Defense Blogs and Articles
Defense Blogs and Articles
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The podcast marks the fifth spring of the Russia‑Ukraine war, featuring CNA senior researcher Dr. Dmitry Gorenburg. He outlines Russia’s grinding attrition strategy, heavy reliance on drones and foreign satellite services, and the strain caused by Starlink disruptions. The discussion also covers Russia’s economic resilience through oil revenues, BRICS ties, and a shadow tanker fleet that sidestep sanctions. Finally, Gorenburg examines Moscow’s expanding geopolitical network and intensified information‑war tactics aimed at both domestic audiences and NATO allies.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared the Strait of Hormuz open to all except the United States and its allies, following a recent strike on the Iranian tanker Kharg. The remarks sparked concerns that Tehran could restrict American vessels, intensifying...
RAF Fairford has become the focal point for U.S. Air Force long‑range bomber operations supporting Operation Epic Fury, a campaign aimed at degrading Iranian missile infrastructure. Around eight B‑1B Lancers arrived in early March, followed by three B‑52H Stratofortresses from...
In May 1941 a Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 88C night‑fighter, piloted by Oberfeldwebel Hans Hahn, engaged two RAF Spitfires over Norfolk and shot down Plt Off Bernard Klee’s aircraft. The Ju 88’s unexpected agility allowed it to weave, evade and position...
The United States is projected to spend roughly $1.5 trillion on defense and offensive operations in 2026, a level that dwarfs most other fiscal priorities. Because the dollar is a sovereign currency, the Treasury can technically create money to fund this...
Belgian Air Force has begun flight tests of domestically‑developed FZ275 70 mm laser‑guided rockets on its F‑16AM fleet, mounting six LAU‑131A/A pods for a total of 42 rounds. The trials, conducted since early 2026, aim to validate the rockets for counter‑unmanned‑air‑system...
Russia’s Matryoshka bot network is flooding Hungary with fabricated stories that portray Ukraine as hostile and Ukrainian refugees as violent, just weeks before the April 2026 parliamentary election. The disinformation uses fake videos bearing the logos of Reuters, Euronews and...
Electronic warfare (EW) has become the backbone of modern military operations, turning the electromagnetic spectrum into a decisive battlespace. The performance of EW hardware hinges on rare‑earth‑based components—neodymium‑iron‑boron and samarium‑cobalt magnets for antenna steering, power generation, and high‑temperature stability, plus...
U.S. Admiral Montgomery outlined a two‑to‑three‑week plan to seize control of the Strait of Hormuz by intensifying degradation strikes on Iranian island launch sites, radars and ports. The operation will deploy ten to fourteen Aegis destroyers with air and helicopter...
Iranian missiles struck Prince Sultan Air Base on March 13, damaging five USAF KC-135 Stratotankers, the primary aerial refueling platform for Operation Epic Fury. President Donald Trump reported that four of the aircraft sustained only minor damage and are already...
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte used the Brussels European Defense Exhibition to stress the Alliance’s reliance on a robust defence industrial base. He reminded industry leaders that modern forces need advanced equipment as much as personnel, and called for expanded...
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s March 13, 2026 remarks that U.S. forces would give "no quarter, no mercy" to Iranian combatants could be interpreted as an illegal command under the law of armed conflict. The Department of War’s General Counsel...
The UK Ministry of Defence’s Defence Equipment and Support has issued a market engagement notice for a specialist counter‑UAS system mounted on an armoured vehicle under the Land‑GBAD programme. The capability is intended to provide short‑range drone defence for both...
George, a geopolitical analyst, fielded a reader’s question about whether the United States and its allies are effectively employing a “mowing the lawn” approach in the ongoing Iran conflict—periodic, limited strikes against Iran’s military and nuclear assets without pursuing regime...
The UK government unveiled a cross‑government strategy, "Protecting What Matters," that frames social cohesion as a national security priority. It introduces a Social Cohesion Taskforce, expands the Pride in Place community‑regeneration programme, and proposes an "Earned Settlement" route requiring ten...
North Texas, particularly the Dallas suburbs, has quietly become a national hotspot where drone manufacturing and 3D printing intersect. Companies such as Eagle NXT, Shield AI, and Delta Black Aerospace are scaling operations in Allen, Frisco and McKinney, using additive manufacturing for rapid...
