On Jan. 4, Indian commandos rescued a ship that had been hijacked by a small band of pirates off the coast of Somalia. The pirates surrendered to the Indian Navy, and there were no deaths or casualties, yet the incident raised alarms about the return of piracy in the area. Some experts cautioned that this…

Russia lost another military plane in a violent crash. This time it happened near Belgorod, a city close to the border with Ukraine. Moscow said the plane was carrying Ukrainian prisoners of war and was struck by Ukrainian missiles. Kyiv didn’t immediately confirm or deny the crash. Video of the incident showed up on Russian…

As nations continue searching for alternative energy solutions in the wake of boycotts and sanctions against Russia, the global energy marketplace will continue to change and evolve. How the United States and its Western allies will fare in this new market has become an important subject of study and debate. Straight Arrow News contributor Peter…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Satellite images from the U.K. appear to back allegations by the U.S. that Russia is using artillery from North Korea to attack Ukraine, in violation of U.N. sanctions. Russian forces have ramped up missile attacks against Ukraine, per officials. A barrage of artillery hit multiple targets earlier in January, killing five people and injuring 130…

For decades, the Nordic countries generally leaned towards neutrality in armed conflicts. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 prompted the end of this Nordic neutrality. Since then, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark have united to provide support to Ukraine by sending supplies and actively participating in the sanctions imposed by the West. Straight…

As the full-fledged Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches its two-year anniversary, it may help to review where the conflict currently stands. As of Dec. 2023, the Russians have suffered an estimated 320,000 casualties, while the Ukrainian casualty number sits closer to 120,000. And while the war has drained enormous wealth and resources from both sides,…