Author: Michael

Two shocking stories signal that the use of drones by Latin American criminal groups is entering new and dangerous territory. Most recently, Intelligence Online reported that a joint investigation by Ukraine and Mexico uncovered several cases of individuals linked to Mexican cartels enlisting in the Ukrainian International Legion to gain experience using weaponized aerial drones. Reportedly, the investigation also found signs that members of Colombian insurgent groups may have done the same with the intention of bringing these skills back to the Western Hemisphere.

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The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s fleet of attack submarines are expected to see their missile carrying capacities increased significantly with the integration of the new YJ-19 scramjet powered hypersonic cruise missiles, which has the potential to revolutionise the fleet’s anti-ship capabilities. The YJ-19 has a smaller diameter than the service’s other cruise missiles, including the newly unveiled the YJ-17 and YJ-20, and appears to have been designed to be launched from submarines’ 533 mm diameter torpedo tubes, rather than from vertical launch cells.

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British Defence Minister Luke Pollard has provided new details on plans to commission a new generation of destroyers, the Type 83 Class, into service, as questions have increasingly been raised regarding the future of the country’s small destroyer fleet. The minister highlighted that the Type 83 will be a “minimally (or optionally) crewed” vessel, and is “planned to enter service from the mid-2030s” with an assumed 25 year service life. The ships will form the centre of the Royal Navy’s Future Air Dominance System alongside the uncrewed Type 91 ‘Missile Ship.

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