The Defender Dome

North Korea says it test fired1 two types of cruise missiles designed to be launched from submarines in its eastern waters on Wednesday, according to state media cited by the Associated Press.

State media described the missiles as “strategic,” which may imply an intent to arm them with nuclear warheads. It said the tests were meant to assess the readiness of North Korea’s underwater combat systems, improve the navy’s ability to carry out strategic missions and demonstrate the reliability of its nuclear deterrent.

Unlike ballistic missiles, cruise missiles fly low under power for the whole flight. AP notes that underwater launches are difficult to detect in advance.

The test follows North Korean launches of hypersonic missile systems on Sept. 20 and Oct. 3, which Pyongyang says are meant to overwhelm missile defenses in South Korea and Japan. North Korea has also claimed progress in building a nuclear powered submarine it intends to arm with nuclear capable weapons, AP reports.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/north-korea-missiles-south-korea-submarines-a9c469a236ade7921e7dee2456542740

Two ships sank in the Strait of Hormuz this week after being hit in Iranian attacks, The Washington Post reports. The first is the Singapore registered container ship GFS Pride (photo below), attacked Tuesday. Singapore’s port authority said it caught fire, all crew were evacuated, and no injuries were reported. The second, an unnamed bulk carrier, sank Wednesday after an Iranian attack last month, according to the International Maritime Organization.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Center reported three other ships hit Tuesday, marking at least four vessels that day, three of them container ships. Singapore’s port authority also reported the GFS Giselle being hit Wednesday with hull damage the result. It reached a safe anchorage under its own power.

The Post says Iran has struck more than 14 vessels in the strait over the past two weeks, and calls October one of the most violent months since the war began February 28th. It says the attacks have risen in response to the U.S. push to increase oil flows, which brought flows back near prewar levels last month. U.S. forces are protecting the increased traffic with air cover.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/10/14/iranian-attack-sinks-container-ship-strait-hormuz/

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has published video showing a pair of U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z "Vipers" firing one missile each at an Iranian-affiliated dhow that CENTCOM says was conducting surveillance and assisting with targeting U.S. Navy ships in the Gulf of Oman over the past 7 months. The Vipers are likely assigned to the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) aboard the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (ARG).

With the Israeli elections, set for October 27, fast approaching, the traders’ predictions on Polymarket for the election’s outcome have shifted in recent weeks, as the initial blowback against sitting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from claimed revelations that at least two regional powers warned Israel prior to the October 7 attacks has somewhat improved. Polymarket traders now predict a 38% chance that Gadi Eizenkot’s party will still win, but at a smaller margin than before, with traders assessing a 31% chance that Benjamin Netanyahu will win.

A U.S. Navy F-35C 'Lightning II' from the “Salty Dogs” of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 made an arrested landing aboard the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) yesterday in the western Atlantic, the first time an F-35C has landed on a Ford class aircraft carrier. The Kennedy is underway conducting Aircraft Compatibility Testing, which assesses the ship’s aircraft launch and recovery equipment with Navy aircraft.

The milestone comes as the carrier moves toward delivery. The Navy took preliminary acceptance of the Kennedy on September 29th, allowing the crew to begin at sea testing while the shipbuilder, HII, finishes final systems testing. Formal delivery is now expected in the second quarter of 2027, after slipping from the original July 2025 date because of delays certifying the new Advanced Arresting Gear and ongoing work on the Advanced Weapons Elevators. Unlike USS Gerald R. Ford, the Kennedy is being delivered ready to operate the F-35C.

Ukraine says SpaceX has put new speed limits on military grade Starlink terminals without warning, disrupting some missions, according to multiple outlets. SpaceX hasn’t commented.

The affected service is StarShield, a Starlink subscription for government and military use. The Journal reports Ukraine’s access runs under a Defense Department contract. A Pentagon spokesman referred questions to President Trump’s remarks on intelligence sharing.

Zelensky adviser Serhiy Beskrestnov said the limit began overnight and forces got no warning. Accounts of the threshold vary. Beskrestnov and a Ukrainian defense ministry official point to about 160 km/h (100 mph), while Ukraine’s 7th Corps told Reuters connections dropped for 10 to 20 seconds at just 110 to 120 km/h. Units cancelled some missions.

Per the Journal, drones can still fly but video feeds are less reliable, especially against moving targets, and they must fly slower to stay connected, making them easier to hit. Midrange drones are harder to launch, and Ukrainian officials say Starlink had recently helped Ukraine intercept Russia’s jet powered drones. Slower ground drones are largely unaffected.

Drones flying over Russia were already barred from StarShield and use other guidance, so strikes on Russian oil and diesel production are unlikely to be affected, officials and defense executives told the Journal.

