HG S2 (Intel Bot)

Having trouble keeping up with the world around you? Head swirling with too much? You’re not alone. Good news…we’ll get you all caught up and set right. Returning to the Midrats Podcast this Sunday LIVE from 5-6 PM Eastern will be Blake Herzinger. You can listen live at this link. If you’re reading this after the show, refresh the Substack page later Sunday evening and the podcast will be uploaded and linked. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

Ukrainian forces destroyed a unit of Russian heavy multiple launch rocket systems in occupied Crimea using a long-range one-way strike drone, according to Militarnyi. The strike targeted Russian rocket artillery systems before they could be employed against Ukrainian positions. According to Militarnyi, the attack took place near the settlement of Karakul in Russian-occupied Crimea and […]View the full article

The United States Navy commissioned the Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Massachusetts (SSN 798) during a ceremony held on March 28 in Boston Harbor. According to the Navy, USS Massachusetts is the seventh Block IV Virginia-class submarine and was built under a teaming agreement between General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII-Newport News Shipbuilding. The submarine was […]View the full article

The United States Navy has issued a request for proposals for its Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS), seeking a new jet trainer aircraft and associated training systems for Navy and Marine Corps aviators, according to a March 26 solicitation from the U.S. Department of War. Proposals are due by June 29, 2026. The program is […]View the full article

The United States Army has launched a new effort to improve how it produces and manages ammunition, issuing a contract notice on March 27 for engineering support services worth up to $44.6 million. The work will focus on upgrading and supporting the country’s Ammunition Industrial Base, with proposals due by April 20, 2026. Demand for […]View the full article

The United States Navy has safely undocked the Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Albany (SSN 753) on March 26 at Naval Submarine Base New London. According to the Navy, USS Albany arrived at Submarine Base New London in the summer of 2025 and has since undergone a range of repairs, structural inspections, and upgrades to […]View the full article

F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to the 13th Fighter Squadron arrived at Misawa Air Base, Japan, on March 28. According to the U.S. Air Force, the arrival of the F-35A supports efforts to upgrade Misawa Air Base into a fighter integration wing and expand operational capabilities in the region. The aircraft will replace legacy platforms […]View the full article

A senior Russian lawmaker and general claimed that the United States military lacks the operational experience and planning capabilities demonstrated by Russia’s armed forces, according to public remarks made by Andrey Kartapolov, chairman of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee. In his remarks, Kartapolov said: “Today, the leaders in the military sphere, without a doubt, […]View the full article

The United States Air Force, in partnership with Northrop Grumman and Bechtel, is accelerating development of the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile system by prototyping a new launch silo tube, the companies announced on Friday. According to Northrop Grumman, the launch silo tube serves as the central element of a new modular infrastructure concept that is […]View the full article

An Iranian missile and drone attack on March 27 struck Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, wounding multiple United States service members and damaging several aircraft, including an E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft and aerial refueling planes. According to Air & Space Forces Magazine, citing people familiar with the matter, […]View the full article

Polish defense technology company FlyFocus has developed the KURIER unmanned helicopter, a 600-kilogram-class logistics platform. The heavy drone system is designed to deliver cargo autonomously to units operating beyond conventional resupply reach. According to the company, KURIER is capable of carrying more than 200 kilograms of cargo and is intended primarily to support special forces […]View the full article

Ukraine’s 1st Separate Center of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine released footage showing a strike on Russian drone operators and launch systems identified as “Gerbera.” The unit said the attack was conducted before the drones could be launched toward Ukrainian cities. The strike appears aimed at intercepting drone attacks at […]View the full article

Ukrainian forces carried out a strike overnight on March 28 against a Russian explosives production facility in the city of Chapayevsk. The target was identified as the JSC “Promsintez” plant, a site involved in producing explosive materials used in ammunition and aerial weapons. The strike appears aimed at disrupting Russia’s ability to manufacture explosive compounds […]View the full article

