Among the many risks inherent in the ongoing war in Gaza, perhaps the most dangerous has been the potential for broader escalation involving other regional fronts, pitting Israel and U.S. forces against Iranian-backed proxies in south Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria as well as Iraq. Yet, no less serious are the potential spillover effects of the conflict on Egypt. In particular, the prospect of the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees into the Sinai constitutes perhaps one of the most destabilizing potential outcomes of the conflict.

Marc Selverstone, the director of presidential studies at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center, co-chair of the Center’s Presidential Recordings Program, and professor of presidential studies, moderated a discussion with Francis Gavin, the Giovanni Agnelli distinguised professor and director of the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University; Sheyda Jahanbani, an associate professor at the University of Kansas; and Fredrik Logevall, the Laurence D. Belfer professor of international affairs at the John F.

The US Navy is buying more John Lewis-class oilers to meet deployment refuelling needs. (General Dynamics NASSCO)
As the US Navy (USN) continues to deploy its surface fleet to hot spots around the globe, the service must hone its ability to rearm and refuel those ships at sea, according to USN Secretary Carlos Del Toro.

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro told reporters Wednesday that he’s looking to boost investments in high-powered lasers in future budget submissions as the service pursues new tools to defeat drone swarms.
“I’m very, very excited by it,” Del Toro said of directed energy technology during a meeting with journalists on the sidelines of the Surface Navy Association’s annual symposium.
His remarks came against the backdrop of Houthi kamikaze drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea that are putting military and commercial vessels at risk. The U.S.

via X
Iranian-backed Houthi militants have become the first in the world to fire anti-ship ballistic missiles in anger, a threat that has been a hot topic of discussion for years. The group has also been making use of an increasingly diverse arsenal of anti-ship cruise missiles, and layering in kamikaze drones on top, in dozens of attacks in and around the Red Sea in the recent months. Despite all this, details about the Houthi anti-ship missile arsenal remain obscure, and recently the International Institute for Strategic Studies think tank put together a useful guide to these weapons.

Image by U.S. Secretary of Defense

The conduct of Secretary of Defense Austin calls for his resignation. He is in line for succession to the presidency of the United States, and would be materially involved in any national security crisis the nation might endure.
There are a multitude of crises all around the world at the moment that could require his undivided attention.
Yet, he chose to not be transparent about his health to the American people or even The White House, according to the regime.
I don’t believe the Biden administration.

Sgt. 1st Adam Klakowicz is both a Green Beret and skateboarder, with skating serving as the remedy for a long career in special operations. Photos courtesy of Adam Klakowicz.
Staff Sgt. Adam Klakowicz’s heart was pounding with adrenaline as he stepped off the ramp of a Chinook helicopter a few miles outside of Kabul, Afghanistan. It was August 2008, and he was conducting his first combat mission. He and his fellow Green Berets and Afghan Commandos secured the immediate area before pushing into their target compound.

Pentagon officials responded to a claim by Fox News that Taylor Swift is a U.S. government’s psychological operation or PsyOp. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images).
No, Taylor Swift is not a Pentagon PsyOp. But she is a mastermind.
“No one wanted to play with me as a little kid, so I’ve been scheming like a criminal ever since, to make them love me and make it seem effortless,” she sings in her song “Mastermind.”
For the millionth time in her career, Swift has to defend her success because of a man.

A technical analysis of the advanced Russian S-500 air defense system and its ability to confront F-22 and F-35 fighters.
Development and capabilities of the S-500 Prometeo anti-aircraft system
Within the framework of the State Armament Program, GPV-2027, in Russia, the modernization of anti-missile defense systems has been prioritized. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu indicated that modernization efforts will be completed by the end of 2023, including the production of the S-500 Prometheus.

GD Electric Boat
The first Columbia class submarine stern section has been delivered to General Dynamics Electric Boat. The massive component will serve as the propulsion section of the inaugural Columbia-class nuclear ballistic missile submarine, the USS District of Columbia. The vessel is the first of a planned 12 boat fleet designed to replace the existing 14 Ohio-class boomers in what the Navy says is its top-priority acquisition program.

Think of Operation Bolo as a high-stakes poker game in the sky, a clever plan conceived amidst the Vietnam War when the United States Air Force was facing a daunting challenge. By late 1966, despite their advanced technology, they were losing F-105 Thunderchief fighters to the enemy’s Soviet-made surface-to-air missiles. Something had to change.
Enter Col. John J.B. Stone.
He devised a devilishly simple strategy: trick the enemy into thinking they were engaging one type of aircraft when, in fact, they were facing another.

