Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Christine Wormuth on July 13, 2015 at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. CSIS Screengrab
While the American public’s attention—when it focuses on Afghanistan—is centered on the withdrawal of U.S. forces and the uptick of terrorist attacks in Kabul and Khost, the Pentagon’s top policy chief says the Taliban are “definitely taking more hits than they did in 2014.” Read More
A Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear ‘H’ off the coast of Scotland in 2014. UK Royal Air Force Photo
A Russian Air Force strategic bomber has crashed outside the city of Khabarovsk, near the Chinese border, according to a Tuesday statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense via local media. Read More
Amphibious assault ships participating in exercise Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2015 transit in formation off the coast of Sweden on June 12, 2015. US Navy Photo
NATO may be best known for its protracted counterinsurgency campaign in Afghanistan, or for its current efforts to shore up defenses in Eastern Europe with air and ground exercises. But moving forward NATO must also consider its role in the global maritime domain, as it is central to the twin security challenges of an increasingly aggressive Russia and a crumbling Middle East order that the Alliance faces right now. Read More
NATO and the U.S. need new tools to deter increasing Russian aggression as conflict in Eastern Ukraine continues to rage, said Marine commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford during his Thursday nomination hearing to serve as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Read More
Royal Marine Commandos are pictured during a Green Ops exercise conducted over a two day period in various areas around Woodbury Common and Tregantle Ranges in Devon. UK MoD Photo
PENTAGON — The U.S. Department of Defense is lauding the British government’s decision to maintain its defense spending to meet NATO suggested targets. Read More
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry – flanked by National Security Council Senior Director for Iran, Iraq, Syria and the Gulf States Robert Malley, U.S. Energy Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman, and European Union Deputy Secretary General Helga Schmid – addresses reporters as he sits across from Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. US State Dept. Photo
The ongoing nuclear negotiations with Iran have become highly politicized. With the U.S. 2016 presidential campaign beginning to spool into high gear there has been no shortage of proclamations on why each candidate thinks the framework for the Iran nuclear talks is a bad deal. Read More
USS Laboon (DDG-58) sails into Souda Bay, Greece, during a scheduled port visit on April 29, 2015. US Navy Photo
An American guided missile destroyer and a French surveillance ship entered the Black Sea on Sunday, according to a Turkish ship spotting website. Read More
An undated photo of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russian Presidential Press and Information Office Photo
One of Russia’s most prominent dissidents told the Atlantic Council on Wednesday that “the system built by [President Vladimir] Putin is contradictory” because it is “a centralized, vertical structure focused on one man” who can be limited in his view and distracted by competing demands. Read More
President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2015. White House Photo
Indo-U.S. relations have been the subject of interest for many policy analysts and with the emergence of an economic and military powerhouse in India, they have major implications for the United States and rest of the world. The divorced relationship that existed since the Cold war has gone beyond mutual suspicion and emerged as trusted friends. The liberalization of the Indian economy in 1991 brought new-found opportunities for both the nations. Read More
Maritime forces from 17 nations are underway in formation for BALTOPS 2015. BALTOPS is an annually recurring multinational exercise designed to enhance flexibility and interoperability, as well as demonstrate resolve of allied and partner forces to defend the Baltic region on June 8, 2015. US Navy Photo
The naval exercise BALTOPS 2015 is bringing the U.S. Navy and its European friends and allies to a Nordic-Baltic region that is newly tense in the wake of the Ukraine crisis. The exercise also indicates that the Baltic Sea is playing a new role as a maritime space, and that anti-access/area-denial challenge is more than just a Pacific problem. Read More
