Archive: News & Articles

In an interview with MDM, Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi, Chief of Naval Staff, Pakistan Navy, outlines how his force is stepping up efforts to modernise its inventory in order to continue to cope with the challenges of meeting operational requirements. At the same time, as the biggest stumbling block, the conundrum of finding cost-effective […]

The world’s coast guards are a motley crew, whose missions, authorities, and responsibilities vary greatly by country. Some nations have a single maritime service with both coast guard and naval responsibilities; others have a separate coast guard. Separate coast guards can be military services (or not), and may or may not have law-enforcement authorities. They […]

Following a long wait, Ukraine has restarted offensive combat operations against Russia, starting in late-April, and gradually ramping up throughout May. The bulk of the offensive action around this time has been around the periphery of Bakhmut, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been attempting to push back Russian forces. While Ukrainian forces made incremental […]

Australia’s acquisition of a replacement for its Collins class conventional submarine fleet is proving remarkably complicated. The 2009 Australian Defence White Paper agreed to by the then Labour Party Government announced the six Collins would be replaced by 12 new submarines, possibly of an evolved Collins design. In 2013, a conservative Liberal National Party (LNP) […]

Given the heightened likelihood of inter-state conflicts and the proliferation of submarines around the world, anti-submarine warfare (ASW) has returned to the minds of military planners and decision-makers. Traditional ASW is cost-intensive and implies a high level of expenditure; in terms of personnel and materiel. Forward-thinking industry and military stakeholders anticipate that large uncrewed surface […]

After three decades of development, the THAAD ballistic missile defence (BMD) system – once considered destined to fail – is praised as the most advanced BMD system in the world. As defined by the US Defense Department’s Missile Defense Agency (MDA), the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) element provides the US military’s Missile Defense […]

Troops, vehicles and other equipment can be transported to the beach by a variety of means including helicopters, landing craft, hovercraft and amphibious assault vehicles (AAVs). This article concentrates mainly on the latter. Getting to the Beach While some armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) do have an amphibious capability, such as the Russian BMP-1, BMP-2 and […]

Underwater operations, ranging from the simpler hull inspection to the mine and improvised explosive device countermeasures, in addition to war ordnance disposal, have always represented a dangerous business for divers and boat operators. The spread of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) has significantly reduced the risks and workload associated with underwater operations, and while the unmanned […]

Italy’s new diesel-electric submarine (SSK) – being delivered under the U212 Near Future Submarine (NFS) programme – will arrive at a time when new submarine capabilities are having significant effect in an increasingly contested underwater domain. The boats’ improved capabilities will reinforce the output the Italian Navy is already generating with its Todaro class Type […]

Turkey’s MILGEM programme represents a significant accomplishment in that country’s sustained effort to become a designer, builder and exporter of advanced naval warships. The MILGEM’s programme history highlights how Turkey has built on the initial domestic customer base for MILGEM corvettes to expand into the export market; a proven business model used by many other […]

Fundamental design requirements for the European shipbuilders of OPVs are changing. Potential operations can encompass a wide range of environments and missions, from patrolling Arctic regions to protecting underwater resources from economic exploitation in territorial waters as well as in Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). Traditional war-type tasks have to be taken into account alongside search […]

When the ‘Rhein/Rhin’ Franco-German air transport squadron was officially inaugurated at Évreux, Normandy, on 9 March 2022, a new chapter of Franco-German military co-operation was opened. German and French military personnel commonly operate four French C-130J transport aircraft (two of which are KC-130J tanker variants) and three German C-130J-30s, while three German KC-130J tanker variants […]

It is one of the most famous capabilities to make a difference in Ukraine’s ongoing war, but how applicable is SpaceX’s Starlink satellite communications system to future military operations? On 28th February 2022, four days after Russia’s second invasion of Ukraine, mercurial billionaire Elon Musk, sent Starlink Satellite Communications (SATCOM) terminals to Ukraine. Starlink is […]

From earthquakes, floods and wildfires on the natural side of things, to man-made, mass-casualty events, as such incidents unfold, they present first responders and emergency personnel arriving on-site with typically chaotic scenes. Implementing immediate, coordinated and well-rehearsed control procedures is needed from the start, not least of which is the establishment of an incident command […]

Malaysia’s regional defence environment is characterised by a complex and dynamic security landscape, with a range of security threats, including border disputes, piracy, and terrorism. The country’s strategic location in Southeast Asia has also made it an important partner in regional security cooperation efforts. For the European defence industry Malaysia was once one of their […]

The trilateral ceasefire agreement signed on 9 November 2020 between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia created a serious shift in the balance of powers in the South Caucasus. Consequently, Russia’s influence on developments in this region has been brought into question by the close alliance between Turkey and Azerbaijan. For its part, Armenia has tried to […]

The Western arms industry is overstretched. With replenishment times for arms shipped to Ukraine alarmingly high, it is not enough for European armies to have quality suppliers. It is now also a question of being well-positioned in the delivery priorities of defence companies. Over the past decades, European countries have allowed their weapon arsenals and […]

The global and European security environment is characterised by instability and unpredictability. Crises in distant regions may have both short- and long-term impact on Hungary’s security, increasing the number and scope of threats and challenges to our country. Overall, the global security environment is deteriorating. The shifting balance of power is accompanied by a renewed […]

The ambitious armament programme of the Hungarian armed forces, originally called ‘Zrinyi 2026’, has also had a lasting influence on the equipment of the infantry. In addition to aspects of modernisation that affect all branches of the armed forces, such as small arms, communications or personal equipment, the issue of tactical mobility is of particular […]

Hungary has been investing heavily in military modernisation to enhance its national defensive capabilities and contribute to NATO collective defence. This article provides an overview of Hungary’s major equipment procurement programmes, and how this will shape the country’s force structure going into the future. Since joining NATO in 1999, Hungary has been working to modernise […]

Greece has technological inventiveness and innovation going far back into its history. Recent decades, however, have seen a malaise and financial downturn impacting all of society, though economic recovery now seems to be in full swing, including for the nation’s high-tech defence sector. From Archimedes’ Screw, differential gears, cranes, winches, the torsion catapult and even […]