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Us Defence Secretary

Hegseth faces more grilling from Congress as Iran-Israel conflict escalates

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is returning to Capitol Hill on Wednesday for the last in a series of often combative hearings before lawmakers, who have pressed him on everything from a ban on transgender troops to his use of a Signal chat to share sensitive military plans. The questions which also have touched on his firings of top military leaders and even some of his inner circle of advisers may be dominated by the escalation of airstrikes between Iran and Israel that threaten a potentially devastating regional war. But he is still expected to face sharp questions about his chaotic tenure, his opposition to women in combat jobs and efforts to shift funding from troop housing to border security. The US has shifted significant numbers of refuelling tanker and fighter aircraft to position them to be able to respond if needed to the conflict, such as possible evacuations or airstrikes. Hegseth said this week that was done to protect U.S. personnel and airbases. We are postured ...

Hegseth faces more grilling from Congress as Iran-Israel conflict escalates
Updated On : 18 Jun 2025 | 11:42 AM IST

Pentagon has contingency plans to invade Greenland if necessary: Hegseth

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to acknowledge that the Pentagon has developed plans to take over Greenland and Panama by force if necessary but refused to answer repeated questions during a hotly combative congressional hearing Thursday about his use of Signal chats to discuss military operations. Democratic members of the House Armed Services Committee repeatedly got into heated exchanges with Hegseth, with some of the toughest lines of questioning coming from military veterans as many demanded yes or no answers and he tried to avoid direct responses about his actions as Pentagon chief. In one back-and-forth, Hegseth did provide an eyebrow-raising answer. Rep Adam Smith asked whether the Pentagon has plans to take Greenland or Panama by force if necessary. Our job at the Defense Department is to have plans for any contingency, Hegseth said several times. It is not unusual for the Pentagon to draw up contingency plans for conflicts that have not arisen, but his handling of

Pentagon has contingency plans to invade Greenland if necessary: Hegseth
Updated On : 13 Jun 2025 | 6:57 AM IST

'Beijing top US threat': China preparing for war, warns Pentagon chief

Hegseth believes US President Donald Trump's "peace through strength" strategy is the appropriate response, and that the stagnating US defence industrial base must be revitalised

'Beijing top US threat': China preparing for war, warns Pentagon chief
Updated On : 12 Jun 2025 | 3:24 PM IST

Congress grills Hegseth on deployment of troops to LA, Pentagon spending

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was met with sharp questions and criticism Tuesday by lawmakers who demanded details on his move to deploy troops to Los Angeles, and they expressed bipartisan frustration that Congress has not yet gotten a full defence budget from the Trump administration. Your tenure as secretary has been marked by endless chaos, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., told Hegseth. Others, including Republican leaders, warned that massive spending projects such as President Donald Trump's desire for a USD 175 billion Golden Dome missile defence system will get broad congressional scrutiny. The troop deployment triggered several fiery exchanges that at times devolved into shouting matches as House committee members and Hegseth yelled over one another. After persistent questioning about the cost of sending National Guard members and Marines to Los Angeles in response to protests over immigration raids, Hegseth turned to his acting comptroller, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, who said

Congress grills Hegseth on deployment of troops to LA, Pentagon spending
Updated On : 11 Jun 2025 | 6:50 AM IST

'Expanding our security partnerships with India': US Defence Secy Hegseth

We are expanding our security partnerships with India through robust military exercises like Tiger Triumph, said Hegseth

'Expanding our security partnerships with India': US Defence Secy Hegseth
Updated On : 31 May 2025 | 5:33 PM IST

