Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Europe’s plan to build its own advanced attack helicopter sounded simple in the 1980s: combine French and German engineering, share the costs, and create a capable alternative to American and Soviet designs.It turned out to be far more complicated.The Eurocopter Tiger became one of Europe’s most ambitious military aviation projects, later joined by Spain and produced in several national variants. It delivered advanced sensors, composite construction, night-fighting capability and precision weapons, but also exposed the difficulties of European defense cooperation.The Eurocopter Tiger programme began in 1984, driven largely by Cold War requirements for anti-tank and armed reconnaissance missions. Then the…

Welcome to the MWI Book Club, a podcast based on the idea that a military that reads books is a military that wins wars. Join cohosts John Amble and Theo Lipsky for the third episode as they read one of the most influential science fiction novels of all time: The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. The book’s plot follows a young man named William Mandela who is drafted into an interstellar war. His deployments require that he travel light-years away from Earth, to fight against an unknown enemy with cutting-edge technology. What might he learn about leadership? About the promise of innovation?…

WAIOURU, New Zealand — The whump of exploding 105 mm artillery rounds reverberate across the “battlefield” as Kiwi soldiers in NZLAV 8×8 armored vehicles race across a valley to assault a network of enemy trenches.Witnessed by Defense News on Aug. 27, this live-fire episode formed part of the New Zealand Army’s largest exercise of 2026.Called Hill 60 – named after the final battle in the Gallipoli campaign in World War I – the 16-day training event was a key check for the army as it prepares for the multilateral Exercise Talisman Sabre in Australia next year.The drills are part of…

For decades, Jordan’s leaders have showcased the military’s importance to the national ethos. After joining the British military and deploying to West Germany, King Abdullah II enlisted in the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF). He spent over fifteen years in uniform and later said that JAF service is an “honor to be proud of, a great responsibility, and a sacred national duty.” The king’s eldest son, Crown Prince Hussein, is also a JAF officer and was promoted to major in 2024 after serving as an infantry platoon commander. Last year, the heir apparent announced mandatory national conscription with the goal of…

Badr Hari, the 41-year-old kickboxer, is now facing a new run-in with Dutch police. According to De Telegraaf, the man was arrested Tuesday morning on Van Leijenberghlaan in Amsterdam following an incident reported around 9 a.m. local time. Police have not officially confirmed the suspect’s identity, but sources close to the paper say it is Hari, and word first spread through RealityFBI IG before De Telegraaf’s own sources and FSI247 backed it up. A police spokesperson kept things vague Tuesday, saying only that officers arrested a 41-year-old man on suspicion of threatening behavior and insult. No further details about what…

German shipbuilder TKMS and Italy’s Fincantieri join forces to strengthen European underwater defense capabilities, targeting a joint framework by year-end. TKMS press release TKMS AG & Co. KGaA (TKMS) and Fincantieri S.p.A. (Fincantieri) have signed a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at deepening their long‑standing partnership and strengthening European industrial cooperation in the submarine and underwater domain. The two companies intend to establish a Collaboration Framework by the end of the year, subject to the completion of all applicable regulatory processes.   The agreement marks a significant step toward enhancing the European naval defense industrial base through closer cooperation…

Key PointsThe U.S. Navy awarded Boeing a $12.7 million sole-source modification to upgrade electronic systems on the MQ-25 refueling drone.Work covers updated radio frequency and data storage components, plus security assessment corrections for the aircraft’s mission computer, running through November 2029.The U.S. Navy has awarded Boeing a $12.7 million contract modification to upgrade electronic components on the MQ-25 Stingray, the Navy’s first operational carrier-based drone, according to a Department of War contract announcement. The modification covers non-recurring engineering and integration work on an updated Radio Frequency Blanker Unit and an Encrypted Mass Storage System with an embedded Data Transfer System,…

A seventh suspect has been arrested in connection with the death of Marine Corps veteran Michael Garcia. Garcia, 41, was killed in crossfire during an alleged multi-generational drug feud which took place in April in Houston, Texas. Police arrested six people at the time in connection with the death and identified Byron “BB” Dubose, 24, as a suspect earlier this year, circulating his photo on April 30. Police arrested out-of-state fugitive Byron Dubose, 24, a week ago in connection with the murder. He was arrested in Houston by U.S. Marshals and Harris County law enforcement, according to the New Orleans…

J-10CE fighters of the Uzbek Air Force taxi at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base. (Uzbekistan state TV)The Chinese-designed J-10 fighter has attracted its second export customer, with the Uzbek Air Force unveiling its newly arrived J-10CE jets in a national broadcast aired on 28 August 2026.On that occasion, six of the fighters were seen, including images of them taxiing at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base as part of a welcome ceremony. This airfield is located near Karshi in the south of Uzbekistan, close to the Afghan border.They were expected to fly in the nation’s Independence Day parade on 1 September. However, the first J-10…

Organizations representing federal employees and their allies in Congress in recent days have decried President Trump’s plan to freeze most federal workers’ pay while directing sizeable raises for federal law enforcement and members of the military.Last week, Trump issued an alternative pay plan formalizing the call from his fiscal 2027 budget proposal to freeze most federal workers pay at 2026 levels next year. He also announced that he would direct the Office of Personnel Management to authorize a 3.8% increase in basic pay for federal law enforcement officers, to go along with a between 5 and 7% raise for military…