Russia’s collapsing spy network: 4 European nations have outed spies this month

Despite a fairly limited budget and access to resources, the past few years have been dominated by discussions of Russia’s covert and hybrid warfare efforts the world over. With a Gross Domestic Product that’s a bit more than 1/18th the size of America’s and a defense budget that’s roughly 1/10th that of the most dominant […]

The CIA is shifting emphasis away from terrorism and back toward nation-level foes

While a great deal of discussion has been afforded to the U.S. military’s near two-decade long anti-terrorism and counter-insurgency efforts, it wasn’t the only facet of the American national security apparatus that saw a distinct shift in operational strategy following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. The CIA, America’s covert intelligence gathering service with […]

Russia accused of space espionage

Paris, France—The French government has accused Russia of space espionage. According to the French Defence Ministry, in 2017 a Russian satellite attempted to steal classified telecommunication information from a joint Franko-Italian satellite. The Russian Louch-Olymp spacecraft, a relay satellite responsible for transmitting imagery and telecommunication information to the earth, approached dangerously close to the Franko-Italian […]

The legendary U-2 spy plane is still in use today — and about to get a big upgrade

The Lockheed U-2, which often goes by the name “Dragon Lady” is among the most legendary U.S. military aircraft. The development of the high altitude reconnaissance aircraft was a technological triumph of the era, and sightings of the mysterious craft being tested around locations like “Area 51” in Nevada undoubtedly informed crackpot theories about flying […]

North Korean spy to be charged in Sony ‘Interview’ hacking attack

On Thursday, the American Justice Department announced plans to charge a North Korean spy with hacking into the computers and servers of Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2014. The hacking, which many believe occurred as retaliation for a film starring Seth Rogen and James Franco about a plot to assassinate the North Korean leader, reportedly wiped […]

Analyzing the politics behind the Russian nerve agent deaths in the UK

The UK government announced this week that it had concluded its investigation into the attempted assassination of former Russian military intelligence officer turned double agent, Sergei Skripal, in Salisbury, England, earlier this year. Skripal and his daughter were both exposed to a Soviet era nerve agent known as Novichok — a weapon devised specifically by […]

Amazon’s ‘Jack Ryan’ may not be totally realistic, but it is good television

As a kid, I loved the Jack Ryan movies because they seemed like they offered more realism than Ryan’s British counterpart over at MI6. While Bond was bedding women and drinking martinis, Ryan was sitting at conference room tables, using Harrison Ford’s trademark pointing gesture or Alec Baldwin’s steely blue eyes to convey the drama […]