This graphic depicts an E-4B Nightwatch aircraft being scanned and digitally rendered to better illustrate the multi-day effort, by the company Mass Virtual, to build a 3-dimensional, virtual depiction of the Boeing 747 for training purposes. (Graphic by Josh Plueger/U.S. Air Force).
The Air Force’s E-4B Nightwatch, commonly referred to as the ‘Doomsday Plane,” is officially entering The Matrix.

The Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) is on track to reach full operational capability (FOC) by Sept. 30 — or the end of fiscal year 2024, DefenseScoop confirmed on Tuesday. 
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks formally established the office in July 2022 as the Defense Department’s newest one-stop hub for investigating official reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) that could threaten U.S. national security.

Barry Corbin is one of the most prolific actors, especially in popular TV series of our times. Corbin got his start in acting in Shakespeare in the 1960s. Corbin studied theater at Texas Tech, then took a break from school and joined the Marine Corps in 1961. He served two years in the Corps and returned to Texas Tech.
Corbin’s big break for TV came in 1979 as Sheriff Fenton Washburn on the smash evening soap opera hit Dallas. He appeared on the show during its first five seasons on air.

HMS
Richmond
deploys to the Red Sea to help safeguard international shipping.
(Crown copyright)
The UK Royal Navy (RN) has deployed a third ship to the Gulf to provide resilience to UK naval presence in the region amid ongoing attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on merchant shipping.

The Type 23 Duke-class frigate HMS
Richmond
(F 239) departed Devonport Naval Base in Plymouth, the UK on 6 January and is now en route to the Gulf to support the international effort to protect shipping, the RN confirmed on 9 January.

Apple TV+ released the opening title sequence for the upcoming Masters of the Air, a limited series based on the World War II air war over Europe and the flyers in the 100th Bomb Group. Screen capture from YouTube.
Since you’ll probably hit the “skip” button when the real show finally arrives, here’s a chance to dig into the opening title sequence of the upcoming World War II miniseries Masters of the Air, which debuts January 26 on Apple TV+.

A lot happens every day. Alliances shift, leaders change, and conflicts erupt. With In Brief, we’ll help you make sense of it all. Each week, experts will dig deep on a single issue happening in the world to help you better understand it. *** As the Russo-Ukrainian war nears the two-year mark, we asked three experts to tell us more about the state of the conflict and how it might evolve in the coming months. With dwindling American security assistance to Ukraine and Russia’s ongoing winter offensive, what can we expect in 2024? Read more below.

A newly produced F-35 is seen in its primer colors in Fort Worth, Texas. Lockheed Martin capture
Lockheed Martin has hit a huge milestone in F-35 Joint Strike Fighter production. However, that accomplishment, while outstanding, is complicated by the ongoing saga surrounding the development and testing of Tech Refresh-3 (TR-3) hardware configuration. TR-3 underpins the F-35’s future capabilities, known collectively as Block 4. Delays with TR-3 mean that F-35s are being parked and not delivered after they are constructed, waiting for these features. So is the case for the 1,000th F-35.

In her first major speech since taking helm of the service, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti said she sees unmanned systems and other emerging technologies as a key piece to her vision of the future.
“We will put more players on the field, which means ready players,” Franchetti said Tuesday during her keynote speech at the Surface Navy Association’s annual symposium. “Platforms that are ready with the right capabilities, weapons and sustainment, and people who are ready with the right skills, tools, training and mindset.

The U.S. Navy celebrates its birthday on October 13, the day that the Continental Congress legally established the Continental Navy. Congress authorized funds for the construction of frigates, the creation of an enlisted and officers corps, and supplies. But America launched two more fleets during the Revolutionary War, one under Gen. George Washington and one under Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold.
The Department of the Navy didn’t exist until 1798, but American forces had three, completely separate, fleets in 1776.

Owen Cooban/U.K. Ministry of Defense
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi forces launched what has been described as their biggest attacks so far against shipping in the southern Red Sea last night, leading to U.S. and U.K. warships and fighters downed 21 drones and missiles. There are no reports of any damage or injuries in the aftermath of the attack, but it’s a clear indication of the high-stakes confrontation now being played out in this vital trade route.
U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said that it was “the largest attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea to date.

Artificial intelligence can enhance an electronic warfare tool that the U.S. military has developed to defeat improvised explosive devices and drones in multiple domains, according to the Navy’s program manager for expeditionary missions.
The Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) Increment One Block One (I1B1) system achieved full operational capability last year. There are mounted, dismounted and fixed-site variants, according to Naval Sea Systems Command. The Northrop Grumman-built equipment is currently used by the U.S.

