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Naval

Russian Live-Fire Exercise in the English Channel: What It Reveals About Russia’s Naval Strategy in Northern Europe

When the Russian frigate Neustrashimy conducted a live-fire exercise south of Plymouth on 20 July 2026, the event immediately triggered a political response in the United Kingdom and attracted widespread media attention. The British government described the exercise as “performative and irresponsible,” while the Royal Navy confirmed that it had monitored the warship throughout its […]

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Air

The STING Drone: A Low-Cost Ukrainian Interceptor Against Shahed Drones

Since 2022, the war in Ukraine has profoundly transformed the military use of drones. Russian forces regularly use Shahed-type attack drones to strike energy infrastructure, military installations, and urban areas. In response to these repeated attacks, Ukraine has sought to develop interception solutions that are less expensive than traditional air defense systems. The STING drone, […]

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Land

The War of Imposed Cost: How Current Conflicts Are Reprogramming Land Combat

Naval debates have long illustrated the idea of the “cheap shot”: a relatively inexpensive means, used intelligently, can force a disproportionately costly response. On land, the concept is discussed less as a formula than as a reality. What can be described as imposed-cost warfare has become a fully developed operational grammar. In Ukraine, the change […]

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Naval

Deterring Undersea Cable Sabotage: Europe’s Attribution Challenge

Undersea cables are the backbone of Europe’s digital and energy infrastructure. They carry more than 95 percent of intercontinental data traffic and support critical cross-border electricity interconnections. In practical terms, they are strategic assets. Since 2023, a series of cable incidents in the Baltic Sea has exposed just how vulnerable those assets are. Investigations were […]

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Naval

Naval “Cheap Shot”: Shoot Smart, Last Longer

Attacks by drones and other “attritable” vectors have changed what naval defense really means. The key issue is no longer just radar quality or missile range. It’s endurance. How many days can a warship hold out before it runs down its missiles, decoys, chaff, and its ability to sustain fire? Saturation is not simply “a […]

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Picture of member of the Russian private military company Wagner Group Land

Private Military Companies (PMCs): key players in modern warfare

Private military companies (PMCs) are playing an increasingly prominent role in contemporary conflicts, offering services ranging from logistics to direct combat participation. Their historical evolution, current characteristics, and impact on global security raise crucial questions about the What is a Private Military Company? What is a Private Military Company? Private military companies (PMCs) are businesses […]

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Naval

Europe vs the “Shadow Fleet”: the technical arsenal tightening the net

Confronted with aging, opaque tankers in the shadow fleet, Europe is no longer relying solely on blacklists and port bans. It is deploying a web of sensors (SAR and RF satellites, coastal radars, VTS, “sniffer” RPAS), tying them into fusion centers (EMSA/IMS, SafeSeaNet, THETIS), and projecting air and naval assets to turn suspected sanctions-evasion into […]

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Illustration of Lockheed’s Skunk Works Vectis Air Naval

From wingmen to underwater ghosts: the new era of defense drones

Defense companies worldwide are unveiling a new generation of drones, airborne loyal wingmen and naval autonomous systems, set to reshape combat. Programs from Lockheed Martin, Dassault, Boeing, and others highlight a shift toward affordability, survivability, and autonomy. A new wave of air combat drones In September 2025, Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works introduced the Vectis, a […]

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Naval

The Russian mistral affair: eleven years later

In 2025, Egypt is consolidating its role as a regional military power, balancing naval ambition, diplomatic pragmatism, and technological modernization. As Cairo develops a joint VTOL drone program with Turkey and expands defense partnerships with Russia, France, and Gulf allies, the Egyptian Armed Forces continue to reshape their force projection capabilities. Within this broader transformation, […]

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Cyber

Quantum threats in 2025: the next cyber defense challenge

Quantum technologies are moving out of research labs and into the realm of strategy and defense. While progress remains incremental, the risks tied to quantum computing and sensing are becoming increasingly urgent. By 2025, governments, armed forces, and critical industries face the looming prospect of “Q-Day” , the moment when traditional encryption systems collapse under […]

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