If it wasn’t obvious just from visiting our site, 2025 was the year of video for Breaking Defense.
In January we debuted The Break Out, our weekly video series. Then in July came two more shows: the Congressional Roundup and the the Middle East Defense Digest. We also had three roundtable video series on the F-35, Golden Dome and AI in the military. All of this was in addition to our typical video content from the myriad defense conferences we attend throughout the year.
I spent a lot of time sitting in the studio this year, calling out “Action!,” clacking the slate, keeping notes, pulling loose threads off suit jackets and rolling my eyes when I call for take five after Aaron and Lee forget to mention the podcast (again!). As such, it seemed appropriate that I be the one to select my top five videos from 2025. The decision was tough — as noted above, we published a lot of videos — but these are ones that stood out to me as informative, fast-paced, and honestly just fun to watch!
[This article is one of many in a series in which Breaking Defense staff looks back on the most significant (and entertaining) news stories of 2025 and looks forward to what 2026 may hold.]
1. The Break Out: Zombie planes and other Pentagon ghost stories
This is the one and only time I made it on camera this year, so of course I had to make it my top pick. When Director of Multimedia Daniel Woolfolk suggested we do a Halloween-themed episode, no one could have predicted that Editor-in-Chief Aaron Mehta would show up in a skeleton costume and spooky Mr. Skeleton voice to match. I also loved that most of the US team (some of our reporters were sick that day) got to be involved and really had fun with it.
2. The Congressional Roundup: An inside look at the Hill during a historic government shutdown
Have you ever wondered what the Capitol looks like during a government shutdown? Daniel Woolfolk went ahead and answered that for us — it’s eerily empty. In the middle of the longest-ever government shutdown, Daniel took his camera to the Hill to give a tour of the building at a unique moment in time.
3. AUSA Coverage: Big news in microreactors and counter-drone systems for days at AUSA Day 2
I admit the reason this video makes the list is because of the way it came about. Picture this: It’s the second day of the largest Army show in the US, everyone in the press room is tired, and Aaron Mehta cannot stop excitedly talking about nuclear microreactors. Now, Deputy Editor Lee Ferran and I were very skeptical about the news value of the developments as they trickled out throughout the day. But Aaron persisted, and proved us all wrong at the end of the day when we learned that the Army hopes to at least partially power some bases via nuclear microreactors by 2028. [Editor’s note: And now no one will ever question my judgement again! -AM]
4. The Middle East Defense Digest: Why Qatar wants an air force facility inside the United States
In this episode, Middle East Bureau Chief Agnes Helou talks to a special guest — regional analyst and Breaking Defense contributor Riad Kahwaji — about a busy October in the Middle East. Perhaps one of the bigger headlines from the region actually happened in the US: plans for a new training facility for Qatar’s air force at a US air base.
5. The Congressional Roundup: What is SBIR? Four things to know about industry funding now frozen in Congress
The Small Business Innovation Fund, bluntly speaking, is not the most exciting program. Well, at least until Congress and Defense Industry Reporter Valerie Insinna reports on it. This video references a great story from Valerie about the heated debate in Congress about whether to continue to fund the program. In this episode, Valerie manages to break down a complicated issue in just two short minutes.
The video fun is sure to continue into 2026, and we may even have a few more series coming — so make sure to check back often in the coming months!