Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

On May 25, 2026, ESNA unveiled Surface Effect Ship (SES) Technology for the UK-Norwegian Joint Commando Craft (JCC) Program, which aims to upgrade the Norwegian Coastal Ranger Commando’s (Kystjegerkommandoen) current vessel and provide the UK Commando Force with a new surface manoeuvre capability.  ESNA press release Drawing on 40 years of Surface Effect Ship (SES) expertise, ESNA proposes a 22 m craft designed for littoral commando operations in harsh arctic conditions.  “We have designed a vessel that stands out with a maximum speed of 67 knots,” says Naval Architect and Co-founder of ESNA, Trygve Halvorsen Espeland. “The vessel further offers…

Some service members and their families have been threatened by foreign adversaries both overseas and in the United States, according to information provided to Military Times. “For folks we’ve heard from, threats began a few weeks after the U.S. strikes against Iran began,” said Sarah Streyder, the wife of a Space Force guardian stationed overseas. People have received threats through email, social media and text messages, and they appear to be coming from individuals connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Streyder said. But in some cases, she said, members of the IRGC have showed up at hotels in a…

A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) probe has found that the Pentagon failed to evaluate the effects of recent civilian personnel reductions, leaving a substantial gap in understanding for key areas such as “readiness, workload, and lethality.”Roughly 78,000 civilian positions were eliminated in 2025 — about 10% of a workforce that originally exceeded 793,000. At the time, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth characterized the cuts as part of a broader effort to “streamline the Federal workforce and to make the Federal Government more efficient and responsive.”“Effective immediately and for the duration of this freeze, no vacant civilian position may be filled,…

The top U.S. general overseeing forces in Latin America held a rare meeting on Friday with senior Cuban military officials at the perimeter of U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the U.S. military said on Friday, confirming a Reuters story.U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Francis Donovan, the head of U.S. Southern Command, briefly discussed operational security matters with the Cuban delegation, which included Cuban Gen. Roberto Legra Sotolongo, first deputy minister of the chief of the General Staff, U.S. Southern Command said on X.“Donovan also led a perimeter security assessment of the naval base and discussed force protection, safety of service…

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli combat soldier saw his teammates yelling in celebration, congratulating one another. They had just struck a vehicle of Palestinians driving near the Israeli-controlled part of the Gaza Strip, killing everyone inside. The reservist said scenes like this had become common after a fragile ceasefire took effect in October. In the weeks he was stationed in Gaza, he said, he saw soldiers relishing the chance to go after those who crossed — or came close to crossing — the so-called yellow line that divides the strip into Israeli-controlled and Palestinian areas. “It was a…

PARIS — Ukraine getting Swedish Gripen fighter jets equipped with Meteor long-range air-to-air missiles would give the country a counter to Russian glide bombs that have been hammering frontline positions, analysts said.As part of a planned Ukrainian purchase of new Saab Gripen E aircraft, Sweden intends to donate 16 older Gripen C/D jets to Ukraine next year, the countries announced on Thursday. Sweden said the older planes may come supplied with MBDA’s Meteor, which would allow Ukraine to threaten Russian jets that remain out of reach for its F-16 and Mirage fighters fitted with shorter-range missiles.Russia has been launching record…

Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced today that Ukraine intends to acquire an initial batch of up to 20 Gripen E/F and that Sweden intends to donate up to 16 Gripen C/D to Ukraine. The Swedish Government has also announced the allocation of means to replace the donated Gripen aircraft. The next steps for the Ukrainian and Swedish authorities will be to complete the negotiations regarding Ukraine’s acquisition of Gripen E/F, which is expected to take place in batches, and Saab will support in this process. Dialogue regarding Sweden’s replacement of the donated capability will…

People’s Daily Online (Xinhua) 11:01, May 30, 2026 WASHINGTON, May 29 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday outlined conditions for a deal with Iran, including the elimination of Iran’s enriched nuclear materials, reopening the Strait of Hormuz with no tolls and removing water mines left. “Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb. The Hormuz Strait must be immediately open, no tolls, for unrestricted shipping traffic, in both directions. All water mines (bombs), if any, will be terminated,” Trump wrote in a social media post. The U.S. Naval blockade “will now be lifted,”…

Loma Lookboonmee takes to the cage at UFC Macau on a card that caps off of a three-day run of events, with this UFC Fight Night effort transpiring on May 30th. Lookboonmee clashes with Jaqueline Amorim, and when offering up her thoughts on receiving a bout offer for this intriguing card at Galaxy Arena in Macau, China, on Saturday (through the assistance of an interpretor), Lookboonmee said [via Bowks Talking Bouts], “I was really excited when I got the call for this fight. It’s been seven years since I last fought in Asia. So I’m really excited to be competing…

Shortly after taking power in Moscow, Vladimir Putin began consolidating his authority over the Russian intelligence services that had long been deeply embedded in Russian and Soviet politics and a pervasive influence in society. The degree to which he succeeded was striking, ultimately transforming them into organizational assets that remained effective at what they did but were entirely loyal to him. But how has Putin employed those intelligence services since taking power. Around the world—from the war in Ukraine to influence operations in Africa and the Middle East to information campaigns intended to subvert Western democracies—what can we discern about…