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J-20S Stealth Fighter Landing J-20S Stealth Fighter Landing

Aerospace & Defense

China Can Build a J-20 Stealth Fighter in Months. Building a Pilot to Fight It Takes Decades — and That’s Beijing’s Real Problem

China's aerospace industry did something that looked impossible 20 years ago: it built one of the world's largest stealth-fighter fleets. But the J-20's greatest...

9 hours ago
F-22 Raptor Fighter Elephant Walk

Aerospace & Defense

Air Power Just Failed Its Biggest Test: What the Iran War Proved About Winning Wars

The Iran war was as close to a pure air campaign as America has fought, and James Holmes — who holds the J.C. Wylie...

1 day ago
Hai Kun-Class Submarine

The Embassy

The Era of Strong U.S. Support for Taiwan Is Ending — and Not Just Because of Trump

Trump calling Taiwan a "bargaining chip" is the headline, but Denny Roy argues the deeper story is structural: a Chinese military that makes intervention...

1 day ago
Iowa-Class Battleship USS Iowa

Aerospace & Defense

America’s New Trump-Class Battleship Already Costs $17 Billion — and Congress Fears It Will Starve the Aircraft Carriers to Get Built

The Navy finally settled it: the new battleship will be nuclear-powered — and that single decision put the $17 billion Trump-class in direct competition...

1 day ago

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy
A B-1B Lancer assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron takes off at RAF Fairford, United Kingdom, to participate in a Bomber Task Force Europe mission, Oct. 27, 2021. “Bombers enhance our ability to address dynamic threats and counter adversary actions in the region as an effective joint force,” said Gen. Jeff Harrigian, U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa commander. Operations and engagements with NATO allies and global partners demonstrate the shared commitment to global security and stability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Colin Hollowell)

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

The Case for NATO: Leaving Europe Would Be a Serious Strategic Mistake for America

The second Trump administration is reviewing America's military footprint in Europe, and the worst-case outcome is a full withdrawal. Andrew Michta argues that would...

June 22, 2026
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard, takes part in a multi-ship formation off the coast of Hawaii, Jan. 5, 2026. The aircraft participated in a comprehensive training sortie designed to integrate the 154th Operations Group’s distinct mission sets, including air superiority and aerial refueling, to ensure peak mission readiness in the Indo-Pacific theater. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Mysti Bicoy) A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard, takes part in a multi-ship formation off the coast of Hawaii, Jan. 5, 2026. The aircraft participated in a comprehensive training sortie designed to integrate the 154th Operations Group’s distinct mission sets, including air superiority and aerial refueling, to ensure peak mission readiness in the Indo-Pacific theater. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Mysti Bicoy)

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

The Iran Deal Doesn’t Stop at Iran: Russia, China, and North Korea are Watching

The US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding is being judged on whether it cools tensions in the Persian Gulf. Strategic-studies scholar Andrew Michta argues that's the...

June 19, 2026
240105-N-LK647-1019 STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR (Jan. 5, 2024) A view from the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) of the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), as the Ford Carrier Strike Group passes through the Strait of Gibraltar, Jan. 5, 2024. Normandy is part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and is currently operating in the Mediterranean Sea, at the direction of the Secretary of Defense. The U.S. maintains forward-deployed, ready, and postured forces to deter aggression and support security and stability around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Malachi Lakey) 240105-N-LK647-1019 STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR (Jan. 5, 2024) A view from the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) of the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), as the Ford Carrier Strike Group passes through the Strait of Gibraltar, Jan. 5, 2024. Normandy is part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and is currently operating in the Mediterranean Sea, at the direction of the Secretary of Defense. The U.S. maintains forward-deployed, ready, and postured forces to deter aggression and support security and stability around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Malachi Lakey)

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

The Iran War Is Giving China Time, Russia Money, and North Korea an Opening

Iran: A War at the Wrong Time and Place: As the war in Iran continues and analysts debate how long it will last and...

