Commentary

Early March 2025 was when Syria’s post-Assad transition turned sour. In scenes that resembled the worst moments of Syria’s civil war, hundreds of Alawite civilians were killed, probably by a combination of pro-government forces and…

A few weeks ago, commercial flights over the Tasman Sea — located between Australia and New Zealand — were forced to divert after they were warned by the Chinese navy that its warships were about to conduct live-fire exercises in the area.…

When I served at U.S. Air Forces Europe, a daily 15-minute briefing took 43 hours of staff work. This wasn’t an outlier — it was the norm. With the largest discretionary spending item in the federal budget and massive inefficiencies, the…

What if the United States decided to fold up its nuclear umbrella over Europe? In its wake, Europe could either experience increased Russian aggression, potentially threatening the very existence of the European Union, or a wave of nuclear…

Russia’s full-scale assault on Ukraine has altered the global arms market in ways not seen since the end of the Cold War, creating challenges and opportunities for arms exporters and importers alike. Russian arms exports are down, global…

So this is kind of awkward but it’s been on my mind lately and I know it’s probably nothing but I’ve gotta ask. And be honest, because I need someone I can count on to tell the truth. Okay, so…do you think I look ugly? Ugh, this is so…

It turns out Europe’s favorite American import isn’t fast food or Netflix. It’s missiles, and Europe needs to start making its own. Eight weeks into the second Trump administration, European leaders are finally aware that they need to take…

Will President Donald Trump override his predecessor’s decision to shut down Operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq by September 2025? While it has yet to clarify its vision of future U.S. military involvement in Iraq, the Trump…

Are cyber capabilities escalatory? This is one of the most debated and important questions in cyber operations. If cyber capabilities, and more broadly, their use in operations and campaigns, will not meaningfully increase the nature or…

Are cyber capabilities escalatory? This is one of the most debated and important questions in cyber operations. If cyber capabilities, and more broadly, their use in operations and campaigns, will not meaningfully increase the nature or…