Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

From autonomous vessels to smarter fleets maritime operations are rapidly evolving as autonomous technologies redefine naval strategy. As global naval forces look toward the adoption of Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), the technical focus is shifting toward a critical future necessity: radio frequency (RF) situational awareness. Without a human crew, next generation USVs must deliver intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to operate effectively in contested environments. This is where the adaptation of compact, wideband direction-finding (DF) antenna systems, such as those pioneered by Alaris Antennas, can provide a key enabling capability for autonomous maritime operations. For a future unmanned vessel, RF…

ROME — Spanish defense firm Indra has signed to become the lead integrator in Spain’s purchase of the amphibious vehicles now in use by the U.S. MarineCorps.After Spain selected the wheeled vehicle, known in the U.S. as the Amphibious Combat Vehicle, Indra struck its deal with Italy’s IDV, which is the design authority, intellectual property owner and supplier of core components on the vehicle.IDV teamed with BAE Systems to supply the vehicle, known in Italy as Superav, to the U.S. Marines. The Italian military has since become the second customer for the vehicle.In Spain, Indra’s deal envisages integration of systems…

Phil De Fries heads into KSW 117 with another title defense on the schedule, but his latest talk gave the bigger story: the long-reigning KSW heavyweight champion spoke in detail about the anxiety that shaped much of his life and career, while also laying out how he is preparing for Marcin Wójcik in Warsaw on April 18. De Fries vs. Wójcik as the heavyweight title fight in the co-main spot at XTB KSW 117 at COS Torwar, with De Fries entering for his 14th title defense. Phil De Fries says “I’m going for the finish, first or second round” before…

Arman Tsarukyan will be in Philadelphia for RAF 08 this Saturday (Apr. 18, 2026), despite American Airlines’ best efforts to stop him.Video on Thursday evening captured a surprisingly chill Tsarukyan and two friends being escorted off a plane headed for Philadelphia. The reason given at this time?“Simply because someone on the team was on their phone while the plane was taking off,” reporter Adam Zubayraev wrote. “And the second person opened up a table. Because of this, Arman and two of his friends were kicked off the flight headed to the RAF tournament.”That seems like a crazy overreaction from American…

The Australian navy’s Maritime Autonomous Systems Unit will operate new assets such as the Ghost Shark pictured here. (ADF)The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has formally established the Maritime Autonomous Systems Unit (MASU), tasked with accelerating the development, integration and operational employment of uncrewed maritime systems.The unit will focus on capabilities optimised for persistent, long-range intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as strike missions, reflecting a broader shift towards distributed and autonomous operations.MASU is expected to field a range of uncrewed surface and subsurface platforms, including Anduril’s Ghost Shark extra-large autonomous underwater vehicle, Ocius Technologies’ Bluebottle unmanned surface vessel and C2…

It is clear that the U.S.-Israeli decapitation, airpower-centric, and precision strike campaign are again not enough to bring about the two countries’ strategic goals. The United States still finds itself potentially having to commit land forces into its war with Iran, yet many unknowns lurk, including a fragile ceasefire and a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Setting aside the question of whether U.S. land forces will be committed to the war, the question that remains unknown is how, and to what degree, they would be employed.The continued relevance of land forces in the 21st century is a…

FirstSpear Friday Focus: Tubes Rodeo T-Shirt The FirstSpear TUBES RODEO T-SHIRT is built for off-duty wear without dropping standards. It’s made from a soft 60/40 cotton blend that’s comfortable enough for long days, whether you’re at the range, in the gym, or just staying low profile. Lightweight and breathable, it keeps things easy without feeling cheap or disposable. The side-seamed construction gives it a better fit than your average boxy tee. Available in black, tan, and maroon, it keeps your look clean and simple while still standing out just enough. Sizes run from Small to 3XL, so you’re covered regardless…

I was lucky enough to get an interview with EPO Games, the developer behind Empire Eternal, a spiritual successor to the classic Empire Earth, being published by MicroProse, and one of the most anticipated strategy games of the year. It is a massive-scale real-time strategy (RTS) game that allows players to command a civilization through 20 different eras, spanning from the prehistoric Stone Age to a distant future dominated by AI and digital warfare. Can you tell us about the team: who you are, your experiences, and what brought you together to create Empire Eternal? EPO: I’m from Brazil, and…

The Office of Management and Budget unveiled the completed 2025 Federal Agency Artificial Intelligence Use Case Inventory, documenting 3,611 individual use cases across 56 submitting agencies. This represents a 105% increase from 2024’s reported use cases, which came in at 1,757. Pursuant to several executive actions and congressional laws, including the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act and an April 2025 memo from the Office of Management and Budget, federal agencies are required to report how AI tools are being used in their operations.OMB is the only office agencies are required to report to, the agency confirmed, adding that use cases employed by…

The widening U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran is usually narrated as a Middle Eastern crisis. That is true, but strategically incomplete. Since the 28 February 2026 strikes on Iran and the wider conflict that followed, European governments have tried to distinguish non-participation, defensive assistance, and offensive enablement, while Asian governments have had to reckon with disrupted shipping, energy risk, and the possibility that American attention and assets could be drawn away from the Indo-Pacific. The most revealing theatre of the war is therefore not only the Gulf. It is also the wider political space in which states decide whether international law…