Yesterday’s mention of the USS Tennessee (BB 43) had me thinking of other survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor. That was when I remembered a FbF from a long time ago whose photo I like so much. There she is above, USS Pennsylvania (BB 38). Well worth an encore FbF. This is more of a reading assignment than anything else - this “summary” describes a ship’s life in full. When most people think of her, they think of her at her lowest point. At 0755 on the morning of December 7, 1941, the USS PENNSYLVANIA was sitting in dry-dock in the Pearl Harbor Navy Yard. Her screws had been removed from their shafts and were resting on the bottom of the dock. She had been scheduled to leave the dock on the sixth and berth at Ten Ten Dock, immediately adjacent, but delays had been encountered, those delays probably saved the ship. It was a normal quite Sunday morning and there was little activity aboard. The watch had just been set and the Chaplain was making preparations for the eight o’clock mass on the quarterdeck. Virtually all of the Ships Company were aboard. In view of the existing conditions general over-night liberty had not been granted. Suddenly and with complete surprise, Japanese dive bombers and torpedo bombers roared out of the high overcast. The PENNSYLVANIA was one of the first ships in the harbor to open fire. Her 50 caliber machine gun crews had their guns in action even before General Quarters was sounded. But there is so much to her story. This is just a taste. From the start; The PENNSYLVANIA was commissioned June 12, 1916, after having been authorized by Congress August 22, 1912. Her keel was laid on October 27, 1913, and she was launched at Newport News Shipbuilding Company, March 16, 1915. America’s and the worlds biggest Battleship slid down the skids into her native element at 10:11 am while 20 thousand spectators cheered. Special trains from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia brought thousands to Newport News. Governor Stewart of Virginia and Governor Brumbaugh of Pennsylvania and Secretary of the Navy Daniels, were among the honored guests. In the Fall of 1917 when Allied Naval Forces began collecting to form what was to be known as the Allied-British Grand Fleet, Sixth Battle Squadron, there was great unhappiness aboard the USS PENNSYLVANIA, flagship of the United States Fleet. The USS PENNSYLVANIA, together with the USS NEVADA joined the Fleet in 1916 as the first two oil burning U.S. Battleships, was told that she could not hope to operate with the forces seeking out the German Navy because she was “too modern”. Only coal-burning dreadnaughts were to be included in the Allied Force because no tankers could be spared to carry fuel to the British Isles (a private note: that was good for my Grandfather - he served on the USS ARKANSAS (BB-33) in WWI). She survived to the next war - and executed her orders with style. At this time the PENNSYLVANIA had set a record of which she could well be proud. She was the only battleship to take part in every combat amphibious operation in the Pacific Ocean Areas and the two largest operations on the Southwest Pacific Area from May 4, 1943 to February 10, 1945, from Attu through Lingayen. In the Guam Operation alone the PENNSYLVANIA expended not counting the false start on 16 June almost l800 rounds of l4”, 10,000 rounds of 5”, l4,000 rounds of 40mm and 1600 rounds of 20mm. This is probably a greater amount of ammunition than any other ship has ever fired during a single operation. And it was done without any personnel or material casualties. Air spotters reported that the PENNSYLVANIA put out of action fifteen planes, six large guns, eight medium guns, three 5” guns, twelve 3” guns, nineteen dual purpose guns, two coast defense guns, eight large AA guns, four twin mounts, nine heavy AA guns, twelve machine guns, two anti-boat guns, numerous mortars, and much field artillery. The ship discovered and destroyed a very large ammunition storage near Adelup Point, at the time of the landing and permanently silenced them. Since her first action at Pearl Harbor she has steamed almost 150,000 miles. Her self discipline had been excellent at all times, no man was ever lost overboard except by enemy action, she had never hit any friendly troops, installations, ships or planes and never had to report “not ready” for any operation. Nearly 150 officers and almost 1000 petty officers were trained and transferred from the PENNSYLVANIA during this period. She probably fired more ammunition than any other ship in history. Sad that she was nuked in the end - but seeing what has happened to USS Olympia in PA - perhaps it is better this way. If I can part with one item to perhaps cause some reflection - and hopefully humble some. In WWII, this is what it took for a Navy Unit Commendation. “For outstanding heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces in the Pacific war area from May 4, 1943 to February 10, 1945. Operating under ten separate commands, the USS PENNSYLVANIA was the only battleship to take part in every amphibious operation during this period from Attu in the Northern area to Lingayen in the Philippines. Imperiled by perpetual fog, she served as flagship of the task force commander during the Aleutians campaign and navigated in poorly charted waters to deliver her accurate broadsides on predetermined but invisible targets; intensive fire from her batteries blazed the way for our assault waves in the Gilbert’s, the Marshall’s and the Mariana’s silencing the enemy’s heavy coastal guns, locating and neutralizing camouflaged emplacements and rendering steady support for our land forces. A gallant and dependable veteran, the PENNSYLVANIA completed nearly thirty years of unfailing service by her deadly close in bombardment and gun fire support in the recapture of the Philippines, fulfilling her prolonged and vital mission without casualty to herself or her personnel by Japanese fire. Handled superbly in the face of many obstacles throughout this period, the PENNSYLVANIA achieved an illustrious combat record, reflecting the courage, skill and brilliant teamwork of the Officers who plotted her course, the Pilots who spotted her gunfire and the operational force which aided in maintaining her fighting efficiency.” This FbF first appeared in March of 2010.Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

