Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Picture this: it’s the late 1950s, the Cold War is humming ominously in the background, and fighter jets are still figuring out what “supersonic” really means. Then the Mirage III shows up and calmly punches through Mach 2 like it’s late for dinner. No drama. No excuses. Just speed, altitude, and intent.That first impression never really faded.The Mirage III isn’t just another Cold War fighter jet; it’s a statement. A sharp, triangular delta-winged statement that told the world France could design, build, and export a top-tier supersonic aircraft without copying anyone else’s homework. While other nations were still wrestling with…

WASHINGTON — The British Ministry of Defence announced it has invited seven firms, from defense heavyweights to relative startups, to pitch their ideas for “futuristic” drone helicopters to fly alongside Apaches into combat. The seven partners for what’s called Project NYX are Britain’s BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin’s UK subsidiary, and robotics company Syos; Italy’s Leonardo; France’s Thales; Portugal’s Tekever; and America’s Anduril. The plan is to winnow the pool down to four firms by March, the announcement said, and to aim for a 2030 initial operational capability. The MoD said in the announcement on Saturday that NYX is an “innovative…

On the second episode of UFC 325 Embedded, Dan Hooker spends time with his daughter before heading off to Sydney; Oban Elliott reflects on the influence his father has had on his fighting career; Jacob Malkoun gets in a grappling session; Quillan Salkilld arrives for UFC 325 fight week; Torrez Finney hits pads; Champ Alexander Volkanovski and his team arrive in Sydney; Diego Lopes and his whole team train together.UFC 325 takes place on Feb. 1 and is headlined by a featherweight championship rematch between two-time titleholder Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes. UFC 325 UFC 325 Embedded – Episode 2

Gaming has several benefits for cognitive ability and reaction times, not to mention that much-needed stress relief in your down time, but how long can we spend per week zapping the virtual enemy before it starts to defeat out own health as a result? Science has an answer. The new study published as a result of work carried out by experts at Curtin University in Western Australia, wanted to understand how much is too much as relates to gaming, and while they found that moderate play had no significant harmful effect on health, those who went heavy for long periods…

SHOT Show 25 – OTB Boots Pirata Low OTB Boots handed out some samples of their new Pirata series, a long anticipated update to the original Maritime Assault Boot from Altama, although designed by the same team that created this new line. The Pirata series consists of models: Pirata Elite (OTB / subsurface), Pirata Mid, and Pirata Low. This is the Pirata Low. The outsole design and rubber compound are directly derived from OTB’s Abyss boot and the midsole boasts incorporates nearly an inch of advanced EVA cushioning. I can attest to the comfort for long walks. Pirata boots feature…

Ultra Maritime UK is pursuing two growth vectors as it seeks to expand sonobuoy production at its new integrated design and manufacturing center in Greenford, west London. Officially opened in September last year, the new facility – representing an investment of £20 million – forms part of a broader long-term strategic investment in facilities and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) technology across Ultra Maritime sites in Australia, Canada, the UK and the United States.  According to the company, this investment has demonstrated its “commitment and readiness to support the indigenous manufacturing goals of the UK Ministry of Defence, as well as a…

Planning for retirement involves more than picking a last working day or exploring new goals and hobbies. It also means understanding how your retirement choices affect your spouse if unexpected events arise.Federal retirement systems—including Social Security, Federal Employee Health Benefits, the Thrift Savings Plan and federal pensions—are complex and highly interconnected. Decisions made years before retirement can significantly affect a surviving spouse’s financial stability, access to healthcare and administrative burden.Below are key areas federal employees should address well before retirement to protect their spouse.Ensure both spouses understand the retirement planIn many households, one spouse takes primary responsibility for financial decisions.…

The families of two Trinidadian men killed in an American military strike on an alleged drug-smuggling boat in October filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the United States government on Tuesday. The case marks the first legal challenge of its kind to President Donald Trump’s policy targeting vessels along narco-trafficking routes in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. The lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts in conjunction with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights, names the U.S. government as a defendant and seeks damages for the deaths of Chad Joseph, 26, and Rishi Samaroo, 41,…

Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Republic of Poland 21.01.2026 – Poland is present in Latvia. We have our troops there. We want our presence to be even more visible. I would like for Poland and Latvia to keep increasing their capabilities through shared exercises, joint actions and presence on the eastern flank of NATO. We both benefit from the SAFE programme and I am thankful for the declaration of willingness to conduct joint purchases and for choosing Polish equipment, like the Piorun system – deputy prime minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz noted after meeting the minister of defence of Latvia. On Wednesday,…

Urban warfare is often invoked as an alibi: dense terrain, an embedded enemy, human shields, imperfect intelligence. These conditions are real but they do not, on their own, explain outcomes. Every modern military that has fought in cities has faced uncertainty, civilian presence, and adversaries who exploit it. What distinguishes campaigns is not whether these problems exist, but how commanders choose to respond to them, whose risk is prioritized, and what forms of harm are treated as acceptable.The war in Gaza has produced civilian death on a scale that cannot be explained by inevitability alone. More than 73,000 people —…