Know What's Happening in Defense
Know What's Happening in Defense
U.S. IDFC boosts reinsurance guarantees for Hormuz shipping to $40 billion
The U.S. International Development Finance Corp has doubled its reinsurance guarantees for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to $40 billion, adding major insurers such as AIG and Berkshire Hathaway. The step is intended to reinforce maritime security amid escalating regional tensions.
Also developing:
By the numbers: Kraken Robotics acquires Colvya Group for $615M
U.S. Central Command confirmed that the LUCAS one‑way attack drone was employed for the first time in combat during Saturday’s airstrikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury. The low‑cost autonomous kamikaze, reverse‑engineered from the Iranian Shahed‑136, struck IRGC command and control sites, air‑defense nodes, missile launch points and military airfields. Built by Arizona’s SpektreWorks, the 180‑lb system carries a 40‑pound payload roughly twice the explosive power of a Hellfire missile and costs about $35,000 per unit. The strike was executed by the newly formed Task Force Scorpion Strike, a Special Operations‑led squadron capable of launching the drones from ships, catapults or mobile ground platforms.
Major General is just pissed off because he knows the Army is taking a back seat. You may “know more about war than Donald Trump” but you also know the Army can’t invade a nation of that size without a large...
European defence ministers convened in Krakow to discuss escalating measures against Russian seaborne oil exports. France seized the 115,600‑dwt aframax tanker Grinch, carrying 730,000 barrels of crude, and released it after the shipowner paid a €3 million fine. Ministers aim to...
OpenAI reported that ChatGPT now serves 900 million weekly active users, including 50 million paying subscribers, adding 100 million users since October 2025. The company closed a historic $110 billion private funding round led by Amazon, with Nvidia and SoftBank contributing $30 billion each, valuing...
Rocket Lab completed its seventh HASTE suborbital mission, repurposing the first stage of an Electron rocket to launch an Australian Hypersonix test vehicle from Wallops Island. The flight marks the company’s second Department of Defense hypersonic test in three months...
Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei publicly refused a Pentagon request for unrestricted military access to the company's AI models. President Donald Trump subsequently ordered all federal agencies to cease using Anthropic products and the Defense Department labeled the firm a supply‑chain...
Iran fired a barrage of missiles at Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in retaliation for recent U.S. and Israeli strikes. All four Gulf states’ air defenses intercepted most of the projectiles, though debris caused at least one...
Former national security adviser John Bolton defended President Trump’s pre‑emptive strikes on Iran, calling the operation "justifiable and necessary" and a pivotal moment of his presidency. Trump announced the attacks on X, asserting they were needed to eliminate an imminent...
Israel’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that a cargo ship unloaded dozens of Humvees, trucks and other military gear at Haifa Port, bolstering IDF operations under Operation Roaring Lion. The delivery is part of a broader logistics campaign that has moved more than...
The White House unveiled a Maritime Action Plan aimed at confronting Beijing’s dominance in global shipbuilding. The strategy calls for a massive increase in U.S. shipyard capacity, leveraging $30 billion in federal funding and new partnerships with allies such as Japan...
Lots of scenarios on polymarket on how today’s developments in Iran will play out.. How this unfolds will depend on the extent, intensity, and longevity of US and Israeli strikes on Iran, and, crucially, the damage inflicted not just on physical...
Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world’s busiest airport handling roughly 261,000 passengers daily, remains shut indefinitely as Iran’s missile and drone attacks force airspace closures across the Middle East. Emirates has halted all flights to and from Dubai with no...
The United States and Israel’s escalating attacks on Iran have revived questions about Hezbollah’s strategic value as Tehran’s premier proxy. After a costly 2024 war with Israel, Hezbollah’s long‑range strike capability and leadership have been severely degraded, while the Lebanese...
Iran launched ballistic missiles at Gulf targets after joint Israeli‑U.S. strikes, and the United Arab Emirates’ air‑defense network successfully intercepted several projectiles using THAAD and Patriot systems. The missiles were destroyed before reaching their intended sites, but debris from one...
