Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

An Estonian CV90 IFV on exercise in 2021. Credit: US Army photo by 1st Lt. Ian Fischer Estonia cancels new IFV buy; will upgrade 44 CV9035NLs for ~€100m Extra funds (> $400m) likely shift to counter-UAS and FPV drones APC deliveries completed in 2025; defence spending rising to >$1.6bn Estonia has dropped its intended acquisition of new infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), intended to replace a fleet of current CV90 platforms, and redirect funding to the procurement of alternative capabilities, thought potentially to be counter-UAS and FPV strike drones. According to GlobalData’s inventory data lists, Estonia operates a fleet of 44…

There’s something oddly paradoxical about the Mark 82 bomb. On paper, it’s “just” a 500-pound general-purpose bomb, simple, even old-school. But in practice? It’s one of the most enduring and widely used aerial weapons ever built. Decades old, yet still hanging under the wings of modern fighter jets. That alone should make you pause.Think about this for a second: in an age of drones, AI targeting, and precision-guided everything, why does a gravity-dropped bomb from the mid-20th century still matter? The answer is a mix of engineering elegance, adaptability, and, frankly, cost-efficiency.The Mk 82 sits in a sweet spot, powerful…

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org The Air Force is asking Congress for a major infusion of cash into a little-known fund that manages spare parts In its 2027 budget request, as the service focuses on improving aircraft readiness. The proposed ’27 budget calls for $4.2 billion in appropriations for the Air Force’s Consolidated Sustainment Activity Group, or CSAG, supply division, according to documents posted by the Defense Department’s comptroller. The CSAG is part of the Air…

A boarding team from the UK Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose intercepts a suspected pirate action group in the Gulf of Aden in 2010. Naval presence and stakeholder cooperation have routinely proved essential in reducing piracy threats in key regions. (Crown copyright/UK Ministry of Defence, 2010) Reported piracy and armed robbery at sea incidents have fallen to the lowest level for the first quarter of any year since 1991, according to figures released on 8 April by the International Chamber of Commerce International Maritime Bureau (ICC IMB). According to IMB’s figures for the January-March 2026 period, 16 incidents were recorded…

As the United States embarks on clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz, it could draw on an arsenal of drones, explosive‑laden robots and helicopters to reduce risks, though de‑mining crews could still be vulnerable to Iranian attacks.The U.S. is trying to secure the strait from mines as part of efforts to end Iran’s disruption of shipping, which has severely curbed global energy supplies since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran at the end of February.But while the U.S. can draw on modernized technology to remotely check for and remove mines, clearing a strategic waterway such as the…

Mandel Nallo is preparing to make his long-awaited main stage UFC debut this Saturday. Jai Herbert will stand on the other end of the cage from ‘Rat Garbage’ at UFC Winnipeg on April 18th. Herbert has a certain level of combative cache, having competed with some notable mixed martial artists in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Touching upon the notion that he is lined up against a quality opponent to serve having a breakout performance and getting his ideal outcome as a UFC debutant, Nallo said [via MMA Canada], “Yeah, I think it’s a cool first fight. Like there aren’t; I…

Bela Grundmann is an IT project manager by day. He modernizes legacy systems for banks and large organizations. But for the past five years, his passion project has been something completely different. Through HealthPress.io, his Automattic partner agency, he has been building the digital infrastructure for a growing European lifestyle medicine community, bringing together experts such as Professor Godfrey Grech and Dr. Ioan Hanes. Building a lifestyle medicine platform that runs while you care What that community has built is striking.  Godfrey’s clinic-based wellness programs started in Malta and now run across three private hospitals, with partners in Barcelona, Madrid,…

Credit: RaytheonDefense Feeds, Washington — The U.S. Army is moving to secure its counter-drone capabilities as Coyote Interceptors Boost U.S. Army Defense Against Drone Swarms through a new long-term procurement strategy.The initiative reflects growing concern over the rapid rise of unmanned aerial threats on modern battlefields. As drone warfare evolves, traditional air defense systems are increasingly challenged by smaller, faster, and more numerous targets. The Army’s decision to pursue a sustained acquisition plan signals a shift toward long-term readiness.Rather than relying on short-term purchases, this approach ensures a steady supply of interceptors across multiple operational environments. It also highlights how…

Mar 31, 2023 IMF-World Bank Week at the Atlantic Council WASHINGTON, DC April 13-17 The Atlantic Council will host finance ministers, central bank governors, and policy leaders during the 2026 IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings, focusing on the global growth outlook, multilateralism, financial technology, and financing development in a higher-debt world.

The U.S. Department of War’s rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) must account for how AI is reshaping the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) risk landscape to strengthen decision advantage, enhance CBRN defense, and deter AI-enabled threats. AI’s integration introduces both opportunities and risks: It can enhance detection, decisionmaking, and crisis response yet also enable more-sophisticated or destabilizing CBRN capabilities for state and non-state actors. These dual-use dynamics complicate traditional understandings of offense-defense balance, arms races, and strategic stability. In response, this paper presents a strategic analytic research agenda derived from five workshops convened with experts in AI safety…