Ukraine has received and fielded RapidRanger short-range air defense systems, with at least one unit observed during a recent visit by Ukraine’s Minister of Defense Mykhailo Fedorov alongside Lithuania’s Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas to positions of mobile air defense groups. The system, previously announced as part of United Kingdom military assistance in 2025, was seen […]View the full article

One of the many lessons of the modern air threat against surface ships in the last few years is simple: we need more of everything. It isn’t really a new lesson. It is an old lesson that our peacetime accountants convinced us to pretend we didn’t know. Since the first war in which the threat from the air targeted the surface fleet, what was a common thread after D+0 from WWII to the Falklands War? After cursing those responsible for preparing the fleet for the next war, those tasked to fight the war in front of them would, at the first chance, put every possible weapon possible on their warships. My favorite example is what the U.S. Navy did with its old battleships the first chance after Pearl Harbor. The picture at the top of the post is the battleship USS Tennessee (BB 43) after the completion of her rebuild, May 12th, 1943. The older single 5-inch/25 cal guns were replaced by eight twin 5-inch/38 caliber dual-purpose gun mounts (totaling 16 guns). Ten quadruple 40 mm Bofors mounts and 43 single 20 mm Oerlikon guns replaced 1.1-inch and .50 cal machine guns. Here she was with her “cleaner” deck from the 1930s. The Royal Navy reached the point in the Falklands War that they resorted to lining the decks with Seamen firing whatever weapons they could find from rifles to crew-served weapons…as they simply did not have the time to up-arm their ships properly. Like the sudden realization that they did not quite understand the true nature of the threat from the air in the 1930s, here in the mid-2020s we are suddenly realizing that we don’t fully understand—or more likely were comfortable ignoring those warning of the problem—the high/low threat to warships from the air. The tan, rested, ready, if the not quite battle-tested People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is comfortably unbothered, moisturized, happy, and staying in their lane as we have been emptying out magazines and wearing out Sailors and ships, They continue to be focused on how to defeat the U.S. Navy should it venture west of the International Date Line in response to a future contingency—the very mission the PLAN was built to execute as the world’s largest navy. I am quite confident, because, especially in the ballistic missile area, they were ahead of everyone, that the PLAN has a whole mix of threats they are ready to throw at our fleet should it be required. The Houthi who have been providing us unscheduled range time in the Red Sea for over two years, and Iran from Turkey to UAE over the last year. The Houthi are a fourth-rate threat, and the Iranians are on a good day, a second-rate threat. They are throwing everything from slow drones to anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) at ships. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a first-rate threat…and then some. She will do the same, but better and in higher volume. We need to be ready to face that, and we are not. Let us set aside the burn rate of our inventory of sea-based missile defense. We’ve covered it here for years, even specifically on the WESTPAC fight, as others have. That is a concern for the high-end fight against ASBM and ASCM. What about the low-end threat? What about our ships that are simply not ready for a dozen attack drones to come in low, slow, and determined. As French Adm. Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, NATO, told Defense One recently, “Today, you produce one Patriot for 500 Shaheds. … So you will never win a war against Shaheds with Patriots. That doesn’t happen.” Just substitute Standard Missiles for Patriot there and you get the challenge at sea. Let’s look at what our options are today, but first, the problem: Our USNS are unarmed. In some ways, they are “configured for, but not fitted with” defensive weapons. For years I have asked where the weapons are and the people to man them should war come, and only get blinks in return. We will have to find something…and then invent new places to put additional weapons. These ships need to be USS and armed to the teeth, like the Neosho was. Again, I’ve given details often in the past, as recently as last year. We have extra space on all of our ships, from LCS to LPD and everything else. Some are designed for weapons to be added someday; others require space to be found. Whatever we have on them right now, it is not enough, especially for the emerging low-end fight. We need engineers to tell us where we can add weapons…more. We do not have the time to develop new weapons systems. That luxury was consumed by GWOT distractions and naval leadership more interested in Kendi. The Davidson Window is nigh. Let’s say we have full adoption of #1 and #2 above, how do we address #3? Let’s look at what we have to address the high end of the threat, ASBM and latest generation anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCM). That has to be put in the “let’s put aside” disclaimer above. We are talking SM-3, 6, PAC-3 MSE, ESSM, and heck, throw SeaRAM. We can’t produce enough of them as is to answer the baseline demand. No, we need other things that are ready, can be built to scale, don’t cost too much, aren’t too big, and can address the lower end threat in the air and other threats with minimal yard time to install