The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a £68,890 contract to Shropshire‑based Beaverfit for a temporary, container‑based storage and working facility at HM Naval Base Clyde. The solution comprises eight ISO containers fitted with a canopy, creating a covered engineering...
Poland’s Armed Forces Operational Command announced that fighter pairs, an early‑warning aircraft, and ground‑based air‑defence systems were scrambled on 14 March 2026 in response to Russian long‑range aviation strikes targeting Ukraine. The deployment, part of the #WschodniaZorza operation, also involved...
Defence experts warned that the Atlantic Bastion concept, designed to monitor Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic, hinges on a robust fleet of warships and submarines to maintain contact after detection. The initiative combines sensors, unmanned systems, and underwater...
U.S. intelligence and Customs agencies are deploying MQ‑9 Predator drones to monitor Mexico’s northern border in support of fentanyl interdiction and broader domain awareness. The CIA’s covert surveillance program, expanded under the Trump administration, operates alongside CBP’s domestic ISR missions,...
The United States has designated major Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, marking a doctrinal shift that treats organized crime as an irregular warfare problem. Washington now argues that cartels function as coercive campaigners, displacing state authority over strategic...
The United States Central Command carried out a large‑scale airstrike that eliminated every military installation on Iran’s Kharg Island, the nation’s primary oil‑export hub. While the strike wiped out Iran’s defensive assets, the United States deliberately spared the island’s oil...
The United States is moving roughly 5,000 Marines and three amphibious warships, primarily from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, toward the Middle East as the Iran‑Israel conflict widens. The deployment includes F‑35B stealth fighters and MV‑22 Osprey aircraft, giving Washington...
President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of a Marine Expeditionary Unit, roughly 5,000 troops aboard the USS Tripoli, to the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions with Iran. The move follows a surge in U.S. casualties, with the death toll reaching...
Anthony Davis argues that the prevailing U.S. narrative of a swift, decisive victory over Iran masks a more complex reality. He contends that Iran’s asymmetric tactics, extensive proxy networks, and resilient domestic economy could allow it to achieve strategic objectives...
Two weeks into the United States‑Iran conflict, commentator Matt Lieberman argues the war will likely conclude within the administration’s original four‑to‑eight‑week window. He bases this forecast on political dynamics rather than a formal military analysis, emphasizing the influence of domestic...
SCSP’s new report highlights China’s transformation from a missile‑focused program into a full‑scale civil, commercial, and military space enterprise. Beijing now runs the Tiangong space station, operates global navigation and Earth‑observation constellations, and has achieved historic lunar and Mars robotic...
![CAVASSHIPS Podcast [Mar 13, ’26] Ep: 234 Deep Dive on Navy’s Mine Countermeasure Capabilities](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/6900c26ba0cf98edab33e059bc9bb7a5.webp)
The CAVASSHIPS podcast episode 234, released March 13, 2026, examined the U.S. Navy’s mine‑countermeasure (MCM) posture amid rising concerns that Iran could lay sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Hosts Christopher Cavas and Chris Servello interviewed retired Rear Admiral...
An Iranian ballistic missile struck a home in Zarzir, injuring over 60 civilians, while Hezbollah launched nearly 200 rockets and 20 UAVs in a coordinated assault on Israel’s north. Israeli early‑warning teams and the IDF quickly intercepted many threats, neutralizing...
Newly declassified documents reveal that the U.S. CIA and military conducted covert bioweapon experiments involving pathogen‑infected and radioactive ticks in the 1960s. Operations included dropping infected ticks on Cuban sugarcane workers in 1962 and releasing 282,800 radioactive lone‑star ticks across...
Ukraine’s 159th Mechanized Brigade has appointed Colonel Serhiy Smolyak as its new commander, replacing founding commander Colonel Oleksandr Demchuk, who is reassigned within the Armed Forces. Smolyak, a National Army Academy graduate, has fought in Donbas since 2014, led a...
The Pentagon has ordered the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, about 2,200 Marines, and the USS Tripoli to the Middle East to neutralize Iran’s missile and naval threats to global shipping. The deployment signals a shift from a rapid‑response posture to...
