Military Roundup: Navy's New Battleship Concept, Saudi Offensive Against Houthis, and Veterans Affairs Disputes

Military Roundup: Navy's New Battleship Concept, Saudi Offensive Against Houthis, and Veterans Affairs Disputes

**New Navy battleship concept draws skepticism.** There are reports that the U.S. Navy built its last battleship in 1944. Now a concept calls for building 15 nuclear-powered battleships at 35,000 tons and replacing 16-inch guns with hypersonic weapons. The report recalls that Iowa-class battleships were recommissioned in the 1980s for $435 million each with 32 Tomahawk missiles bolted on deck; USS Zumwalt traded its guns for 12 hypersonic launch tubes. A CSIS analyst says this new battleship will never sail. ^[4]

**Saudi Arabia plans offensive against Houthis.** Reports say Saudi Arabia plans an assault on the Houthis to break the Red Sea chokehold. Officials said more than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilized in the offensive, depending on its scale. ^[5][6]

**Naval Special Warfare Command accused of failing to identify and treat TBI.** The DOD Inspector General found that Naval Special Warfare Command failed to identify and treat traumatic brain injuries in personnel. ^[3]

**Post-9/11 veteran unemployment rises.** Data show the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans in the United States rose from 3.5% in August to 4.1% in September. ^[2]

**Veteran claims service dispute moves to court and online.** A local government official alleges a for-profit company attacked veterans service organizations as having a "monopoly" on helping veterans with disability claims. Two veterans are battling in court and online over defamation and for-profit claims processing. ^[1]