Archive: News & Articles

From 28 – 30 March 2023, the sixth edition of SOFINS will be held in Martignas-sur-Jalle in Gironde, the training ground and base of the 13th RDP (13e Régiment de Dragons Parachutistes. Every two years, SOFINS provides a rendezvous for three days to the whole world of Special Forces to discover the latest products on […]

Conducting operations with small groups of fighters, and combining a solid skillset with a powerful impact, French Special Forces (SF) units are looking for equipment to give them a decisive advantage. The French Special Forces, whose role has increased in the fight against terrorism, are adapting to current and future high-intensity combat situations. They comprise […]

The return to national and alliance defence in the Western Hemisphere has consequences for training, personnel, materiel and tactics and this is not just limited to any one troop category. As a result, many countries are currently reviewing the capabilities that their Special Operations Forces (SOF) require in order for them to be ready for […]

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 […]

Turkey has paved the way for Finland to join NATO but continues to hold up Sweden’s membership, presenting the prospect of the two Scandinavian countries now following separate paths to NATO accession. “We have decided to initiate the ratification process in our parliament,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said in a press conference in Istanbul […]

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 […]

This year, the Czech Ministry of Defence plans to launch an acquisition programme to purchase a new wheeled platform for the Army’s engineer troops. Within the project known as UKP-ŽV (Univerzální kolová platforma ženijního vojska; ENG: Universal Wheeled Platform for Engineer Troops) the Army of the Czech Republic (Armáda České Republiky; AČR) intend to acquire […]

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 […]