland, said today following Under Secretary DiNanno’s remarks, according to Reuters. “It (the United States) is the culprit for the aggravation of the arms race.”
It should also be pointed out that the United States and Russia are both generally assessed to have roughly 4,000 warheads each. The U.S. figure has been declining in recent years, while the Russian one has been growing, according to the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) think tank in Washington, D.C.
As noted, successive U.S. administrations have been pushing for a new nuclear arms control regime that includes China. Negotiations in the past have focused more heavily on bilateral agreements with Russia, and the Soviet Union before it. The most recent of these deals, New START, expired as scheduled yesterday, following the conclusion of a one-time five-year extension. There are still unconfirmed reports that the U.S. and Russia may be working on an interim and non-legally-binding arrangement to keep the New START limits at least for some amount of time, as you can read more about here.
“New START was signed in 2010 and its limits on warheads and launchers are no longer relevant in 2026, when one nuclear power is expanding its arsenal at a scale and pace not seen in over half a century and another continues to maintain and develop a vast range of nuclear systems unconstrained by New START’s terms,” Under Secretary DiNanno also said in remarks today. “[China’s] buildup is opaque and unconstrained by any arms control limitations.”
“Rather than extend ‘NEW START’ (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future,” President Trump had written yesterday on his Truth Social platform.
Trump:
Rather than extend “NEW START” (A badly negotiated deal by the United States that, aside from everything else, is being grossly violated), we should have our Nuclear Experts work on a new, improved, and modernized Treaty that can last long into the future. pic.twitter.com/MPlDNeTWLZ
“The President’s been clear in the past that in order to have true arms control in the 21st century, it’s impossible to do something that doesn’t include China because of their vast and rapidly growing stockpile,” U.S. Secretary of State and acting National Security Advisor Marco Rubio also said during a press conference on Wednesday in response to a question about New START.
SECRETARY RUBIO: The President has been clear that in order to have true arms control in the 21st century, it’s impossible to do something that doesn’t include China — because of their vast & rapidly growing stockpile. pic.twitter.com/FiYVUsBAVb
Chinese officials have repeatedly rebuffed calls to join negotiations on a new nuclear arms control agreement.
The allegations Under Secretary DiNanno raised today prompt new questions about the future of U.S. nuclear testing, as well. As mentioned, there has been little elaboration on exactly what President Trump meant by his announcement last year about future testing “on an equal basis” with Russia and China. At that time, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright had downplayed the possibility of a resumption of American yield-producing nuclear tests.
“Since the President’s statement, we have received many questions about what he meant,” DiNanno said during his speech in Geneva today, before diving into the accusations about Chinese and Russian tests. However, the Under Secretary did not explicitly say whether or not this meant the United States intends to conduct its own testing at this level going forward. He did say later on in his remarks that the U.S. government is committed to efforts to “restore responsible behavior when it comes to nuclear testing.”
You can read more about what it would actually take for the U.S. government to resume full-scale nuclear testing in this previous TWZ feature.
The end of New START has already been fueling renewed concerns about a new nuclear arms race, and one that would not necessarily be limited to the United States, Russia, and China.
Following today’s revelations in Geneva, more details at least about the new U.S. allegations about Chinese nuclear testing activities may begin to emerge.
Update: 1:50 PM EST –
In light of today’s remarks from Under Secretary DiNanno, the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization’s (CTBTO) Executive Secretary Robert Floyd has issued a statement.
”The CTBTO’s International Monitoring System (IMS) is capable of detecting nuclear test explosions with a yield equivalent to or greater than approximately 500 tonnes of TNT, including detecting all six tests conducted and declared by the DPRK [North Korea]. Below 500 tonnes is roughly 3 percent of the yield of the explosion that devastated Hiroshima,” Floyd says. “Mechanisms which could address smaller explosions are provided by the Treaty but can only be used once the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty enters into force. That is why it is important that the nuclear arms control framework includes the entry into force of the CTBT. The need is more urgent now than ever.”
“Regarding reports of possible nuclear tests with yields in the hundreds of tonnes, on 22 June 2020, the CTBTO’s IMS did not detect any event consistent with the characteristics of a nuclear weapon test explosion at that time. Subsequent, more detailed analyses have not altered that determination,” he adds. “Any nuclear test explosion, by any state, is of deepest concern.”
