Military & Secret Tech

Iran Threatens to Shut Down a Global Oil Lifeline — But It’s Not a Done Deal
The Iranian parliament is flexing its muscles, voting in favor of shutting down the Strait of Hormuz—a tight bottleneck that sees around 20% of the world’s oil pass through every day. This comes as Tehran’s latest answer to U.S. airstrikes on its nuclear facilities, part of the broader tit-for-tat tension with the United States and Israel.
But here’s the catch: this vote is symbolic. It’s not an executive order. The real authority lies with Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. Parliament can stomp its feet and pass resolutions all day, but unless the Council gives the green light, the Strait stays open.
Iranian state media and lawmakers were quick to clarify: Parliament’s message is loud and clear, but the final call rests with the top brass. Esmail Kosari, a prominent MP, said it plainly—parliament wants the Strait closed, but it’s out of their hands for now.
That’s not just a local issue. If Iran follows through, the economic shockwaves would go global. Oil markets would convulse. The U.S. is already nudging China—Tehran’s biggest oil customer—to reel them back in. Everyone knows that even rattling the sabers at the Strait makes energy markets jittery.

Here at LoadOut, we all love talking knives. There are just so many of them that have so many different functions. There are knives that hang on belts, some knives that open Amazon boxes, and knives that go into the glovebox for an emergency. And then there are knives quite literally born in blood, trained in darkness, and forged for war behind enemy lines. The Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife is that knife. A dagger made for the kind of men who didn’t ask permission, didn’t wear name tapes, and didn’t come home in press releases.
Designed in 1941 for British commandos and clandestine operatives, the Fairbairn-Sykes was no survival knife or bayonet. It was created for one purpose: eliminating the enemy up close and personal. And it’s still one of the most iconic blades to ever slip through the shadows.
Let’s sharpen the facts.

This recent U.S. surgical strike against Iran wasn’t just a flex. It was a calculated move, and should come as no surprise given Iran’s posture towards the Trump administration.
The disruptor-in-chief, Donald J. Trump, a man hated by Iran’s mullahs, the deep state, and half of brunch-eating America—but adored by anyone who’s ever faced ideological terrorism face on.
The Target: Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions
Iran has been jerking the world around for decades, and this isn’t about clean energy or science fairs—this is about enriching uranium for one goal: nuclear weapons and if you think Iran won’t use it via one of their proxies, you are picking fuzz out of the air and eating it on the short bus (sorry not sorry).
The Supreme Leader of Iran and its religious hard-liners regularly chant “Death to America.”

South Korean shipbuilder SK Oceanplant has successfully launched the second ship of the Chungnam-class (FFX Batch-III) for the ROK Navy, ROKS Gyeongbuk, at its Goseong shipyard.

DAPA Press Release translated by Naval News

On June 20, the Republic of Korea Navy and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) held a launching ceremony for ROKS Gyeongbuk (FFG-829), the second vessel of the FFX Batch-III program (Chungnam-class) at SK Oceanplant’s shipyard in Goseong.

ROKS Gyeongbuk is the second ship of the FFX Batch-III (Ulsan-class Batch-III) program (the first being ROKS Chungnam), built to replace the aging frigates (FF) and patrol combat corvettes (PCC) currently in service with the Republic of Korea Navy.

Designed and constructed domestically, ROKS Gyeongbuk was contracted in 2021, followed by keel-laying in 2023 and hull assembly in 2024, before being launched at today’s ceremony.

Commemorative photo during the launch ceremony (SK Oceanplant Photo)

Over 140 participants, including Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Yong-mo Yang, Head of Current Capabilities Program Agency at DAPA, Geuk-cheol Bang, and SK Oceanplant CEO, Seung-chul Lee, attended the event, which included a progress report, naming, congratulatory remarks, and a traditional launching ceremony.

In keeping with naval tradition, Mrs. Hye-kyung Choi, the spouse of Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Yong-mo Yang, cut the ceremonial line attached to the ship. This act symbolizes cutting the umbilical cord of a newborn, signifying the vessel being given life. Following this, Admiral Yang and his spouse, along with other distinguished guests, took part in a safety blessing ceremony by cutting a multicolored ribbon and breaking a bottle of champagne against the hull.

The newly launched ROKS Gyeongbuk is a warship that embodies the Republic of Korea’s outstanding shipbuilding and defense technologies. Equipped with state-of-the-art combat systems, precision sensors, and powerful weaponry, all developed with our own hands, it will flawlessly carry out its mission of protecting our national interests and the lives of our people at sea. I look forward to Gyeongbuk fulfilling its role with confidence as a core asset of our regional fleet, safeguarding the waters of the Republic of Korea.

