Author: Michael

Shipbuilding is having a moment in Washington. That’s great, but hype doesn’t float boats.Reshoring commercial shipbuilding is billed as the key to maritime security. Proponents claim benefits to naval shipbuilding, sealift capacity, and a hedge against China — builder of over half the world’s commercial vessels — wielding its merchant tonnage for coercion.The United States does need to build more ships — and fast — to meet China’s challenges.

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In November 2015, I was five months into commanding the air campaign against the self-proclaimed Islamic State. Operation Inherent Resolve was in full swing. Coalition airpower was blocking enemy reinforcements, severing supply lines, choking off illicit oil revenue, and enabling friendly forces to retake key ground. We were taking it to the enemy: The week before Thanksgiving 2015, U.S. Central Command registered the highest seven-day total weapons expenditure since the beginning of the campaign.

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The Azerbaijan Air Force has been confirmed to have procured and begun fielding the Chinese HQ-9B long range air defence system, with a launcher from the system having been shown at a military parade rehearsal in the capital Baku. Despite Azerbaijan’s close geopolitical alignment with countries in the Western world, as well as with Israel and Turkey, the country has in recent years looked to China to re-equip its forces, most recently with procurements of JF-17 Block III fighter aircraft to replace its ageing Soviet-built MiG-29s.

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