Global

Commentary

Why a ‘Buy Allied’ approach matters

There are at least four essential reasons why making the U.S. aerospace and defense industry exclusively “Made in America” is neither feasible nor desirable.

British military feels out industry for helicopter buy worth over $1 billion

The New Medium Helicopter competition will likely be colored by the question of which company can generate jobs and skills for the country.

Here are the high-end weapons Zelenskyy hopes the new Ukraine aid bill will provide

The Senate has passed a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine that will enable the Biden administration to transfer more advanced, high-end weapons systems in order to counter Russia.

Colombia to buy 12 French-made Caesar howitzers

The acquisition is part of the country’s effort to modernize and to increase its conventional military capabilities for countering insurgencies and drug trafficking.

Russia claims its Zadira laser weapon destroyed a drone in Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that the claim reflects Moscow’s desire to find an alternative to missiles.

Ukrainian troops training with US electronic jamming kit

The comments Wednesday come roughly two weeks after the Department of Defense announced it would send electronic warfare gear to Eastern Europe as part of a $150 million security assistance package.

Swedish, Finnish NATO bids raise the prospect of a beefier Baltic Sea posture

With Sweden and Finland in NATO, the alliance would be able to recalibrate its force posture in the Baltic Sea to a level capable of evening out the regional deterrence balance with Russia, according to Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist.

South Korea selects Bell’s 505 helicopter for military training

Deliveries of the aircraft, also known as the Jet Ranger X, are slated to be completed by 2025.

NATO launches AI initiative to ensure tech advantage

NATO defense ministers in October adopted the alliance’s first-ever artificial intelligence strategy, a summary of which described the capability as “changing the global defence and security environment.”

Commentary

Is America’s military headed down the same path as Russia’s?

Diplomacy that is not backed by military might will fail. It all comes down to credibility behind the words. The U.S. has lost its edge in that regard from both a military capability and capacity perspective.

Truck exhaust, IT woes and piles of rubble: Offutt faces uphill battle to rebuild

Rebuilding Offutt is expected to take about 10 years and more than $1 billion.

Polish pick MBDA’s Brimstone missile for their new fleet of tank-busting vehicles

Brimstone has been in the news in the last few days after it emerged that Ukrainian troops had been using the British-supplied weapon to destroy Russian armor.

Once neutral Sweden seeks NATO membership in historic shift

Sweden will follow neighboring Finland and apply for NATO membership because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, ending more than 200 years of military nonalignment in the Nordic nation.

Commentary

A prolonged ceasefire may be the likely endgame in Ukraine

Shifting war aims and the prospect of protracted war could lead to a potential dilemma for Ukraine.

India halts Ka-31 helicopter deal with Russia

India asked to buy Ka-31 helicopters from Russia in May 2019, but the acquisition program faced inordinate delays due to the coronavirus pandemic and the platform’s high price tag.

Troops sent to bolster NATO begin turnover as US mulls larger footprint in Europe

“The deployments are one-for-one unit replacements, which will leave our overall force posture in the region — approximately 100,000 — unchanged,” the Pentagon's spokesman said.

Turkish drones arouse desire, dispute in Central Asia

One reported deal in the region appears to have stirred political kerfuffle between the Turkish government and two rival Turkic republics.

US poised to bite into Russia’s global defense market share

A senior U.S. State Department official said Thursday that a massive Ukraine aid package ― which contains $4 billion in grants for allies to buy American-made military hardware ― is partly aimed at eroding Russia’s share of the global defense market.

Turkey’s leader opposes letting Finland, Sweden join NATO

The Turkish leader explained his opposition by alleging that Sweden and other Scandinavian countries support Kurdish militants and others whom Turkey considers to be terrorists. He also accused Greece of using the alliance against Turkey.

Here’s what US Army leaders are learning from the Russia-Ukraine war

Counter-drone tech, long-range fires, and translating battlefield intel to high-impact strikes are key areas Army leaders are pulling lessons from.

Finland’s top leaders press for rapid NATO membership

The push can be expected to have an influential impact on Sweden’s own decision-making process regarding NATO membership.

Modern Day Marine

New war-gaming center will plug into Marine units with a realistic experience

New tools will give access to lower echelons for their own wargaming.

North Korea fires 3 ballistic missiles amid first virus outbreak

South Korea says North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles toward the sea in the latest of a series of weapons demonstrations this year.

Greece to extend base access deal with US military

The agreement will grant the U.S. military continued access to three bases in mainland Greece along with its naval presence on the island of Crete.

US leads exercise in North Macedonia, NATO’s newest member

Nearly 10,000 soldiers from 19 nations are taking part in NATO’s planned “Swift Response” exercises as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues for a 12th week.