Going on the Offensive: Rethinking US SOF’s Mission Set for the Age of Strategic Competition
The article argues that the United States must restructure its Special Operations Forces (SOF) to confront adversaries’ gray‑zone tactics. It proposes dropping counterinsurgency and foreign humanitarian assistance from SOF’s core activities and adding Persistent Gray Zone Operations (PGZO). PGZO would lower attribution thresholds, boost information‑warfare capabilities, and enable covert insurgency support. By re‑tooling SOF, the U.S. could shift from a reactive stance to proactive pressure on China, Russia and their proxies.
WEBINAR (3/4/26): When Nuclear Danger Becomes Background Noise: A Conversation with W.J. (“Bill”) Hennigan and Amy J. Nelson
New America’s Future Security Scenarios Lab released a report titled “Threat Complacency and Nuclear Risk,” examining how repeated nuclear warnings have dulled urgency among policymakers and the public. The lab will host a virtual conversation on March 4, 2026, featuring lab director...
U.S. Air Force C-146 Wolfhound Damaged During Exercise in the Philippines
A U.S. Air Force C‑146A Wolfhound collided with a concrete barrier while attempting a road take‑off during a joint training exercise in Laoac, Pangasinan, injuring all five crew members. The drill, conducted with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, was...
Four Years On, Ukraine’s War Still Refuses to End
Four years after Russia’s 2022 invasion, the conflict has settled into a grinding stalemate, with Russia controlling roughly one‑fifth of Ukrainian territory and both sides suffering up to 1.8 million casualties. Civilian deaths exceed 15,000 and millions remain displaced, while reconstruction...
Resilience and Resistance: Interdisciplinary Lessons in Competition, Deterrence, and Irregular Warfare
The Joint Special Operations University released "Resilience and Resistance," the first comprehensive canon guiding SOF, interagency, and conventional forces on irregular warfare, competition, and deterrence. The volume blends military science, political science, sociology, and history, offering case studies from Cuba...
Lessons From an Intelligence Officer on Ukraine’s Frontline
The essay by Austin Gray in Proceedings draws on his experience with Ukrainian intelligence near Bakhmut, highlighting four lessons for modern warfare. He argues that countertargeting, a survivable‑or‑attritable platform paradigm, organic information‑warfare capabilities, and resilient leadership are essential for naval...
Boron Nitride Nanosheets Create Ceramic that Is Both Tough and Radar-Invisible
Researchers at Nanchang Hangkong University have created a dual‑phase silicon carbide ceramic reinforced with multilayer boron nitride nanosheets, delivering a 94.5% increase in flexural strength to 477 MPa and a 50% boost in fracture toughness. The composite, called DS@4MBNS, also achieves...
GSA Proposes New SAM Certification Language for Federal Funding Recipients Addressing DEI, Immigration, and National Security
On February 18, 2026 the General Services Administration issued a proposed revision to the System for Award Management (SAM) certifications required of federal financial assistance recipients. The draft adds attestations covering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) compliance, immigration status verification,...
![Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast [Feb 25, 2026] Mesh Feigenbaum on Global Industrial Capacity](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/1cb37981ae9f3cdac29002d825392184.webp)
Defense & Aerospace Daily Podcast [Feb 25, 2026] Mesh Feigenbaum on Global Industrial Capacity
Mesh Feigenbaum, a leading forging‑press expert, released an updated benchmark revealing that global capacity for massive aerospace and defense forging presses is shrinking as aging equipment retires faster than replacements arrive. The study warns that unplanned press failures can stall...
How to Prevent the U.N. Global Counterterrorism Strategy Negotiations From Blowing Up
The United Nations will adopt the ninth Global Counter‑terrorism Strategy (GCTS) by June, marking the 20th anniversary of the original resolution. Recent budget turmoil and Security Council tensions have raised doubts about achieving consensus among 192 member states. Co‑facilitators from...
Early Edition: February 25, 2026
The United States dispatched a dozen F‑22 Raptor jets from the United Kingdom to Israel and has moved more than 150 aircraft to bases across Europe and the Middle East following the collapse of the second round of nuclear talks...
Where Crime and Terror Meet: Australia’s Illicit Tobacco Market
Australian security agencies have linked Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to two high‑profile firebomb attacks in 2024‑25, exposing a direct crime‑terror nexus. The attacks were facilitated through Australia’s lucrative illicit tobacco market, a $10 billion underground industry driven by the...
