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PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 17, 2025) - Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Annapolis (SSN 760) steams forward off the coast of Guam during a photo exercise, Dec. 17, 2025. Assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 at Polaris Point, Naval Base Guam, Annapolis is one of five fast-attack submarines forward-deployed in the Pacific. Renowned for their unparalleled speed, endurance, stealth, and mobility, fast-attack submarines serve as the backbone of the Navy's submarine force, ensuring readiness and agility in safeguarding maritime interests around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. James Caliva) PACIFIC OCEAN (Dec. 17, 2025) - Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Annapolis (SSN 760) steams forward off the coast of Guam during a photo exercise, Dec. 17, 2025. Assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 at Polaris Point, Naval Base Guam, Annapolis is one of five fast-attack submarines forward-deployed in the Pacific. Renowned for their unparalleled speed, endurance, stealth, and mobility, fast-attack submarines serve as the backbone of the Navy's submarine force, ensuring readiness and agility in safeguarding maritime interests around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. James Caliva)

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The AUKUS Submarine Deal Is Based on Math That Won’t Ever Work

The strategic logic behind the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) agreement was straightforward. Australia needed nuclear-powered submarines to operate effectively across the vast Indo-Pacific. The...

8 hours ago
F-14

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

The F-14 Tomcat Fighter Wasn’t the U.S. Navy’s First Choice

Vice Admiral Thomas Connolly famously said the F-111B Navy variant lacked “enough thrust in all Christendom to make a Navy fighter out of that...

1 day ago
The B-21 Raider was unveiled to the public at a ceremony December 2, 2022 in

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

It’s Official: The U.S. Air Force Needs Far More Than 100 B-21 Raider Stealth Bombers

For years, analysts and even Air Force officials have argued that plans to procure 100 B-21 Raiders are insufficient, and that a fleet of...

1 day ago
Tu-160 Bomber from Russian Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Russia’s Tu-160M Blackjack Bomber Is Armed With 6 Kh-55SM Cruise Missiles — Each Can Carry a 200-Kiloton Thermonuclear Warhead

Russia is upgrading the Tu-160M Blackjack long-range bomber as a bridge platform while the Russian PAK DA stealth bomber has been delayed. The Russian...

1 day ago

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy
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
Baltic Air Policing is a peacetime mission in which NATO Allies deploy fighter jets to cover the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Baltic Air Policing is a peacetime mission in which NATO Allies deploy fighter jets to cover the airspace of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

NATO’s 5% Pledge: A Hollow Victory for a Dependent Europe?

Key Points and Summary – The recent NATO summit in The Hague, where European allies agreed to a new 5% of GDP defense spending...

June 29, 2025
Russian President Putin. Image Credit: Creative Commons. Russian President Putin. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

Why Putin Believes He Can Win His ‘Civilizational War’ Against the West

The Trump administration made the Russia-Ukraine ceasefire its priority foreign policy initiative shortly after the inauguration. Setting aside Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric that he...

May 28, 2025

Smart Bombs
T-90 Tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

3,912 Tanks Destroyed: Russia’s Losses in the Ukraine War Might Make Your Brain Hurt

The U.S. Army’s G2 Training and Doctrine Command 2024 report “The Operational Environment 2024-2034 Large-Scale Combat Operations” said Russia has lost 3,197 main battle...

8 hours ago
Ohio-Class SSGN Submarine Firing Ohio-Class SSGN Submarine Firing

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

2,080 Tomahawk Cruise Missiles Will Soon Vanish, and U.S. Navy Is Scrambling to Keep Its Ohio-Class Submarines Alive

Each U.S. Navy Ohio-class SSGN guided-missile submarine carries up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles. Each U.S. Navy Ohio-class SSGN has 22 missile tubes —...

10 hours ago
General George S. Patton Army General George S. Patton Army

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

U.S. Army Quote of the Day by General George Patton: “You’re Never Beaten Until You Admit It”

General George S. Patton’s Third Army of over 250,000 men pivoted 90 degrees in approximately 48 hours to attack the German flank at the...

23 hours ago
T-54 Tank T-54 Tank

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Russia’s T-54/55 Was the “AK-47 of Tanks” — More Than 100,000 Were Built and They Served More Than 50 Nations

The Soviet T-54/55 tank series was called the “AK-47 of tanks.” More than 100,000 Soviet T-54/55 tanks were built. The Soviet T-54/55 tanks served...

23 hours ago

Trillions
President Donald J. Trump signs an Executive Order creating an anti-fraud task force to be led by Vice President JD Vance, Monday, March 16, 2026, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Trillions - 19FortyFive

$2,000,000,000,000 Precedent: Trump In China With Nvidia, Apple, and Boeing CEOs + Elon Musk for the Xi Summit

President Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a 2-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump is the first sitting U.S. president...