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
Four days after a KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tanker made an aborted takeoff at Moron Air Base in southern Spain, the runway at the installation remain closed and will be for several more days, according to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Notice To Airman (NOTAM). The base is a key logistics hub for military aircraft, equipment and personnel heading east from the U.S. to Europe and the Middle East. The incident came as the U.S. is building up its forces in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility amid growing tensions with Iran.
We were the first to report about the mishap at Moron and related problems.
The jet, callsign GOLD71, is still blocking the runway, according to online flight trackers. According to a firsthand account provided to The War Zone, the incident started after the KC-46 experienced an engine failure on Saturday while taking off. That resulted in rejected takeoff with hard braking that reportedly blew out eight tires. What damage was done to the runway remains unclear. We have reached out to U.S. Air Forces Central-U.S. Air Force Africa (USAFE) and Air Mobility Command for more details.
The following video shows the aftermath of the aborted takeoff as the jet came to a halt.
Aquí se ve el humo del tren principal, en un RTO con máximo peso, yo soy la USAF o Boeing y le meto reversas gordas a los Pegasus. Y hay que darle las gracias que no haya sido peor el incidente. pic.twitter.com/pAv0EYeeWf
“It was a routine takeoff of a Pegasus KC46 with an RTO (rejected takeoff) due to engine failure, emergency braking sequence and everything that involves braking a loaded tanker,” Pepe Jimenez, the aircraft spotter who took the video, told The War Zone on Tuesday morning. “AB Morón result blocked for days.”
Additional images taken by Jimenez after the mishap show damaged landing gear and base emergency crews responding.
Jimenez also shared images showing personnel near the KC-46A’s starboard engine.
Personnel milling about the starboard engine of the KC-46A involved in a mishap at Moron Air Base in Spain. (Pepe Jimenez) PJ
After the mishap, the FAA issued an initial NOTAM on Jan. 31 notifying pilots that there was a disabled jet on the runway. That NOTAM expires Feb. 7.
“AERODROME CAUTION: DISABLED AIRCRAFT LOCATED ON THE RUNWAY 1935 FT FROM RWY 02 THRESHOLD (SOUTH END),” it read.
On Monday, the FAA issued two more NOTAMs, notifying pilots that both the military and civilian runways at the facility would be closed until Feb. 6.
FAA NOTAMS for Moron Air Base. (FAA)
Jimenez told us that the incident left several aircraft at the base unable to take off. The list includes one KC-135 Stratotanker, another KC-46, one C-17 Globemaster III cargo jet, “and the entire 11th Wing with Eurofighters from the Spanish Air Force,” Jimenez told us.
Another image Jimenez shared with us shows the Globemaster III and another Pegasus at the base. The War Zone cannot verify the current status of the aircraft at Moron.
A KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling jet and a C-17 Globemaster III cargo jet at Moron Air Base after an aircraft mishap. (Pepe Jimenez photo) PJ
It is unclear at the moment how badly U.S. logistics are affected by Moron’s closure. At the time of the incident, GOLD71 was part of an effort to take Air Force F-35A stealth fighters to the Middle East, according to online flight trackers. The F-35As, from the Vermont National Guard, were moving east from the Caribbean after taking part in the operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. The fighters were diverted to Rota Air Base in Spain after the KC-46 mishap, and it remains unclear when the flight will resume to its ultimate destination. We were the first to report that they landed in Lajes, Portugal, and were possibly slated to head to Jordan.
Further highlighting the importance of Moron, a F/A-18G Growler electronic warfare (EW) jet left Moron and landed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan on Jan 31. Just like the F-35As, these aircraft departed from their assignment to the Caribbean before crossing the Atlantic. It is unclear if the Growlers took off before or after the KC-46 incident. Jimenez also captured an image of a Growler at Moron.
An E/A 18-G Growler electronic warfare (EW) jet at Moron Air Base. (Pepe Jimenez) PJ
“Morón Air Base is a vital link in any operation moving east from the United States due to its strategic location close to the Mediterranean and the Middle East, its massive flight line, long runaway, aircraft refueling systems and excellent weather,” according to the 465 Air Refueling Squadron, the facility’s host unit.
