More from Brian Spencer
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Unmasking Iran’s nuclear threat: ‘There’s a lot of reasons to be concerned’
This week’s Weapons and Warfare debrief brings an exclusive conversation with Dr. Peter Brookes, a living embodiment of a Tom Clancy character. A former naval officer, spy, and direct servant to the Secretary of Defense, Brookes, now semi-retired, remains a stalwart figure in geopolitical intelligence. Straight Arrow News’ Ryan Robertson spoke with Dr. Brookes about… -
Iran’s nuclear activity may raise concerns in the US: Weapons and Warfare
In this episode of Weapons and Warfare, we investigate what Iran has been up to with its nuclear program since the United States withdrew from the so-called Iran nuclear deal. Veteran national security policymaker and analyst Dr. Peter Brookes explains how close Iran’s progress may be to making American leadership uncomfortable. Also featured in this… -
Army to buy thousands of Coyote drone-killers: Weapon of the Week
Raytheon’s Coyote drone-killer was first introduced in 2014. Now, the U.S. Army plans to buy thousands of the newest generation. In a publicly available contracting notice, the Army announced it plans to buy 6,000 of the Coyote Block 2 variants and 700 of the Block 3 variants. The main difference between the two is that… -
Bill aiming to exclude Trump from ballot gains traction in Hawaii
As the Republican primaries unfold, there’s growing concern that former President Donald Trump might face exclusion from the ballot in Hawaii. A bill gaining traction aims to bar voters from electing presidential candidates identified by a federal or state supreme court as insurrectionists. The proposed legislation also seeks to prohibit Hawaii state electors from voting… -
Ukraine hits refinery, weapons plant deep inside Russia
Ukraine is getting pretty good at hitting targets deep within Russia’s sovereign territory. The tactics could mark a new stage in the almost two-year-old war and certainly call into question the quality of Russian air defense systems. In mid-January, it’s believed Ukraine used long-range drones to hit oil refineries and weapons manufacturing plants in several… -
Why did Pakistan and Iran trade strikes?
Pakistan and Iran both launched strikes into each other’s territory in the week of Jan. 15. Neither country appears to want a war with the other, but in a region where military might is the most common form of diplomacy, the tension could still boil over. Iran and Pakistan are making the same argument: The… -
Ukraine’s US-supplied Bradley IFVs shredding Russian armor
The M-2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle is not a tank, but troops do call it the “Tank Killer.” In Ukraine, Bradleys are getting credit for holding back Russian advances, and new footage from the frontlines shows just how appropriate the Bradley’s nickname really is. The video was originally posted by Ukraine’s 47th Mechanized Brigade and… -
US Air Force using mixed reality to train new pilots: Weapons and Warfare
In the second episode of Weapons and Warfare, step into the cockpit of a U.S. Air Force Huey helicopter and learn about the latest in mixed reality learning. This video game-like experience is part of the branch’s effort to streamline and modernize training for the next generation of Air Force helicopter pilots. Also featured in… -
Air Force helicopter pilots embrace cutting-edge extended reality training
The second episode of Weapons and Warfare explores how the U.S. Air Force is leveraging extended reality (XR)–an umbrella term for virtual, mixed and augmented reality–to redefine the training experience for aspiring helicopter pilots. The system, modeled after the TH-1H Huey helicopter, combines virtual and mixed-reality environments, allowing airmen to engage in hands-on training by… -
Army to send out the next generation of guns: Weapon of the week
American troops will be getting some new weaponry heading into 2024, as detailed in the second episode of Weapons and Warfare. After 27 months of testing and evaluations, the M7 rifle and the M250 machine gun from Sig Sauer will be the next generation of rifles for close-contact Army troops. That, combined with the M157… -
China can’t take Taiwan because its weapons are filled with water
A driving force in the U.S. military is preparing for competition with near-peer adversaries like China and Russia. But as it turns out, perhaps those peers aren’t so near. For decades, Russia said it controlled the world’s “second army.” However, current events in Ukraine are punching plenty of holes in that argument. This leaves China… -
Russia to mass produce ‘invisible’ glide bomb with cluster munitions
Russia said it’s going to start mass producing a new type of cluster bomb that’s supposedly invisible to radar. Russian state media reported the Drel — or “Drill” in Russian — is a new type of glide bomb made by the state-owned Rostec defense conglomerate. Drels are some of Russia’s newest weapons, so there isn’t… -
Nebraska developing radiation sickness treatment amid increasing exposure risk
As reported in the premiere episode of Weapons & Warfare, the University of Nebraska and the University of Nebraska Medical Center are spearheading an initiative to develop a drug aimed at protecting troops from Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS). The project comes in response to the Defense Department’s concerns about potential radiation exposure scenarios faced by…