Archive: News & Articles

The US Army’s Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit (HMS) programme is the most ambitious tactical communications modernisation programme the United States armed forces have ever seen. The US Army is supervising an acquisition that delivers new radios to itself, the US Navy, US Marine Corps (USMC) and US Air Force (USAF). The initiative falls under […]

Unlike the armoured vehicles of the past that featured weapon-centric crew-operated platforms focused on mobility, protection, and firepower, modern combat vehicles have become data-centric systems of systems, loaded with sophisticated electronics comprising of sensors, vehicle, and weapon control systems, integrated into a cohesive combat system designed to survive, thrive in and dominate the battlespace by […]

In the course of 2022, an unofficial new female saint joined the Ukrainian pantheon. Her halo was not the traditional gold colour used in Orthodox iconography, but used the colours of the Ukrainian flag. Her hands were not raised in gesture of blessing, but cradled the recognisable form of a Raytheon/Lockheed Martin FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank […]

The US Army Futures Command (AFC) celebrates its fifth anniversary in August 2023. The Pentagon created this dedicated command in the hope of avoiding the kinds of mistakes that had plagued numerous development and procurement programmes in recent decades and delayed much-needed replacement of legacy systems. Many observers see 2023 as a pivotal year for […]

The networked battlefield emphasises the importance of cyber protection. What steps can militaries take to enhance their cyber protection at the tactical level and what steps is NATO taking to this end? The Lightning Press, a defence and security publisher based in Florida produces a fine line of manuals explaining an array of military concepts. […]

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has served as a wake-up call for much of the world, not least Western Europe and a realisation that a new, major war in Europe was less improbable than had previously been imagined. This realisation has led to much soul-searching with regards to defence funding and military preparedness, and a large […]

When the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the globe, the military in many countries supported the civilian authorities in many roles, from assisting medical professionals, to enforcing the lockdown, and in general law and order support roles. In providing support to doctors, nurses, and paramedics, the military also transported patients both on the ground and in the […]

The British Army’s troubled Ajax AFV programme, which has been plagued by excessive noise and vibration issues, is back on track, according to UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. Following a visit on 22 February 2023 to Bovington Camp in Dorset, where he met Ukrainian troops training on Challenger 2 main battle tanks but was also […]

While rocket artillery has been around for a very long time, recent decades have seen improvements to accuracy and firepower, coupled with extensive proliferation. This has resulted in the present situation, where multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) are a common and often highly oppressive presence on the modern battlefield, with significant second-order effects beyond their immediate […]

As to whether the EU is envisaged as a security institution depends very much on how one defines such a security body in the first place and whether it possesses the relevant tools. On the other hand, from the very beginning, NATO has very clearly been accepted as an international security institution with its well-known […]

The ongoing war in Ukraine has provided a glimpse into military operations in the modern age of strategic competition, illustrating a shift away from two decades focused on counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency towards more conventional peer conflict. The war has also highlighted the importance of technology on the modern battlefield with dismounted infantry and special forces […]

Clearly Iran is a disruptive element in terms of the strategic environment in the Middle East, it seeks to change the strategic situation to meet its own needs. However, Iranian interests run counter to those of the majority of Arab states and other regional actors. Increasingly, these ambitions are not just limited to the Middle […]

The sudden withdrawal of NATO from Afghanistan in 2021 and Russia’s latest invasion of Ukraine in February this year have thrown the international special operations forces (SOF) community into a state of flux as they prioritise future responsibilities. After two decades of counter-terrorism (CT) and counter-insurgency (COIN) campaigns focused primarily on south-central Asia and the […]

In principle designing a modern military pistol ought not to be that challenging, after all, you are not inhabiting an area that might be described as the high end of high technology! All of the basic principles of effective pistol design are well understood, advances in materials technology offer all sorts of interesting possibilities in […]

While automatic rifles and machine guns form the backbone of modern infantry firepower, shotguns retain a niche role for combat operations. They also provide civilian police forces with a vital boost to their firepower without the need for escalation to automatic weapons, with the exception of special units and missions. Like any weapon, shotguns possess […]

As far as the infantry is concerned, it would appear obvious that it is in everybody’s interest that they achieve the maximum performance from their primary instrument, the rifle. What is required here is the ability to accurately engage and neutralise targets both in close quarter battle environments and in long-range engagements. To achieve this […]

For centuries, nations in the northern hemisphere have had their eyes on the Arctic. In some cases due to scientific interest, in others commercial, while others have been the searching for new colonies and new resources. As the climate has changed over the past decades, opening up previously inaccessible Arctic areas to shipping, this interest […]

The consequences of the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine, launched by Russia on 24 February 2022, are being felt globally, and are now forcing nations to rethink their strategic relationships and their security strategies on several levels. Ammunition production and sourcing form a significant part of the defence procurement policies that both support and result […]

It is almost a year since Russia began what it called its ‘Special Military Operation,’ in reality its invasion of Ukraine. What was supposed to be a campaign that was to last a matter of days, that was supposed to see the decapitation of the political and military leadership in Kyiv, leading to the rapid […]

As the Indian Air Force (IAF) enters its 91st year, an apparent ‘code-red’ seems to have been sounded by its top leadership over the declining fighter squadron strength, raising the questions around how many combat jets India has available and how many it needs to fight a war. Su-30MKI To deal with this historic drop […]

Giving indigenisation a push towards its ‘Self-Reliant India’ initiative, the foundation stone of the first project by an Indian private defence manufacturer, was recently laid in Vadodara, Gujarat. Under this deal Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Airbus Defence and Space Spain, will collaborate to build 40 C-295 military transport planes, in a joint venture deal […]