Iran’s recent closure of the Strait of Hormuz has disrupted one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints, prompting a sharp rise in global crude prices. While the United States sources only a modest fraction of its oil from the...
The Canadian Science Policy Centre (CSPC) announced a call for editorials on the government’s new Defence Industrial Strategy, which aims to boost defence‑related R&D spending by roughly 85 % over the next ten years, with submissions due April 15, 2026. Simultaneously, CSPC opened...
RAF Lossiemouth was highlighted as a prime Russian sabotage target during a UK Defence Committee hearing. Experts warned that non‑kinetic attacks on the base could cripple its fleet of Boeing P‑8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, a cornerstone of NATO anti‑submarine...
The National Interest piece highlights a stark divergence between Israel’s demand for the outright elimination of Iran’s nuclear program—and even regime change—and the United States’ more restrained objective of preventing a deliverable weapon while avoiding a protracted war. Washington balances...
MuddyWater is an Iranian state‑linked cyber‑espionage group active since at least 2017, targeting governments, energy, telecom and defense sectors worldwide. Recent campaigns, especially Operation Olalampo (2025‑2026), show a shift toward hybrid operations that combine intelligence gathering with disruptive tactics, employing...
China’s state‑linked firm now controls the Beaver Brook Antimony Mine, Canada’s sole source of the critical metal used in aerospace, defense and electronics. The mine in Newfoundland has been idle for years, but its ownership gives Beijing a strategic foothold...
The Trump administration reportedly conducted a joint airstrike in Ecuador on March 6 against a dissident FARC faction, partnering with Ecuadorian forces. The operation was announced via Southern Command and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s social‑media posts and later classified in a...
Britain has awarded a £53 million contract to ARTEC GmbH for the long‑lead production of 37 Remote Controlled Howitzer (RCH) 155 weapon systems, the core artillery module for the Boxer‑based Mobile Fires Platform. The deal, administered by OCCAR, also earmarks £30 million for...
Bloomberg’s opinion piece highlights the growing use of prediction markets like Polymarket for real‑time geopolitical risk assessment, noting that users in the Middle East consult the platform to decide whether to seek shelter. The article underscores how these markets now...
Former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social just before midnight EDT on March 12, claiming the United States is "totally destroying" Iran's military, economy and leadership. The message coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement of "Operation Roaring...
Beginning September 2, 2025, the U.S. military launched a series of lethal strikes against vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, framing the campaign as a non‑international armed conflict with criminal gangs. On January 3, 2026,...
Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) is emerging as a cost‑effective tool for the United States to maintain strategic advantage across Africa. Commercial remote‑sensing satellites now deliver frequent, high‑resolution imagery that monitors infrastructure, mineral extraction, and environmental stress without on‑the‑ground presence. The intelligence...
Iran is embracing a doctrine of protracted war against the U.S.-Israeli coalition, favoring attrition and asymmetric tactics over rapid, decisive battles. The coalition’s strategy centers on decapitation strikes, intelligence superiority and command disruption to achieve operational dominance. Iran counters with...
In late 2025 Turkey successfully launched an air‑to‑air missile from its Bayraktar Kızıl Elma UCAV. The test marks the first indigenous unmanned platform capable of contesting sovereign airspace, shifting Turkey’s role from ground‑attack drone user to air combat actor. By building...
The UK Counter Terrorism Policing network has launched the second series of its podcast *Inside Counter Terrorism Policing*, delivering five new weekly episodes that dive into the work of officers, bomb disposal experts, intelligence analysts, lawyers and overseas liaison staff....
Iran has systematically transformed the Strait of Hormuz into a de‑facto geopolitical checkpoint, deploying naval mines, missile batteries and heightened patrols to control one of the world’s most vital oil arteries. The move coincides with escalating regional tensions and a...
The article outlines how the Kremlin conducts a coordinated cognitive warfare campaign across Europe, using a "firehose of falsehood" approach to flood audiences with pro‑Russian narratives. It details how Russian disinformation infiltrated German political discourse, culminating in the AfD‑driven cancellation...
Russia has built a flexible, deniable network of Asian partnerships to compensate for battlefield losses and sanctions. North Korea contributes artillery shells and troops, Iran supplies drones and missiles, and China provides dual‑use high‑tech components, while India and China purchase...
