Editor’s note: This is the tenth article in an 11-part series examining how the United States should organize, lead, and integrate economic statecraft into strategy, defense practice, and the broader national security ecosystem. The special series is brought to you by the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies and War on the Rocks. Prior installments can be found at the War by Other Ledgers page.The United States is fighting a new kind of global competition — over supply chains, chips, and sanctions. It barely has anyone trained to fight it.
Author: Michael
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Germany’s first Eurofighter built to the new Tranche 4 standard has successfully completed its maiden flight, marking a significant milestone for both the Air Force and the wider European combat aviation industry. The test flight indicates that deliveries of the enhanced fighter remain on schedule to begin later in 2026. The aircraft forms part of Germany’s Project Quadriga procurement program, under which 38 new Eurofighters were ordered in November 2020 to replace the Air Force’s oldest Tranche 1 aircraft.
Newly released footage of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy’s first Type 076 amphibious assault ship, Sichuan, has provided the clearest look at its design features developed around the requirement for operating fixed-wing unmanned aircraft. The footage has reinforced assessments made over the past five years that China is pioneering an entirely new type of warship – the world’s first drone carrier. This follows the warship’s first deployment to the South China Sea in April, and the appearance of unmanned flying wing stealth fighters on its deck in February.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth via the Pentagon released a statement announcing the requirement for testosterone tests to optimize warfighter performance.
Statement by Chief Pentagon Spokesman, Sean Parnell, on Enhanced Screening Protocol to Optimize Warfighter Performance and Enhance Force Readiness
The Department of War is committed to building and maintaining a ready, lethal fighting force prepared to dominate the battlefield and achieve peace through strength.
The Royal Saudi Air Force launched a failed cruise missile strike on Sana’a International Airport in Yemen, with its apparent objective of disabling the airport’s runway having not been achieved as multiple British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles missed their target. Approximately ten Storm Shadow missiles were launched from long ranges by Saudi Eurofighters in an attempt to render the runway unusable, but the attack reportedly failed to inflict decisive damage sufficient to shut down operations.
The Republic of China Army has deployed the world’s largest NATO standard self-propelled howitzer, the M110 203mm artillery system, as part of its Joint Defense Exercise on July 15. The operational scenario progressed to the critical “key area fire destruction” phase, during which artillery units rehearsed delivering concentrated firepower against simulated enemy forces that had established beachheads following an amphibious landing.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is in an increasingly unenviable situation. There are multiple forces not trending in his favor, but the central dilemma comes down to this: The number of allegedly rational arguments used to justify the Ukraine war at the outset that are still defensible today is zero.
At the same time, the number of complications arising from the Russian military’s progressive underperformance and former KGB Lt. Col. Putin’s overpromising is multiplying.
According to recent reports, the Kremlin is repositioning air defense installations from remote regions of Moscow to better protect valuable positions from Ukrainian drone attacks. The information comes as Ukraine has been ramping up its strikes against oil refineries and other critical infrastructure across the country, causing the Kremlin to rethink its defense strategy. The war in Ukraine has exposed many critical shortcomings in Russia’s air defense structure.
EU Agrees to Major Drone Deal With Ukraine: The European Union and Ukraine have agreed to establish a major new drone production operation that aims to combine Kyiv’s proven battlefield experience with Europe’s larger manufacturing capacity to make the continent safer in the future. The news is just another example of Ukraine’s wartime successes changing how Europe views defense, with Ukraine also recently announcing a partnership of nine countries to build new, affordable anti-ballistic missile defense systems.