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Flux Defense Introduces the Big Black Barrel — Now Harder Than Ever Flux Defense today announced the Big Black Barrel, a 6″ replacement barrel engineered specifically for the Raider 365 to deliver maximum ballistic performance while preserving the platform’s compact size and function. Key Features: Length: 6″ — sits flush with the Raider 365 chassis Caliber: 9mm Material: 4150 CMV steel (same base material used in machine-gun barrels) Finish: Black Nitride for enhanced hardness and corrosion resistance Performance: Increased velocity and softer felt recoil versus shorter barrels Compatibility: Exclusively for Sig P365 / Raider 365 — NOT compatible with Sig…

MENASource April 9, 2026 • 9:47 am ET Print this page By Maisoon H. Kafafy The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has captured international attention in recent weeks. Now, concern is rising about the other major trade waterway in the region: the Red Sea. Instability on its shores—both to the east in Yemen and to the west in the Horn of Africa—threatens to further disrupt global shipping. The Horn of Africa only tends to get Washington’s attention in bursts—following piracy crises, famines, and terrorist attacks—and then loses it again. That cycle of engagement and neglect could have serious costs…

Recently, Damen Shipyards Antalya hosted a kick-off meeting attended by delegations from the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Turkish Coast Guard (TURCG) Command, Presidency of Migration Management (PMM), the European Union Delegation, the Netherlands Embassy in Türkiye, and Damen Shipyards Group. The meeting marks the recent contract signing between Damen and the IOM for the delivery of thirteen Search and Rescue (SAR) 1906 vessels to be operated by the Turkish Coast Guard, within the framework of the European Union-funded project “Improving the Turkish Coast Guard’s Operational Capacity through the Supply of Search and Rescue Boats”. Damen previously delivered…

Motivated by the study of state opioid policies, we propose a novel approach that uses autoregressive models for causal effect estimation in settings with panel data and staggered treatment adoption. Specifically, we seek to estimate the impact of key opioid-related policies by quantifying the effects of must access prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), naloxone access laws (NALs), and medical marijuana laws on opioid prescribing. Existing methods, such as differences-in-differences and synthetic controls, are challenging to apply in these types of dynamic policy landscapes where multiple policies are implemented over time and sample sizes are small. Autoregressive models are an alternative…

President Trump has said he is reconsidering the US’s position in NATO, because NATO has failed to back his war on Iran – a war in which serious violations of international law have been committed by the US, Israel and Iran. NATO backing for Trump’s war on Iran was never really on the cards, because NATO is a defensive alliance based on at least lip-service to international law. Trump does not understand this because he does not think in terms of formal structures and agreements. He sees relations between nations as emerging from a mix of armed force, personal chemistry…

Curtis Blaydes isn’t giving Josh Hokit the attention he clearly craves ahead of their fight at UFC 327 on Saturday.Ever since arriving in the UFC, Hokit has done his best to cut pro wrestling style promos before and after his fights, often times bordering on being flat out offensive whenever he opens his mouth. During UFC 327 fight week, Hokit already tried to start an altercation with main event fighter Jiri Prochazka and did the same talking trash to Carlos Ulberg when they passed each other in the host hotel.For his part, Blaydes knows exactly what Hokit is trying to…

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 In an effort to improve connectivity aboard Air Force tanker and mobility aircraft, the Pentagon’s commercial technology innovation unit wants a system to install new applications on aircraft, such as a moving map display that helps aircrew see through the fog of war. KC-135 Stratotankers and other older mobility aircraft currently lack an “in-flight common operating picture” that allows them to see evolving battlespace conditions such as incoming threats as well…

Credit: Hwangbo JunmooDefense Feeds, Busan – South Korea just took another step toward military self-sufficiency. The state unveiled its first truly homegrown medium-altitude unmanned aircraft during an April ceremony in Busan. This isn’t just another drone development. The MUAV represents a strategic pivot toward building advanced defense systems using mostly domestic components.The Defense Acquisition Program Administration rolled out the system alongside Korean industry partners. Nearly 90 percent of the unmanned aircraft uses homegrown technology. That’s a significant achievement in a field where most nations rely heavily on foreign suppliers or imported subsystems.Why does this matter? Because dependency on external suppliers…

Small defense industry artificial intelligence startups are suddenly fielding calls from generals, combatant commanders and deep-pocketed investors, after the souring relationship between the Pentagon and its once-favored AI vendor, Anthropic, reinforced the need to diversify and increase the number of AI providers for the military.In the weeks since the Department of Defense’s troubled relationship with Anthropic burst into public view and led to the company being kicked out of the U.S. military, new defense-focused AI companies like Smack Technologies and EdgeRunner AI say they have experienced a shift in interest that would have been unimaginable just months ago. They have…

After Cub Swanson’s thrilling win over Billy Quarantillo at UFC Tampa in December 2024, he was happy to call it a career. But after conversations with impartial minds in the sport, it helped push him to make that walk one last time.Swanson faces Nate Landwehr in his retirement fight this Saturday in the main card opener of UFC 327. Following his knockout win over Quarantillo, Swanson sat up at the post-fight press conference and wasn’t sure what his next move would be.But after his wife was told by UFC brass that they wanted him back — along with guidance from…