and school time to train. Now. Just as the 1943 USS Tennessee was not as “pretty” as the 1930s version, she could survive and win. This won’t be pretty either because we have some options, and here we go. Boxes. First in line came across my feed earlier this week. Lockheed Martin … completed both the first integrated HELLFIRE missile live-fire and vertical-launch test from the company’s new containerized GRIZZLY launcher. … the launcher demonstrated its ability to load and launch a missile from a 10-foot Tricon container. Built in just six months from proven weapon and launcher architectures, including the fielded M299 system, GRIZZLY delivers cost-efficient, rapid-mobility and low-observable distributed expeditionary weapon delivery capability. Just look at this. Yes, a shape only a Borg would love…but it puts hate downrange. It also speaks my love language. The launcher uses commercial off-the-shelf materials, reducing logistics footprint and acquisition cost. … a highly transportable launcher, GRIZZLY is command and control and sensor agnostic, providing an affordable and easily relocatable launcher solution to support any service or mission, anywhere. More info from TWZ, (Chris Murphy, senior manager of Business Development for Integrated Air and Missile Defense Advanced Programs)…“you might think of a depth of magazine as being a really large magazine,” Murphy explained. “Another way to achieve depth of magazine is to have several launchers. What we’ve tried to do is take a lot of the cost out of those launchers and use containers where possible.” “But Sal…” I can hear you say, “…these are Hellfire missiles. I thought we were discussing countering the low end threat from the air?” …the fact that the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Advanced Programs division led the development of Grizzly points to a clear surface-to-air application for the launcher. The millimeter-wave radar-guided AGM-114L variant of the Hellfire has a demonstrated anti-air capability against various types of drones, which is a particular pressing threat. Loaded with AGM-114Ls and linked to air search radars and other sensors, the containerized launch system could offer a way to rapidly boost air defenses, We already have a few LCS carrying Hellfire at sea, and Israel has been taking them to sea for years. This opens a huge door. It can be self-powered even. I have also been told that it is fully reloadable in the same way you reload the same launcher when it is attached to a helo. …and if you don’t think Hellfire is sexy enough… Hellfire might not be the only missile Grizzly can fire, either. Murphy said that the launcher was designed to allow for the ready integration of additional functionality, including other missiles, down the line “without having to change much of anything.” One obvious candidate would be the AGM-179A Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM), which is derived from the AGM-114R and can already be fired from many of the same launchers, including the M299. Conceivably, the overall concept could be expanded to a launch system in a larger container with more total missiles. There is one option. What else would I look to bolt onto any deck the engineers say can support it? Just look to USS Preble (DDG 88), In a first for naval warfare, the USS Preble, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, used the HELIOS (High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance) system to shoot down multiple Iranian drones. The 60-kilowatt Lockheed Martin–built laser, deployed off Iran’s coast, delivers precision strikes at the speed of light. This marks the transition of HELIOS from years of development and testing into active combat use. A third option? There are a host of countries that are building proven remote weapons systems in the 20mm to 40mm range. One is the Australian company EOS. The system is designed for low-cost operations, reducing reliance on more sophisticated and expensive counter-drone weapons. A single engagement using the Slinger air defense system costs between $100 and $1,000. The Slinger integrates radar for target detection and tracking, a stabilized 30mm cannon with specialized ammunition, and precision-pointing technology. It can operate as a standalone unit or as part of a broader networked defense system. Equipped with day and thermal imaging sensors, it can detect targets beyond 12 kilometers (7.4 miles). The day camera enables recognition at up to 5.6 kilometers (3.4 miles) and identification at up to 4.7 kilometers (2.9 miles). An upgraded Slinger system was recently unveiled, featuring aided target recognition capability and an autonomy suite designed to improve operational efficiency. Enough of appreciating the problem. Buy the weapons. Using USNR if necessary, assign and train personnel to go with them. Have them ready to go like any other unit in the active reserve. The next war won’t give us two years to fix the known problem. Additionally, no more 57mm as the largest caliber main gun on any warship. You need a 76mm as a minimum to be able to access the best options to engage the low-end threats on and above the water and ashore. Replace them all or relegate them to low-threat/rear-area operations. Yes, additional weapons will make ships more top-heavy. Yes, there will be additional manning required (the Nevada almost doubled her manning after the 1943 modernization), but to be frank, I don’t care. To not prepare a warship and her Sailors or auxiliaries’ mariners to go in harm’s way against a known threat is not just unprofessional and unethical, it is immoral. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

