Estonian MoD
Learning lessons from Russia’s full-on invasion of Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania signed an agreement Friday to create joint defensive fortifications along the roughly 450 miles of border they share with Russia and Belarus.
The agreement, signed in Riga, Latvia, says the goal “is to deter and, if necessary, protect against a military threat,” according to a statement from the Estonian Ministry of Defense.

🛡️ The Baltic countries have agreed on the 🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹 #BalticDefenceLine along their eastern border.

A flashlight left inside an F-35’s engine during maintenance work led to $14 million in damages at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, according to Air Force officials. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Crane.
A flashlight left inside an F-35’s engine during maintenance work destroyed the $14 million engine at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, according to Air Force officials. 
The mistake by a team of three maintainers damaged the F-35’s engine “beyond local repair,” according to a Ground Accident Investigation Board report released Thursday.

Via X
A Cold War-era supersonic anti-ship missile has apparently been used by Russia for the first time in its war in Ukraine, almost certainly having been repurposed for the bombardment of a land target.
Evidence of the huge missile — known to NATO as the SSC-1B Sepal — having been used in this way points to the fact that Russia is increasingly making use of much older weaponry in this conflict as well as using missiles in roles for which they were not primarily designed.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday that his country’s priority for 2024 is to gain control of its skies as Russia’s large-scale assault enters its third year.

His comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos came just hours after Russian drone and missile strikes injured 20 people in Ukraine overnight.
The drone bombing left huge craters in the southern city of Odessa, where AFP journalists saw charred residential buildings after the assault.

Zillow
If you’ve ever wanted to live the life of a Bond villain, or would prefer reading The War Zone‘s Friday Bunker Talk posts from within an actual underground bunker, now’s your chance! A Cold War-era communications bunker has emerged for sale which, unlike many that periodically come onto the market, has been fully renovated with all the conveniences you’d expect in a modern home. 
Yes, this doomsday mansion is turn-key.  
The bunker in question dates back to the 1960s and is located near Polo, Missouri, which is less than forty minutes away from Kansas City.

Pakistan recently announced a plan to acquire FC-31 stealth fighter jets from China, a move that experts say will not only significantly improve the capabilities of the Pakistan Air Force but also open the international market for Chinese aircraft, marking win-win cooperation.

Pakistan Air Force presented its transformative modernization initiative in a press release published on its social media platforms on Tuesday.

Welcome to Mid-Afternoon Map, our exclusive members-only newsletter that provides a cartographic perspective on current events, geopolitics, and history from the Caucasus to the Carolinas. Subscribers can look forward to interesting takes on good maps and bad maps, beautiful maps and ugly ones — and bizarre maps whenever possible. *** Following strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the United States and Britain of “trying to turn the Red Sea into a lake of blood.

The Navy has identified technology solutions to address problems encountered during recent deployments of maritime drones, according to a program manager.
The service has been developing and testing robo-ship prototypes to help the service prepare for a future “hybrid fleet” of crewed and uncrewed vessels. In recent months, it deployed several unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in the Pacific for Integrated Battle Problem 23.2 and other exercises. That effort generated data from thousands of hours of operations.

This year, U.S. Cyber Command plans to begin integration of the disparate factions of its warfighting platform.
The Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture, or JCWA, was first envisioned in 2019 as a way of getting a better handle on the capabilities, platforms and programs the command is designing and setting priorities for the Department of Defense and its industry partners that are building them.
When Cybercom was first created, it relied heavily on intelligence personnel, infrastructure platforms and tradecraft to build its enterprise.

The UK Ministry of Defence has demonstrated the DragonFire high-powered, directed-energy laser weapon system against aerial targets.

In a strategic move to domestically generate new methods and capabilities for making and processing chemicals and other weapons-enabling components for the Navy and Defense Department, the sea service’s expert energetics team officially partnered up with the National Armaments Consortium (NAC) and the American Center for Manufacturing Innovation (ACMI).

