Steven Horrell

Gen. Petraeus: "Ukraine is really the first line of defense for NATO. It’s also redefining modern warfare, and we should be learning everything we can from it more rapidly than we have to this point. Although, again, the expenditures that I talked about for next year indicate that we are going to try to catch up." @indavemedia

Today, the @USNavyCNO and I hosted @RepMikeRogersAL and @RepAdamSmith to discuss our top priority: the @USNavy’s budget request—procuring 34 ships, including 18 battle force and 16 non-battle force ships. This is about more than numbers—it’s about delivering the capability, capacity, and readiness our Sailors and Marines need to operate forward, deter aggression, and win if called.

NEW: Swedish intelligence assessments are consistent with ISW’s longstanding assessments about the significant challenges the Russian economy is facing and the Kremlin’s efforts to conceal these issues in order to falsely present Russia as able to sustain its war effort indefinitely. 🧵(1/3) Russian forces continue to struggle to defend Russian infrastructure against repeated Ukrainian strikes. Russian forces attempted to use long-range one-way strike drones to assassinate Serhiy “Flash” Beskrestnov, a Ukrainian Ministry of Defense (MoD) advisor on defense technology and a drone and electronic warfare (EW) expert. Ukraine continues to expand its cooperation with Gulf States.

On Time Columbia-class Delivery is ‘Life or Death Imperative,’ Sub Czar Gaucher Says — USNI News news.usni.org/2026/04/21/on-…

@JESweet2022 @Kathlee71013772 @FoxNews Disappointing, Jon. Clearly sarcasm.

@Kathlee71013772 @FoxNews Not sarcasm - TDS

Democrat Chris Murphy is getting slammed for replying "awesome" to the news that 26 Iranian shadow fleet vessels breached the U.S. naval blockade. Murphy has been hammering the war effort. He's argued the U.S. is spending “billions” to keep its navy there “to fecklessly fail,” calling the conflict “pointless” and warning current plans are “almost certain not to work.”

LT. GEN. HERTLING: Ukraine is very proud nation fighting for its territorial integrity and sovereignty. And anyone who suggests that they should give up territory to get a peace deal is out of their mind. And good Lord, isn’t that what United States fought for 250 years ago? That’s exactly what Ukraine is doing today. And I’m proud to have always stood with Ukraine and to have realized from very beginning that they were not going to take this lying down. Ukrainians have great army, support of the people, and a government that's doing things that they need to do.

US servicemember deaths due to combat in World War 1: 53,402 US servicemember deaths due to influenza & related pneumonia in World War 1: 45,000

@USNAGator91 @DeebsFLA Hey!

@DeebsFLA I mean I already operate with a limited filter. Imagine HR not having the leverage of your job over your head? All hands meetings just got more interesting. Steve will get called out.

Absolutely not. I'd only be more of a bastard, and work in certain phrases like, "Well, I'm really struggling trying to decide what yacht to buy this week" and "Boy, I can't believe how expensive vacation houses are in Maui, so I only bought two this time."

Every word in Snyder’s post is correct.

🚨Touska engagement If you want a ship to comply there are a few options: 1️⃣Call it in the radio and tell it to. All US sanctions busters so warned have complied so far 2️⃣It it doesn’t comply, i.e. holds course and speed, then you can either board it and take control or escalate to warning shots 3️⃣If you think it will oppose your boarding, i.e fire back you can put up a helo with snipers and escalate warning shots to force it to comply while you spin up an SF boarding team - “alter course or these enthusiasts will be joining you shortly”. Worked for Marinara/Bella 1 4️⃣If there is threat to life or infra that you’re tasked to protect and you don’t have time for any of this, then escalate to disabling fire, maybe with the main cannon (noting that ‘well aimed’ is probably out of the window at this point) To go from 1 straight to 4 in open water to enforce a blockade…and then go back to 2 and board it anyway, but with the vessel now on fire and with no engines… is really weird. Three options: 1️⃣There’s a whole section of this video/context missing and this part is being posted for maximum effect (around negotiations etc) 2️⃣Rules of Engagement are now totally out of the window and the USN no longer cares about collateral damage, civilian casualties etc any more. 3️⃣Both… Can’t see the ceasefire surviving this. Maybe that was the point🤷‍♂️ ⛔️Btw, does mean the Strait is closed now? Asking for a friend…

From @general_ben

Good for three sentences then lost the plot

The mot disappointing is that the US has chosen to support Russia against Ukraine and Europe. Trump has never explained why, but his actions make his support of Putin evident.

