Italian Navy in the Pacific with MPCS Bande Nere to Test Ballistic Missile Defence
The Italian Navy’s fourth Thaon di Revel‑class multi‑purpose combat ship, ITS Giovanni delle Bande Nere (P 434), left Taranto on May 3 for a six‑month Indo‑Pacific deployment. The vessel, the first in the “Full” configuration, will showcase its advanced dual‑band radar, Aster missile launchers and integrated air‑and‑missile defence system during RIMPAC and Pacific Dragon exercises. The cruise includes port calls in Egypt, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Guam, Hawaii, Japan, Vietnam and several Southeast Asian nations, supporting EU missions ASPIDES and ATALANTA. The deployment aims to strengthen naval diplomacy, interoperability and Italy’s domestic shipbuilding showcase.
Iran War Day 73: Trump and Tehran Clash over Latest Peace Proposals
U.S. President Donald Trump rejected Iran's latest peace proposal, calling it totally unacceptable, as the 73‑day U.S.-Israel war on Iran drags on. Tehran’s offer called for ending the naval blockade, lifting sanctions and preserving its nuclear and foreign‑policy autonomy, which...
Ex-Israeli PM: Hezbollah Is the Enemy of Lebanon and Must Be Disarmed
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told Redi Tlhabi that Hezbollah is the primary enemy of Lebanon and must be fully disarmed. He revisited the 2006 Lebanon war, criticized civilian casualties, and warned against Israel’s ongoing military campaign in the south. Olmert...
Silicon In Focus Podcast: Identity Under Siege: Why Credentials Are the New Battleground
The Silicon In Focus podcast highlights identity as the new frontline of cybersecurity as cloud, remote work, and AI expand attack surfaces. Host David Howell and iProov’s Dr. Andrew Newell explain why credential‑based attacks now eclipse traditional network breaches. They...
China Opposes US Sanctions over Iran, Pledges to Protect Firms
China publicly rejected U.S. sanctions targeting three Chinese firms accused of supporting Iran's military operations. Beijing called the measures illegal and unilateral, emphasizing that Chinese companies must operate under Chinese law. The Chinese spokesperson said the priority is to prevent...
Research: Accompanied Established Long-Term Relationships Overseas Pilot Evaluation
In January 2024 the UK Ministry of Defence launched the Accompanied Established Long‑Term Relationships (LTR(E)) Overseas Pilot, allowing service personnel stationed abroad to be joined by their long‑term partners and receive a bespoke allowance package. A one‑year evaluation, completed in May 2025...
Ship Signals Erratic as Hormuz Tensions Escalate
Geolocation data showed roughly 120 vessels near Abu Dhabi reporting impossible 50‑knot speeds and a smaller group of about a dozen ships indicating over 100‑knot speeds near the Oman‑UAE border, likely caused by signal jamming after Iran’s recent missile and...
US Navy’s Newest Flight III Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer Heads Toward Commissioning
The U.S. Navy’s newest Flight III Arleigh Burke‑class destroyer, USS Ted Stevens (DDG‑128), has left Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding yard and is sailing to its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, ahead of commissioning in Whittier, Alaska. DDG‑128 is the second Flight III destroyer delivered...
A World More Afraid: Wars Fuelling Rising Fears of Foreign Attacks
The 2026 Democracy Perception Index, covering 94,146 respondents in 98 nations, shows a sharp rise in fear of foreign attack in the United States, Russia, Lebanon, Iraq and Kazakhstan, while concern eases in places like the DRC and Vietnam. Overall...
Major Contract Amendment of Advanced RHIB Capability for German Navy F126 Frigate Programme
Marine Specialized Technology, Damen Naval and Germany’s BAAINBw signed a major contract amendment that expands the FRISC fast‑raiding craft for the F126 frigate program. The amendment resolves prior design issues and adds a network‑enabled C4ISR package, including multi‑channel radios, advanced...
Does China Pursue an Aggressive Policy?
At Defence24 Days 2026, a panel of Polish security experts debated whether China’s policy should be labeled aggressive. They argued that China’s actions are more economic and informational than conventional military, citing demographic limits and a shift from defensive to offensive...
