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The Republic of China Army has increasingly struggled to operate its M60A3 main battle tanks, with multiple local sources reporting that the vehicles’ power systems have ben particularly problematic due to the rapid ageing of their parts and components. This has resulted in a significant increase in maintenance requirements, while significantly reducing availability rates. The Republic of China Army first acquired the M60 from the United States in 1998, after an agreement announced in August 1997 saw 480 surplus U.S.

This exclusive Cogs of War interview is with Jean-François Morizur, the CEO and founder of Cailabs, a French company focused on ground-to-satellite laser optical communications. As satellites play a more critical and contested role than ever in global and defense communications, we asked him to share his thoughts on the emerging satellite-protection industry and growing a deep-tech company.In popular techno-thrillers, major conflicts often begin with a sudden satellite-driven communications blackout.

Footage from Israel has shown the moments when an Iranian hypersonic glide vehicle impacted a fortified Israel Defence Forces command centre, reportedly causing the deaths of seven senior officers and multiple additional casualties. The trajectory and speed of the impact closely resembles that of the Russian Oreshnik ballistic missile seen in use against targets in Ukraine in January, which also integrates hypersonic glide vehicles, supporting Iranian reports that such vehicles have been used for strikes against Israel.

The U.S. Navy got some serious nautical miles under its belt during the first year of this administration, with combat operations from the Caribbean to Iran to Nigeria alongside its more regular duties. With no sign of President Donald Trump slowing down on global interventions and a tense geopolitical atmosphere, the United States remains in need of a navy that can fight and win wherever it is called to do so.The new chief of naval operations, Adm. Daryl Caudle, has now published his response to this challenge: the U.S. Navy Fighting Instructions.

The Iranian Air Force has deployed Yak-130 advanced jet trainer aircraft received from September 2023 to participate in air patrol missions over the capital Tehran, equipping them with air-to-air missiles to countering threats from hostile drones. The aircraft were seen conducting patrols alongside MiG-29A fighters, which have long been based around Tehran for air defence duties. Although the Yak-130 is by far the most modern and advanced fighter type in Iranian service, it was not designed for high intensity air-to-air operations, and is only capable of engaging targets within visual ranges.

The British Ministry of Defence was reported on March 3 to have decided to dispatch the Type 45 class destroyer HMS Duncan to Cyprus to help defend British military facilities there, after several reports indicated that multiple Iranian drones had targeted RAF Akrotiri, a major Royal Air Force base.

The Indian Defence Ministry is preparing to place an order for ten additional battalions of S-400 long range air defence systems, doubling its arsenal, after the system’s performance drew considerable praise from local officials. The Ministry previously ordered ten battalions in October 2018 under a a $5.43 billion contract, with the last battalions expected to be delivered in 2026.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy and Air Force have financed the modernisation of approximately 100 J-11B air superiority fighters to the J-11BG standard, bringing their avionics including their radars up to a ‘4+ generation’ level, and allowing them to integrate new weaponry developed for the Air Force’s fifth generation fighters.

Flipping Iran’s playbook by launching reverse-engineered, Shahed-like weapons as part of a coordinated air campaign, the U.S. military’s initial wave of strikes in Operation Epic Fury marked the first confirmed deployment of American-made, long-range, one-way attack drones in real-world combat.
Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, told DefenseScoop on Monday that the operation demonstrates how warfighters are rapidly adopting low-cost drones “as part of the joint force effort to neutralize imminent threats” posed by Iran.

In his first message as the new director of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit, Owen West stated that the organization’s efforts will focus on fielding emerging technologies that can keep warfighters out of harm’s way and be quickly scaled at low cost.
“Our investment priorities will narrow. We solve operational problems identified by the joint force and integrate into the Department’s innovation strategy. We will invest where speed, scale and lethality intersect,” West wrote in a memorandum to DIU employees.