Alex Hollings

China’s long-touted Chengdu J-20, claimed to be the nation’s first fully functional fifth generation fighter platform, is neither fully functional nor is it technically a fifth-generation fighter — despite already being entered into service in China’s People’s Liberation Army. Fighter generations are not determined by a formal committee; generational labels are more like industry shorthand […]

Last month, the United States Marine Corps became the latest branch of the United States Armed Forces to make headlines for a pilot drawing what appeared to be a penis in the sky during routine operations. While previous entries into the apparent branch-wide measuring contest were drawn in the skies by Air Force and Navy […]

Last year, a cigar-shaped object, unlike any mankind had ever seen before, entered into our solar system. Scientists spent some time deliberating about whether the strange object was an asteroid or comet before ultimately being forced to conclude that this unusual new visitor was actually the first of an entirely “new class” of interstellar objects. […]

Six people were arrested in different corners of France on Tuesday as a part of an investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate French President Emmanuel Macron. According to reports from officials within France’s DGSI intelligence agency, the arrests took place in three different regions of the country: Isère, Moselle, and Ille-et-Vilaine. While the identities […]

French President Emmanuel Macron renewed his calls for a unified European military force independent of U.S. support in a radio appearance on Tuesday. Macron went on to name potential threats to European security; the short list included the likes of Russia, China, and surprisingly, the United States. “When I see President Trump announcing that he’s […]

China’s aviation advancements are on full display this week at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition and Airshow in Zhuhai, but for those who are well versed in U.S. military aircraft, the event may feel eerily familiar… almost as though you’ve seen all this before. China’s J-20 and J-31 programs, both considered fifth-generation fighters […]

Tensions between the United States and Russia further escalated on Monday after a Russian fighter jet intercepted a U.S. Navy reconnaissance aircraft flying over the international waters of the Black Sea. With both a large scale NATO deterrence exercise ongoing and Russian ballistic missile tests expected any day in the region, the Russian fighter executed […]

The South China Sea has been the scene of heightening tensions between China and a number of nations in recent years, thanks to their claims of sovereignty over the entirety of the waterway placing their official policy directly at odds with international law. The United States — which boasts the most powerful Navy in the […]

Americans have seen a dramatic increase in awareness regarding ongoing Russian information operations taking place within the United States since news first broke about the Kremlin’s efforts to manipulate the results of the 2016 presidential election. While America’s partisan politics dictated the coverage of Russia’s influence campaign, portraying Moscow as an ally to the GOP, […]

NATO training exercise Trident Juncture, a massive two-week show of force being held in the North and Baltic Seas off the coast of Norway, is set to be the largest of its kind since the heyday of the Cold War — and with good reason. As Russia’s surface fleet suffers setback after setback, the redirection […]

Over the past few weeks, the United States military has been participating in the NATO training operation, Trident Juncture. With 50,000 troops from 30 different nations involved, Trident Juncture is meant to demonstrate a high level of interoperability and cooperation among NATO allies and other friendly nations in the Arctic, where Russia’s military has enjoyed […]

The most successful element of Russia’s 2016 influence campaign pertaining to the presidential election was not getting Donald Trump elected — it was convincing the American people that Russian influence efforts are a partisan issue. Ever since then, analysts attempting to make objective assertions about the ways Russian influence efforts can affect the American public […]