Sourced : The Drive By Joseph Trevithick Despite apparent plans to buy advanced Russian fighter jets and the United States rebuffing the requests for years, the United Arab Emirates reportedly remains interested in joining the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. The U.S. government has had long-standing concerns that such a sale could undermine Israel’s so-called… Continue reading UAE COULD BECOME THE FIRST MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRY AFTER ISRAEL TO GET F-35
SAUDI ARABIA’S VERY PUBLIC VERY RISKY PALACE INTRIGUE
Sourced : Defence One By Krishnadev Calamur The arrest of 11 senior figures, including one of the world’s richest men, is a sign of the crown prince’s consolidation of power. Details are still emerging about why, exactly, 11 of Saudi Arabia’s richest and most influential businessmen and politicians are being held at the Ritz Carlton… Continue reading SAUDI ARABIA’S VERY PUBLIC VERY RISKY PALACE INTRIGUE
FRANCE READY TO JOIN INDIA’S ANTI-CHINA FRONT
Sourced : Asia Times By Emanuele Scimia It seems France is set to join the ranks of India’s “anti-China front” in the Indian Ocean. Last week, Paris and New Delhi announced their decision to increase military cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The statement came during a two-day visit to the Asian country by French Defense… Continue reading FRANCE READY TO JOIN INDIA’S ANTI-CHINA FRONT
NORTH KOREA HAS TESTED A NEW SOLID-FUEL MISSILE ENGINE (VIDEO)
Sourced : The Diplomat By Ankit Panda North Korean ballistic missile scientists carried out a static test of a new type of solid-fuel engine early last week, a U.S. government source with knowledge of North Korea’s ballistic missile programs told The Diplomat. According to the source, the test took place at North Korea’s solid-fuel engine… Continue reading NORTH KOREA HAS TESTED A NEW SOLID-FUEL MISSILE ENGINE (VIDEO)
RUSSIA’S HYBRID ATTACKS SHOULD AT LONG LAST FORCE E.U AND NATO TO TEAM UP
Sourced : Defence One By Franklin D. Kramer & Lauren M. Speranza Russia is using hybrid attacks to strike throughout Europe and even across the Atlantic: election interference in the U.S. and France; kidnappings and attempted assassinations in Estonia and Montenegro; cyber-attacks in Norway, Poland, Ukraine, and elsewhere. But the transatlantic community’s ability to respond… Continue reading RUSSIA’S HYBRID ATTACKS SHOULD AT LONG LAST FORCE E.U AND NATO TO TEAM UP
CROWNPRINCE MOHAMMED’S VOW TO MODERATE SAUDI ISLAM : EASIER TO SAY THAN DONE
Sourced : Modern Diplomacy By Dr. James M. Dorsey Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent disavowal of the kingdom’s founding religious ideology had a master’s voice quality to it. His words could have literally come out of the mouth of his Emirati counterpart and mentor, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed, but with one major… Continue reading CROWNPRINCE MOHAMMED’S VOW TO MODERATE SAUDI ISLAM : EASIER TO SAY THAN DONE
RUSSIAN ARMY GETS SPECIALIZED DRONE-HUNTERS
Sourced : Motherboard By David Axe The Russian army has established a ground-based unit specializing in defeating enemy drones. The unit—the first of its kind in Russia—operates electronic jamming systems that, in theory, can sever the radio connections between unmanned aerial vehicles and their operators. Russian-made jammers reportedly have been successful in forcing down drones… Continue reading RUSSIAN ARMY GETS SPECIALIZED DRONE-HUNTERS
IRAQ HALTS MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST KURDISH FIGHTERS
Sourced : The Wall Street Journal By Isabel Coles and Ali Nabhan Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered his forces to halt an advance against Kurdish fighters for 24 hours on Friday after clashes between the two U.S. allies in the war against Islamic State raised fears of a new conflict in the north of… Continue reading IRAQ HALTS MILITARY OPERATIONS AGAINST KURDISH FIGHTERS
KURDISH CRISIS COULD BENEFIT IRAN-TURKEY-RUSSIA ENERGY DEAL
Sourced : Al Monitor By Olgu Okumuş Oil prices jumped last week with concerns over Iraq’s military operations against Kurds in Kirkuk. Media reports focused on several aspects of the operations, including the crucial role of Kirkuk’s oil for both sides, the support of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Units in the Iraqi government assault and… Continue reading KURDISH CRISIS COULD BENEFIT IRAN-TURKEY-RUSSIA ENERGY DEAL
SOUTH KOREA REVEALS PLAN TO HIT THE NORTH WITH A HUGE MISSILE BARRAGE IF WAR ERUPTS
Sourced : The Drive By Joseph Trevithick As tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high, South Korea has publicly revealed a three-layer attack strategy, along with plans to acquire additional types of ballistic missiles, which it could put into action in the event of any conflict with North Korea. The disclosure appears to be the… Continue reading SOUTH KOREA REVEALS PLAN TO HIT THE NORTH WITH A HUGE MISSILE BARRAGE IF WAR ERUPTS