US & Iran to Meet Sunday in Oman + IDF Ready for Strike on Iran Nuclear Sites + Hamas Has New Leader in Gaza + US Army Stops M10 Booker Full-Rate Production + More

I - On Defense Podcast

For review:

1. Hamas and Abu Shabab Group clash in Gaza.

Gaza’s Hamas-run police force said Thursday that it killed 12 members of the Abu Shabab militia in Gaza, which said its fighters had killed five Hamas operatives.

2. On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Hamas Has New Leader in Gaza (Az al-Din Haddad).

3. US & Iran to Meet Sunday in Oman. A US official told Reuters that Special Envoy Steve Witkoff plans to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Oman on Sunday and discuss Iran’s response to the recent American proposal for a nuclear deal.

4. IDF Ready for Strike on Iran Nuclear Sites. A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Thursday that a “friendly” regional country had alerted Tehran over a potential military strike by Israel.

5. Russia will establish a dedicated military branch for unmanned systems.

6. US Army Stops M10 Booker Full-Rate Production. "The Army has 26 Booker production vehicles on hand and the final number of M10 Bookers will be determined once those that are in final stages of completion are accepted by the Army (Army Spokesperson)."

7. US Army XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle (MICV) program continues moving forward.

American Rheinmetall and General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) have received the greenlight to continue designing a replacement for the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Each Company will produce seven identical prototypes for testing before the Army selects a winner in 2027 and fielding begins in 2029.

8. USAF Sentinel ICBM program update. Restructuring of the program has left its flight testing schedule up in the air, and a new date for the missile’s first flight is now unknown.