Admiral Yong-mo Yang, Chief of Naval Operations

ROKS Gyeongbuk, the Navy’s second 3,600-ton-class frigate, measures 129 meters in length, 14.8 meters in beam, and 38.9 meters in height. It is armed with a 5-inch naval gun, the Korean Vertical Launching System (KVLS), anti-ship missile defense interceptors (SAAM-400K, K-SAAM), ship-to-ship missiles (SSM-700K, C-Star), tactical land-attack missiles (SSM-750K, Sea Dragon ), and long-range anti-submarine torpedoes (K745A1, Red Shark K-ASROC).

ROKS Gyeongbuk is a warship that showcases the Republic of Korea’s advanced defense industry capabilities, as it is equipped entirely with domestically developed systems, including its combat management system, which serves as the ship’s “brain,” as well as its primary sensors and weapons.

Notably, ROKS Gyeongbuk is equipped with a domestically developed Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MFR). This four-sided fixed radar system enables 360-degree detection and tracking of both aerial and surface targets, and can simultaneously engage multiple air threats, similar to the Aegis destroyer’s fixed AN/SPY-1 radar. In contrast, previous Batch-I (Incheon-class) and Batch-II (Daegu-class) frigates use separate rotating search radars and tracking radars.

In addition, ROKS Gyeongbuk features an Integrated Sensor Mast (ISM) that incorporates advanced scientific and technological elements. The ISM houses a four-sided fixed multifunction phased array radar and an infrared search and track (IRST) system, all within a stealth-designed structure.

ROKS Gyeongbuk adopts the same hybrid propulsion system used in the Batch-II (Daegu-class) frigates, which minimizes underwater radiated noise. It is also equipped with a hull-mounted sonar (HMS) and a towed array sonar system (TASS), both developed with domestic technology, providing the ship with excellent anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities.

In line with the Navy’s naming convention of using the names of metropolitan cities and provinces for frigates, a naming committee was convened in November 2024, officially designating the second ship of the Ulsan-class Batch-III as ROKS Gyeongbuk.

The name Gyeongbuk was first used for PG-85, a patrol gunboat originally acquired from the U.S. Navy and commissioned into the ROK Navy in 1967. The second ship to carry the name was FF-956, a domestically built frigate commissioned in 1986. This second ROKS Gyeongbuk (FF-956) served as a key combat vessel of the Republic of Korea Navy for 34 years before being honorably decommissioned in 2019. Notably, during a 1988 training cruise, ROKS Gyeongbuk (FF-956) and ROKS Masan (FF-955) became the first domestically built Korean frigates to cross the Pacific Ocean, marking a milestone in the Navy’s blue-water operational capability.

ROKS Gyeongbuk is a state-of-the-art frigate equipped with a domestically developed multifunction phased array radar based on cutting-edge Korean technology. Its successful construction at a new shipyard marks a significant step in advancing both the nation’s shipbuilding capabilities and the foundation of its defense industry.

Geuk-cheol Bang, Head of Current Capabilities Program Agency at DAPA

ROKS Gyeongbuk will undergo a period of testing and evaluation before being delivered to the Navy in June 2026, after which it will go through a force integration process and be deployed for operational service.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei isn’t leaving anything to chance. With Israeli airstrikes hammering Iranian targets and several of his top commanders already dead, Iran’s Supreme Leader is now operating under what amounts to assassination contingency planning. He’s relocated to a fortified underground bunker and shut off all electronic communications. Instead, he’s relying on a single trusted aide to serve as the messenger to the military, keeping his digital footprint practically nonexistent.
Recognizing how vulnerable Iran’s top brass has become, Khamenei has taken the rare step of appointing backup commanders across the board. If more senior figures are taken out, replacements are already lined up. But the most significant move has been in the realm of succession. Breaking with precedent, Khamenei has named three senior clerics as possible successors and instructed the Assembly of Experts to pick one of them if he dies. That’s a dramatic shift designed to keep the regime from descending into infighting at a moment of crisis. Notably, his son Mojtaba—long rumored to be groomed for power—isn’t on the list.
The motivation behind all this is simple: survival of the regime. Khamenei fears that Israel—or possibly the United States—will try to take him out. And given the intensity of the Israeli attacks, that’s not some paranoid fantasy. Analysts are saying Iran has taken more damage in the past few days than during the entire Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. Khamenei’s goal now is to make sure the Islamic Republic doesn’t unravel if he suddenly disappears. That means no guesswork, no power vacuum, and no chaos. Whether or not the plan holds up under fire is another story, but the planning itself is as cold and calculated as anything we’ve seen from Tehran in decades.