US will stand by Indo-Pacific allies against China threat: Pete Hegseth

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday reassured allies in the Indo-Pacific that they will not be left alone to face increasing military and economic pressures from China. He said Washington will bolster its defences overseas to counter what the Pentagon sees as rapidly developing threats by Beijing, particularly in its aggressive stance toward Taiwan. China has conducted numerous exercises to test what a blockade would look like of the self-governing island, which Beijing claims as its own and the US has pledged to defend. China's army "is rehearsing for the real deal", Hegseth said in a keynote speech at a security conference in Singapore. We are not going to sugarcoat it -- the threat China poses is real. And it could be imminent. China has a stated goal of having its military be able to take Taiwan by force if necessary by 2027, a deadline that is seen by experts as more of an aspirational goal than a hard war deadline. But China has also developed sophisticated man-ma

US will stand by Indo-Pacific allies against China threat: Pete Hegseth
Updated On : 31 May 2025 | 7:52 AM IST

Pete Hegseth imposes fresh restrictions on reporter access to Pentagon

Hegseth said he was imposing the restrictions to protect classified national intelligence information, or CNSI

Pete Hegseth imposes fresh restrictions on reporter access to Pentagon
Updated On : 28 May 2025 | 7:46 AM IST

US Defence Secretary directs 20% cut to top military leadership positions

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday directed the active duty military to shed 20 per cent of its four-star general officers as the Trump administration keep pushing the services to streamline their top leadership positions. Hegseth also told the National Guard to shed 20% of its top positions. In a memo dated Monday, Hegseth said the cuts will remove redundant force structure to optimize and streamline leadership. On top of the cuts to the top-tier four-star generals, Hegseth has also directed the military to shed an additional 10% of its general and flag officers across the force, which could include any one-star or above or equivalent Navy rank. Hegseth said the cuts aimed to free the military from unnecessary bureaucratic layers. The news of the cuts was first reported by CNN.

US Defence Secretary directs 20% cut to top military leadership positions
Updated On : 06 May 2025 | 7:34 AM IST

Pete Hegseth speaks to Rajnath Singh, backs India's right to defend itself

During the call, the US secretary of defence offered his sympathies for the deceased and reaffirmed his country's support for India in its battle against terrorism

Pete Hegseth speaks to Rajnath Singh, backs India's right to defend itself
Updated On : 01 May 2025 | 7:52 PM IST

Hegseth set up unsecured internet line in his office to connect to Signal

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had an internet connection that bypassed the Pentagon's security protocols set up in his office to use the Signal messaging app on a personal computer, two people familiar with the line told The Associated Press. The existence of the unsecured internet connection is the latest revelation about Hegseth's use of the unclassified app and raises the possibility that sensitive defence information could have been put at risk of potential hacking or surveillance. Known as a dirty" internet line by the IT industry, it connects directly to the public internet where the user's information and the websites accessed do not have the same security filters or protocols that the Pentagon's secured connections maintain. Other Pentagon offices have used them, particularly if there's a need to monitor information or websites that would otherwise be blocked. But the biggest advantage of using such a line is that the user would not show up as one of the many IP addresses

Hegseth set up unsecured internet line in his office to connect to Signal
Updated On : 25 Apr 2025 | 6:46 AM IST

US defense secy shared Yemen attack details in second Signal chat with wife

Pete Hegseth shared details about the Houthis attack in a second private Signal group chat that included his wife and brother: Details here

US defense secy shared Yemen attack details in second Signal chat with wife
Updated On : 21 Apr 2025 | 11:57 AM IST

Pete Hegseth's Pentagon faces 'full-blown meltdown,' warns ex-spokesman

The warning from John Ullyot, who resigned last week after initially serving as Pentagon spokesman, followed statements by three top officials who were reportedly fired amid inquiry into leaks

Pete Hegseth's Pentagon faces 'full-blown meltdown,' warns ex-spokesman
Updated On : 21 Apr 2025 | 9:00 AM IST

Ex-advisers to Hegseth decry 'baseless attacks' after ouster in leak probe

Three former senior advisers to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth decried on Saturday what they called baseless attacks after each was escorted from the Pentagon in an expanding probe on information leaks. Dan Caldwell, a Hegseth aide; Colin Carroll, chief of staff to Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg; and Darin Selnick, Hegseth's deputy chief of staff were among four officials in Hegseth's inner circle who were ousted this past week. While the three initially had been placed on leave pending the investigation, a joint statement shared by Caldwell on X said the three were incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defense ended. Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door. At this time, we still have not been told what exactly we were investigated for, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of leaks' to begin with, the post said. Former .