Moron Air Base. (Google Earth)
In addition to serving as a transit hub, Moron also hosts temporary deployments of strategic aviation, like the B-52J Stratotankers from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. The B-52s arrived in November in support of Bomber Task Force Europe 26-1.
A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, sits on the flightline on Morón Air Base, Spain, Nov. 19, 2025, as part of Bomber Task Force Europe 26-1. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Codie Trimble) Tech. Sgt. Codie Trimble
B1-B Lancer bombers have also flown BTF missions to Moron from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas.
A B-1B Lancer with the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, is prepared for takeoff in support of Bomber Task Force Europe at Morón Air Base, Spain, April 8, 2024. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Zachary Wright) Staff Sgt. Zachary Wright
While the U.S. has other bases in the region, like Rota some 50 miles to the southwest, the KC-46 incident at Moron highlights the complexities of large-scale logistic maneuvers like the one taking place now. The U.S. is flowing forces to the Middle East as U.S. President Donald Trump continues to pressure Iran to end its nuclear ambitions. This has required many cargo flights to move materiel and personnel, as well as tankers to keep them refueled along the way. The situation at Moron shows how one incident can slow a global operation for days.
The Iranians “also now want to hold them in a bilateral format, only with the U.S., rather than with several Arab and Muslim countries attending as observers,” Axios added.
Should the negotiations not happen or breakdown, Trump has options in the region for carrying through on his threat to attack Iran, even if there are not yet enough tactical aircraft in the region for a sustained military operation. We will keep an eye out to see when Moron reopens to continue assisting U.S. military logistics.
Update: 8:11 AM Feb. 4 –
The KC-46 has been moved to a taxiway, and the runway at Moron has reopened, according to the FAA’s latest NOTAM. However, Taxiway Alpha, where the jet was moved to, remains closed. It is unclear at the moment whether flights have resumed. The NOTAM is in effect through April 30.
Morón’s RWY02/20 is open again (with limitations). Personally I see a problem with the #KC46 just outside the runway strip penetrating obstacle limitation surfaces, but who am I… 😉🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/1C1THXCUL4
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
An F-35C Joint Strike Fighter flying from the supercarrier USS Abraham Lincoln has shot down an Iranian drone said to have “aggressively approached” the ship. Separately, American officials say that small boats and a drone belonging to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) harassed a U.S.-flagged merchant ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. All of this comes amid a major ongoing U.S. military build-up in the region aimed squarely at Iran, as well as reports that American officials could be set to meet with their Iranian counterparts later in the week.
Reuters was first to report on the F-35C downing the Iranian drone, which was reportedly a Shahed-139. The Shahed-139 is a design roughly in the same class as the U.S. MQ-1 Predator, which could potentially carry small munitions. The Nimitz class USS Abraham Lincoln and elements of its strike group arrived in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility last month after being ordered to head to the region from the Pacific.
The USS Abraham Lincoln seen sailing the South China Sea in December 2025. USN
“An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board. No American service members were harmed during the incident, and no U.S. equipment was damaged,” U.S. Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said in a statement to TWZ. “The unmanned aircraft aggressively approached a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier with unclear intent.”
“USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) was transiting the Arabian Sea approximately 500 miles from Iran’s southern coast when an Iranian Shahed-139 drone unnecessarily maneuvered toward the ship,” Hawkins added. “The Iranian drone continued to fly toward the ship despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters.”
U.S. Marines also notably used a counter-drone vehicle lashed to the deck of the Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Boxerto knock down an Iranian drone as the ship transited the Strait of Hormuz back in 2019. In that instance, the uncrewed aircraft was described as having come within a “threatening range” of the Boxer.
As a general aside, drones inherently present a lower risk of escalation because there is no danger of crew on board being harmed. This also has impacts on the risk calculus for employing uncrewed aerial systems more provocatively, as well as shooting them down.
