The winds of change are blowing fiercely across the geopolitical chessboard, propelling countries to adjust and adapt to remain competitive. Nation-level conflict is once more the focus of Western militaries following decades of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations, and special operations forces (SOF)… [Read more…]
The winds of change are blowing fiercely across the geopolitical chessboard, propelling countries to adjust and adapt to remain competitive. Nation-level conflict is once more the focus of Western militaries following decades of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations, and special operations forces (SOF) are fighting to remain at the tip of the spear. According to … [Read more…]
The responsibilities of a superpower are many, as are the potential hotspots where American war-fighters might need to fight in the future. Consequently, in the modern multi-domain battlefield, allies and partners are essential to achieve mission success. Be it in the mountains of Afghanistan, the deserts of the Sahel, or the fjords of Scandinavia, American units will always … [Read more…]
In a most unanticipated decision, NATO member states have decided to finance the construction of a huge military storage site for U.S. military hardware in Poland. The project, which is the largest of its kind in recent history, will include storage for tanks, armored personnel carriers, general utility vehicles, artillery pieces, and other materiel. Its purpose is to serve as … [Read more…]
In an unanticipated but promising move, five European countries will establish a new Regional Special Operations Component Command (R-SOCC) according to NATO standards. According to NATO, defense ministers of Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, and Slovenia signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) in February 2019 to create a common Special Operations Command. Austria, a partner nation, will … [Read more…]
Fears continue to mount in eastern Ukraine as the country nears all-out war with Russia. Reports show that Russia has prepared a large strike force on the border of Ukraine. Some would claim this is a frozen war, as all attempts at resolving the conflict with diplomacy have failed. Since the start of this year, Europe and the U.S. have paid close attention to the war in … [Read more…]
“The fact that the 2018 election process moved forward without successful Russian intervention was not a coincidence,” according to U.S. Senator Mike Rounds. The Republican from South Dakota refused to elaborate on specific mission details targeting the Internet Research Agency (IRA) in the Washington Post. Rounds added, without the aid of United States Cyber Command … [Read more…]
Within the past few days, Russian-backed separatist forces have mounted 10 attacks on Ukrainian Army (UA) positions in the Donbass region of Ukraine. On February 18, 2019, Ukraine’s Joint Forces Operation released a press statement on their Facebook page announcing that one Ukrainian service member had been wounded in the recent fighting. They also announced that their … [Read more…]
During the international defense exhibition known as IDEX 2019, the Kalashnikov Group, the famous rifle manufacturer, revealed a kamikaze-style drone. Judging from the limited information available, the KUB-BLA Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) is very small, with dimensions of 1210 х 950 х 165 mm. “This is an extremely precise and very effective weapon, incredibly hard to … [Read more…]
The United Nations (U.N.) has announced the peace negotiations focused on implementing the 2014 Minsk Protocol and resolving the conflict in eastern Ukraine have stalled. U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca made the comment in a speech before the U.N. Security Council on February 12, at an event marking the fourth anniversary of the accords. … [Read more…]
Last year, Bellingcat, a website founded by the British journalist and former blogger Eliot Higgins, published a story titled, "Ukrainian Far-Right Fighters, White Supremacists Trained by Major European Security Firm." It was written by Oleksiy Kuzmenko, a journalist focused on Ukraine and specific issues pertaining to the region. The comprehensive report was full of … [Read more…]
The conflict in Ukraine has continued to escalate despite an attempt at a ceasefire. Both sides rarely observe a complete ceasefire and small arms engagements and mortar strikes are very frequent. The violent start to the year has put Ukraine and Russia on track for continued clashes over the regularly contested Donbass region. In the past 48 hours, there have been a … [Read more…]
Only a few years ago, the Ukrainian military was hard-pressed to counter the Russians and their Donetsk separatist lackeys that were encroaching on eastern Ukraine. With Crimea lost by a combination of hybrid warfare, special operations, and Western diplomatic and political ineptitude, the future of Ukraine looked dire. Since 2014, however, the Ukrainian armed forces have … [Read more…]
