The GPS (Global Positioning System), which had its first launch in 1978, has entered daily speech as a term. Yet few have heard of Galileo, the EU’s state-of-the-art next-generation Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and even fewer are aware of its transatlantic… [Read more…]
Secret Diplomacy and Future Wars: The unknown drama behind the Global Positioning System
The GPS (Global Positioning System), which had its first launch in 1978, has entered daily speech as a term. Yet few have heard of Galileo, the EU’s state-of-the-art next-generation Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and even fewer are aware of its transatlantic significance. Galileo, named after the Italian astronomer of the 16th CE, is expected to reach full … [Read more…]
Fleet protection and counterterrorism: European task force to deploy outside Iran
On July 19th the British-flagged tanker Stena Impero sailing in Omani waters through the Hormuz Strait was captured by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The move came nearly two weeks after British Royal Marines Commandos seized an Iranian supertanker, near Gibraltar, believed to be carrying oil to Syria – a contravention of European Union sanctions. Britain responded by … [Read more…]
Is Trump jeopardizing national security by appointing supporter in key intelligence position?
In a move many had been predicting for months, Dan Coats, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) will step down on August 15. In his stead, President Trump has selected U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe, a Republican from Texas, as Coats’ replacement. Coats had been on the job for two years as the DNI, a relatively new post established by Congress in 2004 in the fallout of … [Read more…]
Forget China and Russia, terrorists are still a major threat
It is an undeniable fact that the U.S. military has been gradually shifting its focus from counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations to near-peer threats, such as China and Russia. Navy SEALs have been practicing with increased frequency in the Pacific in anticipation of a potential conflict with the former. Special Forces teams are rotating more frequently in Europe, … [Read more…]
Iranian Revolutionary Guard commandos storm British tanker
Last week, commandos of Iran’s Navy of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stormed two British tankers that were sailing in the Strait of Hormuz. The aggressive seizure of the two ships was in response to the previous detainment of an Iranian tanker by British Royal Marines. That ship was illegally carrying oil to Syria in violation of internationally imposed … [Read more…]
Who will carry out Trump’s immigration raids today?
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is kicking off a series of "raids" in several major U.S. cities beginning on Sunday, July 14. The operation was first brought to light by a report from the New York Times, and according to a report from NBC, will focus on about 2,000 families suspected of living in the United States illegally. President Donald Trump hinted at the … [Read more…]
Diplomacy with a big stick: New spec ops chief for Africa faces a hard task
Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA) welcomed its new chief, U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, on June 28th. The departing commander, Air Force Maj. Gen. J. Marcus Hicks, said in a statement: “To the men and women of Special Operations Command Africa, you have accomplished so much with so little, so quickly and under such difficult circumstances. … [Read more…]
A new star is born: Meet the Hellenic Joint Special Operations Command
After years fraught with disputes and skepticism, the Greek government has decided to establish a new Joint Special Operations Command (ΔΔΕΠ). The new Hellenic JSOC will answer directly to the Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) and will most likely be comprised of two components: a “Tier 1” and “Tier 2” component (these designations are informal). The first, more … [Read more…]
Breaking: Royal Marines storm Iranian supertanker bound for Syria
Troops from the Royal Marines 42 Commando unit boarded the Iranian tanker Grace 1 using light speedboats today. The Royal Marines rappelled from a helicopter onto the deck while approximately 16 police officers from Gibraltar were also involved in the operation. Luckily no shots were fired and the ship is secure at the moment. Gibraltarian authorities suspect the Grace 1 to … [Read more…]
Escalation: Royal Marines commandos deploy to Middle East amid Iranian aggressiveness
Britain’s premier maritime commando force is sailing toward the Strait of Hormuz for an exercise amid an international crisis triggered by Iranian aggression against two oil tankers last week. Royal Marines commandos from 42 Commando will be conducting visit, board, search and seizure drills, among other tasks, in close proximity to where the two tankers were severely … [Read more…]
Gun control: The case of the ‘smart gun’
Could so-called smart guns be the solution to gun control and fewer mass shooting incidents? A new study finds that while there is widespread support for smart guns, the considerable additional cost and questionable efficacy demotivates people from purchasing such weapons. According to the study by Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, smart guns hold … [Read more…]
Belgian Commandos in Africa: Secretive and highly effective
The deadly ambush in Niger in 2017, which resulted in the deaths of four Americans, revealed to a dumbfounded public the silent war that has been taking place in the Sahel. Aside from U.S. troops, several other countries have a strong presence in the area. Belgium is one of them. And its Special Forces Group appears to have been devastatingly efficient. According to a report … [Read more…]