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The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) arrives to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled port visit. Fort Worth deployed for a scheduled 16-month rotational deployment to Singapore in support of the Navy's strategic rebalance to the Pacific. Fort Worth is the first littoral combat ship to deploy under the 3-2-1 manning concept, swapping fully trained crews roughly every four months and extending the littoral combat ship forward presence. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Diana Quinlan/Released) The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) arrives to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled port visit. Fort Worth deployed for a scheduled 16-month rotational deployment to Singapore in support of the Navy's strategic rebalance to the Pacific. Fort Worth is the first littoral combat ship to deploy under the 3-2-1 manning concept, swapping fully trained crews roughly every four months and extending the littoral combat ship forward presence. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Diana Quinlan/Released)

Aerospace & Defense

China Dominates Global Shipbuilding and the United States Ranks 14th by Tonnage. The Case for an Allied Counterweight.

American-flagged vessels account for less than 0.3 percent of the shipping carrying U.S. trade, and the country graduates several hundred naval architects a year...

2 days ago
Ukraine War TOS-1A

The Embassy

Pausing the Ukraine War Could Help Ukraine

Both sides would use a Ukraine war pause to rearm, and a longer pause may mean a bloodier spring. Michael Rubin argues Kyiv should...

3 days ago
MEDITERRANEAN SEA (July 20, 2017) The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) sails through the Mediterranean Sea in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The ship and its carrier strike group are conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe and Africa. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Zachary Wickline/Released)

Aerospace & Defense

The U.S. Navy May Be Preparing for a War Its Adversary Has No Intention of Fighting

Tirpitz's "risk theory" was not a plan to defeat Britain but to make defeating Germany so costly that Britain would seek accommodation. It required...

3 days ago
Iowa-Class U.S. Navy Battleships Flag

Aerospace & Defense

Now Is the Time to Save the US Navy’s Battleships

An Iowa-class battleship carried about 3,000 officers and sailors in the Second World War and still needed nearly 1,600 after 1980s modernization — a...

3 days ago

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy
Putin Back in March of 2025 at Desk Creative Commons

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

The Russia Diesel Deal Is a Strategic Mistake

The Trump administration’s deal to allow Russian diesel into the United States blindsided Kyiv and Europe alike — halting peace talks, triggering threats to...

October 14, 2026

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

Putin’s Next Target May Be NATO Itself

Sabotage at Leipzig, Swindon, and Skarżysko-Kamienna. A curfew across the river from Narva. New garrisons at Petrozavodsk, Lupche-Savino, and Pechenga pointing at Finland's 830-mile...

September 28, 2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) summit at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia May 16, 2022. Sputnik/Sergei Guneev/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY./File Photo Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) summit at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia May 16, 2022. Sputnik/Sergei Guneev/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY./File Photo

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

Why the Witkoff-Kushner Mission Failed: Washington Still Misreads the Stakes in Ukraine

The Witkoff-Kushner shuttle between Moscow and Kyiv ended, predictably, without a breakthrough — and Andrew Michta argues the failure reveals something deeper than bad...

September 9, 2026
T-72 Tank from Poland - Creative Commons Image T-72 Tank from Poland - Creative Commons Image

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

Germany Is Becoming Ukraine’s Most Important Ally in Europe — and Poland Is Paying the Price

German Foreign Minister Wadephul's fourth Kyiv visit — two days before Ukraine's Independence Day — capped an accelerating shift: Berlin is becoming Ukraine's principal...

August 24, 2026

Aerospace & Defense
A U.S. Navy F/A-18F and F-35, both assigned to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 9, fly over the Point Mugu Sea Range in Southern California with a U.S. Air Force F-15 during Gray Flag 2024 on Sept. 24, 2024. Gray Flag is an annual large-force test event that brings the joint force together to test and evaluate multi-domain systems in a maritime environment, ensuring our nation’s warfighters are equipped with effective, interoperable systems that will help them deter aggression, protect our nation’s prosperity and security, and return home safely to their families. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. Cmdr. Kory Hughs)

Aerospace & Defense

A US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet Came Home on Oct. 1 Wearing a Submarine Kill Marking, Reported as the First Ever on the Type, for a Kilo-Class Sub Bombed Where It Sat in Port

An F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-41, the “Black Aces,” returned to NAS Lemoore on Oct. 1 with a broken submarine silhouette and the words...

