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Global Times By Global Times Published: Jun 17, 2026 11:47 AM The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities in Taiwan island have bowed to Japan and the Philippines despite their serious infringement on Chinese maritime rights and interests, betraying the interests of the Chinese nation and becoming scum of the nation, Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, said at a regular press conference on Wednesday. Chen made the remarks in response to a question about the mainland’s special maritime law enforcement operation in waters east of Taiwan island, after the DPP had claimed that the mainland has…

Thales Australia is now promoting the new-generation Bushmaster 5.6 or Mulga. It features digital connectivity and an ability to mount sensors and weapons. (Thales)Thales Australia announced on 15 June, to coincide with the opening of Eurosatory 2026, a new-generation version of the company’s long-running Bushmaster 4×4 protected mobility vehicle.The updated variant is called the Bushmaster 5.6, or the Mulga. Its key modifications include the ability to carry a range of sensors, effectors and mission systems to meet current combat requirements.Modern battlefields face unprecedented threats from the likes of drones, so this vehicle was designed to include threat detection, information sharing,…

Editor’s Note: This is a new occasional series brought to you by War on the Rocks. If you would like to pitch your own version, please refer to the contact information and guidance on our submissions page.Every war, it seems, produces its famous novel, a book that captures not merely the tactics and the terrain but the moral weather of its time. The American Civil War gave us The Red Badge of Courage. World War I gave us All Quiet on the Western Front. World War II offered more competitors, as if the scale of the catastrophe demanded more witnesses;…

The Pentagon has quietly set in motion a yearlong strategy to unify the military services’ approach to boosting human performance and reaching “Total Force Fitness,” emphasizing a data-driven approach to achieving the desired results.Two Pentagon memos released in May and obtained by Military Times offer a roadmap for “Warfighter Performance Optimization,” culminating next year in the rollout of new programming, professional military education and the launch of pilot programs aimed at closing performance gaps.The first memo, signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on May 6, directs Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony Tata to deliver a report…

In early March, French President Emmanuel Macron stood at a windswept submarine base on the Breton coast and quietly buried four decades of French nuclear orthodoxy. The arsenal would grow. The numbers would be hidden. And for the first time, nuclear weapons that France built to defend Paris might one day be deployed to protect Berlin.Three simultaneous shifts — an increase of nuclear warheads; an end to transparency over the size of the force de frappe; and the launch of “advanced deterrence,” a framework offering European partners strategic dialogues, invitations to French nuclear exercises, and the potential forward basing of…

NATO has “really changed a lot in the last three to four years,” since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine forced the alliance to rethink how it learns, experiments, and operates, a top NATO transformation official said.Now the alliance is moving away from long, platform-centered modernization cycles and toward faster experimentation, interoperability, and “system-of-systems” approaches, said Maj. Gen. Dominique Luzeaux, NATO’s digital transformation champion and special advisor to the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. He spoke Tuesday at the Defense One Tech Summit in Arlington, Virginia.Luzeaux pointed to Ukraine’s ever-increasing use of unmanned ground, air, surface, and undersea systems—and how the main lesson…

This industrial cooperation will include the implementation of a major transfer of high value-added activities to Poland, including the assembly of rocket engines and the production of critical components by PGZ subsidiaries. This initiative is part of a strategic objective to consolidate industrial autonomy and strengthen the sovereign capacity of Poland in the defence sector. Thales in Belgium and Mesko are committed to proactively exploring opportunities for joint development in the fields of effectors and advanced propulsion systems. This collaborative effort will ensure European resilience in the manufacture of 70 mm ammunition for various platforms and consolidate Thales in Belgium’s…

Credit: Defense FeedsDefense Feeds, Paris. The VBM 155 SPH 10×10 howitzer has emerged as one of the most notable artillery developments unveiled at Eurosatory 2026, showcasing Italy’s effort to redefine self-propelled artillery through a combination of long-range firepower, extensive automation and reduced crew requirements.Developed by Leonardo, the next-generation wheeled artillery platform is designed to engage targets at ranges of up to 70 kilometers while operating with a crew of just two personnel.The unveiling highlights a broader trend among modern armed forces seeking artillery systems capable of delivering greater precision, mobility and survivability while reducing manpower demands. As military planners absorb…

UFC White House saw two of the best Pound-for-Pound fighters in the world fall in emphatic fashion.When Justin Gaethje made Ilia Topuria quit on the stool, and Ciryl Gane ran through would-be history maker Alex Pereira, they continued the trend of knocking top 5 fighters off of their lofty perches. In May, it was Sean Strickland upsetting the undefeated and then No.4-ranked Khamzat Chimaev for the middleweight title; Sunday, it was No. 2 Topuria and No. 3 Pereira seeing their stock take an enormous hit.Simply put, no one is safe. If there’s anything we’ve learned over these past couple of…

Another Pentagon-led name change was unveiled Tuesday, when it was announced that the military’s U.S. Indo-Pacific Command would be dropping “Indo” from its name and reverting back to the long used U.S. Pacific Command, or USPACOM.The move, according to a Pentagon release, “honors the command’s deep historical roots, fostering a sense of pride and collective spirit among all who serve in the Pacific.”“From its critical role in establishing the post-WWII regional security architecture to its coordination of joint forces during the Korean War, the Vietnam War and countless humanitarian operations, the USPACOM namesake carries decades of military heritage and enduring…