Pakistan Reveals Fatah-3 Supersonic Cruise Missile
Pakistan’s Inter Services Public Relations unveiled the Fatah‑3, a ramjet‑powered supersonic cruise missile, via a video on May 8. The missile’s airframe and four lateral ramjet intakes closely mirror China’s HD‑1, indicating possible licensed production or Chinese component sourcing. Though no...
Sentronics Launches High-Precision RealFlow D-Series Sensors for Commercial & Defense UAVs
Sentronics Limited has released its RealFlow D‑Series ultrasonic fuel‑flow sensors, targeting commercial and defense UAVs. The D‑Series spans flow rates from 20 ml/min to 20 l/min and delivers accuracy better than ±0.75% without moving parts or pressure loss. Designed for low‑size‑weight‑power (SWaP)...
Regulation: Regulatory Article (RA) 3261: Aerodrome Service
Regulatory Article 3261, issued by the UK Ministry of Defence and the Military Aviation Authority, sets out the mandatory procedures for aerodrome services covering aircraft movement on runways, taxiways, and the surrounding airspace. The latest version, Issue 13, was released on...
Autonomous Tracking Technology Secures High-Gain UAV Links & Extended Mission Range
DTC, a Codan company, has launched the BluTrak-90-D autonomous tracking antenna for unmanned aerial vehicles. The system uses an onboard microprocessor and embedded algorithms to follow a drone’s movement without manual alignment, delivering real‑time link maintenance. Housed in an IP67‑rated...
ECHO 10K Sensor & AI Platform Launched for Persistent UAV Surveillance
Sapient Perception unveiled ECHO, the first dedicated 10K‑resolution sensor for UAVs, paired with the FORGE processing module and IGNITE AI framework. The system delivers ultra‑wide, high‑resolution imagery and on‑board AI detection, eliminating the need for high‑bandwidth links and reducing operator...
Robots to the Rescue? South Korea Looks for AI Solutions to Dwindling Army Numbers
South Korea's defense ministry is in talks with Hyundai Motor to field AI‑driven robots on the battlefield as the country grapples with a shrinking standing force. The army, which has lost 20% of its troops over six years and may...
Saab Barracuda Update Prioritises Drone Protection on Modern Battlefield
Sweden’s Saab has expanded its Barracuda camouflage portfolio with two new products aimed at counter‑uncrewed aerial system (CUAS) protection. The additions include a CUAS net designed to shield personnel and equipment from drone‑borne threats and a personal soldier poncho that...
One Small Country Set the Model for Reintegrating ISIS Families From Syria. Here’s What Australia Can Learn
Four women and nine children linked to ISIS were repatriated to Australia last week, with some slated for community reintegration and counter‑extremism programs. Australia has previously returned 31 women and children, none of whom have been linked to criminal activity...
Iran on Table, Taiwan on Radar: Can Taiwan’s Porcupine Strategy Survive Chinese Blitz as Trump Meets Xi?
President Donald Trump will travel to Beijing May 13‑15 for a state visit, where he is expected to press President Xi Jinping on Iran sanctions, trade tariffs, and the Taiwan question. The talks come as China’s $230 bn defense budget dwarfs...
EU Plans to Double Military Support for Moldova Under European Peace Facility
The European Union announced it will double its military assistance to Moldova through the European Peace Facility, raising annual funding to €120 million (about $131 million) after already providing €200 million ($218 million). The boost aims to modernise Moldova’s armed forces, including a new...
Europe Should Behave More Like China Does if It Wants to Survive This Age of Chaos
Mark Leonard argues Europe must adopt a China‑style strategy to survive an era of "un‑order," where traditional rules no longer govern global competition. He highlights China's pre‑emptive stockpiling of oil, food, semiconductors and dominance in rare‑earths, drones, batteries and other...
Satellite Communications Backup for Undersea Cable Threats
Undersea cables carry roughly 99% of global data and support about $10 trillion in daily financial transactions, making them a critical yet vulnerable infrastructure. Recent incidents—from accidental faults to suspected gray‑zone sabotage—highlight concentration risks for islands, chokepoints, and regions with limited...
The Winners and Losers of the Iran Energy Shock
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz in March choked roughly 20% of global oil and LNG flows, triggering national energy emergencies and sharp price spikes. Countries heavily dependent on imported fuels, from the Philippines to Zambia, scrambled for emergency...
