Russia’s latest mini-drones are communications killers

The Russian military continues to develop innovative electronic warfare technologies that could secure a crucial advantage in a future conflict. The latest addition to the Russian arsenal is the upgraded Leer-3 mini-drone system. According to Samuel Bendett, a research analyst at the Center for Naval Analyses, the Russian drones (usually Orlan-10s) operate in teams of three, […]

Norwegian frigate sunk in collision with oil tanker

November 8th. At 0403 hours local time, the Norwegian frigate KNM Helge Ingstad, F303, collided with the Maltese-flagged ship Sola TS — a 60,000-ton oil tanker which had just taken on a load of crude oil at the Sture Oil Terminal on Alvøyna Island, twenty-two miles North-West of Bergen Norway. The Ingstad had been participating in […]

Op-Ed: UK military opens combat roles to women, and they’re doing it right

London, United Kingdom — The British government announced that women will be allowed to apply for all jobs in the military, including combat roles. The decision had been suggested by the former British Prime Minister David Cameron. In 2016, Cameron had announced that gradually all military occupational specialities would be open to both genders. Female military […]

Op-Ed: Cold War 3.0, how Russia is attacking the West

Arctic Circle — Earlier in October, British Royal Marines and Dutch Royal Marines were conducting combat training exercises in the Arctic. The exercises were part of a training regime intended to enhance relations between the two European nations, establish interoperability between the two Corps, and signal that the Arctic is still depoliticised. But they weren’t […]

American troops visit Iceland, the capital runs out of beer

Reykjavik, Iceland — What happens when boatloads of American troops port-call in a small island nation? All the beer runs out. According to the Icelandic media, the around 7,000 U.S. servicemen, who briefly stayed in Iceland on their way to Norway, drained the whole city dry in just four days (October 24-28). Although the American […]

NATO warns Russia with largest exercise since the end of the Cold War

Oslo, Norway—In a few weeks’ time, the beautiful Norwegian fjords and mountains will witness NATO’s largest military exercise since the end of the Cold War. The exercise, “Trident Juncture 2018,” will take place in a background of skepticism over America’s intentions with the transatlantic military alliance and heightened tensions with Russia. Trident Juncture will involve […]

UK to deploy troops to the Arctic amid massive Russian buildup

Gavin Williamson, Britain’s Defense Secretary has announced the UK’s plans to expand its military presence in the Arctic, amid a significant buildup of Russian forces within the region. For years, Russia has dominated expansion in the Arctic, thanks in no small part to President Vladimir Putin’s belief that the waterways being freed up by climate […]

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 […]