“During a separate incident hours later in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces harassed a U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed merchant vessel lawfully transiting the international sea passage. Two IRGC boats and an Iranian Mohajer drone approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” Hawkins, the CENTCOM spokesperson, also said in his statement to TWZ. “Guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) was operating in the area and immediately responded to the scene to escort M/V Stena Imperative with defensive air support from the U.S. Air Force.”
A stock picture of the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS McFaul. USN
“The situation de-escalated as a result, and the U.S.-flagged tanker is proceeding safely. CENTCOM forces are operating at the highest levels of professionalism and ensuring the safety of U.S. personnel, ships, and aircraft in the Middle East,” Hawkins added. “Continued Iranian harassment and threats in international waters and airspace will not be tolerated. Iran’s unnecessary aggression near U.S. forces, regional partners and commercial vessels increases risks of collision, miscalculation, and regional destabilization.”
The Joint Maritime Information Center of the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office has also issued a notice regarding what appears to be the same incident, which also does not name the ship that was harassed. Iran has a long history of harassing (and even seizing) foreign commercial and naval vessels in and around the Persian Gulf, especially at times of increased geopolitical friction with the United States.
As already noted, this all comes as U.S. military forces continue to flow into the Middle East. There have been reports for weeks now about the prospect of new American strikes on Iran, at least in part in retaliation for the country’s violent crackdown on recent nationwide protests. More recently, U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced interest in reaching some kind of deal with authorities in Iran, including over the future of that country’s nuclear program. There are reports that U.S. and Iranian officials could meet as soon as Friday in Turkey.
“We have ships heading to Iran right now, big ones — the biggest and the best — and we have talks going on with Iran and we’ll see how it all works out,” Trump said just yesterday while speaking to members of the press at the White House. “If we can work something out, that would be great and if we can’t, probably bad things would happen.”
How today’s events will impact U.S. decision-making going forward remains to be seen.
Update: 2:52 PM Eastern –
Despite the incident, Trump still prefers a diplomatic solution to the tensions with Iran, according to the White House.
Trump “remains committed to always pursuing diplomacy first,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News. “But in order for diplomacy to work, of course, it takes two to tango. You need a willing partner to engage. And so that’s something the president and Special Envoy Witkoff are exploring and discussing right now.”
Witkoff, she added, “is set to have conversations with the Iranians later this week. Those are still scheduled as of right now, but of course, the president has always a range of options on the table, and that includes the use of military force. The Iranians know that better than anyone. Just look no further than the highly successful Operation Midnight Hammer, which took not just Iran but the entire world by surprise and completely obliterated their nuclear capabilities earlier last year.”
Speaking earlier on Fox News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirms the shoot down of an Iranian drone that was “acting aggressively” towards the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) today over the Arabian Sea, though states that President Trump remains committed to… pic.twitter.com/sVPzPjZIy8
“The Shahed 129 drone was on its usual and legal mission in international waters, engaged in reconnaissance, monitoring, and filming, which is considered a normal and lawful action,” Tasnim posited. “This drone successfully sent its reconnaissance and identification images to the center but then lost communication. However, the reason for this communication loss is being investigated, and details will be provided once confirmed.”
The War Zone cannot independently verify Tasnim’s claims.
Iranian state media says the drone (that the US shot down) successfully carried out its reconnaissance mission before it abruptly “lost contact”
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
The initial production representative MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone for the U.S. Navy has completed its first low-speed taxi test. The service has said it is now targeting a first flight for the uncrewed aircraft early this year, after missing a self-imposed deadline to reach that milestone before the end of 2025.
The taxi test took place at Boeing’s facility at MidAmerica Airport, situated outside of St. Louis, Missouri, according to social media posts from the company and Naval Air Systems (NAVAIR). Navy personnel from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23) and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 24 (UX-24), the latter of which is focused specifically on supporting the development of uncrewed aerial systems, participated in the event, per NAVAIR.
The first operational MQ-25A Stingray™ for the @USNavy has successfully completed its first taxi test.
At the push of a button from Air Vehicle Pilots the Stingray autonomously taxied and executed a series of maneuvers to validate its functionality. pic.twitter.com/bNHGKIYsPa
Taxing testing, with the drone moving under its own power, is a critical step toward a first flight. When exactly this milestone was achieved is not immediately clear, and TWZ has reached out to NAVAIR and Boeing for more information.
