Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Why do some hostile relationships between states last for generations while others eventually give way to cooperation? International politics offers many examples of both outcomes. France and Germany moved from repeated wars to partnership, while the rivalry between India and Pakistan continues despite decades of conflict management efforts. Explaining why some enduring rivalries survive while others transform remains one of the central questions in the study of international conflict (Goertz and Diehl 1993; Diehl and Goertz 2000). Rivalries are among the most enduring features of international politics. They structure how states perceive threats, allocate military resources, form alliances, and pursue…

The land equipment benchmark exhibition, Eurosatory is further widening its scope as many defence manufacturers showcased naval uncrewed systems at the Paris event. One of them was Arquimea of Spain, which unveiled the Kronos Mini naval loitering munition, which joins the S-Wise UUV unveiled at DSEI 2025 The S-Wise is mostly a UUV, which can also sail on the surface, while the Kronos Mini is the opposite, a USV capable to sail underwater for limited periods. A single planning hull produced using additive manufacturing and acoustic transparent plastics, it is 2,043 mm long, has a 450 mm beam and a…

From Sensor Directly to the Digital Situation Map – M830rc X LRF 1535nm Gains A.T.A.K. integration At Eurosatory 2026 in Paris, Steiner-Optik is unveiling the M830rc X LRF 1535nm — a laser rangefinder binocular now featuring seamless connectivity to the A.T.A.K. (Android Tactical Assault Kit) Battle Management System. Through a newly developed interface, targets lased with the M830rc X LRF are instantly transferred into the A.T.A.K. Battle Management System and displayed on a shared, real-time digital map — immediately visible to all users across the network. The integration is activated through a straightforward software update to the binocular’s Bluetooth module,…

Ukraine has commissioned Rheinmetall to supply long range artillery ammunition. The order comprises 155-mm artillery shells and propellant charges in the low five-figure range. The contract value, which will be recognised in the second quarter of 2026, is in the high double-digit millions of euros. Production has already begun, and the contract is due to be completed in the first quarter of 2027. The ammunition is being manufactured at Rheinmetall Expal Munitions in Spain. The ER02A1 B/B projectiles and the M203 propellant charges are already in use by various NATO countries. They can be fired from a wide range of…

Saab has today signed a contract with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for 16 Gripen E fighter aircraft for Ukraine. The order value corresponds to approximately SEK 24.6 billion and the order will be booked in the third quarter 2026. Saab’s deliveries to FMV are scheduled to take place 2029-2030. In addition to the 16 Gripen E fighter aircraft the contract also includes spare parts and associated items and equipment.  “I am deeply proud that Sweden and Saab can now enable the provision of Gripen E to Ukraine, bringing a world-class fighter that will transform the Ukrainian Air Force’s…

George Washington’s army had the will to fight. It did not always have the powder, weapons or ammunition needed to survive. That shortage, and the covert effort to solve it before France openly backed the American Revolution, is at the center of Liberty, a new graphic novel from Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner and artists Étienne Le Roux, Loïc Chevallier and Elvire De Cock. Timed to the country’s 250th anniversary, the book looks beyond the familiar battlefield story of the Revolution to the spies, smugglers, secret agents and civilians who helped keep the rebellion alive when its future was…

Of Blue and White’s Intelligence Warfare and MENA’s Crisis Profile wpDiscuzInsert

A student pilot reached for the wrong fuel control in his Block-1 OA-1K Skyraider II on Oct. 23, 2025, shutting off fuel to the engine and forcing the crew to crash-land the special operations aircraft in an Oklahoma field, an Air Force accident investigation board found.The crash is the first time an OA-1K has been destroyed since the missionized aircraft entered service in April 2025.The board determined the pilot mistakenly engaged the fuel shutoff valve, normally reserved for emergencies, when the instructor told him to open the nearby fuselage fuel tank valve, a routine check crews run on nearly every…

Although The King of Fighters 15 is no longer receiving new content, it’s still part of the SNK World Championship circuit and getting updates. As announced at Evo 2026, SNK is releasing a new balance update for KOF15, which we now have the revised patch notes for. They’ve made a few adjustments here for universal systems with Jumping Blow Back seeing its combo scaling increased while Advance Strike is getting…

The ADF will receive a total of 205 of these MDS-20 mine detectors manufactured in Australia. (EPE)The Australian Department of Defence awarded a contract to Brisbane-based company EPE to supply specialist tools under the military’s DEF08101 Joint Counter-Explosive Hazards Programme.EPE announced the deal on 18 June, with the equipment helping explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) personnel to find, analyse, neutralise and exploit explosives hazards. The company said older Australian Defence Force (ADF) equipment facing obsolescence will be replaced.EPE also commented, “This single-source award offers greater assurance of the acquisition process, and greater opportunity for collaboration and controlled evolution of the search…