April 14, 2026
M1 Abrams Tanks for Ukraine. Image: Creative Commons. M1 Abrams Tanks for Ukraine. Image: Creative Commons.

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

Russia Is the Big Winner in the Iran War

Strategic expert Andrew A. Michta explores how Russia is capitalizing on the Iran War to consolidate gains in Europe. With U.S. resources drained and...

March 22, 2026

Aerospace & Defense
PANG Aircraft Carrier from France.

Aerospace & Defense

Naval Group Is Building France’s Sovereignty Nuclear Aircraft Carrier Around Catapults It Has to Buy From America

France gave its next aircraft carrier a name meant to signal independence. The €10 billion ship will launch its fighters using three catapults it...

7 hours ago
China Type 100 Tank China Type 100 Tank

Aerospace & Defense

China Built Its First Tank From a Soviet Copy in 1959. Its Newest One Has an Empty Turret and a Smaller Gun — From the Same Factory

In 1959, Chinese-built copies of a Soviet tank crossed Tiananmen Square. In 2025, a tank with an empty turret and a smaller gun crossed...

9 hours ago
Iowa-Class U.S. Navy Battleships Flag Iowa-Class U.S. Navy Battleships Flag

Aerospace & Defense

The U.S. Navy Built Its Last Battleship in 1944. Now It Wants 15 New Ones Armed With Hypersonics Instead of 16-Inch Guns

The Trump-class carries no armor belt and no 16-inch rifles, and the CBO prices the first hull above a Ford-class carrier. The battleship's third...

10 hours ago
Queen Elizabeth-Class Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier Queen Elizabeth-Class Royal Navy Aircraft Carrier

Aerospace & Defense

In 2010 Britain Tried to Cancel Its Two Aircraft Carriers and Found They Were Cheaper to Build Than to Scrap

In 2010 a new British government went looking for savings and turned to the two aircraft carriers it had inherited. When the accountants finished,...

11 hours ago

Trillions
(April 8, 2017) - Pre-Commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) departs Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding for builder’s sea trials off the coast. The first- of-class ship—the first new U.S. aircraft carrier design in 40 years—will spend several days conducting builder’s sea trials, a comprehensive test of many of the ship’s key systems and technologies. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan Litzenberger)

Trillions - 19FortyFive

Iran Wants Every Ship in the Strait of Hormuz to Pay It “Protection Money” — and Experts Say the World’s Most Important Oil Route May Never Be the Same

Iran is moving to charge ships for passing through the Strait of Hormuz — the waterway that carries a fifth of the world's oil...

2 days ago
J-50 Fighter J-50 Fighter

Trillions - 19FortyFive

China Shows Its Sixth-Generation Fighter Refueling for the First Time: The YY-20 Tanker Extending Its Pacific Reach

A film celebrating ten years of China's Y-20 transport slipped in something no other country has shown on official camera: a sixth-generation fighter refueling...

3 days ago
H-20 Bomber from YouTube Screenshot H-20 Bomber from YouTube Screenshot

Trillions - 19FortyFive

Why China’s H-20 Stealth Bomber Still Has No Production Line: The Engine, Materials, and Tooling Problems Xi’an Hasn’t Solved

A decade after it surfaced, China's H-20 has no flying prototype and no production line. The reasons are industrial, not financial: an intercontinental flying...

3 days ago
Holtec Nuclear Reactor Holtec Nuclear Reactor

Trillions - 19FortyFive

A Utah Project Bets That Small, Factory-Built Reactors Can Solve America’s Looming Power Crunch

A new 1.5-gigawatt project in Utah will use five 300-megawatt Holtec small modular reactors rather than two massive conventional ones, part of a broader...

