More from Ryan Robertson
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US Marines taking Iron Dome from the desert to the sea
The Iron Dome is one of the most widely deployed air defense systems in the world. It’s been protecting Israel from rockets, artillery, mortars, drones, and cruise missiles for over a decade. Now, the United States Marine Corps is expanding the reach of the Iron Dome by equipping its new littoral regiments with the short-range… -
Ukraine wants more ‘cool’ CV90s on the front lines
Ukraine’s current counteroffensive strategy depends on good infantry fighting vehicles. U.S.-supplied Bradley IFVs are nothing to shake a stick at, but the Swedish-made Stridsfordon 90 may be in a class of its own. The Stridsfordon, or combat vehicle, is manufactured by BAE Systems Hägglunds. Ukraine already has at least 50 in its inventory. However, that… -
Prigozhin aside, Aug. 23 was good to Ukraine
Yevgeny Prigozhin may be dead, but Wednesday, Aug. 23 was a good day for Ukraine. The Ukrainian armed forces took out a major missile installation in Crimea. Prigozhin’s reported death marked the second occasion in the mercenary’s time on Earth when he reportedly died in a plane crash. The first happened in the Congo in… -
Russia converts mall, forces teens to build kamikaze drones
Call it a sign of the times for the Russian economy. A shopping mall is being turned into a factory to make kamikaze or suicide drones. At the same time, teenagers are being forced to build the weapons of war. Russia is using unmanned aerial vehicles like the Lancet and Shahed-136 in Ukraine to a… -
Prigozhin pops up in Africa, Wagner mercs educate in Belarus
Two months after Yevgeny Prigozhin led his mercenaries in an armed mutiny against Russia’s military leadership, the head of the Wagner Group appeared to be in Africa. The on-again, off-again Putin ally was back to his old ways of using social media to further the Russian cause. In the video, translated by Reuters, Prigozhin said,… -
China may have cracked the code to track US submarines — using bubbles
Aircraft carriers may be the pinnacle of power on the surface, but no modern navy is complete without submarines. The underwater craft rely on stealth to stay alive, but researchers in China may have just blown that ability to stay hidden out of the water. China, the United States and Russia have the most submarines… -
25k US sailors, Marines complete global, aptly named Large Scale Exercise
Talisman Sabre. Juniper Oak. Air Defender. 2023 is full of military exercises, and let’s be honest, they have some great names. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps just wrapped up another joint training operation, Large Scale Exercise (LSE). While the name is certainly lacking in creativity, the Pentagon called LSE “one of the most realistic… -
US lawmaker hacked by Chinese points to his criticism of CCP, support for Taiwan
Chinese hackers gained access to the email accounts of Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., and senior officials at the departments of State and Commerce from May 15 to June 16. Bacon told Straight Arrow News that the FBI Cyber Division informed him hackers obtained all incoming and outgoing emails by exploiting a weakness in Microsoft’s system. … -
Improving military quality of life starts in the home
When someone volunteers for the U.S. military, they typically expect basic needs like food, housing and healthcare will be provided. On the whole, the United States takes care of most of its service members’ needs, but there is room for improvement. Take Fort Cavazos, for instance, the Army post formerly known as Fort Hood. It’s… -
Why the Mojave got dirty in the desert
The United States and its allies are preparing for a war where runways may not be an option. That doesn’t mean a flat stretch of dirt won’t do, though. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) successfully tested its Mojave unmanned aerial system in early August. The rugged expeditionary drone completed several takeoffs and landings on… -
US sending Ukraine Black Hornet swarms
Throughout the war in Ukraine, the Biden administration’s position was and is to supply the Ukrainians with the weapons and tech they need when they need it. Right now, the U.S. thinks Ukraine needs swarms of Black Hornets. Ukraine’s slow-moving counteroffensive is being hampered by miles of Russian minefields. Clearing the mines is painstakingly slow.… -
To beat China, US may need to win without runways
Whether its fighting China in the Pacific or Russia in the Baltics, the U.S. and its allies are looking for ways to win wars without runways. Air bases are obvious targets, and aircraft carriers can be sunk, but planes will still need to fly if the U.S. wants to have a chance at victory. The… -
US military playing catch-up to Russia in Arctic
As a show of force at the edge of the world, 11 warships from China and Russia were spotted carrying out a joint naval patrol near Alaska. The bold move in early August is just the latest provocation in a region known for chilly receptions. “There’s really critically important elements of the geostrategic importance of…