Boeing MQ-25 Becomes First Unmanned Aircraft to Refuel Another Aircraft
Testing MQ-25 Aboard an Aircraft Carrier
The footage released today provides new views of the drone’s exotic top-mounted ‘flush’ air inlet and its engine exhaust inset inside the fuselage, as seen at the top of this story and below. TWZ has drawn particular attention to the inlet in the past, which speaks to the design’s other low observable (stealthy) features, as well as its overall design, despite this not being an explicit focus of the MQ-25 program.
One of the new top-down views of the production representative MQ-25 showing its ‘flush’ inlet. Boeing captureA view of the drone’s inset exhaust arrangement. Boeing capture
The video also offers a new look at the production representative Stingray configuration’s retractable sensor turret under the nose. Turrets like these typically contain a mixture of electro-optical and infrared cameras, and sometimes also have laser range finders, laser spot markers, and laser designators. In addition to its primary role as a pilotless aerial refueling platform, the Navy says the MQ-25 will have a secondary ISR function. The Stingray’s overall design opens up the possibility that it could take on other missions, including kinetic strike, in the future, as TWZ has previously explored in detail.
A look at the retracted sensor turret on the production-representative MQ-25. A buddy refueling store, which is how the drone will perform its primary tanking mission, is also seen here under the drone’s left wing. Boeing capture
Boeing has otherwise been working in recent years to deliver nine pre-production Stingrays, five of which will be used for fatigue and other static testing work. The Navy plans to eventually acquire a total of 76 Stingrays, and has been most recently targeting 2027 for reaching initial operational capability (IOC) with the type.
The first @USNavy MQ-25 Stingray recently moved off the production line to our static test facility. This is the first of nine Stingrays to be put through static, fatigue and flight tests to ensure durability and airworthiness. pic.twitter.com/2UvYoKnK7G
The MQ-25 program has been beset by delays and cost growth in recent years. The original goal had been for the initial batch of pre-production Stingrays to be delivered in 2022 and for the type to reach IOC in 2024. Last year, the Navy repeatedly stressed that it was working hard to finally get to first flight before 2026.
“We will fly MQ-25 in ‘25. You can quote me on that,” Vice Adm. Daniel Cheever, Commander of Naval Air Forces, said in January 2025. “We will fly that platform in ‘25 and get that thing on a carrier in ‘26 and start integrating that thing.”
“There’s a lot of confidence in MQ-25 and [20]25. There is a ton of work to get MQ-25 and ’25,” now-retired Navy Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, then head of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), had also said last April. “70% of the capability that we deliver, [that] industry delivers to us, is late. So we’re pushing hard.”
Needless to say, the first flight schedule subsequently slipped into 2026.
These hurdles aside, Navy officials continue to be outspoken in their support of the MQ-25 program, which they see as offering critical range extension for current and future aircraft embarked on the service’s carriers. The Navy also wants the Stingrays so it can stop flying crewed F/A-18F Super Hornets in the tanker role, which makes up a significant number of their sorties while deployed, helping free up those aircraft for other missions and reducing the wear and tear on those airframes.
An F/A-18F seen carrying a buddy refueling store and underwing drop tanks for tanker duty. USN
Last year, the Navy announced a new surge in efforts to acquire a fleet of carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) drones, hiring four companies (Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics, and Northrop Grumman) to develop conceptual designs. Lockheed Martin is also now under contract to the Navy to develop an underlying common control architecture. NAVAIR has now also established a CCA-focused Future Advanced Capability (FAC) program office. The Navy previously entered into a formal agreement with the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Marine Corps to work together on CCA developments to ensure interoperability, including the ability to seamlessly exchange control of drones during future operations.
The Stingrays will also have to be woven into the existing cadence of flight deck operations, including just figuring out how to move them around amid the hustle and bustle of other activity. Carrier decks are very constrained environments physically, and present very different conditions to operate in compared to bases on land. This is true even for crewed aircraft operations, where individuals onboard can provide additional situational awareness. A wearable glove-like system that personnel could use for deck handling was notably used during testing of the X-47B. A different kind of portable control device has been used in testing of the T1 MQ-25 demonstrator in the past, as well. The video released today does not appear to offer any major new insights into how the Navy plans to maneuver the Stingray around on carrier decks.