8 hours ago
Winston Churchill Creative Commons Photo Winston Churchill Creative Commons Photo

Aerospace & Defense

The Quote Winston Churchill Never Said on Defeat and Victory Just Might Be Simple, Effective and His Best Line Ever

“Defeat is never fatal. Victory is never final. It’s courage that counts.” The International Churchill Society searched fifty million words by and about Winston...

23 hours ago
Battleships and heavy cruisers steam in column off Kamaishi, at the time they bombarded the iron works there, as seen from USS South Dakota (BB-57). USS Indiana (BB-58) is the nearest ship, followed by USS Massachusetts (BB-59). Cruisers Chicago (CA-136) and Quincy (CA-71) bring up the rear. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Battleships and heavy cruisers steam in column off Kamaishi, at the time they bombarded the iron works there, as seen from USS South Dakota (BB-57). USS Indiana (BB-58) is the nearest ship, followed by USS Massachusetts (BB-59). Cruisers Chicago (CA-136) and Quincy (CA-71) bring up the rear. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Aerospace & Defense

The Battleship USS Indiana Was Struck During Night Maneuvers in January 1944 by the USS Washington, Whose Bow Tore Through Her Starboard Side and Was Left Embedded in Her Hull

Commissioned April 30, 1942, the 44,000-ton South Dakota-class battleship USS Indiana (BB-58) carried nine 16-inch guns firing 2,700-pound shells 23 miles. She fought at...

1 day ago
James Mattis US Marines Photo James Mattis US Marines Photo

Aerospace & Defense

23 Years Later, General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis and His Line to the Marines Is Still One of the Greatest Military Quotes in Armed Forces History

“Engage your brain before you engage your weapon.” James Mattis put the line in a letter to his Marines on the eve of the...

1 day ago

Trillions
Aircraft Carrier

Trillions - 19FortyFive

‘Effectively Closed’: The Strait of Hormuz Oil and Gas Crisis Is Going from Bad to Even Worse

Four ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz Thursday against a 10-day average of 16. Iran said it hit tanker Trend on Friday. Brent is...

September 19, 2026
Steve Jobs Creative Commons Photo with iPhone Apple Steve Jobs Creative Commons Photo with iPhone Apple

Trillions - 19FortyFive

21 Years Ago, Apple Founder Steve Jobs Advice on Time and ‘Living Someone Else’s Life’ Is the Truth Serum That Still Shapes Our World

Jobs dropped out of Reed College and stayed on as what he called a "drop-in," sitting in on classes that interested him. One was...

September 14, 2026
Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin

Trillions - 19FortyFive

“Money Never Made a Man Happy Yet, Nor Will It. The More a Man Has, the More He Wants.” Benjamin Franklin Was the 8th of 17 Children, Got 2 Years of Schooling Because His Family Could Not Afford More, and His Face Is on the $100 Bill.

"Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has,...

September 9, 2026
A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircraft, assigned to the 96th Bomb Squadron from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, flies over spectators at the Dubai Airshow 2025, Nov. 17, 2025, at the Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The B-52 flew from Rota, Spain, to participate in the event, showcasing U.S. airpower on a global stage. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tylin Rust) A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircraft, assigned to the 96th Bomb Squadron from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, flies over spectators at the Dubai Airshow 2025, Nov. 17, 2025, at the Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The B-52 flew from Rota, Spain, to participate in the event, showcasing U.S. airpower on a global stage. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tylin Rust)

Trillions - 19FortyFive

Iran’s Economy Is Buckling. That Is Not the Same as Iran Being Ready to Sign a Deal

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has unveiled Operation Economic Outcast: secondary sanctions across five sectors and more than sixty targets, with no relief attached. Iran's...

August 25, 2026

The Embassy
Soldiers with Echo Company, 1st Battalion, 81st Armor Regiment, 194th Armored Brigade, conduct tank gunnery training with the M1 Abrams tank July 09, 2025, at Brooks Range, on Fort Benning, Georgia. (U.S. Army photo by Daniel Marble)

The Embassy

Ukraine Promised to Do the Fighting If the West Paid for It. That Bargain Is Now in Question

For four and a half years the request was essentially a check, and the argument was that a properly supplied David could match Goliath....

4 days ago
M142 HIMARS. Image Credit: Creative Commons. M142 HIMARS. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The Embassy

Let Trump Be Trump on the Ukraine War

Let Trump be Trump—which he will be anyway. Even if his peace efforts fail (which is entirely possible), American interests will be protected, and...

