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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...

7 hours ago

Aerospace & Defense

The US Navy Has No Way to Get Close to China Without Being Showered by Thousands of Missiles and Drones

Any US war with China would be expeditionary, fought at the end of long supply lines, while China would defend close to home with...

1 day ago
U.S. Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division fire an M1 Abrams main battle tank at an enemy target during Rotation 25-02 at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., Nov. 07, 2024. Rotations at the National Training Center ensure Army Brigade Combat Teams remain versatile, responsive, and consistently available for current and future contingencies. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Casey Auman, Operations Group, National Training Center).

Aerospace & Defense

The Great US Marine Corps Reboot Has Arrived

Gen. David Berger's reasoning was blunt: buy cheap, numerous systems instead of a few exquisite ones, and stop preparing for the grinding land wars...

3 days ago
Eurofighter Typhoon

The Embassy

Russia and NATO’s Gray Zone Actions Could Spark a War No One Wants

The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Foreign Policy, and the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies have all warned of an escalating Russian gray...

3 days ago

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy
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
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) 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

NATO’s Answer to the Pentagon’s Europe Review Already Exists: The Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative

The Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative emerged from US Army Europe and Africa and NATO's Allied Land Command as a concept for restoring deterrence by...

August 13, 2026
British Challenger 2 Tank. British Challenger 2 Tank.

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

The Eastern Flank Comes First: Inside NATO’s Post-Ankara Turn Toward Forward Defense and Industrial Muscle

For all the talk of spending targets, the Ankara NATO summit's real work happened elsewhere. Europe is being handed responsibility for NATO's conventional defense...

July 9, 2026

Aerospace & Defense
SR-71 Mach 3

Aerospace & Defense

An SR-71 Blackbird Left Andrews Air Force Base in 1984 With Its Own Afterburner Blowing 1,500-Degree Flame Into the Wing. The Pilot Dumped 14,000 Pounds of Fuel to Get the Weight Off and Set 13 Acres of Maryland on Fire.

The right SR-71 afterburner attachment section blew out on a low pass over the runway, driving flame into the nacelle and peeling titanium off...

7 minutes ago
HK MP7 Creative Commons Photo HK MP7 Creative Commons Photo

Aerospace & Defense

I Am a Retired US Army Special Forces NCO: NATO Asked for a Weapon to Arm Truck Drivers and Artillerymen Who Would Probably Never Fire It. It Ended Up With DEVGRU, GSG 9, GIGN and the US Capitol Police.

The 1989 requirement was to defeat the CRISAT target — 1.6mm of titanium backed by twenty layers of Kevlar — which no pistol cartridge...

28 minutes ago
Four F-117 Nighthawks fly in formation during a sortie over the Antelope Valley recently. After 25 years of history, the aircraft is set to retire soon. As the Air Force's first stealth fighter, the F-117 is capable of performing reconnaissance missions and bombing critical targets, all without the enemy's knowledge. (Photo by Bobbi Zapka) Four F-117 Nighthawks fly in formation during a sortie over the Antelope Valley recently. After 25 years of history, the aircraft is set to retire soon. As the Air Force's first stealth fighter, the F-117 is capable of performing reconnaissance missions and bombing critical targets, all without the enemy's knowledge. (Photo by Bobbi Zapka)

Aerospace & Defense

Lockheed Wanted to Put the F-117 Nighthawk on US Navy Aircraft Carriers. It Proposed 255 of Them at $70,000,000 Each — Almost $17,900,000,000 — and Congress Set Aside $175,000,000 Just to Study Whether It Would Work. The Navy Said No Twice.

The Navy had just lost the A-12 Avenger II and had nothing to replace the aging A-6 Intruder, so Lockheed pitched the F-117 stealth...

58 minutes ago
Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier U.S. Navy Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier U.S. Navy

Aerospace & Defense

The US Navy Planned to Deliver the Aircraft Carrier USS John F. Kennedy in July 2025. She Is Now Due in March 2027. The 20-Month Slip Came Down to Arresting Gear Certification and the Weapons Elevators — the Same 2 Systems That Held Up USS Gerald R. Ford.

Ford was built with thinner deck and bulkhead plates to save weight, and the steel turned out to be harder to work with —...

1 hour 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
Putin Back in March of 2025 at Desk Creative Commons

The Embassy

Putin’s Giant Gamble: Another Ukraine War Mobilization Is Filled with Unknown Risks and An Angry Russia Simmering

Surely there is reluctance among a part of the Russian population – especially those living in major cities – to see their sons dragged...

6 days ago
Trump Meeting in the Vatican with Ukraine Trump Meeting in the Vatican with Ukraine

The Embassy

‘Pivotal Meeting’: Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Donald Trump Will Meet Today. Here’s What’s on the Agenda to Try and End the Ukraine War

Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to meet with US President Donald Trump and discuss current and possible new initiatives aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

6 days ago
Vladimir Putin In March 2018 Creative Commons Image Vladimir Putin In March 2018 Creative Commons Image

The Embassy

The Race to Succeed Putin Has Begun

Almost all of the names are in their late forties to mid-fifties, and that is the point. Putin's own generation — men like FSB...

September 21, 2026
Putin Russia Putin Russia

The Embassy

Putin Is Using Russia’s Election to Recruit for the War in Ukraine

The Duma is a rubber-stamp parliament and United Russia is not going to lose it. The election still matters to Putin, for two reasons...

September 17, 2026

Hermit Kingdom
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
Image of North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. Image Credit: North Korean State Media. Image of North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. Image Credit: North Korean State Media.

Hermit Kingdom

North Korea’s Fingerprints Are All Over Iran’s War Against America

As President Trump downsizes the Ulchi Freedom Shield war games after South Korea declined to help with Iran, one uncomfortable fact goes almost completely...

August 20, 2026
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