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Virginia-class Submarine Virginia-class Submarine

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

America’s Asian Allies Want Nuclear Submarines. Here’s How to Build Them

South Korea and Japan want nuclear-powered submarines, and a stronger allied undersea force would bolster deterrence against China's expanding navy. But diplomatic friction, labor...

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)

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...

2 days ago
Nuclear Weapon 19FortyFive.com Original Image

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

NATO Is Weighing the Biggest Expansion of Its Nuclear Weapons Sharing Since the Cold War, Driven by Russia and Doubts About Trump

The United States already stores nuclear bombs in five NATO countries, weapons European allies could deliver in wartime but cannot arm without Washington's permission....

5 days ago
Canadian Victoria-Class Submarine Photo

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Canada Is About to Choose Its Next Submarines. Germany and South Korea Want the Deal So Badly They’re Giving Up Their Own

Canada is just weeks from a decision that could become the most expensive procurement in its history: choosing the submarines that will guard its...

6 days 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

Smart Bombs
The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) picks up speed as she steams through the western Pacific Ocean on Aug. 25, 2004. Stennis and her embarked Carrier Air Wing 14 are conducting exercises at sea on a regularly scheduled deployment.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

These Five Navies Are by Far the World’s Largest

Rank the world's navies by the sheer number of ships they float, counting a 100,000-ton supercarrier and a 200-ton patrol boat as one each,...

5 hours ago
USS Midway Midway-Class Aircraft Carrier USS Midway Midway-Class Aircraft Carrier

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy Built USS Midway Too Late for World War II — and It Served for the Next 47 Years

USS Midway entered service eight days after Japan's surrender, missing the war that shaped her by a week. Instead of a quiet career, she...

6 hours ago
F-14 Banana Pass. Image Credit: Creative Commons. F-14 Banana Pass. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Israel Said It Destroyed Iran’s Last F-14 Tomcats in March: Three Months Later, Tehran Released Footage of One Still Flying

For four decades Iran kept the world's last F-14 Tomcats flying under an embargo meant to ground them. In March, Israel said it finally...

6 hours ago
Essex-class. Image Credit: US Navy Archives. Essex-class. Image Credit: US Navy Archives.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The U.S. Navy Built 24 Essex-Class Aircraft Carriers in World War II: Today’s Shipyards Couldn’t Repeat It

In 1942, the U.S. built an aircraft carrier in just over 20 months, then made two dozen more. Today a single shipyard builds every...

6 hours ago

Trillions
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...

14 hours 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...

15 hours 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...

1 day ago
The guided missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) fires its MK-45 5 inch gun during a Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise. Nitze is part of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26 which supports Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10. SWATT is led by the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) and is designed to increase warfighting proficiency, lethality, and interoperability or participating units. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Bryan Valek) The guided missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) fires its MK-45 5 inch gun during a Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise. Nitze is part of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26 which supports Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 10. SWATT is led by the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) and is designed to increase warfighting proficiency, lethality, and interoperability or participating units. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Bryan Valek)

Trillions - 19FortyFive

The World’s First Marine Engine Certified to Run on 100% Hydrogen Just Cleared Its Biggest Hurdle

A Belgian joint venture, BeHydro, has earned the world's first Type Approval Certificate from Lloyd's Register for a marine engine that runs on 100...

1 day ago

The Embassy
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
Vladimir Putin 2017 New Year Address to the Nation. Image Credit: Creative Commons. Vladimir Putin 2017 New Year Address to the Nation. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The Embassy

Target Moscow: The Ukraine War Has Come Right to Putin’s Doorstep

Ukraine hasn't moved the front — but its drones have broken the war's one-way character, reaching the Russian heartland Putin promised was safe. The...

June 22, 2026
A B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, California, departs for an evening test mission over the Mojave Desert. The B-52H test fleet is in high demand, testing a variety of advanced capabilities for the joint-force. The 412th Test Wing will soon begin developmental test work on new avionics, radar, and engines as part of the B-52J effort, allowing the Stratofortress to serve the warfighter into the 2050's. (Air Force photo by Todd Schannuth) A B-52H Stratofortress assigned to the 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, California, departs for an evening test mission over the Mojave Desert. The B-52H test fleet is in high demand, testing a variety of advanced capabilities for the joint-force. The 412th Test Wing will soon begin developmental test work on new avionics, radar, and engines as part of the B-52J effort, allowing the Stratofortress to serve the warfighter into the 2050's. (Air Force photo by Todd Schannuth)

The Embassy

The U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding Is a Strategic Defeat for America

The terms of the Memorandum of Understanding ending the U.S.-Iran war are now public. This analysis argues the deal is worth supporting as an...

June 17, 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...

7 days ago
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
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