Navigating the New Interregnum
The episode examines the current geopolitical interregnum—a transitional period between the fading Pax Americana and an as‑yet undefined new world order. It highlights how U.S. actions in Venezuela and threats to Greenland have destabilized NATO, prompting speculation about a future "Big Three" sphere of influence dominated by the United States, China, and Russia, while noting the complicating roles of middle powers like Brazil, India, Japan, Nigeria, and South Korea. The discussion focuses on Australia’s strategic dilemma: whether to align with a major power bloc or pursue greater autonomy, which would require substantial investments in defense, intelligence, and possibly a nuclear deterrent. Expert commentary underscores the urgency for nations to rethink assumptions and craft flexible, security‑focused strategies in this uncertain era.
What to Know About the Department of Defense’s Review of 8(a) and Small Business Awards
The episode explains the Department of Defense's two‑stage review of small‑business and 8(a) contracts over $20 million, aimed at identifying non‑essential awards, excessive pass‑through arrangements, and above‑market pricing. It outlines the tight timeline—stage one due by Jan 31, 2026 and stage two...
Greenland’s Worth a Fight and Russia’s Trying to Start One
Greenland’s position in the GIUK Gap makes it the linchpin for NATO’s ability to detect Russian submarines before they enter the Atlantic, while its Pituffik Space Base hosts critical early‑warning radars for U.S. missile defense. Moscow is exploiting the U.S.‑Europe...
Russia’s Strategic Brown Water Capabilities: A NATO Blind Spot?
The episode examines Russia’s expanding use of inland waterways—its “brown water” zones—as a strategic platform for long‑range missile strikes, highlighting the 2015 Caspian Sea Kalibr launch as a watershed moment. It explains how the universal 3S14 vertical launch system equipped...
Royal Navy Begins to Explore Integrating Aster Missiles with Mk 41 Vertical Launch System
The UK Ministry of Defence has commissioned a £2 million study with MBDA UK to determine whether the European‑made Aster missile can be launched from the US‑standard Mk 41 vertical launch system. The year‑long effort targets future RN platforms such as the...
Senegalese Navy Conducted Historic First Anti-Ship Missile Launch
On November 9, 2025 the Senegalese Navy fired its first anti‑ship missile from the Walo‑class offshore patrol vessel Cayor. The vessel launched an MBDA MARTE Mk2/N lightweight missile at a decommissioned landing craft 15 km away, striking containers that simulated a...
China’s Stunning Military Purge – and What It Means For Taiwan
President Xi Jinping has purged two of the most senior members of the Central Military Commission, General Zhang Youxia and General Liu Zhenli, effectively gutting the PLA's top command. The removals, framed as discipline violations, follow a broader campaign that...
FAR Part 13: Can I Wait to Protest When the Agency Tells Me a Debriefing Will Be Provided?
This episode breaks down a recent GAO decision (ASG Solutions Corp.) that clarified how timeliness rules apply when a contract is awarded under FAR Part 13. The GAO held that because the Navy’s procurement was a simplified acquisition, it was not...
Oceanic Barrier Systems: Barrier Concepts for War and Competition in the Pacific
The episode examines China’s recent deployment of 1,000‑2,000 fishing vessels to create a 400‑kilometre maritime barrier near Taiwan and Japan, interpreting it as a rehearsal for civilian‑ship‑based anti‑access tactics. It links this maneuver to broader PLA strategies that repurpose civilian...
Inside Trump’s New ‘Board of Peace’
President Donald Trump signed the charter for the newly created Board of Peace (BOP) at Davos, positioning himself as its inaugural chairman with sweeping authority over membership, agenda, and dissolution. The charter grants Trump unilateral power to appoint and remove...
They're Coming for Our Kids: How Extremists Target Children Online
Extremist groups are increasingly targeting children on platforms such as Discord, Instagram, Reddit, and gaming chats, turning these digital third spaces into recruitment hubs. In 2024, teenagers accounted for roughly two‑thirds of ISIS‑linked arrests in Europe, and similar patterns are...
The Next FATF Test: Can the West Demand Results From Pakistan?
The Financial Action Task Force will meet in February 2026 to reassess Pakistan after its 2022 removal from the grey list. While Pakistan has introduced anti‑money‑laundering laws and institutional reforms, open‑source evidence shows terrorist groups like Jaish‑e‑Mohammad and Lashkar‑e‑Taiba still...