The Netherlands is upgrading its 28 AH-64D (pictured) helicopters to the latest AH-64E standard. (Janes/Patrick Allen)
The last Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) Boeing AH-64D Apache Longbow attack helicopters to be remanufactured to the latest AH-64E Apache Guardian standard are to be shipped to the United States shortly.
The RNLAF said that the last two of 28 helicopters to be remanufactured performed a farewell flypast over the Netherlands on 16 January, ahead of shipment to Boeing’s Mesa facility in Arizona “within a month”.
The USD1.

Pakistan’s retaliatory strike on 18 January was in response to an Iranian attack on 16 January. PAF assets at Shahbaz airbase and Turbat International Airport were possibly used in the strike. (Janes)

Pakistan’s military conducted a retaliatory airstrike on Iran on 18 January in response to Tehran using missiles and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on

alleged insurgents in western Pakistan on 16 January.

The Saniya C-UAS fitted on the turret roof cage of a Russian 1st Army Corps T-80BVM tank. (Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation)
A new counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) known as Saniya, developed by Russian company 3MX, has been equipped on one of Russia’s T-80BVM tanks.
The system was seen onboard a Russian 1st Army Corps T-80BVM tank operating near Pervomayskoye, Ukraine in a video posted by the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation on Telegram on 14 January.

Zakheim, The Messenger
Despite three American and British attacks on Houthi missile launch sites in the past two weeks, the Yemeni terrorist group continues to target shipping in the Red…

Michael R.

Francis P.

The UK Ministry of Defence has selected the manufacturer of the Challenger 3, RBSL, to integrate a new modular armour system onto the MBT.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS
Barry
is seen here launching a Tomahawk cruise missile. The JMSDF will soon be equipped with this capability.
(US Navy)
Japan has concluded a letter of acceptance (LOA) that paves the way for the country to acquire the Tomahawk cruise missile and its related equipment from the US.
This acquisition milestone was concluded on 18 January, the Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on the same day.

Global concerns around energy usage and environmental sustainability continue to reshape tech development across multiple industries.

The FMV has ordered two MSHORAD systems with RBS 70 NG missiles mounted on the roof of the Bv410 and two EldE 98s with four IRIS-T missiles on the back of the ATV (pictured). (Försvarsmakten/Jessica Krantz)
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) ordered mobile short-range air defence (MSHORAD) systems from Saab during the fourth quarter of 2023, the agency and company announced on 17 January.

Members of Congress argue during the session to elect the governing board, or junta directiva, before the inauguration ceremony of Guatemala’s President-elect Bernardo Arévalo in Guatemala City on 14 January 2024. (María José Bonilla/AFP via Getty Images)
Transfer of power
The inauguration of Guatemala’s President Bernardo Arévalo on 14 January culminated a drawn-out electoral process marked by social and political instability.

Date Posted: 17-Jan-2024Publication: Jane’s Intelligence ReviewGuatemala has inaugurated a new president after a complicated election process.

The “AUKUS” agreement between Australia, United Kingdom and United States has emerged as the paragon of military-technological cooperation across the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions. There are considerable challenges to implementation. However, it is important that the AUKUS program be a success because it is a daring and novel approach to military cooperation and will enhance allied power in the Indo-Pacific region. The tripartite arrangement is also about investing in emerging and disruptive technologies.

North Korea tested a submersible carrying a nuclear warhead that can create a “radioactive tsunami” in response to exercises by the US and its allies.

“The North Korean Academy of Defense Sciences has conducted an important test with the Haeil-5-23 nuclear weapons complex in the eastern sea. Measures to counter hostile actions by the US and its allies will maintained,” North Korea’s central news agency KCNA announced today.
Haeil (Tsunami) is an unmanned submersible that North Korea announced last year.

The US announced that it had destroyed two anti-ship missiles of the Houthi forces in Yemen before the armed group launched them into the Red Sea.

“On January 18, our forces attacked the location of two Houthi anti-ship missiles while they were aiming towards the Southern Red Sea area and preparing to leave the launch pad,” Central Command said. America (CENCTOM) said today.
This agency affirmed that this was a “self-defense attack” to protect US cargo ships and warships in the sea against an “existential threat.” “We destroyed two missiles,” CENTCOM said.