Estonia has signed a proposal that marks the way towards establishing a defence industrial park for the production ammunition.

Taiwan’s AIDC’s new basic trainer aircraft programme – the design for which is pictured above – aims to compete to replace the RoCAF’s Beechcraft T-34C aircraft by the early 2030s. (AIDC)
Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) has completed the first stage-design of a new basic trainer aircraft, the company announced on 10 January.

Minister of Defence Margarita Robles was joined by the Chief of Staff of the Air and Space Force, Air General Javier Salto Martínez-Avial; the Chief of Staff of the Space Command, Brigadier General Isaac Manuel Crespo Zaragoza; and others at the standing up of the new MESPA Space Command at Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base. (Spanish Air and Space Force)
Spain stood up its Space Command (Mando del Espacio: MESPA) on 9 January, formalising the new Spanish Air and Space Force structure.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed a new 7.62×51 mm assault rifle known as ‘Ugram’ for the Indian Army. (Defence Research and Development Organisation/Janes)
India’s state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) subsidiary Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE) has developed a new 7.62×51 mm assault rifle known as ‘Ugram’ for the Indian Army, an ARDE spokesperson told Janes on 9 January.

The VAPOR 55 MX unmanned aircraft system has achieved a positive outcome due to AeroVironment, Corvid, and L3Harris Technologies efforts.

A US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft takes off from Lajes Field in the Azores. The base provides a stopping point for aircraft to commute back and forth between the US and Europe and is to be upgraded to support P-8A operations, though it is not clear if this describes the current transient flights or represents a plan to launch anti-submarine warfare missions from the islands. (DVIDS)
The US Department of Defense (DoD) is to upgrade Lajes Field in the Azores to support the Boeing P-8A Poseidon multimission maritime aircraft (MMA).

Israel’s military tactics have taken a dramatic turn, leaving behind the once-prevalent strategy of warnings for a more aggressive and lethal approach. Let’s delve into the shifts, motivations, and consequences of this transformation in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) operations.
The Unwritten Rule: Warning Tactics
Since the eruption of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the IDF has been actively engaged in countering pro-Iranian forces, particularly the Hezbollah group, aiming to curb Tehran’s influence in the region.

Abel, National Review The fleet needs ships, the ships need sailors, and the sailors need help. For the love of God, get it to them.

USNIN
USS Laboon (DDG 58), USS Gravely (DDG 107), USS Mason (DDg-87) and F/A-18s from USS Dwight D.

Sean Carberry, NatDefMag
ARLINGTON, Virginia — With China continuing to invest in advanced military technology and Houthi rebels threatening freedom of navigation in the…

Jack Tribolet, CIMSEC
Educational wargaming is underutilized and possesses the potential to teach warfighters intricate modern doctrine and force capabilities.

USNI News
ARLINGTON, Va.

Boeing released Q4 deliveries for its defence programs, showing mixed patterns, including some reductions over 2022 in rotorcraft.

Date Posted: 09-Jan-2024Author:  Jennifer Scotland, LondonPublication: Jane’s Country Risk Daily ReportKey pointsEvent: Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa announced a nationwide state of emergency on 8 January after the leader of the OCG Los Choneros, José Adolfo Macías Salazar (alias Fito), escaped from prison and inmates rioted in five prisons across the countrySignificance: The incidents occurred shortly after Noboa announced new security measures to combat organised crime, such as building maximum-security prisons and relocating OCG leadersOutlook:The escala

Russia announced the completion of the testing phase and preparation for mass production of PBK-500U guided bombs capable of attacking 15 targets at the same time.
“The Drel (Drill) guided bomb has passed all the tests requested by the customer. The first batch from the mass production line is expected to be shipped this year,” Rostec, the Russian defense corporation, said today.
Russian officials refused to reveal whether this bomb had been tested during the campaign in Ukraine, emphasizing that it was “secret information.

The Russian Defense Minister said the Ukrainian army lost more than 215,000 soldiers and 28,000 pieces of heavy equipment in the second year of the conflict.

“The Russian army is systematically reducing the combat capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). The enemy’s losses last year exceeded 215,000 soldiers and 28,000 heavy weapons”, Minister Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced during the meeting on January 9 and emphasized that Russian forces are maintaining “strategic initiative” on the entire front line.

Hezbollah launched a UAV at a base in northern Israel in response after Tel Aviv airstrikes took out the force’s special forces commander.

“Many UAVs were launched against the enemy’s northern command center in the city of Safed,” the Hezbollah force in Lebanon said today. The move was in response to the killing of Wissam al-Tawil, deputy commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan force, on January 8, and deputy leader of Hamas Saleh al-Arouri, on January 2.