Ex-advisers to Hegseth decry 'baseless attacks' after ouster in leak probe
Updated On : 20 Apr 2025 | 6:51 AM IST

Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth tout record $1 trillion US defense budget

We are very cost conscious but the military is something that we have to build and we have to be strong because you have a lot of bad forces out there now, Trump said

Donald Trump, Pete Hegseth tout record $1 trillion US defense budget
Updated On : 08 Apr 2025 | 7:17 AM IST

US defence secy orders fitness norms to be gender neutral for combat jobs

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to make fitness standards for all combat jobs gender neutral, formalizing a process that largely exists for many of those jobs already. In a new memo, Hegseth told leaders of the military services to distinguish which jobs are considered combat arms such as special operations or infantry, and require heightened entry level and sustained physical fitness" and which are not. The memo released Monday said all physical fitness requirements for those combat arms positions must be gender neutral, based solely on the operational demands of the occupation and the readiness needed to confront any adversary. The new order expands on a memo Hegseth put out March 12 that said the undersecretary for personnel must gather information on military standards pertaining to physical fitness, body composition, and grooming, which includes but is not limited to beards. Both reflect Hegseth's public complaints about fitness standards well before

US defence secy orders fitness norms to be gender neutral for combat jobs
Updated On : 01 Apr 2025 | 7:23 AM IST

US defence secy calls Japan indispensable amid rising Chinese aggression

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called Japan on Sunday an "indispensable partner" in deterring growing Chinese assertiveness in the region and announced upgrading the U.S. military command in Japan to a new "war-fighting headquarters." Hegseth, who is on his first Asia trip with Japan as his second stop, also stressed the need for both countries to do more to accelerate the strengthening of their military capability as the region faces China's assertive military actions and a possible Taiwan emergency. Japan is our indispensable partner in deterring Communist Chinese military aggression, Hegseth said at the beginning of his talks with Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Tokyo. "The US is moving fast, as you know, to reestablish deterrence in this region and around the world." His comments come as an assurance at a time when Japan has been worried about how US engagement in the region may change under President Donald Trump's America First policy, Japanese defense officials ..

US defence secy calls Japan indispensable amid rising Chinese aggression
Updated On : 31 Mar 2025 | 9:12 AM IST

Atlantic drops full Signal chat on Yemen attack; White House downplays leak

JD Vance pushes for delay in attack, Pete Hegseth takes final call: What The Atlantic revealed about the Yemen Houthi attack group chat

Atlantic drops full Signal chat on Yemen attack; White House downplays leak
Updated On : 27 Mar 2025 | 10:00 AM IST

Pentagon's Hegseth texted timing of strike that killed Yemeni militant

The chat did not appear to include any names or precise locations of Houthi militants being targeted or to disclose information that could have been used to target

Pentagon's Hegseth texted timing of strike that killed Yemeni militant
Updated On : 26 Mar 2025 | 9:41 PM IST

Scaled-back US visit to Greenland by JD Vance eases tensions with Denmark

The updated itinerary represents somewhat of a retreat of an initially planned three-day visit with participation of a full US delegation including NSA Mike Waltz, Energy Secretary Chris Wright

Scaled-back US visit to Greenland by JD Vance eases tensions with Denmark
Updated On : 26 Mar 2025 | 6:47 PM IST

Elon Musk meets Pentagon officials, demands prosecution of leakers

Earlier on Friday, before arriving at the Pentagon, Musk lashed out at the New York Times, calling it pure propaganda. I look forward to the prosecutions of those at the Pentagon

Elon Musk meets Pentagon officials, demands prosecution of leakers
Updated On : 21 Mar 2025 | 11:46 PM IST