Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

This week we’re going to take a look at mercenaries in the ancient Mediterranean world! This was one of the runners-up in the latest ACOUP Senate poll, coming out of quite a few requests to discuss how mercenaries functioned in antiquity. In order to keep the scope here manageable and within my expertise, I am going to confine myself to mercenaries in the Classical (480-323) and Hellenistic (323-31) Mediterranean, but we’ll have more than enough to talk about within that framework. Mercenary soldiers make frequent appearances in our sources for these periods and as a result also are often prominent…

For the first time, an international team of astronomers have mapped the vertical structure of Uranus’s upper atmosphere, uncovering how temperature and charged particles vary with height across the planet. Using NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRSpec instrument, the team observed Uranus for nearly a full rotation, detecting the faint glow from molecules high above the clouds. The results offer a new window into how ice-giant planets distribute energy in their upper layers. Led by Paola Tiranti of Northumbria University in the United Kingdom, the study mapped out the temperature and density of ions in the atmosphere extending up to…

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Drones are profoundly changing the Army’s approach to aviation and combined arms training, Maj. Gen. Clair A. Gill, commanding general of the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence, told Military Times in an interview.During the Army’s first annual Best Drone Warfighter Competition in Huntsville, Alabama, the Fort Rucker-based aviation chief shared his insights about the impact of drones on military doctrine.“The application of drone technology is only limited by your creativity,” he said. “It’s this constantly evolving game of technology and craftsmanship to create the desired effect that you want on the other end.”While Army aviators are…

A UK Royal Air Force A400M Atlas flying low level through Welsh valley. Credit: Crown Copyright / UK Ministry of Defence. Airbus presented its fiscal year 2025 results this week in which it alluded to “uncertainties” regarding the level of A400M orders Although the programme is fiscally stable, the company will assess the potential impact on the programme’s manufacturing activities The chief executive downplayed the medium-term slump, characterising it as a “classical situation” in the transition from launch contracts to a second wave of export orders Airbus have noted “uncertainties” when it comes to future A400M aircraft orders in its…

The U.S. Air Force concluded A-10 Thunderbolt II depot-level maintenance at Ogden Air Logistics Complex with a “Hawg Out” ceremony Feb. 12 at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, service officials announced Wednesday.The final Warthog to complete depot work at the facility, tail number 78-0655, is scheduled to depart Hill by the end of February, prompting the deactivation of the 571st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, according to an Air Force Life Cycle Management Center release.Ogden ALC has served as the primary depot for A-10 structural repairs, wing replacements and major overhauls since 1998. At its peak, the 571st AMXS employed hundreds of…

UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van will fight one of the division’s most exciting young contenders in his first title defense later this year. Despite being weeks removed from his UFC flyweight championship win, titleholder Joshua Van wants to waste little time in booking his first title defense. Van defeated Alexandre Pantoja to win the belt at UFC 323 after Pantoja suffered an injury just minutes into their fight. Almost immediately after UFC 323, a rematch between Van and Pantoja was assumed to be the most likely next title fight in the division. Pantoja was the reigning champion for years and…

Amidst a push to expand and reform missile production in the United States, the US Navy has published a contract seeking to procure a new type of Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM), dubbed the Advanced Emission Suppression Missile (ASEM). Dictated in a contract released by NAVAIR, ASEM is detailed to have a longer range than any other radar killing missile in the current inventory of the United States Navy, giving enhanced stand-off capabilities to the US Navy’s Anti-Radiation Missile launching aircraft. Additionally, ASEM will be designed to fired from the Navy’s existing inventory of fixed wing fighters, including the F/A-18E/F, F-35C, and…

UFC Canada has confirmed that Mike Malott will headline UFC Winnipeg on April 18, 2026, facing Brazilian veteran Gilbert Burns in a five‑round welterweight main event at Canada Life Centre. The event, originally rumored for Ottawa, has been moved to Winnipeg, marking the UFC’s first return to Manitoba’s capital since December 2017. Mike Malott Headlines UFC Winnipeg vs. Gilbert Burns in April Main Event Mike Malott, a 34‑year‑old Canadian out of Burlington, Ontario, will be the first Canadian to headline a UFC card in nearly six years. He owns a 13–2 professional record and is currently riding a three‑fight win…

Europe’s most fragile region is not sleepwalking toward war, but it is quietly recalibrating for it. Across the Western Balkans, military procurement decisions once framed as technical upgrades are evolving into something more consequential: a shifting balance of power unfolding at a moment when Europe’s security order strains under growing trans-Atlantic tension. These regional dynamics emerged unevenly, with Serbia clearly leading the way a decade ago. In response, neighboring countries have also modernized their militaries, though in different ways. NATO members such as Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia have focused primarily on meeting alliance capability and interoperability benchmarks. Fellow NATO ally…

Introduction Let’s be honest: we aren’t teenagers anymore. Gone are the days when I could sink 12 hours into a single Hearts of Iron session without checking the clock. Now, between running Strategy and Wargaming, managing a career, and the tactical complexity of ‘folding laundry,’ my gaming time is a precious resource. But being a ‘busy adult’ shouldn’t mean sacrificing deep tactical satisfaction. After 25 years in the trenches of the strategy genre, I’ve curated a specific library of what I call ‘Micro-Strategy’ titles. These aren’t just ‘casual’ games, they are deep, complex experiences that respect your time. Whether you…