Archive: News & Articles

Demand for long-range rocket artillery has increased with the return to great power conflict. The Ukraine war is demonstrating the utility and power of this weapon category on the modern battlefield. The definition of long-range rocket artillery is fluid on two axes, so it is necessary to set some parameters for this review since different […]

From outsourced versus domestic production, to collaborative procurement, to the introduction of a new calibre – the story of modern assault rifle procurement reveals the divergent paths being taken by various NATO members, Ukraine, and the US. In the past, the capability to design, develop and manufacture a complete range of small arms was considered […]

NATO nations are procuring several state-of-the-art night vision systems to provide their infantry forces with a tactical advantage for night fighting. For millennia, the dark of night provided sufficient cover for armed forces to advance or redeploy undetected. That all changed with the introduction of night vision systems (NVSs). The first infrared (IR) scopes for […]

In July 2024 the NATO Support and Procurement Agency issued study contracts ultimately intended to kickstart the development of a next-generation medium, multi-role rotorcraft capability for the alliance: an ambitious project that could see a preferred solution selected by the end of 2027. The Next-Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) effort is a NATO Support and Procurement […]

As aerial threats continue to evolve, air defence likewise evolves to keep pace. This article explores how changing battlefield dynamics have driven the US military to continuously reimagine its air defence systems, from legacy systems to the latest programmes aimed at defending the skies of tomorrow. The US Army has rarely fought under unfriendly skies, […]

Bolstering interoperability and collective defence amongst EU member states is at the heart of the ambitious Common Armoured Vehicle Systems (CAVS) programme, which is gaining momentum, not simply with the numbers of vehicles on order growing significantly, but also in the efficient manner in which the whole effort is being conducted and coordinated. 2024 was […]

The relative simplicity and effectiveness of explosively-formed penetrators (EFPs) against various types of armoured targets, has led to their use and delivery from a variety of weapon systems for more than a century. In Ukraine, top-attack EFPs, including from artillery and air-dropped systems, have been increasingly effective on both sides in defeating the relatively thin […]

To ensure protection against current and emerging aerial threats, expeditionary and manoeuvre forces must be accompanied by vehicles mounting anti-drone capable weapons. Various approaches to the mobile counter-UAV (C-UAV) mission are undergoing testing or development. Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and loitering munitions have become a major threat to military forces, as demonstrated in the […]

Emerging threats observed in the ongoing Russo–Ukrainian conflict and a series of conflicts in the Middle East from 2022 to 2024 have sparked renewed interest in armoured vehicles and their protection. Contemporary solutions include various layers of protection designed to increase the survivability of armoured vehicles against multiple threats on the battlefield. Among other measures, […]

With the re-election of US President Donald Trump, questions regarding the transatlantic relationship between the US and Europe have once again come to the forefront, including the extent to which the US needs Europe. A sober reading shows that the US has good reason to remain engaged in Europe; most notably, US security depends on […]

Marking 20 years of NATO Life Cycle Management (LCM), the 20th edition of the NATO LCM Conference will be held on 21 and 22 January 2025 in Brussels. Gathering numerous government and industry representatives, and chaired by Thomas Espelund Pedersen (Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation) and J. Bo Leimand (LEIMAND Freelance Consultancy), the conference […]

Almost three years since Russia invaded Ukraine, the rules-based order that once governed security on the European continent lies entirely in shreds. Yet, one European security organisation, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was created during the Cold War to deal with precisely the threats that the European continent is faced with […]

In late 2024, the prospects for ending the war in Ukraine or at least suspending hostilities remained unclear; however, officials from both Ukraine and its partners in the West are increasingly discussing the possibility of such a scenario. The inauguration of US president-elect Trump on 20 January 2025 is considered the starting point for the […]

In the contemporary operating environment at sea, navies need more mass in conducting both defensive and offensive tasks. For Western navies, defeating threats to ships at sea across the spectrum of operations – from maritime security challenges such as small boats swarming around choke points, to high-end naval warfare threats like large-scale anti-ship attacks – […]

Having been largely neglected during the post-Cold War era, the procurement of logistic support ships has undergone a resurgence in recent years. The reasons for this market upsurge are many and varied, including the life-expiry of existing ships, the desirability of meeting enhanced environmental standards, and revised operational concepts that place greater demands on maritime […]

The Russo-Ukraine war has underlined that the threshold for potential nuclear weapons use still remains where it has always been – to deter threats to the survival of the state There is one simple reason why there has been no further use of nuclear weapons in warfare since August 1945. The destructive power unleashed by […]

Much attention has been lavished on Russia’s strategic cyberwarfare waged against Ukraine’s critical national infrastructure. Russia’s use of cyberwarfare at tactical and operational levels, particularly in the land domain, receives less coverage, but has important implications for NATO and its Allies. London’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) thinktank recently published a paper by Daniel Black, […]

Driven in large part by the increasing proliferation of drones and loitering munitions, recent years have seen a resurgence of interest in very short-range/short-range air defence (V/SHORAD). This article examines recent developments in the field of V/SHORAD radars, as well as the direction these innovations are taking, and their growing significance on the modern battlefield. […]

A rapidly-changing strategic landscape demands additional flexibility from global and regional actors. President Biden’s mantra in his first days in the White House – “America is back” – indicated the renewed involvement of the USA in world affairs. It also meant that the US modus operandi as the most advanced actor in the great power […]

Over the past two years of war in Ukraine, a fairly broad consensus has emerged that small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), along with loitering munitions and low-cost alternatives such as first-person view (FPV) drones have drastically increased the risks to armoured vehicles on the battlefield. Given their low costs and high numbers, there is general […]

When the US Army terminated its Future Attack and Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) effort in early 2024, beyond cancelling an individual programme, the decision might also have indicated that the sun may have set on the armed reconnaissance helicopter as a viable type for the 21st century battlefield. On 8 February 2024 the US Army announced […]