The White House has now formally confirmed that a recently disclosed “serious national security threat” is indeed related to a new anti-satellite capability that Russia is developing. But what could this capability be and why would Russia be perusing it? Let’s talk about some possibilities.
“I can confirm that it is related to an anti satellite capability that Russia is developing. I want to be clear about a couple of things right off the bat. First, this is not an active capability that’s been deployed.

The Department of Defense is moving with a sense of urgency to meet its ambitious goal of operating on a zero trust-based cybersecurity architecture by 2027, according to a senior IT official.
Broadly, zero trust refers to a cybersecurity concept and framework that requires non-stop monitoring and constant authentication to secure critical national security information — and assumes all networks are compromised from the get-go.
“We published a reference architecture, a strategy and an implementation plan.

Young and Healthy Female Athlete is Resting on the Bridge After a Workout or Running. Beautiful Wellbeing Sportswoman with Sports Clothes is Stretching her Legs Outdoors. (Getty Images).
In one largely overlooked change included in the Navy’s sweeping update to its uniform policy, both male and female sailors now have the option to wear leggings under their physical training shorts.

The Pentagon’s top weapons buyer suggested to lawmakers that work related to the Air Force’s Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) project will move forward in some fashion beyond this fiscal year despite budget uncertainty and hiccups with testing.
Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante hinted at follow-on efforts during an exchange with Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., at a House Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday regarding Defense Department initiatives to expedite the fielding of innovative technologies.

Chuck Mawhinney racked up 103 confirmed kills and 216 unconfirmed kills in just 16 months of active duty. (Photo courtesy of Jim Lindsay. U.S. Army photo. Task & Purpose composite image.).
Legendary U.S. Marine Corps Scout Sniper Charles Benjamin “Chuck” Mawhinney died at the age of 75 after an incredible life, both in the military and after. Mawhinney is famous for over 100 confirmed kills as a sniper in Vietnam.  
“I’m just a simple person, and in Vietnam, I was just doing my job.” Mawhinney once said. His famous quote represents just how humble he was.

This week, around 2,000 Soldiers from the 82nd Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team received the Next Generation Integrated Head Protection System, or NG-IHPS. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Youtoy Martin, 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment).
Soldiers in the 82nd Airborne Division became the first in the Army this week to officially receive the Army’s latest combat helmet. Around 2,000 Soldiers from the 82nd’s 1st Brigade Combat Team received the Next Generation Integrated Head Protection System, or NG-IHPS.

MilitaryView

US could put 5 aircraft carriers in China’s backyard
The presence of almost half of the US aircraft carrier fleet in the Indo-Pacific underlines the importance of this region in the geopolitical chess game against China.
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) passes through the Atlantic Ocean on March 19, 2023—US Navy photo.
The US Navy increases its presence in the Indo-Pacific, deploying nearly half its aircraft carrier fleet to deter China and reaffirm alliances.

MilitaryView

Russian Lancet drones are not working as planned
A visual record dated January 29 illustrates an attack by a Lancet against a CV-90 infantry fighting vehicle, during which the “Target Locked” signaling is activated.
The Lancet, a kamikaze-type unmanned aerial vehicle developed by Russia, has emerged as one of the most outstanding instruments in the current theater of operations.

Welcome to Rewind & Reconnoiter. Each week, we’ll ask one of our authors to look back at an article they’ve written for War on the Rocks in light of a current news event. Did their argument hold up? Read more below to find out. *** In 2022, Stephen Rodriguez wrote “The U.S. Military’s Investment Ecosystem is Missing in Action” for War on the Rocks, in which he argued that, “the U.S.

The rise in regional tensions has led to a surge in defence spending, with an emphasis on modernisation and forming strategic partnerships.

U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has a “strong desire” to get its CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotors back in the air as a Defense Department-wide grounding of the tiltrotor aircraft enters its third month. But that’s not without serious misgivings and an eye to future capabilities, AFSOC Commander Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind indicated Tuesday.
Bauernfeind, who spoke to reporters, including from The War Zone, at a round table during the Air Force Association’s Warfare Symposium in Colorado, cited the trio of investigations he’d commissioned after a Nov.

The UK MoD announced that sole source defence contracts will be delivered at a faster pace now that the SSRO has updated its price formula.