4 days ago
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) underway at sunset in the Persian Gulf. Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) are currently on a regularly scheduled deployment conducting maritime security operations. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Matthew Bash (RELEASED) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) underway at sunset in the Persian Gulf. Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) are currently on a regularly scheduled deployment conducting maritime security operations. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Matthew Bash (RELEASED)

The Embassy

America First Foreign Policy Is A Strategy for America Alone

Dr. Robert Kelly argues that Donald Trump’s second term is alienating allies as no president has since 1945: refusing Saudi Arabia’s request to strike...

5 days ago
U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 65th Field Artillery Brigade fire a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during a joint live-fire exercise with the Kuwait Land Forces, Jan. 8, 2019, near Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The U.S. and Kuwaiti forces train together frequently to maintain a high level of combat readiness and to maintain effective communication between the two forces. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Bill Boecker) U.S. Soldiers assigned to the 65th Field Artillery Brigade fire a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during a joint live-fire exercise with the Kuwait Land Forces, Jan. 8, 2019, near Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The U.S. and Kuwaiti forces train together frequently to maintain a high level of combat readiness and to maintain effective communication between the two forces. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Bill Boecker)

The Embassy

How the Ukraine War Ends: A Partial Ceasefire That Settles Into Another Frozen Conflict

Signing the largest Russia sanctions package to date and then floating a diesel arrangement looks contradictory only if one assumes the two acts are...

October 15, 2026

Hermit Kingdom
North Korea ICBM

Hermit Kingdom

The Case for Another Donald Trump-North Korea Summit

President Trump says he gets along with Kim Jong Un and wants a new summit before the end of 2026, along with smaller US-South...

October 10, 2026
North Korea North Korea

Hermit Kingdom

Donald Trump Needs to Bring Concessions if He Wants a Deal with North Korea

Trump is reportedly considering another meeting with Kim Jong Un. The last round produced Singapore, Hanoi, and the DMZ, and by 2020 the status...

September 15, 2026
A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit conducts an integrated maritime strike training exercise with U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II and F/A-18E Super Hornets from Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) off the coast of California, on Feb. 10-11, 2026. Practicing innovative methods to employ and integrate strategic bombers like the B-2 with Navy carrier strike groups enhances combat capabilities through synchronized, integrated power projection. (U.S. Navy photo by Katie Archibald) A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit conducts an integrated maritime strike training exercise with U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II and F/A-18E Super Hornets from Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) off the coast of California, on Feb. 10-11, 2026. Practicing innovative methods to employ and integrate strategic bombers like the B-2 with Navy carrier strike groups enhances combat capabilities through synchronized, integrated power projection. (U.S. Navy photo by Katie Archibald)

Hermit Kingdom

What the Iran War Proved About America’s Nuclear Weapons Threat to North Korea

American doctrine promises that any North Korean nuclear attack will end the Kim regime. The Iran war has just tested that assumption. The United...

September 4, 2026
B-2 Spirit stealth bombers assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base taxi and take-off during exercise Spirit Vigilance on Whiteman Air Force Base on November 7th, 2022. Routine exercises like Spirit Vigilance assure our allies and partners that Whiteman Air Force Base is ready to execute nuclear operations and global strike anytime, anywhere. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Bryson Britt) B-2 Spirit stealth bombers assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base taxi and take-off during exercise Spirit Vigilance on Whiteman Air Force Base on November 7th, 2022. Routine exercises like Spirit Vigilance assure our allies and partners that Whiteman Air Force Base is ready to execute nuclear operations and global strike anytime, anywhere. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Bryson Britt)

Hermit Kingdom

The North Korea Deal Donald Trump Should Actually Want

Trump ordered Ulchi Freedom Shield cut from eleven days to five before Kim Jong-un had agreed to anything in return. Kim Yo-jong dismissed the...

August 21, 2026
Members of the People's Liberation Army navy are seen on board China's aircraft carrier Liaoning as it sails into Hong Kong, China July 7, 2017. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

Dr. James Holmes: The Naval Diplomat - 19FortyFive

Is China a Mahanian Sea Power?

It wasn’t that long ago that suggesting that China is enamored of Alfred Thayer Mahan’s ideas about sea power was a laugh line. Nowadays...

January 8, 2023
F-35. Image Credit: Creative Commons. F-35. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Dr. James Holmes: The Naval Diplomat - 19FortyFive

Japan Matters if China Invades Taiwan

Nikkei Asia recently interviewed retired marine general and assistant secretary of defense Wallace “Chip” Gregson (also a 19FortyFive contributor) on the subject of how...

January 7, 2023