Taiwan 'Confident' In US Ties Ahead of Trump Visit to China
Taiwan’s foreign minister Lin Chia‑lung said the island remains confident that its relationship with the United States will stay stable as President Donald Trump prepares for a three‑day summit in Beijing with Xi Jinping. Washington has repeatedly affirmed that its...
A New Dawn: Japan and Australia Make It Officially Critical
Japan and Australia formalised a strategic partnership on critical minerals, designating six joint projects as strategically important in a May 4 agreement. The deal highlights key Australian assets—including Lynas Rare Earths, Alcoa’s gallium recovery, Ardea’s nickel‑cobalt hub, and others—backed by Japanese...
Crosswinds Swirl Around 11th NPT RevCon in Week Two
On May 6, the president of the 11th NPT Review Conference circulated a concise 13‑page zero draft, inviting feedback early in the month‑long meeting. The draft reaffirms past NPT commitments, stresses IAEA safeguards, and calls for expanded peaceful nuclear cooperation, while...
GDS Puts Three Suppliers in ‘Taxi Rank’ to Test Service Vulnerabilities
The UK Government Digital Service (GDS) has set up a “taxi rank” of three NCSC‑CHECK accredited penetration‑testing firms—NCC Group, Salus and Prism Infosec—to probe security weaknesses in citizen services and internal Whitehall tools. The three contracts together are worth £1.2 million...
If Iran Agrees to Everything, Was the War Worth It?
The United States is reportedly ready to offer Iran a cease‑fire‑linked deal that would halt uranium enrichment for up to 15 years, return 440 kg of 60%‑enriched uranium and lift sanctions, while Iran would lift its blockade of the Strait of...
Netanyahu Wants to Wean Israel Off US Military Support, He Tells CBS
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CBS he wants to end the United States’ $3.8 billion annual military aid within a decade, aiming for zero financial support by 2036. The plan coincides with Israel’s push to deepen economic and security ties...
HIMARS to Be Deployed to Islands
Taiwan plans to forward‑deploy its newly acquired High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to Penghu and Dongyin islands, creating a 100‑km “dead zone” that would push People’s Liberation Army (PLA) forces inland. Once all U.S. deliveries are complete, the island...
Peace in Everyone’s Interests, Including China’s: Envoy
Taiwan’s US representative Alexander Yui told Fox News that peace in the Taiwan Strait serves the interests of Taiwan, the United States, Japan and China. He made the remarks ahead of a high‑profile US‑China summit in Beijing between President Donald...
US Bill Introduced to Deter Chinese Aggression
U.S. Representative Young Kim has introduced the Deter PRC Aggression Against Taiwan Act, which would establish an interagency “tiger team” to develop pre‑planned sanctions and economic responses to any Chinese move against Taiwan. The task force, led by the State...
Sen. Mark Kelly Says Pentagon's $1.5 Trillion Budget Request Is "Outrageous"
Sen. Mark Kelly blasted the Trump administration’s FY2027 defense budget request of $1.5 trillion, calling it “outrageous.” The proposal represents a 42% jump from 2026 levels and includes controversial programs such as a space‑based “Golden Dome” missile‑defense system. Kelly warned that...
Led by Industry, Japan and Taiwan Plant Seeds of Drone Cooperation
Japan and Taiwan are initiating a joint drone development effort led by industry groups, aiming to build a supply‑chain alternative to China’s dominance. The partnership was highlighted by a demonstration of Taiwan‑made Hummer 2 drones at a training session in Yilan....
No Matter How Bizarre It May Sound Europe May Cooperate with China Against Russia
A guest commentary argues that Europe should explore limited cooperation with China to undermine Russia’s war ambitions. It identifies three convergence points: deterring a Russia‑NATO conflict, exploiting China’s role in Russia’s de‑industrialisation, and leveraging NATO’s existence, which aligns with Beijing’s...
While You Were Sleeping: 5 Stories You Might Have Missed, May 11, 2026
President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s peace proposal as "totally unacceptable," heightening the risk of renewed conflict in the Middle East. He will also use an upcoming Beijing summit with China’s Xi Jinping to press Beijing on Tehran’s actions, while the...
