Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security
Synopsis: As of February 2026, the U.S. Air Force is finalizing the deployment of 48 F-35A Lightning IIs to Misawa Air Base, Japan—a strategic...
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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...
The U.S. is pouring billions into a handful of exquisite warplanes — the $300-million F-47 and the $700-million-plus B-21 Raider. But this analysis argues...
The United States and Iran can probably keep the shooting stopped for 60 days — but only if neither side mistakes the pause for...
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...
Iran: A War at the Wrong Time and Place: As the war in Iran continues and analysts debate how long it will last and...
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...
Key Points and Summary – The recent NATO summit in The Hague, where European allies agreed to a new 5% of GDP defense spending...
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...
A missile bolted to a wing is a radar reflector that wrecks the F-35's stealth, so the jet carries its weapons in an internal...
In the 1960s France built Israel's air force and sold it the Mirage that won the Six-Day War. Then France embargoed Israel and kept...
Israel built the Merkava after Britain cut off its tanks, determined never to depend on a foreign supplier again. It became the symbol of...
Behind its Cold War neutrality, Sweden was quietly preparing to go nuclear. Saab designed the Saab 36 "Vargen," a Mach 2, delta-wing bomber built...
Germany spent decades as a reluctant military power, its Cold War army allowed to atrophy and a deep pacifism running through its politics. Russia's...
Rafale Won Europe’s Fighter Competition–and the Eurofighter Typhoon Shows Why: For years, military aviation enthusiasts have debated which fighter is superior: the French-built Rafale...
Greece has selected Embraer's C-390 over a new Lockheed C-130 to replace its aging Hercules fleet, approving €600 million for three jets. It's the...
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...
Ukrainian “long-range sanctions” continue to hammer targets in Russia, with continued targeting of the Russian capital of Moscow with massive drone attacks. Tuesday’s drone...
NATO is not collapsing, but it is changing: some of its most important members want the alliance's protection while keeping a freer hand outside...
When Trump's Iran war ends with a signed settlement, the verdicts will come fast — and most will be premature. The questions that actually...
The Iran Deal Won’t Buy America Security. It Will Cost It: Proponents of the emerging nuclear agreement with Iran have settled on a convenient...
On May 21, 2025, a brand-new North Korean destroyer rolled over and partially capsized at its own launch ceremony — with Kim Jong Un...
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...
Summary and Key Points: Dr. Bruce E. Bechtol Jr., a political science professor and proliferation expert, evaluates the strategic partnership between Iran and North...
Summary and Key Points: Reuben F. Johnson, a veteran defense technology analyst and Casimir Pulaski Foundation fellow, scrutinizes the Ninth Congress of the Workers’...
Synopsis: As of February 2026, the U.S. Air Force is finalizing the deployment of 48 F-35A Lightning IIs to Misawa Air Base, Japan—a strategic...
Summary and Key Points: The Eurofighter Typhoon has evolved from a Cold War interceptor into a sophisticated multi-role platform capable of operating through the...
Summary and Key Points: Satellite imagery from February 9, 2026, reveals that Russia has concentrated nearly its entire Su-57 “Felon” fleet—approximately 15 to 20...
Summary and Key Points: Dr. Robert Kelly argues that a “new nuclear age” is dawning, driven not just by rogue states, but by U.S....
Summary and Key Points: The F-35 program has entered a high-stakes “radar gap” as Lot 17 aircraft are delivered to the U.S. military without...
