Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security
Donald Trump has always tended to appoint unconventional people to major government positions, but his nomination of Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon is...
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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...
The diplomatic center of gravity in the Middle East has decisively shifted to Riyadh. On June 23, 2026, talks between Iranian Majlis Speaker Mohammed...
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....
Canada is just weeks from a decision that could become the most expensive procurement in its history: choosing the submarines that will guard its...
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...
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...
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...
Six Marine Corps F-35Bs are flying with ballast bolted in where their radar should be, the program's chief confirmed to the Senate, because the...
The Air Force just switched on Flyer, a $20 million supercomputer at Wright-Patterson built to simulate the hypersonic flights that are too fast and...
The U.S. Air Force is seeking a new Air Force Long Range Weapon, or AFLRW, with a planned reach of 1,000 nautical miles. Details...
In April the U.S. Army pivoted away from Lockheed Martin's Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, the "Dark Eagle," whose $35–40 million-per-missile cost made it nearly impossible...
My best friend in the U.S. Army was a Special Forces officer with service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once, we had a conversation about...
A few days ago I learned my 2024 Jeep Gladiator is one of more than a million Wranglers and Gladiators that federal regulators say...
Iran keeps returning to the Strait of Hormuz because it works. As Andrew Latham argues, Tehran doesn't need to close the waterway, or even...
SpaceX exists to put humans on Mars, so its shift toward the Moon looks like an admission that the Mars dream has stalled. It...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Donald Trump has always tended to appoint unconventional people to major government positions, but his nomination of Pete Hegseth to lead the Pentagon is...
Key Points and Summary: The F-35 Lightning II, America’s fifth-generation multirole stealth fighter, continues to evolve with its latest Block 5 upgrades. –The Cost...
Key Points and Summary: The U.S. Navy’s unusual decision to disclose the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Tennessee operating in the Norwegian Sea, joined...
In the aftermath of the Cold War, the United States emerged as the world’s sole superpower, unrivaled in conventional and nuclear military might. This...
Mediating in Public and Private: Can Donald Trump Achieve Peace in the Ukraine War?: The prospects for brokering a just peace in Ukraine will...
