Defense Blogs and Articles
Defense Blogs and Articles
Defense Pulse
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EMAIL DIGESTS
Daily
Every morning
Weekly
Tuesday recap
The 43‑day 2025 government shutdown froze U.S. military pay, training, and civilian support, exposing a critical reliance on a fragile appropriations process. In response, the article proposes a dedicated war tax and a sovereign‑wealth‑style National Defense Trust Fund to insulate readiness from political gridlock. By redirecting a progressive surtax on high incomes, corporate profits, and ultra‑wealth, the plan could generate roughly $1 trillion annually, far exceeding current defense spending needs. The trust fund would be managed independently, mirroring Norway’s model, to provide a perpetual, interest‑driven defense endowment.
The United States possesses sophisticated intelligence, diplomatic, and military tools for cognitive warfare, but its fragmented governance prevents rapid, coordinated action. Historical attempts—psychological strategy boards, the USIA, and ad‑hoc task forces—failed because they lacked sustained authority, legitimacy, and integration across...
U.S. military investigators have concluded that an American Tomahawk missile strike mistakenly hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school in Minab, Iran, killing roughly 175 people, mostly children. Republican Senator John Kennedy publicly apologized for the tragedy, describing it as...
Nachum Kaplan argues that the October 7 Hamas attack, while a tactical shock, became a strategic catastrophe for Iran and its proxy network. The assault provoked a massive Israeli‑U.S. retaliation that dismantled Hamas’s infrastructure, crippled Hezbollah, and exposed Iran’s regional ambitions....
Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for defense policy and former critic of Middle‑East militarism, released the delayed 2026 National Defense Strategy and is testifying before both Senate and House Armed Services committees. The strategy pivots toward great‑power competition and positions...
The post decries recent US and Israeli airstrikes against Iran, noting that British bases in England and the Indian Ocean have been granted to the United States for "defensive" operations. It highlights the ease of the attacks, likening them to...
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled that the Navy, possibly with allies, will escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz once militarily feasible. The post lists ball‑park costs: a Constellation‑class frigate at $1.3 billion, a LCS at $500 million, a VLCC...
FactCheck.org reports a stark split between President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson over whether the United States is at war with Iran. Trump publicly describes the conflict as a "war" he is "winning," while Johnson insists it is...
President Donald Trump claimed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal was a pathway to a nuclear weapon and that Iran would have possessed a massive bomb three years ago if the United States had not withdrawn in 2018. The Joint Comprehensive...
A recent report alleges that Russia is actively assisting Iran in targeting American assets, pulling former President Donald Trump into a proxy conflict reminiscent of Cold War confrontations. The article likens the situation to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, suggesting...
Ukrainian drone operators have demonstrated that low‑cost autonomous systems can outpace NATO battalions, as shown in the Hedgehog wargame. Experts warn that current U.S. doctrine and training are obsolete in the face of rapid drone innovation and mass production in...
A recent episode of The Britt Mayer Show examines claims of Iranian drones targeting California, reviewing official statements, border security gaps, and expert warnings. While federal agencies have not confirmed any incursions, the discussion highlights the potential for low‑altitude UAV...
Iran launched Shahed‑136 drone strikes on Amazon Web Services data centers in the UAE on March 1 and a third site in Bahrain shortly after, causing fires, power outages and prolonged service disruption. The attacks occurred amid an international armed conflict...
The podcast examines the escalating war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israel aims to eliminate Hezbollah’s military and political influence. Hezbollah, after months of attrition, chose to fight openly, framing the conflict as a martyrdom‑driven stand. The Lebanese...
Survival Dispatch News released episode 716 of its "America on High Alert" podcast, warning that Iranian sleeper cells are active within the United States. The episode is accompanied by a daily Situation Report (SITREP) that details emerging threats and intelligence...
The article outlines three possible paths for Vladimir Putin’s succession as the Ukraine war winds down: an intelligence‑driven transition led by senior siloviki, a military‑driven takeover, or an unexpected heir chosen behind the scenes. It highlights the prominence of FSB...
