The number of incidents between Russian and NATO warships and aircraft in increasing, and they are becoming more dangerous. That is documented by Ralph Clem and Ray Finch.
Military strategy and politics
Inflation is a long-term problem for Russia’s military
The Russian Defense Policy blog has an interesting look at the wages for Russian soldiers, and it does not look great. Corrected for inflation, the wages for Russian soldiers have dropped significantly over the last decade. With RF inflation at roughly 8 percent this year, overall prices for essentials paid by Russian servicemen are now […]
The argument that AUKUS is a weak security deal between Australia and two unreliable allies
Sam Roggeveen has a razor sharp critique of the new AUKUS security framework in War on the Rocks. In fact, I have only become more skeptical of AUKUS since it was announced by Prime Ministers Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson, and President Joe Biden. I argued at the time that these were the wrong submarines […]
Russia has a now or never dilemma in Ukraine
Russia’s far-reaching demands from NATO and the prospect of a war in Ukraine can seem irrational. But Russia is facing a dilemma that if they do nothing, they are on a trajectory to losing in the long term. So even if Russia isn’t sure what the outcome will be in a war, they may still try it as a tool to stop the process of losing.
The five “nots” of AUKUS
Interesting rundown of what AUKUS is and is not by Michael Shoebridge for ICDS Diplomaatia magazine: AUKUS, though, is five ‘Nots’. It is not just a pact about sharing nuclear submarine technology that leads to Australia acquiring and operating eight of these “peak predator” deterrent weapons. It is not a military alliance that contains commitments […]
The Arctic is a floating signifier that makes no sense in security discussions
It is a source of confusion when military leaders and politicians talk about “the Arctic”. Really the Arctic is not a clearly defined military space, and we need more precise language to avoid misunderstandings.
Download e-book: Russia’s Military Might
I wrote he naval chapter in this book on Russia’s military capabilities, where the English version is now available as a free download.
Russian defense minister complains about propaganda centers in the West
Sergey Shoigu clams that strategic propaganda centers operate in Riga, Tallinn and Warsaw to spread misinformation against Russia.
Cargo spaceships and pipe dreams
CDR Salamander has a scathing critique of general Hyten’s ideas for logistical spaceships and a centralized virtual combat cloud.
Forward basing of US ground troops in Western Pacific is unrealistic
It makes little sense to talk about forward basing of American ground forces in East Asia before addressing the problem that no country wants to host them.