Jake Epstein

Jake Epstein is a defense reporter for Business Insider, covering national security, global military issues, and US foreign policy developments. Jake joined BI in 2021 to cover breaking news. Prior to that role, he worked at The Times of Israel and as a freelance reporter in the Boston area. Jake graduated from Lehigh University in 2020 with a degree in journalism and international relations. He was the editor in chief of the independent student newspaper, The Brown and White. A US Navy carrier strike group is headed home after months battling the Houthis in the Red Sea The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group left the Middle East on Saturday after months battling the Iran-backed Houthis, the Pentagon announced. What it’s like setting sail aboard the only remaining US Navy ship to have sunk an enemy warship in battle At well over 200 years old, the storied USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship in the world that’s still afloat Video appears to capture the first use of Russia’s monstrous 6,600-pound glide bomb in Ukraine and the immense destruction it causes Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War think tank called the use of the FAB-3000 bomb a ’significant development’ for Russia. Ukraine can’t hit everything it wants in Russia with US-made ATACMs, so it’s making do with a homemade option The US has restricted Ukraine from using American-made MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems in Russian territory. Satellite images capture Russia’s Black Sea Fleet running from its base in Crimea as Ukraine hit it with missiles and exploding drones Ukraine has waged a highly effective asymmetric-warfare campaign against the Black Sea Fleet, destroying and damaging a number of Russian warships. Satellite images show Russia is putting ships in the path of Ukraine’s naval drones to protect Putin’s prize, but it’s likely not enough The Kerch Bridge has previously fallen victim to several high-profile Ukrainian attacks, including a naval drone strike. Video shows the Houthis attack a merchant ship with a naval drone seemingly disguised as a slow fishing boat Last week’s attack on the M/V Tutor marked the Houthis’s first successful naval drone strike since the rebels started attacking shipping lanes. Ukraine’s new drone boats are armed with heat-seeking missiles to scare off Russian aircraft, commander says Ukraine modified its Magura V5 naval drones to carry R-73 short-range air-to-air missiles, giving the systems more firepower in the Black Sea. US Navy warships are stuck in a Red Sea battle they can’t fight forever American forces have expended a large amount of munitions battling the Houthis, and the conflict doesn’t look like it’ll end anytime soon. A US attack submarine and one of Russia’s most formidable subs are in Cuba at the same time The Los Angeles-class submarine USS Helena arrived in Guantanamo Bay just after Russia’s Yasan-class Kazan showed up near Havana. The Houthis just scored their first drone boat hit on a Red Sea ship The Iran-backed rebels have used uncrewed surface vessel as part of their attacks on shipping lanes, though without any success until now. US-made Abrams tanks are fighting a dangerous new kind of war, but Ukrainians are building unusual armor to help them survive it Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have outfitted their armored vehicles with steel cages to protect them from the evolving drone threat. Russia was scared to fly its Su-57 in combat, fearing a loss. Ukraine scored a hit on one anyway. Western intelligence and aviation experts have said Russia wants to avoid the reputational damage of losing a Su-57 in combat. Like the F-16, French Mirage 2000-5 fighters are good planes, but they aren’t the best Western jets for Ukraine Experts have said that Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen would be a more suitable Western combat aircraft for Ukrainian forces. Another European country is flying fighter jets off highways like NATO has been doing to protect its warplanes. Switzerland is the latest country to train with non-traditional airstrips as a way to practice force dispersal in the event of war. Ukraine’s exploding naval drones are hunting down Russian vessels like tugboats after the big Black Sea Fleet warships fell back Russia has pulled back its larger warships to reduce their vulnerability, leaving Ukraine with only smaller vessels to attack. China is trying to overcome weaknesses in its military by 'aggressively recruiting' Western pilots to train its aviators, Five Eyes intel allies warn A new intelligence bulletin details China’s efforts to target current and former Western military personnel to 'bolster' its military capabilities. The US Navy carrier strike group fighting off Houthi missiles is staying in the Red Sea for now The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group had its restless month-long deployment extended recently. View more