A screengrab of an Islamic State propaganda video of militants in Nawfaliyah, Libya in 2015. Image via The Long War Journal
At the Surface Warship Summit in Bucharest, Romania, from Jan. 26 to 28, the commander of NATO’s Allied Maritime Command, Vice Adm. Clive Johnstone expressed concerns regarding several escalating situations in the Mediterranean. Read More
Gen. Philip Breedlove. DoD Photo
The U.S. senior commander in Europe warned the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Syrian regime’s continued use of barrel bombs and Russia’s use of indiscriminate strikes in backing President Bashar al Assad is exacerbating the European immigration crisis. Read More
In Europe, “you find a kind of the perfect storm”—a resurgent Russia in the east, thousands of refugees and migrants arriving daily in the south, terrorist attacks in Paris, the rise of nationalist parties and economies flailing skewing political debates—that NATO is trying to weather. Read More
Marines with Combined Arms Company, step back as an M777 Howitzer fires a round during a live-fire shoot in Rena, Norway, Feb. 23, 2016. U.S. Marine Corps Photo
The following is the Feb. 25, 2016 U.S. European Command posture statement from commander Gen. Philip Breedlove. Read More
US Air Force F-22 Raptor escorting a Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear bomber in 2011. US Air Force Photo
With improved surveillance capabilities in Russia’s aircraft, its over flights of the United States drew close congressional scrutiny and open concern from the head of U.S. Strategic Command on Wednesday. Read More
A stumbling Russian economy does not signal any shift in Kremlin spending less on its military and internal security forces, or the beginning of widespread political upheaval, a leading Moscow economist said Monday. Read More
A Jan. 24, 2016 image of Cuarteron Reef in the South China Sea with what is likely a high frequency radar array. CSIS Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative, DigitalGlobe Image used with permission.
This post has been updated to include additional comments from the Department of Defense.
A possible new Chinese radar installation in the South China Sea could put American and allied stealth aircraft at risk as part of a wider detection network similar to U.S. efforts to find Russian bombers in the Cold War. Read More
The following is the Feb. 9, 2016 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Read More
National Intelligence director James Clapper and Defense Intelligence Agency director Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart on Feb. 9, 2016 before the Senate Armed Services Committee. C-SPAN Image
The “most significant” threat to the United States and its allies from a non-state actor remains the Islamic State, the U.S. National Intelligence director told the Senate Armed Services Committee Tuesday, citing its continued successful recruitment of foreign fighters and establishment of affiliates in places such as Libya. Read More
A test shot of an electromagnetic railgun. US Navy Photo
A little publicized Pentagon office tasked with tweaking existing U.S. military capabilities for new roles and missions is a key player in the Department of Defense effort to stay ahead of Russian and Chinese weapon programs. Read More