In the Europe aerospace & defence industry, there were 14 M&A deals announced in Q4 2023, worth a total value of $3bn, according to GlobalData’s Deals Database.

Patria, DSL and FFG announced that they will offer the German Bundeswehr its own configuration of the Patria 6×6 CAVS.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The Navy is able to deliver over-the-air software and capability updates to ships through its secretive effort known as Project Overmatch.
While there have been experiments and technologies that the Navy has been using for years to demonstrate these types of updates, frequent deliveries only came about fairly recently.
“We did demos years ago where we were able to show them certainly it’s possible. But in terms of doing it as a matter of course, that’s come in the last probably a year-and-a-half or so,” Rear Adm.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The Navy’s information warfare organization is learning lessons from operations in the Red Sea, seeing them as an enduring challenge.
“We need to increase the commander’s decision space. The battlespace awareness piece and the non-kinetic effects piece for integrated fires in the end. We did bring back lessons learned,” Elizabeth Nashold, deputy commander of Naval Information Forces, said at the annual WEST conference this week.

CEOBS director Doug Weir questions the “long-term viability of communities in Gaza” due to conflict-driven ecological degradation.

A graphic of the Sea Eagle-6 anti-ship missile that was launched by North Korea on 14 February 2024. (Janes)
North Korea claimed on 15 February that it successfully test-fired a new type of anti-ship missile known as the Padasuri-6 (Sea Eagle-6).
The test firing was conducted on the morning of 14 February and was witnessed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, state-owned Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) disclosed in a statement the next day.
The weapon flew over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) for about 1,400 seconds before hitting a designated target vessel, read the KCNA statement.

The Royal Marines Commando Raiding Craft are now operational. (Crown Copyright)
The UK Royal Marines has inducted the first batch of revamped raiding craft designed for use on coastal commando raids.
The vessels, which have been redesignated as Commando Raiding Craft (CRC), are an upgraded version of the service’s in-service Offshore Raiding Craft (ORC). It is a multi-purpose craft that can be reconfigured, replacing the troop carrying and fire support variants.

Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics
We put this question to the test in a hypothetical scenario between a U.S.

A. Wilson, S&S
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — A veteran surface warfare officer took the helm of the U.S.

Jared Keller, Military.

Harper, DScoop
The organizations aim to demonstrate capabilities on orbit that could be used to detect and track hypersonic weapons and other advanced threats.

Shelbourne & LaGrone, USNI News
SAN DIEGO – The Navy will establish a second unmanned surface vessel squadron in the next few months, as the Pentagon accelerates unmanned systems development…

An influx of drones will be provided through an international coalition to strengthen Ukraine’s defence capabilities.

Semi-Deep State Admiral gaslights the reader on the true causal factors of poor recruiting and retention in the Biden Military

Public Domain

Admiral (RET) James Stavridis sometimes says things that are intellectually honest. But sometimes he doesn’t. He was one of the first on November 4, 2020 to announce and congratulate Biden as the winner of the “most secure election ever” (from CK).
I responded on Twitter and Linkedin and told Stavridis to put a sock in it.
Now Stavridis is on Bloomberg bemoaning poor recruiting and retention of the US Military.

The Sabrah light tanks – pictured above from the Philippine Army training exercise – have a combat weight of 30 tonnes. They are capable of attaining a maximum onroad speed of 72 km/h. (GDELS)
The Philippine Army (PA) has completed the initial training courses on operations, driving, and maintenance of Sabrah ASCOD II combat vehicles.

MilitaryView

Russia is Building New T-80 Tanks.
The T-80BVM version represents an evolution of the T-80BV model, incorporating an improved 125 mm cannon and a 1,250 HP gas turbine engine.
Russia’s production of improved T-80 tanks reflects an attempt to compensate for significant military losses suffered by turning to updated older models.
The War Context and the Reaction of Russian Armor Production
T-80
During the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Russia has suffered a significant reduction in its armored arsenal, losing over 3,000 tanks.

MilitaryView

With drones changing warfare, US Army revives ’20-year’ Chinook project

In a move that elected officials say could keep the assembly line at Boeing’s plant in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, busy for 20 years, the US Army has canceled an attack helicopter proposed by rivals Lockheed Sikorsky and Bell Textron and transferred funds to upgrade Boeing’s Chinook helicopters and smarter drones.

