Project Thor: America’s Space-Based Superweapon and Its Potential Impact
The U.S. Air Force is advancing a groundbreaking project, reportedly named “Project Thor,” which aims to revolutionize space warfare with an innovative weapon system. In line with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty that forbids the deployment of nuclear, biological, and…
The Economic Mobilization of the Korean War: A Model for Pandemic Response
Six months into the Korean War, Life magazine ran an article titled “What Mobilization?” In it, the publication criticized the United States’ industrial preparedness, highlighting the lack of essential military equipment, like tanks, which wouldn’t be ready until the following…
Why the Russian Navy is Retiring Two of Its Most Powerful Surface Combat Ships
The Russian Navy is facing a critical decision regarding two of its most formidable surface combatants—the Kirov Class battlecruisers. These behemoths, weighing in at 28,000 tons each, represent the largest class of surface combat ships in the world. Equipped with…
Supporting Joint Warfighting with Mission-Level Simulations
In today’s era of rapidly advancing military technology, the United States faces unprecedented challenges. American military supremacy, long assured, is now in jeopardy due to credible threats from peer nations like China and Russia. To counter these emerging threats and…
How Can Negotiations Bring Wars to an End?
The peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban raises critical questions, chief among them: why did it take so long? Both sides knew a decisive victory was unattainable, and the framework for a negotiated settlement had been visible…
From Deception to Attrition: AI and the Changing Face of Warfare
In his classic work The Defense of Duffer’s Drift, Ernest Swinton taught generations of military professionals key lessons in strategy through the dreams of Lieutenant Backsight Forethought, who learned from his mistakes in defending a river crossing during the Boer…
Insurgency, Not War, Is China’s Most Likely Strategy Against the U.S.
This past summer, I found myself preparing for a mechanized desert war during the Marine Corps’ battalion-level integrated training exercise at Twentynine Palms. The focus this year was squarely on high-intensity conventional warfare — a stark contrast to my 2015…
Hezbollah’s Enhanced Anti-Tank Arsenal: The Role of North Korean Technology in South Lebanon
Hezbollah’s ability to challenge Israel’s formidable military has been a central feature of its operations in southern Lebanon, particularly in the realm of anti-armour tactics. During the 2006 war with Israel, Hezbollah surprised many by successfully targeting and destroying Israeli…
China’s Type 002 Aircraft Carrier: A High-Tech Game Changer Rivaling the U.S. Navy
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy is gearing up to deploy its most advanced aircraft carrier yet with the upcoming commissioning of the Type 002, a highly anticipated warship expected to rival the U.S. Navy’s Gerald Ford Class supercarriers….
Defending the Skies for Four Decades: Evolution of Russia’s S-300 Air Defence System – Part Four: The S-300V
The S-300V, the third member of the S-300 air defense family, represents a legacy of innovation and remains relevant today through continuous upgrades and advancements. Entering service in 1984, the S-300V was a groundbreaking platform designed to counter a wide…
China’s Strategic Role in Iran’s Military Modernization and Nuclear Program: Implications for Future Relations
With the end of Iran’s brief thaw in relations with the West following the United States’ unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal and the threat of European sanctions over Tehran’s ballistic missile program, Iran is turning back to…
The Legacy of the Soviet Union’s Ambitious Aircraft Carrier Program: Part Two
The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought a swift and dramatic end to the USSR’s ambitious aircraft carrier program, leaving a legacy of incomplete projects, scrapped vessels, and dispersed technological innovations. The newly formed successor states, struggling with…