Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security
Key Points and Summary: Iran is phasing out its aging F-14 Tomcats in favor of Russian-made Su-35 Flanker-E fighters, marking a significant upgrade for...
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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...
For the first time, the Air Force has admitted its B-2 can do something it still won't fully explain: fire an anti-ship missile. In...
Sweden didn't build the Gotland class to chase aircraft carriers across oceans. It built three small, quiet submarines for the Baltic — and in...
China's only training aircraft carrier spent 40 days in the Pacific, and Beijing came home furious — accusing Japanese fighters of simulated attack runs...
Taiwan just received the last of 108 American Abrams tanks, closing a $1.29 billion deal — and a growing chorus of analysts says the...
A film celebrating ten years of China's Y-20 transport slipped in something no other country has shown on official camera: a sixth-generation fighter refueling...
A decade after it surfaced, China's H-20 has no flying prototype and no production line. The reasons are industrial, not financial: an intercontinental flying...
A new 1.5-gigawatt project in Utah will use five 300-megawatt Holtec small modular reactors rather than two massive conventional ones, part of a broader...
A Belgian joint venture, BeHydro, has earned the world's first Type Approval Certificate from Lloyd's Register for a marine engine that runs on 100...
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...
Key Points and Summary: Iran is phasing out its aging F-14 Tomcats in favor of Russian-made Su-35 Flanker-E fighters, marking a significant upgrade for...
Pity the plight of the Kurds. The Kurds often quip that they are the largest people without a nation. That’s true. And they also...
Key Points and Summary: In 2024, China escalated military provocations around Taiwan, with record-breaking incursions, mock blockades, and unprecedented naval drills. Triggered by Taiwanese...
Donald Trump will soon be president. Washington policymakers are understandably skeptical that he will be able to fulfill his promise to end the Russo-Ukraine...
The Islamic Republic of Iran’s back is to the ropes. Not only is Hamas on the defensive but Israel’s sabotage of Hezbollah beepers quite...