Trump Rejects New Iran Peace Offer as ‘Totally Unacceptable’
President Donald Trump dismissed Iran's latest peace overture as “totally unacceptable,” while Tehran rejected his own proposal, leaving a tenuous ceasefire intact. Iran suggested diluting and transferring some highly enriched uranium to a third country but refused to dismantle its...
Taiwan’s Cheng Li-Wun on Cross-Strait Peace, Meeting Xi Jinping and Managing Ties with US
KMT chair Cheng Li‑wun met Xi Jinping in Beijing, reaffirming the 1992 consensus and stressing a “century of peace” that can survive Taiwan’s political swings. She warned that the DPP’s push for de‑Sinicisation heightens the risk of conflict and argued the KMT...
Trump Says Iran’s Response to U.S. Peace Proposal Is Unacceptable
President Donald Trump dismissed Iran’s reply to a U.S. peace proposal as "totally unacceptable," offering no details. Tehran’s semi‑official response called for an immediate end to the war on all fronts, a halt to the U.S. naval blockade, guarantees against...
Now Is the Time for a US ‘Grand Deal’ with Azerbaijan
The article proposes that the Trump administration work with Congress to repeal Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, ending the ban on U.S. arms sales to Azerbaijan. In exchange, Baku would release unjustly detained individuals, including high‑profile Azerbaijani activists and...
Australian Federal Police Sign $20.5m Cisco Deal
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has entered its largest contract with Optus Networks, a three‑year agreement worth AU$20.5 million for enterprise Cisco technology. The deal covers licensing and support for existing Cisco solutions and includes two optional one‑year extensions that could...
US Disappointed in Taiwan’s Smaller Defense Budget, Official Says
Washington expressed disappointment after Taiwan’s opposition‑controlled parliament approved a defense budget of $25 billion, roughly two‑thirds of the $37 billion the Taiwanese government had sought. U.S. officials said the shortfall leaves essential weapons and modernization projects unfunded. The decision comes as Beijing...
Netanyahu Says Iran War Is 'Not Over' As Trump Rejects Latest Iranian Offer
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the war with Iran "not over," stressing that enriched uranium and enrichment sites must be removed and dismantled. He urged the United States and Israel to physically take the nuclear material out of Iran....
Iran Responds to U.S. Peace Proposal as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Persist
Iran has formally replied to the latest U.S. peace proposal aimed at ending the ten‑week conflict that has choked the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. plan offers to lift the blockade on Iranian ports if Tehran permits unrestricted shipping, but...
Two US Men Jailed for Helping North Korean Hackers Infiltrate US Firms
Two American residents, Matthew Isaac Knoot and Erick Ntekereze Prince, were sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for operating laptop farms that let North Korean hackers masquerade as U.S. remote workers. The scheme, which ran from 2020 to 2024,...
Israeli Attorney-General Opposes Appointment of Next Mossad Chief
Israel’s attorney‑general Gali Baharav‑Miara has formally opposed the appointment of Major‑General Roman Gofman as the next Mossad director, citing a 2022 case in which a 17‑year‑old was recruited for covert online operations and then arrested. The attorney‑general’s letter to the Supreme...
Ukraine Reports Multiple Casualties Despite Trump-Backed Truce with Russia
Russian attacks wounded at least nine civilians on the second day of a Trump‑backed three‑day ceasefire, showing the truce was not fully observed. Ukraine’s president Zelensky said Russia’s forces continued assault operations, while Moscow claimed thousands of Ukrainian violations. Drone...
Iran Holds $10 Trillion Global Internet Hostage as Trump Claims U.S. Can Destroy Every Target in Iran in 2 Weeks
U.S. President Donald Trump told interviewer Sharyl Attkisson that American forces could strike every Iranian target within two weeks, declaring Tehran “militarily defeated.” The remarks come as Iran threatens to weaponize its control of the Strait of Hormuz, where...
Netanyahu: War with Iran ‘Accomplished a Great Deal, but It’s Not Over’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told CBS that the war with Iran has achieved many goals but is not finished, citing lingering uranium enrichment sites, proxy forces and missile production. He suggested a possible ground operation, echoing former President Trump’s...