Hours before President Donald Trump announced air strikes on Iran, Oman's foreign minister Badr Albusaidi appeared on CBS's Face the Nation and declared a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal within reach. He said Iran had pledged zero stockpiling of weapons‑grade material and...
The problem with fighting fires on naval bases after an attack is the same power-plants, fuel and pumping facilities targeted also supply firefighting water. And even if the water mains survive fighting fires on multiple fronts consumes more water than any...
El Al Israel Airlines broke its Shabbat grounding policy on Saturday to launch an emergency evacuation of its fleet from Ben Gurion Airport amid ongoing Iranian missile strikes across the region. Twelve aircraft, including Boeing 787 Dreamliners and a 737...
Trump communicates intention of full destruction of Iran leadership and military while calling for regime change. Iran hits all of its neighboring countries who were likely on the more apprehensive side of US taking action in the first place and...
Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence announced that its air‑defence forces successfully intercepted multiple ballistic missiles aimed at Ali Al Salem Air Base, with debris falling nearby but no casualties reported. The engagement demonstrates Kuwait’s active missile‑defence posture and its layered systems...
Maj. Thomas B. McGuire Jr. became the United States’ second‑ranking WWII fighter ace, tallying 38 aerial victories before his fatal crash on 7 January 1945 while attempting to rescue a fellow pilot. His rivalry with fellow ace Maj. Richard I. Bong, who...
Iran deployed a Shahed‑type one‑way attack drone that struck a radar installation at the U.S. Naval Support Activity Bahrain, a key logistics hub for the Fifth Fleet. Video evidence shows the low‑altitude UAV impacting the radar, though U.S. officials have...
The article argues that the rapid expansion of critical mineral supply chains is being hampered by inconsistent financing structures. It highlights China’s strategic advantage, where processing capacity is tightly coupled with manufacturing demand and backed by patient, large‑scale capital. The...
The Modern War Institute argues that the Army’s traditional staff education, epitomized by a multihour “How the Army Runs” course and a 500‑page manual, no longer equips officers for modern conflict. It calls for a shift toward continuous transformation, embedding...
The United Arab Emirates condemned recent Iranian missile launches after debris from an intercepted projectile killed a Pakistani civilian. The UAE warned Tehran that continued strikes could bring “grave consequences” and called for restraint and diplomatic de‑escalation. Iranian officials say...
Just Security’s weekly digest (Feb. 23‑27, 2026) aggregates more than a dozen expert pieces on international law, security, and U.S. policy. Highlights include a two‑part analysis of a lawful peace for Ukraine, a court‑focused critique of ICE and CBP actions, an updated...
KrebsOnSecurity identified the individual behind the Kimwolf botnet as a teenager from Canada using the handle "Dort" and aliases like CPacket and M1CE. Public OSINT links the persona to a GitHub account, multiple cyber‑crime forum registrations, and a history of...
Iran’s initial response was fast: SRBMs hit US bases in the Gulf. Strikes on far bases like Jordan require MRBMs — as do strikes on Israel. Further retaliation and scale of damage hinge on stockpile depth: what was rebuilt after...
Germany’s defence budget has surged to about €100 billion for 2025, roughly double the 2021 level, and the majority of the €170 billion spent between 2020‑2025 has gone to domestic firms. Domestic procurement now accounts for €109 bn, while arms exports have risen...
Iran experienced a near‑total internet blackout on Feb. 28, 2026, as U.S. and Israeli strikes hit the country. Network monitoring by NetBlocks showed national connectivity dropping to roughly 4% of normal levels, while Cloudflare reported traffic falling to effectively zero...
Video shows F-15C Bazs taking off on a sortie for today's operation. It is armed with AIM-7 Sparrows, not uncommon for IAFs F-15A-Ds. Still, a bit odd for the general mission. It also does not have external tanks. Possibly on...