After Israel’s Recognition of Somaliland, Will Trump Follow?
On Dec. 26, 2025 Israel became the first nation to recognize Somaliland’s independence, prompting an emergency UN Security Council session where 14 members condemned the move. Israel cited cooperation in agriculture, health, technology and mineral access, while the United Nations...
Dr. Nathan Jones of SWJ El Centro on El Mencho
Dr. Nathan Jones, associate professor at Sam Houston State University and senior fellow at SWJ El Centro, has been featured in major media outlets discussing the fallout from the reported death of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes,...
Call for Papers: Special Issue on Sources and Archives for Intelligence History in Cold War Europe | Intelligence and National...
Intelligence and National Security announces a special issue dedicated to sources and archives for Cold War European intelligence history. Editors Matteo Giurco and Christopher Moran seek papers that examine institutional archives, open‑source material, memoirs, and the gaps left by classified...
X-BAT Drone ‘Fighter’ Will Begin VTOL Flight Testing In Kansas This Year
Shield AI announced that its X‑BAT vertical‑take‑off‑and‑landing combat drone will begin flight testing near Newton, Kansas, later this year. The company highlighted VTOL capability as the program’s core differentiator during the AFA Warfare Symposium. X‑BAT is designed to combine stealth,...
Tech Companies Shouldn’t Be Bullied Into Doing Surveillance
The U.S. Department of Defense has warned AI firm Anthropic that it could be labeled a “supply chain risk” unless the company lifts its self‑imposed bans on autonomous weapons and surveillance use. Anthropic, which was cleared for classified work in...
Ratcheting up the Economic Coercion on Japan; Mixed Holiday Economic Data; Germany's Merz Arrives in Beijing; US-China; AI; Political Education...
China’s Ministry of Commerce escalated economic pressure on Japan by adding 20 Japanese firms to its export control list and another 20 to a watch list, targeting dual‑use items. Foreign Minister Wang Yi intensified rhetoric, accusing Japan of harboring ambitions...
Why Canadian Critical Minerals Are More Critical Than Ever – by Christopher Hernandez-Roy (Canadian Politics and Public Policy – February...
Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, unveiled on 17 February 2026, places critical minerals at the core of national security and industrial policy. The government frames domestic mining as essential for defence supply chains, reducing reliance on China’s near‑monopoly over rare earths and...
![DEFAERO Strategy Series [Feb 24, 26] Bendett and Rumer on Latest Russia-Ukraine Headlines](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/09bdd3a3c64821d9c72edc0ae467a7c1.webp)
DEFAERO Strategy Series [Feb 24, 26] Bendett and Rumer on Latest Russia-Ukraine Headlines
The DEFAERO Strategy Series podcast examined the Russia‑Ukraine war as it enters its fifth year, highlighting evolving warfighting tactics, the impact of SpaceX’s Starlink suspension, and Russia’s strained finances. Experts discussed whether economic pressure could coax Moscow away from maximalist...
Ukraine as a Laboratory of Internet Resilience
Four years into Russia’s invasion, Ukraine’s Internet has not collapsed despite extensive damage to its telecom infrastructure. Roughly 25 % of cables and equipment were destroyed, representing a $1.6 billion loss, yet service persisted through rerouting, redundancy and rapid repairs. The resilience...
Acknowledging Amendments: When Is an Amendment Material to an Invitation for Bids?
The GAO’s Morrish‑Wallace Construction decision clarified that an amendment to an Invitation for Bids is material when it adds new performance requirements, even if the price impact is negligible. In the case, a revised sheet‑pile cap size increased material costs...
The National Security Case for Judicial Review | Lawfare
Lawfare’s new article argues that judicial review of executive national‑security claims enhances democratic legitimacy and strengthens defense outcomes. The authors contend courts can competently assess sensitive security matters without compromising classified information, preventing abuse and improving decision‑making. They link judicial...
Seizing the High Ground: The Case for U.S. Leadership in Space Mining
The article argues that the United States must seize early leadership in space mining to secure economic, energy and geopolitical advantages as extraction technologies become viable. It highlights the trillion‑dollar profit potential of asteroid resources and the strategic value of...