One Stop Systems (OSS) secured $10.5 million in new awards from the U.S. Navy and a prime defense contractor to supply rugged NVMe storage units for the P‑8A Poseidon aircraft. The contracts cover hot‑swappable, high‑capacity flash canisters designed for secure, rapid...
The author argues that NAVSEA’s handling of the Constellation‑class frigate program turned a heritage‑based adaptation of the Franco‑Italian FREMM into a de‑facto clean‑sheet design, eroding cost, schedule and governance controls. The shift occurred between mid‑2022 and mid‑2023 when senior ownership...
The article contrasts the $11.3 billion cost of the first six days of the unauthorized Iran strike with the National Science Foundation’s $8.75 billion budget, arguing that the war is illegal and strategically flawed. It condemns executive overreach, calling the generals involved...
U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Wright said Iran‑related naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz will last weeks, not months, and that a U.S. Navy escort for commercial tankers is expected by the end of the month. Washington is working with allied...
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck the Thai‑flagged cargo vessel Mayuree Naree in the Strait of Hormuz, killing three crew members and igniting fears over neutral shipping in a key oil chokepoint. In response to the resulting price surge, President...
Representative Thomas Massie reminded the House that the Constitution vests war‑making authority in Congress, a point the GOP‑dominated chamber rejected by 212‑219. President Trump ordered strikes against Iran in coordination with Israel without a formal declaration, congressional authorization, or clear evidence...
The article traces the deterioration of Iran‑Israel relations from the 1979 revolution to the June 2025 Twelve‑Day War, where Israel and the United States launched strikes aimed at regime change and dismantling Iran’s nuclear program. While Netanyahu remained in power,...
In the latest episode of The Long Game, senior researcher Danny Citrinowicz argues that the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei could paradoxically push Tehran closer to a nuclear bomb rather than deter it. He notes that Iran’s technical...
The 2026 Munich Security Conference unfolded amid heightened U.S. aggression, including threats to Greenland and a looming war with Iran, while the Trump administration mocked its own foreign policy. Inside the conference, officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged...
The UK government warned that the concentration of frontier artificial intelligence development in a handful of overseas jurisdictions creates strategic risks for Britain’s security and freedom of action. Defence Minister Luke Pollard highlighted that most advanced AI capability is currently...
The United Kingdom and Australia are assessing how their steel sectors can jointly support the AUKUS submarine programme, following the first UK‑Australia Defence Industry Dialogue since 2018. Defence Minister Luke Pollard highlighted that British firms, notably Sheffield Forgemasters, are already...
On March 11, 2026 U.S. Central Command warned civilians in Iran to stay away from any port facilities where Iranian naval forces are operating. Tehran is reportedly using civilian ports along the Strait of Hormuz for military activities, which strips...
The UK government says the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force on 24 February 2025, gives it new powers to curb underperforming defence contractors. The legislation introduces an expanded exclusions regime, discretionary debarment and a transparent, centralized system for...
The UK’s Atlantic Bastion concept keeps general‑purpose frigates central for maritime presence, escort and reassurance while integrating uncrewed systems. Analysts argue that drones can assume long‑range passive ASW sensing, allowing frigates to avoid the vulnerability of towed arrays. Future frigates...
The 2026 Munich Security Conference served as a diagnostic barometer, revealing that the post‑World War II Western order is not collapsing but facing deep‑seated fragility. Delegates highlighted the cumulative impact of eroding arms‑control regimes, weaponized economic interdependence, great‑power rivalry, and internal...
China’s Liaowang 1, a signals‑intelligence vessel, has positioned itself off Oman to monitor electromagnetic emissions from U.S. and allied forces in the Gulf. Its radar domes capture radar, communications and movement data, creating a real‑time electronic map of the regional conflict....
President Joe Biden referred to the escalating confrontation with Iran as a “little excursion,” downplaying what analysts describe as a full‑scale war. The comment follows a series of missile strikes, cyber attacks, and naval encounters that have already caused civilian...
