Breaking down the British elite forces: 148 (Meiktila) Battery Royal Artillery

Note: This is part two of a multi-part series exploring elite components within the conventional British forces. 148 Battery (Meiktila) is a unit comprised of specifically qualified men from the British Army and Royal Navy. Tasked with calling in artillery and airstrikes to support United Kingdom Special Forces (UKSF) and 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines. […]

Operation Sickle and Hammer: Ukraine prepares to take back Donbass from Russia

Fears continue to mount in eastern Ukraine as the country nears all-out war with Russia. Reports show that Russia has prepared a large strike force on the border of Ukraine. Some would claim this is a frozen war, as all attempts at resolving the conflict with diplomacy have failed. Since the start of this year, […]

The art of plausible deniability: Russian mercenaries supporting Libyan National Army

Recent reports have indicated the Russian private military firm Wagner Group has reinforced Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) with 300 personnel in Libya. The report also suggests the mercenary group has delivered artillery, tanks, drones, and ammunition to the LNA. What is the Wagner Group? Wagner Group is an unregistered Russian paramilitary company that […]

Did the Islamic State just kill one of its own leaders?

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has replaced its commander and chief, Abu Musab al-Barnawi, naming Abu Abdullah Ibn Umar al-Barnawi as the new region commander. The former commander’s father was none other than Muhammad Yusuf, the founder of Boko Haram. It raises the question: has the Islamic State just killed al-Barnawi? Mamman Nur and al-Barnawi created ISWAP in late […]

European Union Training Mission in Mali attacked by unknown gunmen and suicide vehicles

The European Union Training Mission (EUTM) in Mali has come under assault, attacked by gunmen and rocked by a pair of suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (SVBIEDs). The unknown attackers struck the Koulikoro Training Centre (KTC) on February 24 at about three o’clock in the morning. The assault involved two vehicles, packed with explosives, and […]

Israeli Special Forces to teach Ukrainian Special Forces how to combat Russia

Having worked as a trainer and adviser to the Ukrainian military since 2015, I have seen over the years a noticeable difference in the training, equipment, and the general modernization of the Ukrainian military. Today Ukraine seeks to further enhance its military capabilities by sending its special forces to the Israel Military Industries Academy for […]

Under-equipped and undertrained, will Burkina Faso be the next to fall in the war against Islamist terrorists?

Burkina Faso, a once-peaceful country in sub-Saharan Africa, shares a border with Mali—and that’s a problem. Mali has experienced incredible violence and political instability over the years, which continues to pose a significant threat to the entire region. The two countries share a long and relatively unmonitored border, allowing jihadis to conduct cross-border operations whenever they see […]

Analysis: Irish Rangers to deploy to Mali

Ireland will deploy its Special Forces unit, the Army Rangers, to Mali to support U.N. operations within the country. This a positive move for Ireland, as it will deepen ties with Europe and the U.N., and allows the elite Irish units to be truly tested in what is regarded as the most dangerous U.N. mission […]

Ambush in Somalia, Kenya Defense Forces inflict losses on al-Shabaab extremists

Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) deployed as part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) were caught up in a small arms engagement in the southern town of Tabda on New Year’s Day. KDF troops killed seven al-Shabaab militants and wounded an unknown number of fighters in the exchange. The KDF fared better this time […]