Loosening the Gordian Knot of Global Terrorism: Why Legitimacy Must Anchor a Counterterrorism Strategy
The 2026 terrorism environment is more hybrid and unpredictable than ever. The author argues that a legitimate U.S. counterterrorism strategy—grounded in legal credibility and international partnership—is essential for the second Trump administration. Past strategies, like the 2018 National Strategy for...
Trilateral Shipbuilding: Build a Missile Corvette Fleet with Asian Allies
In this episode, CDR Chase E. Harding outlines a proposal for a trilateral shipbuilding program among the United States, Japan, and South Korea to produce fast‑attack missile corvettes that can counter China’s expanding naval fleet. He details the historic decline...
The Kremlin Files: Russia’s Way to the Gray Zone
The article examines Russia’s evolution of gray‑zone or hybrid warfare, focusing on the doctrine of “non‑contact war” and the intelligence‑driven “active measures.” It traces the concept from Soviet‑era sixth‑generation warfare ideas through the writings of generals Slipchenko, Gareev and Gerasimov,...
The Arctic Is a Strategic Distraction
In this episode, T.X. Hammes argues that the U.S. focus on the Arctic is a strategic distraction that diverts scarce defense resources from higher‑priority theaters. He dismantles the hype around new Arctic shipping routes, showing that current traffic on the...
New Reports Reveal Years of Unaddressed Osprey Safety Risks
New GAO and NAVAIR reviews expose decades‑long safety gaps in the V‑22 Osprey program, highlighting 34 unresolved risks, eight of them catastrophic, and a surge in serious mishaps during 2023‑2024. The reports show that critical component failures—such as hard‑clutch engagement...
Charting a Course: Addressing Chinese Maritime Coercion Around Taiwan
In this episode Anthony Marco and Nils Peterson examine the Chinese Coast Guard’s escalating gray‑zone incursions around Taiwan’s peripheral islands, especially the recent series of violations at Dongsha Atoll. They explain how these maritime coercion tactics aim to erode ROC...
The Coast Guard's Mission in the Gray Zone
The opinion piece argues that U.S. defense planning over‑emphasizes expeditionary warfighting while neglecting the Coast Guard’s crucial role in enforcing sovereignty in the gray zone. The Coast Guard uniquely combines law‑enforcement authority, Title 14/10 flexibility, and continuous maritime presence to counter...
Luftwaffe Unmanned Systems Unit Expanded to Regiment
Ukraine has upgraded its 422nd Battalion of Unmanned Systems, known as the “Luftwaffe,” into a full regiment. The new 422nd Regiment now falls under the 17th Army Corps operating along the Zaporizhzhia axis. The unit evolved from a volunteer territorial‑defense...
Overhauling the Innovation Ecosystem
The episode examines the Department of Defense’s sweeping reforms to its innovation ecosystem, focusing on SECWAR’s restructuring of the USW(R&E) portfolio, a $1 billion investment by the DoD in L3Harris for next‑generation SRM capabilities, and the Army’s push for more flexible...
Chernyi Appointed Commander of 54th Mechanized Brigade
On January 15, 2026, Colonel Vadym Chernyi was named commander of Ukraine’s 54th Mechanized Brigade. The change follows the dismissal of Colonel Oleksiy Konoval after the rapid loss of Siversk north of Bakhmut in December 2025. Chernyi, a Kherson native, has served since 2013,...
What U.S. – China Cooperation Means for the World
An opinion piece argues that despite recent U.S. criticism of China over the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the United States and China must deepen cooperation to avoid global crises. It highlights historic joint efforts—from Cold‑War intelligence sharing to...
RDML T.J. Zerr on Strengthening Surface Force Lethality
In this interview, RDML T.J. Zerr outlines how the Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) is translating Red Sea combat lessons into faster, data‑driven training and tactics, notably through the Surface Warfare Combat Training Continuum (SWCTC) and increasingly sophisticated...
Cosmetics versus Combat: Inspect for Warfighting Over Rust
In this episode, LT Spike Dearing argues that 7th Fleet surface ships are prioritizing preservation—rust and paint inspections—over combat readiness, despite operating in a high‑threat environment near China. He critiques senior officers’ focus on cosmetic inspections and proposes “snap combat...