Just Let Them Compete: Nurturing the Next Generation of Wargamers
My path to becoming a wargamer was serendipitous. Hired for my insights on national security and my Marine Corps background, I entered wargaming with no prior experience, learning the craft on the job. The field, surprisingly, is built on similar…
Air War Over Sinai: How SAMs Shaped the Yom Kippur War’s Outcome
During the early hours of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Egypt’s surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries, including the Soviet-supplied S-75 and the newly deployed S-125, played a pivotal role in the conflict’s early stages. The S-75 had already proven its effectiveness…
The Evolution of Russia’s S-300 and S-400 Air Defense Systems
The S-300PMU-1, introduced into the Russian military in 1992, marked a significant leap forward in air defense technology, arriving just months after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. This advanced system revolutionized the capabilities of the existing S-300 family, featuring…
The Resilient Alliance: Russia’s Longstanding Military Partnership with Syria
As Russia continues to support Syrian armed forces in their prolonged conflict against Western-backed insurgents, the historical context of the Russia-Syria partnership takes on renewed significance. The two nations’ defense collaboration has roots extending back to the Cold War, during…
Prioritizing Survivability: How Israel Fortified the Merkava IV Against Destruction
Israel’s development of its indigenous main battle tank, the Merkava, was born out of necessity and a desire for battlefield superiority. After receiving its first U.S.-made M60 tanks in 1971, considered the pinnacle of Western armored technology at the time,…
North Korean Special Forces in Syria: Pyongyang’s Strategic Support for Damascus’ Counterinsurgency Operations
For decades, North Korea has been one of Syria’s most steadfast allies, and the relationship between the two nations has deepened further amidst the ongoing conflict in Syria. North Korean military support to Damascus, dating back to the 1970s, has…
Escalating Tensions: Israel Faces Growing Iranian Military Threat in Syria
Amid rising tensions between Iran and Israel, the Israeli leadership has sounded alarms about the rapidly expanding Iranian military presence in Syria, which is seen as an existential threat to Israel’s security. With Syria embroiled in a brutal civil war…
India’s Strategy to Counter China’s Stealth Fighters
The United States Air Force pioneered the use of modern stealth technology, beginning with the F-117 Nighthawk strike fighter in the 1980s. Deployed extensively in the 1990s during conflicts in Panama, Iraq, and Yugoslavia, the F-117’s success forced potential adversaries…
Taipei’s Missile Program and the Challenge of Countering China’s Air Superiority
Taiwan has been accelerating its efforts to bolster its air defense capabilities in response to the growing threat from China, particularly its technological and numerical superiority in the skies. A key part of these efforts is the domestically developed Sky…
Preventing War on the Korean Peninsula: China and Russia’s Military Posturing in Response to U.S. Drills
As tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalate, China and Russia have responded to U.S. military maneuvers with significant demonstrations of their own military power. These actions come in the wake of the U.S. launching the unscheduled Vigilant Ace military exercises,…
Israel’s Rhetoric on Iran: The Perils of Pushing Towards Unnecessary War
As tensions simmer between Israel and Iran, Israeli leaders like Benjamin Netanyahu are aligning with figures such as Donald Trump to dismantle the JCPOA nuclear agreement. While Netanyahu’s rhetoric has shifted to suggesting “fixing” the deal, the underlying objective appears…
Fait Accompli: France and Britain Push for Deep Missile Strikes on Russia Ahead of Trump Presidency
In a last-ditch effort to escalate military action in Ukraine, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are reportedly lobbying the Biden administration to authorize deeper missile strikes into Russian territory. According to The Telegraph, high-level talks…