Massive explosions rattled Riyadh, prompting immediate safety alerts and disrupting air traffic at King Khalid International Airport. Authorities have not confirmed causes or casualty numbers, but flights face delays and possible rerouting amid heightened regional tension. Western governments issued travel...
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of 🇺🇦 reaffirms the consistent position of our state: we support the Iranian people and their legitimate aspiration to live in security, freedom, and prosperity. The Iranian regime, which for decades has oppressed its own people,...
Following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced they will resume attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, ending a four‑month lull. BIMCO warns that ships linked to US or Israeli interests face heightened risk, though...
The United States and Israel launched a large‑scale military operation targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities, as announced by President Donald Trump. Within hours Iran fired Fateh‑110 short‑range ballistic missiles toward Israeli territory, prompting full‑scale air‑defence alerts across the region....
2D Fab has partnered with the Norwegian Military Academy to test graphene‑enhanced ultra‑high performance concrete (UHPC). Using its 2Dx® CO‑NXT additive and microfibers, the mix aims to boost strength, crack control and energy absorption. Initial plates, 8 cm thick, were subjected...
Frankly, I don’t see how the Ayatollah regime could be toppled, even through the most extensive and devastating bombing campaign, without boots on the ground and a full-scale occupation of a vast country of 90 million people. Especially after Trump allowed...
Following the US-Israeli attack on Iran, an Iranian counter-attack launched a drone strike close to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE. The Burj Khalifa has been evacuated. https://t.co/zrHYb8kfrf
CENTCOM confirms use of LUCAS drone in Iran attack. You can learn about these weapons in a story from back in December by me and @FranticGoat
U.S. officials: "Following the initial wave of U.S. and partner strikes, CENTCOM forces successfully defended against hundreds of Iranian missile and drone attacks. There have been no reports of U.S. casualties or combat-related injuries."
"This is the largest strike sortie in the history of the Israeli Air Force, executed after close planning with high-quality intelligence, synchronizing hundreds of aircraft simultaneously," ... and synchronized with U.S. airstrikes ... historic joint military operation.
American and Israeli military forces have launched a broad spectrum military assault against the the state of Iran with the intent of defending its military and overthrowing its government. Here's where we stand. #iran #war #geopolitics https://t.co/coZbHlYFIc
Seems like we had this debate before re Starlink and Ukraine...so how does it play into the DoW's ~$1B per year contract with Starlink? https://t.co/vRYy6SwnTe
US Navy says it can't protect all merchant ships in Persian Gulf. Oil majors just suspended shipments through Hormuz, 21M barrels/day at risk. Maritime risk. https://t.co/TylGxcJUhz
Follow @business live blog to keep up with latest on Iran -- including my thoughts on Iran's missile depth and the next wave of retaliatory attacks: https://t.co/Qj6mQWHfhF https://t.co/47cxeZWgl3
A few weeks ago @sam_lair noticed that Iran was deploying S-300s with no radars. A SAM with no radar is useless unless you can network data — and we know Iran doesn’t do that either.
Shipping security risk increases dramatically in Persian Gulf Over 750 commercial vessels reported to be inside the Strait of Hormuz as the US and Israel attack Iran https://t.co/Z0VKTvJgQ8
Significant if true. IRGC commander was new to the job since Israel killed the last one during the 12 day war.
Iran is sending out warnings on VHF announcing the banning of all ships from the Strait of Hormuz. However, traffic is still moving. What's Going on with Shipping will be monitoring traffic through the Strait. https://t.co/0rPIFY825Q
US destroyers launched Tomahawks at Iranian targets, but here’s the problem: America doesn’t have unlimited TLAMs. The Trump admin burned through big numbers in earlier strikes on Iran, Houthis, and Nigeria without replenishing stockpiles. TLAMs would be vital in a...
Deeply disappointing to see that many of our top defense-related think tanks are now off-limits to our military’s officers. I would never have gotten to where I am as a China analyst without my time as a military fellow at @cnasdc,...