Global Defence Spending Hits 2.63 Trillion Dollars
Global defence spending reached $2.63 trillion in 2025, a 2.5% year‑on‑year increase driven by heightened great‑power rivalry. The United States shifted its strategy toward homeland defence and burden‑sharing, proposing a multi‑layered “Golden Dome” missile shield while scaling back direct aid to...
Taiwan’s Layered Air Defence and the Calculus of Deterrence
Taiwan’s integrated, multi‑layered air‑defence system is designed to detect, track, and engage ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, and aircraft across the Taiwan Strait. The architecture combines early‑warning radars such as Pave Paws, airborne E‑2K Hawkeyes, and a network of fixed and...
Operation MacroMaze: APT28 Exploits Webhooks for Covert Data Exfiltration
Operation MacroMaze, a Russia‑linked APT28 campaign, targeted Western and Central European organizations from September 2025 to January 2026. The attackers embedded an INCLUDEPICTURE field in Word documents that fetched a JPG from webhook.site, creating a covert tracking pixel and confirming document opening....
Stability over Speed: Pioneer – a Different Approach to Uncrewed Surface Vessels
ACUA Ocean’s Pioneer is a 14.2‑metre SWATH‑based uncrewed surface vessel that prioritises stability and endurance over speed. Certified by Lloyd’s Register within 16 months, it can operate in sea state 5, carry up to 7 tonnes of payload through a central moonpool,...
Creating Conspiracy Theories: What Information Warriors Need to Know
The essay argues that conspiracy theories function as cognitive environments that can be weaponized in modern conflict, influencing threat perception, trust, and identity before overt actions occur. It presents the Existential Threat Model, detailing five structural elements—pattern, agency attribution, meaningful...
The Resilience Series – The West’s Greatest Vulnerability: Amphibious Critical and Defensive Infrastructure (ACADI)
The essay warns that Western reliance on the Internet is underpinned by Amphibious Critical and Defensive Infrastructure (ACADI)—the global network of undersea and landing‑station fiber‑optic cables. Roughly 900,000 miles of cable move $22.4 trillion of data daily, and a 24‑hour outage...
Call for Papers (Due 3/27/26): Call for Special Operations Papers | Joint Special Operations University
The Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) has reopened its Call for Special Operations Papers, targeting concise, high‑impact research that bridges education and operational practice. Submissions must focus on one of ten technology‑centric topics, ranging from AI‑driven targeting to space‑cyber‑STRATCOM integration,...
Building the Talent Pipeline for America’s Security Future
The opinion piece warns that a shrinking federal workforce is widening talent gaps for U.S. national security. It highlights that government, academia, nonprofits, international bodies, think tanks, and industry all provide viable pathways for young professionals. The author stresses the...
The Cognitive Battlefield Is Now Decisive Terrain
The Pinnacle conference highlighted cognitive warfare as the new decisive terrain, where narrative dominance can outweigh kinetic force. Repeated, low‑level disinformation creates cognitive attrition that erodes public resolve faster than traditional cyber attacks. Decision‑centric, agentic AI and open, modular systems...
B-2 Spirit Flies with Adaptable Communications Suite 4.0
Sierra Nevada Corporation and Northrop Grumman have completed the first flight of a B‑2A Spirit equipped with the Adaptable Communications Suite (ACS) 4.0. The upgrade embeds a secure, open‑mission computing environment that plugs the bomber into the Combined Joint All‑Domain Command...
New Commander Appointed to Lead 78th Air Assault Brigade
Ukraine's 78th Air Assault Brigade has appointed Colonel Vladislav Tsika as its new commander. Tsika advanced from platoon leader to head of the 90th Airmobile Battalion and later served in the Lithuanian‑Polish‑Ukrainian Brigade and as deputy commander of the 77th Airmobile...
AI and PCVE: A Practitioner’s Guide From the United Nations
The United Nations Office of Counter‑Terrorism released a 2026 Practice Guide on artificial intelligence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE). It warns that extremist groups are exploiting AI to produce multilingual propaganda, deepfakes, and synthetic media, while only about...
BMT Opens Advanced Maritime Simulation Centre
British engineering firm BMT has opened the Digital Innovation & Simulation Centre (DISC) in Fareham, consolidating its maritime simulation, digital twin, and autonomy capabilities. The centre features the DNV‑accredited REMBRANDT navigation simulator, two 360‑degree pod simulators, a Remote Operations Centre,...