Chris, Zack, and Melanie sat down to talk about the new National Defense Industrial Strategy. Is this document really a strategy? What are the biggest problems we need to fix with respect to our defense industrial base? Considering the state of where we are now, is it even possible to get our industrial house in order in the near term to deter or prevail in a conflict with an adversary? Chris has a grievance for those who couldn’t believe Donald Trump’s recent NATO comments (where have they been for the last eight years?), Zack thanks Rep.

Here’s a question: If you could add $200 billion to the defense budget — or wave a magic wand and pass every needed reform to defense procurement, personnel, business and budget processes, and other areas crying out for change — which would you do? For many defense professionals, the answer is obvious: Show me the money. With crises breaking out around the world, from Ukraine to Gaza to the South China Sea, some observers of U.S. defense strategy warn that the United States isn’t spending enough on its military.

The GM200 MM/C mobile radar in the compact antenna test range at Thales Nederland. (Janes/Nicholas Fiorenza)

Thales Nederland has tripled its radar production over the last few years,
Janes
learnt while attending the company’s handover of the first Ground Master 200 Multi Mission/Compact (GM200 MM/C) radar to the Royal Netherlands Army (RNLA) in Hengelo, Eastern Netherlands, on 14 February.

US Army Medevac UH-60L Black Hawk seen at Kandahar Airfield. DARPA is exploring new ways to produce battlefield medicines at front-line bases and outposts. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
A new Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) programme aims to accelerate drug manufacturing in austere environments, such as forward operating bases (FOBs), generating data and processes to evaluate new paradigms for real-time regulatory approval.

Hessen
departs Wilhelmshaven naval base on 8 February, bound for the Mediterranean.
(Bundeswehr/Julia Kelm)

The German Navy has despatched its Type 124 Sachsen-class air-defence frigate FGS
Hessen
(F 221) to the Mediterranean ahead of the launch of the European Union’s (EU’s) new naval operation to protect merchant shipping against attacks by the Ansar Allah group (commonly known as the Houthis) in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Artist’s impression of the Boeing E-7/E-7A Wedgetail in UK Royal Air Force colours. The USAF’s E-7 version is largely based off the UK’s version. (Boeing)
The US Air Force (USAF) is “having a hard time getting a price agreement with Boeing” on purchasing E-7 Wedgetails, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall told reporters on 13 February.
The service intends to purchase 26 E-7s through 2032 to replace the Boeing E-3 as its sole airborne early warning aircraft type. Two E-7s are on contract.

The Russian Navy’s Ropucha-class Project 775 LST
Tsesar Kunikov
(158).
(Yoruk Isik)
The Ukrainian Defence Intelligence (GUR) claims that its Group 13 unit has conducted a successful attack against the Russian Ropucha I-class tank landing ship (LST) Tsesar Kunikov using Magura V unmanned surface vessels (USVs).
Video footage released by the GUR on its Telegram channel on 14 February shows USVs approaching a Ropucha I landing ship and at least two detonating against its port side. The LST is then shown listing heavily to port before sinking.

A digital twin of the French Army’s VBCI infantry fighting vehicle is being developed by KNDS and Arquus that will eventually become their key offering for the modernisation and maintenance of the army’s vehicle fleets. (Nexter)
KNDS and Arquus will develop a digital twin demonstrator of the Véhicule Blindé de Combat d’Infanterie (VBCI) 8×8 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) in support of the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) and Defence Innovation Agency.

The U.S. Space Force’s top officer says the scale and scope of Russian and Chinese threats to American assets in orbit, including demonstrated abilities to conduct very close proximity operations, is “of paramount concern.”
Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman’s comments came today ahead of the disclosure of a still largely unknown serious national security threat, which still-unconfirmed reports say may involve a Russian space-related capability. You can read more about that is known about that threat now in The War Zone‘s earlier reporting.
“Very concerning.

FILE: Sailors stand in formation during a pass in review graduation ceremony at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill., Sept. 6, 2019. (Petty Officer 1st Class Spencer Fling/U.S. Navy).
The Navy has updated its uniform policy so that sailors are now allowed to put their hands in their pockets.
Now take a deep breath.
“The restriction on placing hands in pockets while in uniform is rescinded,” according to Navy Administrative Message 031/24, which was released on Wednesday.

