A drone attack on a US base in Jordan that left three US troops dead and 34 wounded underscores the urgent need to upgrade and revolutionize the US Army’s air defenses. It is unclear why US base defenses failed to intercept the drones, which were allegedly launched by Iran-backed militias from neighboring Syria on Sunday. […]

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The US Marine Corps (USMC) is set to deploy its advanced Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) to the Pacific despite questions about its readiness, maintenance and operation amid recent restrictions on surf-based use of the platform. The ACV deployment, expected in or around March, aims to fill a looming amphibious warfare ship shortage amid rising tensions […]

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The LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program faces significant overruns and delays, casting an unwelcome spotlight on America’s aging US nuclear arsenal and contrasting sharply with the rapid modernization efforts of near-peer adversaries China and Russia. The National Interest (TNI) reported this month that the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM, developed in tandem by the US […]

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The US has announced that its next-generation stealth bomber is now slated for production, signaling a new era in aerial warfare and strategic deterrence amid renewed great power competition with China and Russia. Several news outlets reported that the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, the next-generation aircraft of the US Air Force, is now ready for […]

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Taiwan is building a next-generation anti-submarine frigate while stepping up tests of its indigenous submarine amid a rising strategic debate over how best to balance its traditional and unconventional warfighting capabilities.  This month, Naval News reported that Taiwan has begun construction on a new light frigate for the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) with a […]

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South Korea has announced plans to build next-generation destroyers in the latest phase of a massive naval buildup of aircraft carriers, arsenal ships and conventional ballistic missile submarines. Naval News reported that South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) has completed the basic design for the Korean next-generation destroyer KDDX, marking a significant milestone […]

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While broadly touted as the future of shipboard point and missile defense, laser weapons have been glaringly absent in the US-led coalition strikes against Iranian-supplied drones and missiles used by Houthi forces in Yemen to attack commercial vessels and warships in the Red Sea. This month, Breaking Defense reported that Rear Admiral Fred Pyle, the […]

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In a striking display of advanced military capabilities, North Korea and Iran have made significant strides in their ballistic missile programs, posing new challenges to global security dynamics. This month, Military Watch Magazine reported that North Korea had launched a new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) to replace the Hwasong-12, which entered service in 2017 and […]

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Japan’s recent Optical-8 intelligence-gathering satellite launch underlines the remilitarizing nation’s growing focus on space-based security, with a particular eye on fast-evolving Chinese and North Korean missile and other military threats. The Optical-8 was successfully launched on January 12 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) using the H2A rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan, […]

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The US Navy is ramping up production of Ford-class aircraft carriers despite concerns about the growing vulnerability of the nuclear-powered massive ships to missile attacks, shortfalls in American shipbuilding capability and a seemingly outdated focus on obsolete design concepts. This month, Naval News reported that the US Navy is increasing deliveries of its new Ford-class […]

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The US Navy is significantly upgrading four Arleigh Burke-class destroyers with advanced radars and electronic warfare systems in an apparent stopgap bid to counterbalance China’s growing naval might. This month, The Warzone reported that the US Navy has named the USS Pinckney, USS James E Williams, USS Chung Hoon and USS Halsey for the upgrades. The […]

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The US Navy is developing a Hypersonic Air Launched Offensive Anti-Surface (HALO) missile to enhance its long-range anti-ship capabilities and transform its carrier warfare strategies. This month, Raytheon reported completing a technical review and prototype fit-check for the US Navy’s HALO missile prototype. Raytheon describes the HALO as a carrier-based high-speed missile enabling the Navy […]

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The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and Boeing’s Aurora Flight Sciences are working in tandem to produce an aircraft that utilizes pressurized air rather than physical surfaces for control, a revolutionary design with the potential to reshape the future of aviation and military stealth technology. This month, Breaking Defense reported that the pioneering prototype, known as […]

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Pakistan is poised to take delivery of China’s Shenyang FC-31 Gyrfalcon fifth-generation fighter jets, a potentially pivotal moment in South Asia’s bristling arms race pitting India and Pakistan with China in the middle. This month, Defense News quoted Pakistan Air Force (PAF) chief Zaheer Baber Sidhu saying that the Chinese-made fighters, also known as F-60s […]

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Russia has used North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine while also seeking Iranian missiles, highlighting the deepening military cooperation among the sanctioned nations amid the ongoing Ukraine war. This month, multiple media sources reported that Russia has used North Korean ballistic missiles to bombard Ukraine, aiming to degrade the latter’s critical infrastructure and morale amidst […]

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Chinese researchers are analyzing the impact of hypervelocity kinetic energy weapons against US tank armor, tests informed by lessons learned from the Ukraine war and with an eye on Taiwan’s US-supplied armored forces. This month, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Chinese scientists have conducted simulations to determine the damage capability of kinetic […]

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AUKUS, a US, UK and Australia security partnership, is accelerating its nuclear submarine program to address gaps in infrastructure, human resources and technology-sharing protocols. Defense News reported in late December that the US Navy plans to conduct its first nuclear submarine maintenance work in Australia this summer using the submarine tender Emory S Land to […]

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The US Defense Research Advanced Projects Agency (DARPA) is pioneering a project to extend drone flight times significantly by using wireless energy transfer, which has significant implications for drone technology and base logistics.  This month, Defense One reported that DARPA  is funding Raytheon with US$10 million to develop energy “webs” that could keep drones in […]

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Chinese researchers have recently unveiled a stealth camouflage veil that can disguise cruise missiles as passenger planes. Such technology could be helpful in a decapitation strike against Taiwan. This month, the South China Morning Post reported that a gold-plated camouflage veil developed by China could change the face of war by making cruise missiles look like […]

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Boeing has delivered a first giant robotic submarine to the US Navy, marking a sea change in how American underwater military missions will be conducted in the future, Defense One reported. The diesel-electric-powered Extra-Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV), based on Boeing’s Echo Voyager and known as Orca, was shipped after completing a series of sea […]

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