Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

In 1988, the military historian James Stokesbury observed that democracies are best at fighting either little wars, which are reserved for “professionals” and don’t involve ordinary citizens, or really big wars that mobilize all of society. Those democracies, he continued, have “very real problems trying to fight a middle-sized war, where some go and some stay home.”Middle-sized wars are big enough to cause immense destruction and bloodshed but small enough that they do not engage the full home front. They should not be confused with what the military theorist Carl von Clausewitz called a limited war, in which the goal…

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When federal employees begin thinking about retirement, most focus first on the big questions. When should I claim Social Security? Should I keep Federal Employee Health Benefits or enroll in Medicare? How much can I expect from my Federal Employee Retirement System annuity?But there’s one question that should come before all of that.How much am I actually spending?Understanding how to manage your finances in retirement must start with this simple question. While it may seem basic, this step is one of the most empowering, yet often overlooked, parts of planning for your future.Your spending habits, not your Thrift Savings Plan balance and not…

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This truck-mounted version of the BrahMos cruise missile belongs to the Indian Army, but Indonesia is set to adopt the system too. (Gordon Arthur)Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 9 March that it had concluded an agreement to acquire BrahMos anti-ship cruise missiles from India.MoD spokesperson Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait shared, “Indonesia has partnered with India in the procurement of the BrahMos missile system. This is part of our efforts to modernise our weaponry, especially in beefing up our coastal defence.”It was actually General Romeo Brawner Jr., the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,…

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The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush transits the Atlantic Ocean on 8 February 2026. Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jayden Brown. The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWBCSG) has completed its Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX), amid reports that the group may soon deploy to the Middle East. The exercise, completed on 5 March 2026, involved sailors, ships, squadrons and command staff, assessing their abilities in air, surface, subsurface and cyber warfare through a series of complex scenarios over several weeks. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence…

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Apparent Russia-linked hacking collectives backing Iran have been observed joining the cyber activity unfolding alongside the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, though analysts have mixed views on whether their involvement represents a meaningful escalation or little more than online noise.The outlook on such “hacktivist” groups — hackers who attempt to penetrate systems and steal information for political activism — comes days after The Washington Post reported that Russia is supplying Iran with intelligence to help target U.S. forces in the Middle East and adds another dimension to the already complex cyber and information environment surrounding the war.One well-known pro-Russia group dubbed…

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In early March 2026, U.S. Central Command confirmed the first U.S. fatalities of the Iran conflict. A drone strike at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait killed six American servicemembers.A counter-drone system can intercept “most” threats and still fail at the mission that matters: protecting people and critical nodes. Small drones can fly as low to the ground, present detection challenges, and punish any gap in hardening or point defense. And there is a big imbalance in target cost and cost to intercept, especially when the United States is using expensive Patriot interceptors to take down Iranian Shaheds: low-cost kamikaze drones.While advanced…

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Daniel Cormier may not like Jon Jones, but he can at least acknowledge that Jones getting left off the UFC White House card probably stings.This past weekend, the UFC finally announced the fights for the highly anticipated White House card this June, and perhaps the biggest surprise of the bunch was that former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones would not be fighting at the event.Jones retired in 2025, but after the White House card was announced, he returned to the testing pool and lobbied hard for a spot at the event, so much so that many expected Jones to fight…

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In recent days, global attention has turned toward Iran’s Kurdish regions. Amid escalating tensions between Iran, Israel, and the United States, Kurdish opposition groups inside Iran have reemerged as potential geopolitical actors, prompting renewed speculation about the role Kurdish movements play in moments of regional upheaval. The prospect of Kurdish mobilization inside Iran has quickly captured headlines and revived longstanding debates about the strategic significance of Kurdish politics in the Middle East. Yet this renewed spotlight has had an unintended consequence. While Iranian Kurds dominate the strategic conversation, the future of Syria’s Kurds arguably the most politically organized and institutionally…

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March 11, 2026 SkyDefender is a multi-layer, multi-domain Integrated Air and Missile Defence system providing full protection against all types of air threats, on land, at sea and in space. SkyDefender integrates a network of advanced sensors and effectors with a versatile command and control (C2) system. With its open and modular architecture, it is fully compatible with existing air defence systems. Combining Thales’ expertise in cybersecurity and advanced artificial intelligence through cortAIx, Thales AI accelerator, SkyDefender enables operational superiority and proactive defence against cyberattacks and evolving threats. Thales is capable of delivering this critical protection globally from today. As…

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FEPS supply power for British Army communications, lighting, support facilities and other infrastructure. Credit: © Babcock International Group. Babcock International Group (Babcock) has secured a contract to provide in-service support for the British Army’s Field Electrical Power Supplies (FEPS) power generators. The contract, valued at up to £36m ($48m), will run for up to eight years and create 20 jobs, according to the company’s 9 March 2026 press statement. Discover B2B Marketing That Performs Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms. Find out more FEPS are used by the Army to supply…

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