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Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

$846 Billion: The Budget The U.S. Military Really Needs

While Pentagon leaders are busy rejecting proposed additional funds from Congress to meet ongoing requirements, politicians are dusting off their pocket constitutions to remind...

Mackenzie EaglenMay 16, 2022

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Force Design 2030: A Threat or Big Opportunity?

It is important to understand which aspects of war are likely to change and which are not. We must stay abreast of the process...

Robert WorkMay 15, 2022

Image: Creative Commons. Crew members aboard Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) flagship HNLMS De Ruyter inspect their Goalkeeper Close in Weapons System (CIWS) before a gunnery exercise as part of NATO exercise Trident Juncture 2018 on October 31, 2018. The Goalkeeper system is for short-range defence of ships against highly maneuverable missiles, aircraft and fast maneuvering surface vessels. Trident Juncture 18 is designed to ensure that NATO forces are trained, able to operate together and ready to respond to any threat from any direction. Trident Juncture 18 takes place in Norway and the surrounding areas of the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea, including Iceland and the airspace of Finland and Sweden. With around 50,000 participants from 31 nations Trident Juncture 2018 is one of NATOâs largest exercises in recent years. More than 250 aircraft, 65 ships and 10,000 vehicles are involved in the exercise to perform and conduct air, land, maritime, special operation and amphibious drills.

The Embassy

Finland Joining NATO Is a Game Changer (And Russia’s Fault)

What History Tells Us About Finland And Russia – On May 12th, Finland’s President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced that Finland...

Sarah WhiteMay 15, 2022

Smart Bombs: Military, Defense and National Security

Putin’s Afghanistan: The Russian Military Seems Trapped in Ukraine

On May 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a major opportunity to escalate his war in Ukraine in a bid for a definitive victory....

Robert E. KellyMay 14, 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin watches a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2022. Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. THIS PICTURE WAS PROCESSED BY REUTERS TO ENHANCE QUALITY. AN UNPROCESSED VERSION HAS BEEN PROVIDED SEPARATELY.

The Embassy

Putin’s Russia Has One Goal: To Ensure Ukraine Doesn’t Exist

How Can Ukraine ‘talk’ with Russia when Putin’s goal seems to be to ensure Ukraine doesn’t exist? Imagine it’s 1944 in Europe, and some Allied...

Alexander J. MotylMay 13, 2022

Hermit Kingdom

COVID-19 Has Come for North Korea

North Korea’s COVID-19 Nightmare Has Arrived: Pyongyang, North Korea, is now under lockdown. The North spent more than two years essentially self-contained, sealing its...

Doug BandowMay 13, 2022

A U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning II aircraft assigned to the 34th Fighter Squadron receives fuel from a KC-10 Extender aircraft over Poland, February 24, 2022. U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Joseph Barron/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

The Embassy

Are the U.S. and Russia Destined for War over Ukraine?

Traditionally, nations joined alliances to improve their security. This is no longer the case for the US. For Washington, alliances have become charitable endeavors....

Doug BandowMay 12, 2022