AURORA, Colo. — Congress’ inability to approve a budget for fiscal 2024 has forced the Air Force to put a number of command-and-control modernization efforts on the back burner, the service official charged with the initiative told reporters Wednesday. 
Federal agencies have been operating under a continuing resolution since the beginning of October, meaning spending for the Defense Department and other agencies has largely been frozen at fiscal 2023 levels. The budget instability has caused Brig. Gen.

MilitaryView

GE Aerospace’s DMRJ Engine: Powering Future Aerospace Innovation
The company GE Aerospace, a subsidiary of General Electrics, has carried out a pioneering test of an advanced propulsion system, fusing rotary detonation and ramjet technologies. This development marks a milestone in hypersonic propulsion, promising more efficient, faster and cheaper aircraft and missiles.
Technical details of rotary detonation engine and its performance
The rotary detonation engine (RDC) proposed by GE Aerospace differs radically from traditional combustion engines.

MilitaryView

Goodbye to the Warthog: The Post-A-10 Era begins
Goodbye to the Warthog: The Post-A-10 Era begins at SAt Davis-Monthan Air Force Base; it’s time to say goodbye to the Warthog, the famous A-10 aircraft. This marks the beginning of a new era in military aviation. Let’s explore this transition.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has fired two ballistic missiles from launchers disguised as standard shipping containers that were hosted aboard one of its sea base-like vessels. This particular combination, which has not been seen to date, greatly expands the reach with which those weapons could be used to strike potential targets by surprise, especially given that shipping containers can be embarked on any vessel that has the space to accommodate them.

Eight Marines received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for their exceptional performance in their respective special duty assignments, ir B-billets, as recruiters, drill instructors, combat instructors and Marine Security Guards. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Ethan Miller.
Four Marines were named the top performers across the service’s special duty ranks, which includes drill instructors, recruiters, combat instructors and Marine security guards. The four were recognized at a ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps just outside Washington, D.C.

As the Pentagon’s ambitious Replicator initiative comes into fruition, it’s being informed by — and simultaneously informing — the military’s existing governance structures and policies for making and using lethal autonomous weapons, senior officials say.
The ultimate aim of Replicator, according to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and others leading it, is to establish a replicable process via which the department can adopt innovative technologies at a much more accelerated pace than ever before.

The long-delayed Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB), first promised to Ukraine in February 2023, has finally arrived on the battlefield. This marks the introduction of a powerful new standoff strike capability for Kyiv, something we have explored in depth in the past.

It looks like that the newly to Ukraine delivered GLSDB missiles are already in use. Russian channels share this video which apparently show a tail section.
The operational range of these missiles is 150 km (90 miles).
Source: Telegram / Ratnik2nd#Ukraine pic.twitter.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — As the Pentagon prepares for a potential conflict with China, it finds itself in the midst of a revolution with vast implications for warfighters, according to the commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet.
“We are in the middle of another epochal change. And that is the dawn — and I do mean the dawn — of the information revolution,” Adm. Samuel Paparo said Wednesay at the annual WEST conference.

The Chairman of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee has turned heads with a public plea for President Joe Biden’s administration to declassify information related to an unspecified “national security threat” that has been described as “serious” and “destabilizing.” Multiple reports now say the matter has to do with raw intelligence on a Russian space-related capability of some kind, although we cannot independently confirm that at this time.

TWO SOURCES CONFIRM ‘NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT’ NARRATIVE

Image by Alisdare Hickson

Two sources so far have confirmed to CDM that the ‘national security threat’ being talked about in Congress is allegedly a ‘nuclear weapon’ being placed in orbit by the Russian Federation.
Such a weapon could be used as an electromagnetic pulse to essentially destroy American electrical infrastructure.
Millions would die for lack of food, clean water, medicine, etc.

Defense Department leaders have long recognized the need for more unified information-sharing platforms across the military services. However, as global conflicts increasingly occur without regard to territorial borders, efforts to overcome the technical barriers separating siloed information enclaves among NATO allies and other coalition partners are taking on new urgency and momentum.
Read the report.
Central to those efforts is the renewed vision for creating interoperable “Mission Partner Environments” (MPEs), asserts a new Scoop News Group report sponsored by GDIT.