3 days ago
An F-35 Lightning II assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., sits in a hangar ahead of operations for the F-35 Lightning II TDY, Oct. 28, 2021, at Joint Base San Antonio-Kelly Field, Texas. The 62nd FS will be training with F-16s from the 149th Fighter Wing and the 301st Fighter Wing, along with T-38s from the 301st Fighter Wing. The multi-role capabilities of the F-35 allows them to perform missions which traditionally required numerous specialized aircraft. The complimentary air superiority capabilities of the F-35 will augment our air superiority fleet and ensure we continue to "own the skies" over future battlefields. (U.S. Air Force photo by Brian G. Rhodes) An F-35 Lightning II assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., sits in a hangar ahead of operations for the F-35 Lightning II TDY, Oct. 28, 2021, at Joint Base San Antonio-Kelly Field, Texas. The 62nd FS will be training with F-16s from the 149th Fighter Wing and the 301st Fighter Wing, along with T-38s from the 301st Fighter Wing. The multi-role capabilities of the F-35 allows them to perform missions which traditionally required numerous specialized aircraft. The complimentary air superiority capabilities of the F-35 will augment our air superiority fleet and ensure we continue to "own the skies" over future battlefields. (U.S. Air Force photo by Brian G. Rhodes)

Trillions - 19FortyFive

Canada Was Going to Buy 88 F-35s — Today It’s Only Committed to 16 and Hedging on 14 More as Saab Pitches the Gripen Alternative

Canada committed in 2023 to buy 88 Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighters to replace its CF-18 fleet — today it has firmly committed to...

May 8, 2026
Russian Mobile ICBMs. Image Credit: Creative Commons. Russian Mobile ICBMs. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Trillions - 19FortyFive

Two Russian Military Satellites Just Maneuvered Within 10 Feet of Each Other in Orbit — at 17,000 MPH and Without Touching

Two classified Russian military satellites maintained a 10-foot gap in low Earth orbit on April 28, while traveling at 17,000 miles per hour. The...

May 7, 2026
A new study has uncovered a deeply troubling problem hidden in the world's network of undersea commercial tunnels: the rubber GINA gaskets that keep seawater from flooding through joints are degrading 35% faster than engineers originally predicted. Tested at Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, the gaskets lost a stunning 67.66% of their sealing force—raising urgent questions about the safety of vehicle and rail tunnels around the world. A new study has uncovered a deeply troubling problem hidden in the world's network of undersea commercial tunnels: the rubber GINA gaskets that keep seawater from flooding through joints are degrading 35% faster than engineers originally predicted. Tested at Shijiazhuang Tiedao University, the gaskets lost a stunning 67.66% of their sealing force—raising urgent questions about the safety of vehicle and rail tunnels around the world.

Trillions - 19FortyFive

‘Degrading 35 Percent Faster’: Special Rubber Used to Keep Undersea Tunnels Sealed Is Dissolving from Within Faster Than Engineers Predicted

A new study has uncovered a deeply troubling problem in the world’s network of undersea commercial tunnels: rubber GINA gaskets are degrading 35% faster...

May 5, 2026

The Embassy
Putin Russia

The Embassy

Putin’s Russia Looks Like It’s on Borrowed Time

On May 9, 2026, Russia held its annual Victory Day parade in Red Square. It was the shortest in the event’s history. Just 43...

5 days ago
USS Savannah (LCS 28) conducts a live-fire demonstration in the Eastern Pacific Ocean utilizing a containerized launching system that fired an SM-6 missile from the ship at a designated target. The exercise demonstrated the modularity and lethality of Littoral Combat Ships and the ability to successfully integrate a containerized weapons system to engage a surface target. The exercise will inform continued testing, evaluation and integration of containerized weapons systems on afloat platforms. USS Savannah (LCS 28) conducts a live-fire demonstration in the Eastern Pacific Ocean utilizing a containerized launching system that fired an SM-6 missile from the ship at a designated target. The exercise demonstrated the modularity and lethality of Littoral Combat Ships and the ability to successfully integrate a containerized weapons system to engage a surface target. The exercise will inform continued testing, evaluation and integration of containerized weapons systems on afloat platforms.

The Embassy

Every Missile Fired in Iran Is One the U.S. Can’t Use to Deter China

The U.S. war with Iran has now lasted more than two months. Pentagon munitions stockpiles are critically short. The Pentagon recently attempted to reclaim...

5 days ago
Image: Creative Commons. A Royal Australian Air Force McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet (s/n A21-46) firing an AIM-7M Sparrow missile. The aircraft also carries another AIM-7, two AGM-84 Harpoon missiles and two AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles. Image: Creative Commons. A Royal Australian Air Force McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet (s/n A21-46) firing an AIM-7M Sparrow missile. The aircraft also carries another AIM-7, two AGM-84 Harpoon missiles and two AIM-9M Sidewinder missiles.

The Embassy

Trump Set 3 Deadlines for Iran’s Unconditional Surrender — Tehran Watched All Three Pass Without Consequence

The Iran Ceasefire Isn’t Dead. That’s Exactly the Problem: The ceasefire is holding, and Iran is the reason. Not because Tehran has any interest...

5 days ago
Ukraine Ukraine

The Embassy

‘Ukraine War Trouble’: Putin Might Have Gone Into ‘Hiding’ Over Fears of Assassination

Vladimir Putin’s paranoia has surged to an all-time high—the Russian president now reportedly spends his days and nights shuttling between underground bunker complexes, terrified...

May 5, 2026

Hermit Kingdom
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
North Korea North Korea

Hermit Kingdom

North Korea’s Demand: Kim Jong Un Wants Trump To Recognize the Hermit Kingdom as a Nuclear Weapons State

Summary and Key Points: Reuben F. Johnson, a veteran defense technology analyst and Casimir Pulaski Foundation fellow, scrutinizes the Ninth Congress of the Workers’...

February 26, 2026
North Korean Military. Image Credit: Creative Commons. North Korean Military. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Hermit Kingdom

Korea Reunification Isn’t Coming—And Great-Power Politics Is Why

Korea’s Division Isn’t a Glitch Anymore. It’s a Feature of the New Order The division of Korea was always understood to be temporary. In...

February 2, 2026