The Sabal-10 UAV is pictured in trials with a payload attached to the centre of its tubular fuselage. (EndureAir Systems)
Indian firm EndureAir Systems has developed two new unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for military logistics operations. The ‘Sabal’ series UAVs consist of small, electrically propelled tandem-rotor aerial vehicles designed primarily for cargo and observation applications, the company said.

NATO announced that the alliance will organize the largest exercise in decades with 90,000 soldiers and more than 1,100 combat vehicles.

The exercise, called Steadfast Defender 2024, will begin next week and last until the end of May with units from all 31 NATO member countries and candidate Sweden, said General Christopher Cavoli, commander of the Supreme Command. NATO’s European Allies announced on January 18.
The exercise will include a series of activities stretching from North America to NATO’s eastern flank, near the border with Russia.

Google Maps
Ukraine launched a long-range drone strike against Russia’s second largest city, St. Petersburg, overnight, where the target was reportedly an oil terminal. An unnamed Ukrainian military source said that the attack kicked off a “new phase” in the conflict, which looks like it will rely heavily on the country’s recently developed long-range one-way attack drones.

⚡Media: Ukrainian drone attack hits oil depot near St Petersburg.https://t.

Ranger Assessment Course students recite the Ranger Creed, May 23, 2023, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Hailey Haux.
When a Space Force officer graduated from the Army’s vaunted Ranger School last year, reactions were, well, predictable.
“How the hell did that happen?,” was a typical response posted in the comments to the story on Task & Purpose.
One answer to that question is that both the Air Force and Space Force are sending far more candidates to Ranger School in recent years than even five years ago.

Dassault
France will start supplying Ukrainian forces with up to 50 Hammer precision-guided bombs, a unique rocket-boosted munition, every month. A new stream of dozens of these French-made bombs every month would be a boon for Ukraine’s Air Force for getting at Russian forces at longer ranges while also reducing the risks to its pilots and aircraft.
The baseline 500-pound-class version of Hammer has a stand-off range of around 43 miles (70 kilometers), similar to that of Ukraine’s U.S.

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has taken a crucial step in its military capabilities modernization process by introducing the Type 625 short-range air defense system. Recent images shared on Chinese social media on December 28, 2023, show the live-fire exercise in which the PLA 77th Army Group, Western Theater Command participated, highlighting the prowess of this new system and underlining China’s commitment to the modernization of its defense infrastructure.

The engineering and manufacturing development phase, which the Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider program is currently in, is crucial to ensuring the bomber’s effectiveness in real operational environments.
The first flight of the Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider marks a milestone in military aviation.
Northrop Grumman’s B-21 Raider made its maiden flight in November, following its 2022 debut in California. This event represents a significant advance in military aviation, not only for incorporating advanced stealth technologies but also for its potential to redefine air warfare tactics.

U.S. Navy sailors at Port Djibouti, Djibouti, March 13, 2021. (Staff Sgt. Alysia Blake/U.S. Air Force).
Once again, the Navy demonstrated in 2023 that it will not hesitate to fire commanding officers when it feels they have not lived up to the service’s standards.
In 2023, the Navy relieved a total of 16 commanding officers of command: 14 were fired “due to a loss of confidence” in their ability to command, and two were relieved for medical issues unrelated to their performance, according to the Navy, which did not release the two officers’ names due to privacy concerns.

Ukrainian MoD Screencap
A new viral video shows the crew of a Russian T-90M Breakthrough tank getting a first-hand lesson in the devastating firepower of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle’s Bushmaster M242 25mm automatic cannon. The War Zone reached out to highly-experienced armor experts to explain exactly what we are seeing in the intense combat footage and how the Bradley was able to take on Russia’s most capable frontline tank.
You can read all about the Bradley and what it brings to the fight in Ukraine in this past feature of ours.