The limit comes as Washington presses Kyiv to stop striking Russian refineries. Trump said Tuesday the U.S. is still sharing intelligence, after Zelensky said Kyiv received no warning ahead of a Russian missile attack.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/ukraine-says-new-starlink-speed-limit-is-disrupting-its-attacks-79225e19

Federal prosecutors have charged OpenAI engineer Abdulrahman Alfozan, 35, a Saudi national, with using or attempting to use a device to intercept oral communications, the Justice Department said Tuesday. He is accused of hiding a recorder in an executive conference room at OpenAI’s San Francisco offices. He was arrested Oct. 9 and appeared in federal court Tuesday. The charge is an allegation in a criminal complaint, and he has not been convicted.

According to the complaint, OpenAI staff found the device on or about Sept. 30, plugged into a USB port on the back of a TV and concealed in toilet paper. OpenAI determined it was installed around Sept. 28 and that its contents were encrypted. The complaint alleges CCTV footage showed Alfozan near the room on multiple dates, though he had no authority to access or attend meetings there, and that before Sept. 28 he used a productivity tool to ask about building addresses, meeting rooms, calendars and executive locations.

It further alleges that on Oct. 5 he was seen looking behind the TV, and that OpenAI security later found a second, similar recording device in a bag he left unattended in another room, along with his wallet and ID.

If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The release does not allege he acted for a foreign government, does not give a motive, and does not say what, if anything, the device recorded. FBI Director Kash Patel called protecting American AI innovation “one of our highest counterintelligence priorities.”

OpenAI said it used its internal AI models to identify him and trace the device, and that it has no indication he accessed or took model weights, source code or customer data. The company fired him. The FBI is investigating.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/saudi-national-arrested-installing-surreptitious-audio-recording-device-openai

Two tankers have been struck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Centre. The tempo of Iranian strikes on tankers has picked up significantly in the past week, with over 6 strikes being reported in the last 24 hours.

Following the most recent escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni Houthis, U.S. President Donald J. Trump spoke on the issue from his Truth Social app today, mirroring his past comments on the matter by saying “The Houthis are behaving very badly.”

In response to White House Press Sercretary Katie Zacharia stating this morning that U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle has been asked by President Trump to resign, Guilfoyle responded on X, thanking President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and saying her time as ambassador may be coming to an end. She called the recent allegations against her false and said she will vigorously defend her name.

The Wall Street Journal reported allegations that she sought money in exchange for access to administration officials before her confirmation, accepted lavish gifts and private jet travel from wealthy Greek businessmen, and brought a lobbyist for a Greek construction company into official meetings. Her lawyers deny she sought money and say she followed State Department travel and gift rules. The State Department’s inspector general is reviewing the allegations. President Trump said Monday “we’re looking at it” and that he was not happy.

As predicted the Houthis are now issuing evacuation warnings for key facilities and locations in Saudi Arabia, including both Saudi Aramco facilities and King Khalid International Airport, which has been inundated with Houthi strikes in recent days.

This follows the Saudi targeting of Houthi oil, gas, and port infrastructure across their territories in Yemen, including Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and Sanaa.

The Saudi Joint Forces Command has issued a man evacuation warning for the Sabah Central Station of the Houthi’s oil company, in what is likely preparation for strikes against the facility.

The Houthis will almost certainly respond to expanded Saudi strikes on their oil and gas infrastructure in turn.

In order to preempt the annual escalatory reporting, it’s important to remember that NATO’s Steadfast Noon nuclear readiness exercises are set to begin today, with numerous aircraft of different types and multiple countries involved.

The Saudi Joint Forces Command has issued a man evacuation warning for the Sabah Central Station of the Houthi’s oil company, in what is likely preparation for strikes against the facility.

The Houthis will almost certainly respond to expanded Saudi strikes on their oil and gas infrastructure in turn.

The Houthis have issued a warning to "all employees, experts, engineers, and workers in all Saudi oil facilities against being present in locations that represent targets for our forces...as well as renewing their warning to aviation companies in the fields and airports, and travelers and workers in them..."

The spokesman for the Saudi led coalition’s Joint Forces Command says it will issue a warning for civilians near a site in Sanaa, Yemen, to evacuate ahead of an upcoming “qualitative operation.” The site and the nature of the operation have not been announced.

The warning follows a week of escalation. The coalition launched operation “Dawn of Yemen” on October 4 in support of Yemeni government forces, claiming 324 high value targets destroyed on the first day. After a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi airports, including a Saturday missile strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport that killed at least 12 people including one American, Saudi Arabia vowed to retaliate firmly. The coalition said last week it destroyed 82 Houthi targets in response to attacks on civilian infrastructure.

Happy Birthday to the U.S. Navy who turns 251 today. On October 13, 1775, Congress authorized the formation of the Navy.

251 years later, the Navy operates roughly 290 ships, including 11 nuclear powered aircraft carriers, dozens of submarines and well over 100 surface combatants, along with thousands of aircraft. Those ships and aircraft are deployed around the world today.