4 days ago

The Embassy
A B-52 Stratofortress assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing takes off for a Red Flag 21-3 training mission at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, July 21, 2021. RF-Nellis 21-3 is unlike any previous Red Flags, as the 414th Combat Training Squadron builds upon the most challenging Red Flags in recent history. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

The Embassy

Trump Set an August 18 Deadline to Resume the War With Iran. Now the White House Is Quietly Backing Away From It

For weeks, an August 18 deadline loomed: the day a U.S.–Iran understanding expired, and, by President Trump's own warning, the day fighting over the...

2 days ago
STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Nov. 12, 2021) Guided-missile destroyer USS O’Kane (DDG 77) performs a Strait of Hormuz transit with the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Nov. 12. Essex and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Joe Rolfe) STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Nov. 12, 2021) Guided-missile destroyer USS O’Kane (DDG 77) performs a Strait of Hormuz transit with the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Nov. 12. Essex and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Joe Rolfe)

The Embassy

The Gulf No Longer Trusts America to Protect It, So It’s Cutting Its Own Deal With Iran

The diplomatic center of gravity in the Middle East has decisively shifted to Riyadh. On June 23, 2026, talks between Iranian Majlis Speaker Mohammed...

5 days ago
Leopard 2 Tank Leopard 2 Tank

The Embassy

Germany’s Army Is Rebooting for What Was Once Unthinkable: A War with Russia

Germany still must address a readiness issue: large portions of the army are not considered fully combat-ready, with some readiness estimates for land forces...

June 23, 2026
Iran Iran

The Embassy

The Flaw in JD Vance’s Iran Deal: The IAEA Only Inspects Declared Nuclear Sites

Vice President JD Vance has hailed his Switzerland negotiations over Iran's nuclear program as diplomatic progress. Middle East Forum scholar Dr. Michael Rubin argues...

June 22, 2026

Hermit Kingdom
KN-23 North Korean Missile Being Used in Ukraine War

Hermit Kingdom

KN-23: Russia Is Using North Korean Ballistic Missiles in the Ukraine War That Keep Getting Deadlier Every Passing Day

The KN-23, North Korea's version the Russian Iskander missile, showed up to fight in the Ukraine war. And it isn't the same platform as...

June 24, 2026
Choe Hyon class from North Korea Choe Hyon class from North Korea

Hermit Kingdom

North Korea Capsized Its New Destroyer on Live TV Before Kim Jong Un: Now It’s Building Warships Twice the Size

On May 21, 2025, a brand-new North Korean destroyer rolled over and partially capsized at its own launch ceremony — with Kim Jong Un...

June 19, 2026
North Korean Military. Image Credit: Creative Commons. North Korean Military. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Hermit Kingdom

6,000 North Korean Soldiers Are Dead in Ukraine: Kim Jong Un Keeps Sending More

Fake Russian IDs, Orders Never to Be Captured, and 50% Casualties: Inside North Korea’s Secret War in Ukraine The Russian Army has sustained nearly...

March 27, 2026
Hwasong-17 North Korea ICBM. Image Credit: Creative Commons. Hwasong-17 North Korea ICBM. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Hermit Kingdom

Iran Has An ICBM Program: They Got it From North Korea

Summary and Key Points: Dr. Bruce E. Bechtol Jr., a political science professor and proliferation expert, evaluates the strategic partnership between Iran and North...

March 4, 2026
MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, Hawaii (July 6, 2022) U.S. Marine Corps Pfc. Darrel Ebaugh, a scout sniper with Weapons Company, Battalion Land Team, 3d Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Marine Air-Ground Task Force 7 (MAGFT-7), sights in on a target during a live-fire sniper range in support of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2022, on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, July 6, 2022. Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, four submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationship among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Brayden Daniel)

Dr. James Holmes: The Naval Diplomat - 19FortyFive

The U.S. Military’s Great Relearning

Last week the amphibian pundit CDR Salamander had some tart words for Joint Chiefs chairman Mark Milley. General Milley recently held forth on the...

July 1, 2023
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