Basic Combat Training, also known as “boot camp,” is required of all new enlisted Soldiers to create a strong foundation for their Army experience and future goals. (U.S. Army photo/Robin Hicks).
From Green Berets to the S-1 clerk and everyone in between, every soldier has something in common with each other: they’ve all started their military careers at the U.S. Army’s Basic Combat Training. 
The major difference between them all is the location where they attended basic training.

The film, “Nathan-ism” tells the story of Nathan Hilu, a U.S. soldier who was assigned to suicide watch the Nazi masterminds of the Holocaust during the trials that followed months after the war’s end in 1945. Photos provided by Elan Golod.
An 18-year-old American Jewish soldier arrived in the Army too late for World War II, and instead found himself a prison guard at Nuremberg, watching over Nazi prisoners while judges in their trials for war crimes determined their fate.
“Nathan-ism” tells the story of Nathan Hilu, a U.S.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Battles
The U.S., using F/A-18E/Fs Super Hornets from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, carried out another preemptive attack on Houthi missiles in Yemen on Thursday.
“U.S. Central Command forces conducted strikes on two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed into the Southern Red Sea and were prepared to launch,” CENTCOM said in a statement. “U.S. forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at approximately 3:40 p.m. (Sanaa time) and determined they were an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S.

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Battles
The U.S., using F/A-18E/Fs Super Hornets from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, carried out another preemptive attack on Houthi missiles in Yemen on Thursday.
“U.S. Central Command forces conducted strikes on two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed into the Southern Red Sea and were prepared to launch,” CENTCOM said in a statement. “U.S. forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at approximately 3:40 p.m. (Sanaa time) and determined they were an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S.

AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images
Pakistan has struck back at Iran with attacks on militant groups near the border between the two countries after Tehran targeted militant sites within Pakistan just two days prior. Pakistan said it used weapons including drones and loitering munitions to hit the Iran-based Baloch separatist militants, stoking fears of an escalating conflict between the two countries. It’s the first time another country has openly struck inside Iran since the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s.

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, just after a series of explosions ripped through the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines, Emily Holland, an assistant professor in the Russia Maritime Studies Institute at the Center for Naval Warfare Studies at the U.S.

USS
Gerald R Ford
returned to Norfolk, Virginia, after an eight-month deployment that tested the ship’s new technologies.
(Janes/Michael Fabey)
During its eight-month deployment that included operations in the Mediterranean, aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) met operational expectations for a new carrier class meant to eclipse the Nimitz-class ships the new vessels are replacing, according to Captain Rick Burgess, Gerald R Ford commanding officer.

Germany has built a passive radar demonstrator that tracks targets using radiation from Starlink satellites opportunistically.

US marines with Marine Corps Systems Command fire a Stinger Missile from the Marine Air Defense Integrated System at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona on 13 December 2023. (US Marine Corps )
Marines recently got their hands on a Marine Air-Defense Integrated System (MADIS) for the first live fire of an initial rate production model, US Marine Corps (USMC) officials announced on 11 January.

Corie Weathers grew up as a self-described “Gen X latchkey kid” who loved playing Wonder Woman and saving people. 
“I didn’t realize it at the time,” Weathers shared, “but I think that was the core part of me that really longed to do something that made a difference. I also didn’t like to see people bullied and would frequently get into fights defending my brother even though he was older. It got so bad my parents had to move us,” she laughed. “I realized I am pretty feisty when it came to people who were hurting.

GlobalData intelligence indicates that Bangladesh’s defence spending is due to decrease amid post-pandemic shock.

The AI Governance Alliance has called for stronger collaboration to create a framework for AI, as industry leaders gather in Davos.

Northrop Grumman concludes depleted uranium delivery phase and shifts its focus to the development of next-generation ammunition.

The Defense Department has revised its classification policy on space programs in an effort to lower barriers for access and improve how the Pentagon collaborates with allies, industry partners and other stakeholders.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks signed off on the new policy memo in December, according to Assistant Secretary for Space Policy John Plumb. He said the updated policy addresses some of his concerns about over-classification and how it impairs the department’s ability to effectively conduct business and carry out missions.

Estonian-based SensusQ has demonstrated its efficiency in processing information during situations in military operations.