Another Home Run for the Navy League @ STEM 2026! So many kids I lost count. HII trained numerous young welders with their virtual trainer. Big hit! Just the start of a GREAT Sea Air Space this week! @CMS_Washington @WeAreHII @NavyLeagueUS @TheBobbyDixon

Russia is providing intelligence and support to Iran while we're in a gunfight with them. One might think that an appropriate response would be to increase sanctions on Russia, or to really hit them when it hurts by helping Ukraine win.

“If the United States stays on this course, it will find itself bereft of allies and friends, a lonely superpower in a lawless international system it has helped to create.” The Warmongers Are Getting History All Wrong nytimes.com/2026/04/19/opi… via @NYTOpinion

NEW: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major General Ahmad Vahidi and members of his inner circle have likely secured at least temporary control over not only Iran’s military response in this conflict but also Iran’s negotiating position and approach within the past 48 hours. The IRGC Navy attacked several commercial vessels on April 18 and declared that no vessel of “any type or nationality” is permitted passage through the strait, a reversal of Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi’s announcement on April 17 that the strait was “completely open” to commercial traffic. IRGC-affiliated media also announced on April 18 that Iran has not agreed to participate in another round of negotiations with the United States due to “excessive” US demands. Other Key Takeaways: Vahidi and individuals close to him may have effectively controlled the negotiations process throughout the war, which is traditionally a role reserved for political leaders. Vahidi likely intended to impose IRGC oversight over the recent US-Iran talks in Islamabad. The IRGC continued to play an outsized role in Iran’s negotiations after the Islamabad talks. The IRGC’s consolidation of control over Iranian decision-making indicates that the Iranian political officials currently negotiating with the United States do not have the authority to independently determine Iran’s negotiating positions. The IRGC appears to have sidelined more pragmatic figures with whom the United States has negotiated. The IRGC attacked several commercial vessels and halted traffic in the Strait of Hormuz on April 18, likely in order to both gain leverage over the United States and consolidate the IRGC’s control over Iran’s negotiations policy as part of an internally-motivated maneuver. The IRGC likely aims to secure leverage over the United States by halting traffic and driving up shipping and oil prices to impose economic pressure on the United States. The IRGC’s actions are also likely intended to be an internal demonstration of power designed to exhibit the IRGC’s control within the regime, and in particular, its control over Iran’s negotiations policy. The US Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports remains in place as of April 18. US CENTCOM said that it forced two ships to turn around and return to Iran between April 17 and 18. The US Navy has forced 23 ships to turn back since the United States began the blockade. No Iranian vessels have attempted to approach or test the blockade line as of this writing.

@Sam_Schulman @AmbDanFried they lead a 40+ nation effort to re-open the Strait and the vlown-in-chief undermines that with wee hours posts about blockading an international Strait that are anathema to 250 years of American greatness? Get outta here with that. 4/4

@Sam_Schulman @AmbDanFried would never consider himself in that debt; that isn't what malignant narcissists do. European behavior HAS been positive: look how many sorties have come from UK and Germany soil. You want more positive? Talk to them in advance instead of only after Bibi lets you. And then 3/n

Yes, Europe should do more to support Ukraine (& it already is). And the USG should stop acting as if support for Ukraine is a drain without benefit. Such support advances US interests by weakening an adversary at another's hands. Ukraine is now also a security provider in the Gulf. Good investment. politico.eu/article/pentag…