Putin’s Imperial Thunderclap
At the St. Petersburg Economic Forum on June 20, Vladimir Putin stood on stage like a mad Tsar, roaring: “the whole of Ukraine is ours.” He spoke of a looming buffer zone in Sumy, hinting at intent (though couching it as not-for-primary capture) . His demand? That any peace deal must ratify Moscow’s territorial gains — that Ukraine write in Soviet ink that the Kremlin owns one‑fifth of its land. Zelensky answered with icy contempt: peace on Russian terms equals Ukrainian defeat. Still, Russian forces press in Sumy, bullishly massing for what could be a summer spitfire offensive .
This week, Putin dangled both the carrot of a Kremlin‑blessed truce and the stick of inexorable conquest. He hinted at meeting Zelensky — but only after Ukraine surrendered on Moscow’s conditions. 

BREAKING: Putin declares that all of Ukraine belongs to Russia: “Russians and Ukrainians are one people, and in that sense, the whole of Ukraine is ours.”

“You are a worthless piece of crap, Webb! Do you even know what a piece of crap you are? You are the biggest piece of dog crap we’ve ever seen! You’re weighing your whole class down. You are a one-man walking disaster. You are messing it up for everyone else. You don’t belong here, you fleet piece of crap. Do you even know how badly you’re messing this up, how much everyone wants you gone? You’re a disgrace, Webb. You’re garbage. You need to quit. Nobody wants you in Hell Week.”

And on and on for the next hour. It was beyond brutal. I could feel how intensely they all wanted me to get up, limp away, and go ring that freakin’ brass bell.
The worst of it was, I knew they were right. There was a reason they were singling me out. I was physically out of shape, and that had been affecting the entire class, and that bothered me. In fact, this is something I’ve continued to be conscious of and careful about to this day: If you show up late, if you don’t have your gear together, or your facts together, or whatever  it is you need to have together, then you are affecting the whole team. They were right, and it was a lesson I would never forget.
But if I was not physically as tough as I needed to be, I had one thing going for me. I was very tough mentally.
There is a common misperception that to make it through SEAL training, you have to be a super athlete. Not so. In its purely physical requirements, the course is designed for the average athletic male to be able to make it through. What SEAL training really tests is your mental mettle. It is designed to push you mentally to the brink, over and over again, until you are hardened and able to take on any task with confidence, regardless of the odds—or until you break.
And I was not about to break.
My body at this point was nowhere near as conditioned as it would become in the months and years ahead, but mentally, I was ready for anything. That was the only reason I survived that hour on the beach. That was the only reason I made it through BUD/S.
Fire in the Gut

People have asked if I ever thought about quitting during SEAL training, if I ever had one of those dark-night-of-the-soul moments you hear about, those moments of piercing doubt and anguished uncertainty. The answer is Never—not once. Lying there facedown in the sand with these four hardcase psychopaths doing their level best to break me, something else happened instead: I got what we call a fire in the gut.

Of the four, it was Instructor Buchanan who was the most in my face. So I looked up at him, nailed him with the coldest stare I could muster, and said, “Screw you, Instructor Buchanan—screw you. The only way you’re getting me out of here is in a body bag.”
He glared back at me, gauging me, weighing my intent. I meant every word, and he knew it. He took one step back and jerked his head, gesturing up the beach toward where my boat crew was prepped and waiting. “Get back to your crew” was what he said, but the way he said it made it sound like “The hell with you.”
Becoming the Gray Man
From that point on, my experience in BUD/S completely turned the corner. Those instructors left me alone. When Hell Week started a few days later, it felt almost anticlimactic. Welcome to my world, I felt like saying to the other guys. I’d been playing these games throughout First Phase.
There is a saying in BUD/S: Ideally, you want to become the gray man. In other words, you become invisible, nobody notices you, because you do everything so perfectly that you never stand out.