Mexico has selected the Canadian-made Roshel Senator MRAP armored vehicle following successful trials conducted by its armed forces and federal police at the end of last year. The decision reflects Mexico’s growing need for protected mobility platforms as security forces confront escalating threats from organized criminal groups. Authorities are seeking armored vehicles capable of operating […]View the full article

French company Asterodyn said it is continuing deliveries of its AST-78 interceptor system to “French state military stakeholders”, confirming the operational use of the high-speed unmanned platform. An announcement made on 25 March 2026 said that interceptor drones, such as the AST-78, are designed to provide a flexible option for engaging threats when traditional systems […]View the full article

A U.S.-made AN/ALE-50 towed decoy has reportedly been recovered in Iraq, according to images circulating online showing the system intact on the ground. Systems such as the AN/ALE-50 are designed to protect aircraft by diverting incoming threats, reflecting continued reliance on electronic warfare for survivability. Photos of the recovered device show markings consistent with U.S. […]View the full article

Iranian military officials have issued warnings to the United States over a potential ground operation targeting Kharg Island, as new footage circulating on social media shows preparations on the island, including deployment of FPV drones and construction of defensive positions. The statements and imagery emerged amid reports of possible U.S. force positioning in the region. […]View the full article

Caracal USA said in March 2026 it had been awarded a government contract to supply CAR814 A2 Patrol rifles to various agencies in Belize. The Idaho-based manufacturer said the agreement covers delivery of 5.56x45mm NATO rifles designed for military and law enforcement use. According to a statement from Caracal USA, the CAR814 A2 Patrol rifle […]View the full article

The United States Army Europe and Africa command awarded Dan Rice, president of American University Kyiv, the Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service during a ceremony in Wiesbaden, Germany, recognizing his actions in Ukraine between March 2022 and March 2023. According to a statement shared by American University Kyiv, Rice received the award from General Christopher […]View the full article

Turkish state-owned defense contractor ROKETSAN confirmed that serial production and deliveries of its TAYFUN ballistic missile and SOM cruise missile are continuing as planned, according to a recent company statement and remarks by CEO Murat İkinci. As noted by ROKETSAN, “serial production and deliveries” of the TAYFUN ballistic missile and SOM cruise missile are proceeding […]View the full article

