409: Israeli PM Visits Washington D.C. + Ukrainian President Denies Receiving $177 Billion in American Aid + Saudi Arabia Increases Defense Spending in 2025 + German Army to Develop 120mm Turreted Mortar + More

For review:1. Israeli PM Visits Washington D.C.2. Major General Eyal Zamir to be the new Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff. Major General Zamir’s background in the armored corps is unique for a Israeli Chief of Staff. 3. New Iranian Ballistic Missile (Etemad) can reach Israel with a 1,700 kilometer range.4. Saudi Arabia Increases Defense Spending in 2025. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has allocated $78 billion for defense spending in 2025, up from $75.8 billion spent in 2024.5.  Ukrainian President Denies Receiving $177 Billion in American Aid. In an interview with the AP: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy noted during an interview that he does not know where $100 billion of the $177 billion that the US has given to Ukraine. 6. US President Trump wants Ukrainian Rare Earth Materials as condition for continued American support to Ukraine. President Donald Trump: “We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’re giving them with their rare earth and other things.”7. German Army to Develop 120mm Turreted Mortar. Germany and Patria have signed a research and development agreement for the Common Armored Vehicle System (CAVS) NEMO mortar and mortar command & control variants for the German Armed Forces.8. Estonia receives the first six of twelve Caesar mobile 155mm howitzers. The newly-established 3rd self-propelled artillery battalion operating under the command of the Estonian Division will be assigned the 155 mm truck cannons. 9. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth travels to Fort Bliss, Texas and meets with US Troops operating on the Southern Border. Secretary Hegseth will also likely announce a further 400 to 500 troops heading to the area. Members of the 10th Mountain Division, stationed at Fort Drum in New York, will travel to Texas this week to set up a separate headquarters to command the military’s expanded role at the U.S.-Mexico border.