Hell’s Getting Crowded — Iranian Edition
If there’s one thing you can count on in the Middle East, it’s that when Israeli drones are overhead, some unlucky Iranian general is about to meet his 72 virgins. Bob Lang’s Saturday cartoon drops us into the smoldering lobby of H.E.L.L. Inc., where Iranian military brass are showing up faster than TSA agents to a bag of suspicious hummus. The Devil, lounging on a throne that screams “bureaucratic burnout,” has had enough. He’s cracking skull jokes with his demons while flipping through his overstuffed ledger, muttering about a Supreme Leader he hasn’t even had the chance to preheat a seat for.
The Ayatollah’s Frequent Fryer Program
The general in the cartoon looks like he barely made it through the door before getting incinerated, still mumbling his obligatory “Death to…” slogan like a broken Furby. You can almost hear him thinking, “I should’ve stayed in missile logistics.” The Iranian regime’s long-standing hobby of backing proxy wars and painting targets on its own commanders has turned Hell into a revolving door. If Lang’s devil is complaining about overbooking, you know things have gotten out of hand. The ledger’s full, the incinerators are clogged, and Beelzebub’s overworked HR department is two suicide bombers away from calling in sick.
When the Mossad Shows Up, So Does the Cartoonist
This isn’t satire—it’s a recurring segment. Reruns.

Israeli precision strikes have become so routine, you half expect IDF jets to leave loyalty punch cards. “One more and the next martyrdom is free!”

At the Indodefence exhibition in Jakarta, Indonesian company REPUBLIKORP showcased an aircraft carrier model labeled “Giuseppe Garibaldi” on the adjacent digital panel featuring Bayraktar TB3 drones and fighter jets on its deck.

At the Indodefence 2025 exhibition held in Jakarta between 11–14 June, Indonesia’s leading defence company REPUBLIKORP (with local shipyard PT Palindo Marine) presented a scale model of a naval fleet at its booth. The display featured a notional aircraft carrier, a stealth corvette, a compact submarine, a fast attack craft, and an unmanned surface vehicle (USV).

The digital panel accompanying the aircraft carrier model labeled it as “Giuseppe Garibaldi,” referring to the Italian Navy’s former flagship. However, the mock-up bore little resemblance to the actual Giuseppe Garibaldi light aircraft carrier, suggesting it was a conceptual design rather than a direct replica.

Following reports of the Indonesian Navy’s (TNI AL) growing interest in adding an aircraft carrier to its fleet, Naval News visited the booth of Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to learn more about potential developments. Speaking to Naval News, Fincantieri’s Director of Sales Naval Business Unit, Mr. Mauro Mansini, confirmed that the Indonesian Navy has expressed interest in acquiring the Giuseppe Garibaldi.

He noted that the matter is currently under “state-level” discussion between the two governments and that no formal decision has been made to proceed with the procurement.

“The Giuseppe Garibaldi is in good condition and has approximately 15 to 20 years of remaining operational life. If an agreement is reached, the vessel can be transferred following a refit process tailored to the Indonesian Navy’s specific requirements.”Mauro Mansini, Director of Sales Naval Business Unit, Fincantieri

He emphasized the ship’s versatility, stating that Giuseppe Garibaldi is capable of operating a range of platforms including drones, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and amphibious assets. “It also has proven capability in humanitarian and disaster relief operations,” he added, citing the ship’s involvement in delivering medical assistance and humanitarian cargo following the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

TB3 UCAVs Aboard Garibaldi

Bayraktar TB3 UCAVs aboard the model aircraft carrier showcased on REPUBLIKORP’s booth

In addition to the aircraft carrier model displayed at the REPUBLIKORP booth, scale models of Baykar Technologies’ Bayraktar TB3 were also showcased. The TB3 is a short take-off capable unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) developed for use on aircraft carriers/LHDs such as the Turkish Navy’s flagship, TCG Anadolu, where it is currently undergoing trials. A full-scale mockup of the TB3, equipped with various payload options, was also exhibited at the stand. The model of the aircraft carrier also featured scale models of Baykar’s AKINCI MALE-class unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). However, since AKINCI is not designed for shipborne operations, its presence on the carrier model was likely for display purposes only.

Speaking to Naval News during the exhibition, Baykar Tech. officials stated that Indonesia has shown strong interest in the Bayraktar TB3. They revealed that a preliminary agreement has been signed for the acquisition of 60 drones, and the final contract is currently under discussion. The officials added that this 60-UAV package includes both shipborne and land-based variants of the TB3.

This is the first time it has been disclosed that the TB3, previously known in the media as a more advanced, carrier-capable version of the TB2, exists in two configurations. Company representatives noted that the land-based variant features a higher maximum take-off weight (MTOW), larger fuel capacity, and longer endurance than its shipborne counterpart.