On Jan. 13, Taiwan will elect a new government whose decision-making will play an important role in shaping cross-strait dynamics for the next four years. Final polls in early January show the Democratic Progressive Party candidate Lai Ching-te as the favorite, marginally ahead of the Kuomintang candidate Hou You-yi, followed by the Taiwan People’s Party’s Ko Wen-je.  A Lai win will produce the most tensions in the near term because China sees this scenario as most threatening to its interests.

The USN is looking to combine live and virtual elements in exercises as it did during ‘Large Scale Exercise’ 2023. (Janes/Michael Fabey)
The US Navy (USN) needs to shift its global force management plans to better reflect the more dangerous and competitive nature in the world, according to Admiral Daryl Caudle, commander, US Fleet Forces Command.

South Korea’s domestically developed TAipers anti-tank missile is scheduled to start replace the Republic of Korea’s (RoK’s) military stocks of ageing TOW missiles from 2024. (Janes)
South Korea is preparing to mass-produce its domestically developed TAipers (‘Tank Snipers’ or Cheongeom) air-launched anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).

The TAipers will go into mass production from 2024 to 2031, a spokesperson from South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) told
Janes
.

Cold spray process applies powdered metal at a highly accelerated velocity – the speed of sound or faster – on a surface using an applicator and nozzle quickly and effectively. (Janes)

The US Navy (USN) is seeking to expand its use of cold spray technology to repair and maintain its platforms and improve fleet readiness, Dan Stanley of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) engineering directorate technology branch told
Janes
.

Poland’s first company of 14 M1A1 tanks arriving at Szczecin on 28 June 2023. (Polish MND)
The Polish Armament Agency announced in a press release that a US shipment of 29 more M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) and 79 Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) All-Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs) arrived at the Polish Port of Świnoujście on 6 January, followed two days later by the unloading of the vessel.
The delivery followed an earlier US shipment that also arrived at Świnoujście on 21 November 2023 with 26 M1A1s and nine M88A2 Hercules armoured recovery vehicles.

U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jarrett Smith
For four days, President Joe Biden had no idea that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized and that many of his authorities for action had been delegated to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks. However, had the unthinkable happened and Biden needed to launch a nuclear attack during that time, would Austin’s unprecedented stealth absence have made a difference? This was certainly a question being asked by many as the bizarre situation began spilling into the public domain.
The answer is no. Let us explain.

The Pentagon. (Associated Press photo).
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin underwent prostate cancer surgery in December before being hospitalized again for complications last week, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Routine health screening first revealed that Austin had prostate cancer in early December, Dr. John Maddox of Walter Reed National Military Center said in a statement.
On Dec. 22, Austin had a minimally invasive surgical procedure known as a “prostatectomy” during which he was under general anesthesia, Maddox said. The surgery was uneventful, and Austin’s prognosis is “excellent.

A detailed analysis of the incorporation of second-stage engines in the Su-57 fighters, scheduled for 2024.

The current Su-57 fleet and the transition to Izdelie 30-engines
According to a report by TASS, the Russian Aerospace Forces have received a fleet of ten Su-57 fighters equipped with phase one engines. This squadron constitutes an integral part of the VKS, standing out in air capabilities with its current design.

Shane James Jr. left the Army in 2015 as a 1st Lt. after being arrested for assaulting his wife on Fort Cavazos, which was then Fort Hood. Law enforcement photo.
A former infantry officer who killed six people, including his parents, in a mass shooting across two Texas cities in December left the Army soon after he was arrested for assaulting his wife in 2014.
An Army police report first reported by KUT News, an Austin public radio station, shows that Shane James Jr.

Advisors from 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade practice the react to contact battle drill during a live-fire exercise on Fort Liberty, North Carolina on Jan. 05, 2023. (U.S. Army photo/Spc. Jonathan D. Vitale).
Archilochus, a Greek poet and soldier from the 7th century BCE, once wrote, “We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” The U.S. Army knows this all too well, which is why they have developed 14 battle drills that they expect all soldiers to know, from the youngest private to the most senior leaders at the Pentagon.

U.S. Defense and State Department officials aim to meet with delegates from at least 50 other nations by mid-2024 to discuss the nascent framework and standards doctrine they’ve recently signed onto, pledging to “responsibly” develop and deploy artificial intelligence and autonomous military technologies, according to a top Pentagon policymaker.
Originally produced in early 2023, State spotlighted the Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of AI and Autonomy in November — and confirmed then that more than 40 countries formally endorsed it.