How Washington and Moscow Drove the EU’s Indo-Pacific Pivot
The European Union is accelerating its engagement with the Indo‑Pacific, highlighted by high‑level visits to India and new free‑trade agreements with Indonesia and a pending deal with India. This pivot reflects two structural shifts: a push for strategic autonomy away...
Learning to Love the Atom Again Why the Future of Artificial Intelligence Is Nuclear
The United States faces a looming energy gap as AI data centers demand an estimated 47 GW of new power by 2030, roughly half of the nation’s current nuclear output. Policymakers are reviving the nuclear agenda, with the DOE pledging to...
The Global Week Ahead
The Mexican army killed CJNG boss "El Mencho" near Puerto Vallarta, triggering fierce gun battles and an unprecedented U.S. military task‑force partnership. President Trump announced a new 15% tariff regime under Section 122, but it can only stay in effect for...
Labour MP Warns UK Exposed to Subsea Cable Threat
Labour MP Graeme Downie warned that the UK is dangerously exposed to disruption of its undersea cable network. He cited the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, noting that about 98% of internet traffic travels through these cables, making...
The F-14 Pilot Grounded After Leaving an EA-6B Unescorted to Strafe an Iraqi Ground Target During Desert Storm
During Operation Desert Storm, F‑14 Tomcats struggled to engage Iraqi aircraft because older A/B models lacked modern IFF and relied heavily on AWACS. Frustrated pilots turned to ground‑attack missions, and one VF‑14 crew abandoned an EA‑6B Prowler escort to strafe...
Bibi Put Israel’s Partners in an Awkward Position With His Description of the “Hexagon”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a new “hexagon” of alliances that would link Israel with India, Arab states, African nations, Greece, Cyprus and unspecified Asian partners. He framed the network as a counter‑balance to an Iranian‑led “Resistance Axis” and...
Operationalizing Hemispheric Defense: What the 2026 National Defense Strategy Means for Latin America
The United States unveiled its 2026 National Defense Strategy, placing the Western Hemisphere at the forefront of homeland defense and branding the approach as a “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine. The strategy calls for merging U.S. Southern Command and...
2026-02-23: U.S.-Japan Address China's Nuclear Buildup Amid Regional Military Tensions
The EU faces a three‑fold pressure set: stalled Russia‑Ukraine peace talks, intensified Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, and Hungary and Slovakia using the Druzhba oil pipeline as leverage over EU decisions. Because EU sanctions require unanimity, the energy transit dispute has...
How Salt Helped Win the Civil War – by Anne Ewbank (Atlas Obscura – September 28, 2018)
During the American Civil War, salt emerged as a strategic commodity, vital for preserving food, curing leather, and maintaining soldiers’ health. Union forces quickly recognized that Confederate salt production facilities, especially those in the South, were critical supply nodes and...
Alliances, Ukraine, and China’s Growing Challenge
At the Munich Security Conference, former Defense official Evelyn Farkas warned that the transatlantic alliance’s cohesion is under strain as European partners grow distrustful of U.S. commitments. She urged a clear reaffirmation of American support for NATO and called for...
42nd Mechanized Brigade Receives BTR-4
The 3rd Mechanized Battalion of Ukraine’s 42nd Mechanized Brigade has taken delivery of at least one newly‑manufactured BTR‑4 armored personnel carrier. Footage posted on the unit’s Facebook page shows soldiers conducting intensive day‑and‑night maneuver and live‑fire drills to master the...
![Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast [Feb 22 ’26 Business Report]](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/5ac0adbb96c4d1b25f037fe8bc6b48be.webp)
Defense & Aerospace Report Podcast [Feb 22 ’26 Business Report]
The Defense & Aerospace Report podcast highlighted a Supreme Court ruling that struck down several of former President Trump’s tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Analysts discussed the fate of roughly $200 billion in tariff revenue and the...
HMS Anson Arrives in Australia
HMS Anson sailed from Gibraltar on 23 January and completed an 8,200‑nautical‑mile nonstop transit to Western Australia, where it began the first-ever maintenance period for a Royal Navy nuclear‑powered attack submarine outside the United Kingdom. The Submarine Maintenance Period involves about...