The Russian Honor Guard stand-by as part of a ceremony in 2006. U.S. DoD Photo
Although “Russia is not a rising power . . . even in military terms,” Moscow can still “disturb and do harm,” one of the nation’s leading scholars on strategy told attendees at a Center for Strategic and International Studies forum Friday. Read More
A briefing slide of the alleged Status-6 nuclear torpedo captured from Russian television via the BBC
A proposed Russian submarine launched doomsday weapon — the existence of which was almost certainly leaked by the Kremlin — gives clues to the Russian mindset for the development of new strategic weapons in the face of the West’s increasing ballistic missile defense capability and Russia’s shrinking national assets, a naval analyst told USNI News on Thursday. Read More
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.)
An undated picture of a Tupelov Tu-142 Bear F/J maritime surveillance aircraft. Two similar aircraft came within a mile of carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76).
Two Russian surveillance aircraft came within one nautical mile of the U.S. forward deployed carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) prompting the carrier to scramble armed fighters, Navy officials told USNI News on Thursday. Read More
Secretary of Defense Ash Carter testifes before the Senate Armed Services Committee on U.S. military strategy in the Middle East Oct. 27, 2015. DoD Photo
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter told the Senate Armed Services Committee the United States has shifted its emphasis from training forces outside of Syria to return to fight Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS or ISIL) to one of identifying “capable and motivated” leaders inside the country who put defeating the extremists ahead of removing Bashar al-Assad from power in Damascus. Read More
Historically, China has been a great innovator contributing inventions such as gunpowder, paper and the compass to human advancement. However, China has earned an international reputation in recent decades as being the home of a prolific copycat culture. Read More
Russian fighters over Syria. Sputnik Photo
Russia is having its Desert Storm moment in Syria. The near-daily release of Russian fighter cockpit videos and missiles being launched from Russian ships in the Caspian Sea is making millions of Russians feel proud and strong. For instance, on Oct. 21, Russian media reported that 53 strike sorties struck 72 “terrorist targets.” Oddly those same reports are even convincing some in the United States that Russia is somehow more effective in Syria than the United States and its allies. Read More
USS Ross (DDG 71) takes part in a ship formation, to begin At Sea Demonstration 2015 (ASD 15) on Oct. 18, 2015. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated to include additional information from the U.S. Navy and Lockheed Martin.
The U.S. Navy and eight other countries are successfully working through an international detect-to-engage integrated air and missile defense exercise off the coast of Scotland, proving their platforms and people could integrate to provide missile defense in Europe. Read More
The aftermath of an alleged strike from a Wednesday Russian land attack cruise missile. Russian Ministry of Defense Image
Russia is pushing back against reports that several of its SS-N-30A land attack cruise missiles (LACM) failed over Iran during a 26 missile launch from the Caspian Sea to targets in Western Syria, according to Kremlin controlled media. Read More
Undated photo of Russian Navy guided missile frigate Dagestan firing UKSK Shot.
Russian officials claim that a flotilla of four ships in the Caspian Sea sent a barrage of 26 guided cruise missiles across Iran and Iraq to strike Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) targets in Syria — more than 900 miles away.
Those claims were bolstered on Wednesday when Kurdish Peshmerga forces fighting ISIS released a video on Twitter showing a guided cruise missile streak by their encampment. Read More