The glove-like system used during testing of the X-47Bs. USNA look at a deck control device that has been used in previous testing involving the T1 MQ-25 demonstrator. USN
With the start of taxi-testing, the MQ-25 is at least now one step closer to its first flight.
Update: 3:12 PM EST —
Boeing and the Navy have now confirmed to TWZ that the first taxi test occurred yesterday.
“The first U.S. Navy MQ-25A Stingray is in the final stages of ground testing and completed its first taxi test yesterday,” a company spokesperson told us in a statement. “Boeing and the Navy will now conduct additional taxi tests and then complete deliberate systems level testing and review and approve the final airworthiness artifacts needed for a flight clearance. Once that’s complete and we have a suitable weather window, the aircraft will fly.”
“The [MQ-25] aircraft is now in the final stages of ground testing and successfully completed its first low-speed taxi test [on] January 29,” Navy Rear Adm. Tony Rossi, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO U&W), also told TWZ in a statement. “The team is finalizing systems testing and flight clearance, with the first flight planned once certification is complete and weather permits.”
“The MQ-25A Navy–Boeing team continues to make progress toward first flight,” Rossi added. “Over the last several months, the team has completed MQ-25A Stingray structural testing on a static aircraft, conducted initial engine runs, completed its flight-certified software, and commanded the vehicle from the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System (UMCS).”
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One of NASA’s high-flying WB-57F research aircraft went skidding down the runway on its belly at Ellington Airport in Houston, Texas, earlier today.
The incident occurred at around 11:30 AM local time, according to KHOU, a local CBS affiliate in Houston. KHOU has shared video footage showing the two-seat WB-57F spraying sparks and smoke after making contact with the runway. Additional footage shows the pilot exiting the plane with the help of first responders on the ground.
Plane appears to land without gears at Ellington Airport in Houston
NASA plane makes belly landing at Ellington Field, video shows
“Today, a mechanical issue with one of NASA’s WB-57s resulted in a gear-up landing at Ellington Field. Response to the incident is ongoing, and all crew are safe at this time,” NASA’s official account on X wrote in response to KHOU‘s report. “As with any incident, a thorough investigation will be conducted by NASA into the cause. NASA will transparently update the public as we gather more information.”
Today, a mechanical issue with one of NASA’s WB-57s resulted in a gear-up landing at Ellington Field. Response to the incident is ongoing, and all crew are safe at this time. As with any incident, a thorough investigation will be conducted by NASA into the cause. NASA will…
KHOU also reported that Ellington’s runway 17R–35L was closed as efforts were made to move the stricken WB-57F.
All three of NASA’s WB-57Fs are based at the Johnson Space Center, also located in Houston. The aircraft are well known for their high-altitude capabilities, and can fly as high as 63,000 feet depending on how they are configured. They can carry different sensors and other systems in modular payload bays under the fuselage, as well as in their noses and underwing pods. Though roughly similar in some respects, the WB-57F should not be confused with the U.S. Air Force’s higher-flying U-2s. NASA also operates a pair of ER-2 aircraft, which are modified U-2s.
The WB-57Fs, originally developed for the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War as high-flying intelligence-gathering platforms, are now used for various scientific research purposes. The jets have also been used to support various U.S. military operational and test and evaluation-type missions. One of them was notably called upon to help in the response to weeks of still unexplained drone incursions over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia in December 2023, which TWZ was first to report. Many aerial videos of space launches that we see are taken by the WB-57Fs, as well.
A stock picture of a NASA WB-57F. NASA
Overall, NASA’s WB-57Fs are the definition of an extremely low-density, high-demand asset, and what long-term impacts today’s belly landing may have on the future of the fleet remain be seen.
Update: 4:20 PM EST —
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has now provided TWZ with the following statement:
“A Martin WB-57 landed with its gear up at Ellington Airport in Houston around 11:25 a.m. local time on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Two people were on board. The FAA will investigate.”