Tim Harford’s FT piece argues that research once dismissed as useless often becomes foundational to transformative technologies. He cites the RSA algorithm, born from abstract number theory, and Flexner’s 1939 defense of pure science that later powered radio, cryptography, and...
President Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit to Beijing broke diplomatic isolation and used the Sino‑Soviet split to gain strategic leverage against the USSR. The move opened a channel that later presidents expanded into full diplomatic ties, WTO membership, and deep economic...
The FBI circulated a late‑February bulletin warning that Iran may attempt a surprise Shahed drone strike on California, potentially launched from an unknown vessel offshore. Shahed “suicide” drones, already deployed by Russia in Ukraine, represent a low‑cost, high‑impact weapon that...
The Michael V. Hayden Center at George Mason University is hosting a live‑streamed and in‑person webinar on March 11, 2026, featuring intelligence veteran Dr. Mark Lowenthal. Lowenthal will discuss his new book, Vigilance Is Not Enough: A History of United...
The Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) released a short video titled “Chinese Influence and Cognitive Warfare,” examining how Beijing designs and deploys influence campaigns against adversaries. The piece outlines China’s long‑standing focus on controlling narratives both at home and abroad,...
Global shipping’s reliance on Chinese Tier‑1 shipyards is simultaneously financing the People’s Liberation Army Navy. CSIS data shows these yards produce 40% of China’s commercial tonnage while building virtually every major warship, generating $165 billion in export revenue from 2019‑2024. Freight‑rate...
President Donald Trump gave contradictory descriptions of the U.S. military campaign against Iran, calling it a short‑term "excursion" while also acknowledging it as a war. Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy pressed Trump for clarification, prompting the president to claim the...
On March 3, 2026 the Senate passed the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (S. 3971), reauthorizing the SBIR/STTR programs through September 2031. The legislation adds a new Strategic Breakthrough Award that can fund up to $30 million over 48 months for...
Colonel Doug MacGregor argues that decades‑long U.S. and Israeli interventions—from the 1953 CIA‑backed coup in Iran to the training of SAVAK and later support for jihadist groups—have created a strategic backlash that will culminate in a disastrous outcome for both the...
Centuries‑old Ottoman devshirme system conscripted Christian boys from the Balkans, converting them to Islam and training them as Janissary soldiers. The levy targeted youths aged eight to sixteen, with families often attempting concealment or deception to protect their children. Once...
The A3C and Shield of the Americas conference gathered in Florida to discuss countering Chinese influence in Latin America, featuring former Trump officials and defense contractors. The agenda combined hard‑line anti‑China rhetoric with proposals for a regional security pact resembling...
On February 27, 2026 the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) released a new Request for Project Proposals (RPP) focused on thirteen strategic and critical minerals, with Phase 1 submissions due March 20. The solicitation follows Executive Order 14241 and aims to diversify U.S....
Amos Yadlin, former head of Israeli military intelligence and veteran F‑16 pilot, is commenting on the escalating U.S.–Israel campaign against Iran. He draws on his experience in air strikes, cyber operations and strategic think‑tank analysis to assess the war’s trajectory....
The latest Wide Boundary News episode examines the U.S. and Israeli military offensive against Iran and the resulting closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint that handles roughly 20% of global oil and a significant share of LNG, sulfur...
In January 2026 Booz Allen Hamilton pledged a US $300 million capital commitment to Andreessen Horowitz, with an option to expand to $400 million, to back hard‑tech startups focused on AI, robotics and additive manufacturing. The partnership spotlights Firestorm Labs’ xCell, a containerized 3D‑printing...
President Trump told reporters that Jared Kushner was among a small group of advisers who persuaded him to launch major combat operations against Iran. Kushner, who holds no formal government role, participated in Geneva mediation while running his private‑equity firm...
Gulf nations are racing to construct six overland data corridors linking the region to Europe, routing traffic through Syria, Iraq, and the Horn of Africa. The most advanced, Saudi Arabia's SilkLink, secured an $800 million contract to lay 4,500 km of fiber...
