Caravan Magazine

A journal of politics and culture

War

War

The Wargames That Predicted America’s Struggles in Vietnam — And What They Mean for Taiwan Today

In the early 1960s, as America grappled with escalating tensions in Southeast Asia, President Lyndon B. Johnson was confronted with an agonizing decision. His re-election campaign was underway, but his administration was increasingly preoccupied with the growing instability in South…

War

Russia Expands Su-57 Production with New Facility to Accelerate Fleet Growth

Russia is ramping up production of its fifth-generation Su-57 fighter jet, with the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant in the Russian Far East unveiling new facilities to support faster production and testing. The expansion, coinciding with the plant’s 90th anniversary, is part…

War

The Calm Before the Swarm: Drone Warfare at Sea in the Missile Age

The U.S. Navy is still far from a revolutionary shift toward a fleet fully integrated with autonomous platforms. While the Navy is exploring the role of unmanned systems in future combat scenarios, the reality is that the transition to a…

War

Musk Relocates X and SpaceX Headquarters to Texas, Continuing Shift Toward the Right

Elon Musk has announced plans to relocate the headquarters for both X (formerly Twitter) and SpaceX from California to Texas, marking a significant move in his ongoing efforts to align himself with the political right and distance himself from the…

War

Delay, Disrupt, Degrade: The Power of Mine Warfare in Taiwan’s Porcupine Defense Strategy

In 1884, during the Sino-French War, a fleet of heavily armed French warships advanced toward Taiwan’s Tamsui Harbor, only to be stopped by a series of naval mines and stone-laden boats. This unexpected obstacle thwarted the French from advancing to…

War

Revisiting the Tanker War

In the inky darkness of the Persian Gulf, a flight of three U.S. Army special operations helicopters, known as MH-6 “Little Birds,” encountered a small Iranian freighter. These nimble helicopters, renowned for their agility, were armed with rocket pods and…

War

A Cry from Gaza: Surviving War and Hunger in the Shadow of Despair

Since October 7, my life in northern Gaza has been consumed by fear, hunger, and relentless despair. Anxiety, thirst, and bone-deep cold have become my constant companions. I cannot grasp the enormity of our suffering, nor can I find words…

War

Bringing the Swarm to Life: New Roles and Missions for Drone Warfare

As military technology continues to evolve, the potential of drone swarms to shape future conflicts has captured the imagination of strategists worldwide. From the U.S. Department of Defense’s Project Replicator to Ukraine’s ambitious goal of producing a million low-cost drones…

War

Uncrewed Systems and the Evolution of U.S. Warfighting Capacity

The U.S. military of 1945, which stormed Europe and ultimately defeated Nazi forces, was unrecognizable from the military of just five years earlier. Revolutionary technologies across land, air, sea, and the electromagnetic spectrum brought transformative change, enabling joint amphibious operations,…

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Networking to Win: Prioritizing Missions for Wartime Command and Control

For years, U.S. defense planning has been driven by an unwavering belief in the power of technology, especially when it comes to command and control networks. Official statements often boast that new systems will make the joint force “greater than…

War

China’s Long-Range Air-to-Air Missile: A Game Changer for U.S. Military Strategy

A newly released image showcasing four Chinese J-16 fighters from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force has revealed a breakthrough in missile technology—one that may dramatically alter the balance of power in the skies. The aircraft, carrying an advanced…

War

Russia’s S-400 and A-50: A New Era in Air Defense Integration

In early November, reports surfaced that the Russian Armed Forces had used the advanced S-400 long-range air defense system to fire its 40N6 missiles, marking a significant combat test of this missile in the Ukrainian theater. Paired with Russia’s A-50…