As a member in good standing of the diaspora from the Provisional People’s Democratic Republic of Diego Garcia, the news, four days ago. that the Islamic Republic of Iran attempted to strike our homeland got my attention. I’ve been waiting a bit to see if this was just a misunderstanding or one of those things that come from the fog of war. Of course, Iran states they did no such thing. But the general understanding, as I write this, is—well—Iran did something we thought they could do, but had not demonstrated in public. As the weekend closed, it was confirmed by otherwise reliable sources. Iran fired two missiles at the joint British-American Diego Garcia military base in the Indian Ocean but they failed to reach their target, a U.K. minister said Sunday, confirming earlier reports of the number of projectiles. “Our assessment is that the Iranians certainly targeted Diego Garcia. As we understand it, one missile fell short, failed. The other was intercepted and prevented,” U.K. Housing Secretary Steve Reed told BBC television. … Iran targeted Diego Garcia with a two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile, Israel’s military said Saturday. This refers to missiles with at least two rocket engines, one allowing the missile to reach space, and the other propels it to its target, at a range of up to 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles). “These missiles are not intended to strike Israel. Their range extends to the capitals of Europe — Berlin, Paris, and Rome are all within direct threat range,” Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said. … The reported attack marked Iran’s first operational use of intermediate-range ballistic missiles and a significant attempt to reach far beyond the Middle East and threaten U.S. interests, the Wall Street Journal said. “Iran’s reckless attacks, lashing out across the region and holding hostage the Strait of Hormuz, are a threat to British interests and British allies,” the U.K.’s Ministry of Defence said in a statement sent to CNBC on Saturday. ”[Royal Air Force] jets and other U.K. military assets are continuing to defend our people and personnel in the region.” The MoD said Iran’s unsuccessful targeting of the base happened before the U.K. approved, a day earlier, the use of its bases by U.S. forces for defensive operations. The U.K. has given the U.S. permission to use its bases at RAF Fairford in England and at Diego Garcia in the Chagos Islands for “specific and limited defensive operations,” the MoD said. This is where I’d like to refer you to the graphic at the top of the post. There are three rings. From the center of Iran to Diego Garcia (or Dodge to its friends) is roughly 2,500 nautical miles (NM). Let’s assume that is its maximum range +/-. That is the center ring. There is another ring centered in the NW of Iran, and a third ring to the southeast, all with 2,500 NM rings. What does this tell us? A long-held theory—that Iran wanted to have the ability to use threats of attack as a leverage point against Europe with its ballistic missile program like it could against its Arab and Israeli neighbors with its shorter-range ballistic missiles. Once it developed intermediate-range ballistic missiles, then it would be just a few years away from having an intercontinental ballistic missile that could hit the Great Satan, the USA. That way, they could strike Europe and North America with the same ease as they do today against the Little Satan, Israel. As an extra bonus, once they successfully prove they have nuclear weapons…then the lever is even more powerful. It is no longer a theory. Best case scenario right now for Europe is that only Warsaw, Berlin, Rome, and Paris are under the long-range fires of Iran. Worst case is, if the launchers are mobile, you can throw London and Madrid into the threat envelope. Let’s be clear here, this is a long-known threat and yet, well over a decade later, no European power has the ability to defend itself or its alliance partners from an Iranian ballistic missile, conventional or nuclear: any ballistic missile from anyone. Yes, Germany a bit over two years ago decided to purchase Israeli Arrow-3 batteries, but that is a limited capability that only reached initial operational capability at the end of 2025. With the number of Arrow missiles expended recently, I would think that Israel will be looking to replenish their own stocks before exporting very many. The only significant theater-wide European defense against the ballistic missile threat is brought to them from the red-white-and-blue. The US has been defending Europe from this threat we knew was coming for almost two decades. Here is Sam’s article from 2016 on it when it was a mature system. It started in the first year of the first Obama Administration. From its birth in 2009, The EPAA (European Phased Adaptive Approach) was designed to be a cost-effective method for the creation of a layered missile defense network in Europe that would protect U.S. partners, allies, and assets in the region from the growing Iranian ballistic missile threat. Two years ago, Defense Express reminded everyone of what was, by now, a well-established framework to address a known threat. The United States has two key components of anti-missile defense in Europe, the Aegis Ashore … in two locations: one in Deveselu, Romania fully operational since 2016, and another one in Redzikowo, Poland… The shore-based defenses were augmented in 2011, again during the first Obama administration, with USN Aegis Destroyers to be homeported in Rota, Spain. On October 5, 2011, U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta announced that the U.S. Navy will station four Aegis warships at Rota to strengthen its presence in the Mediterranean Sea and bolster the missile defense of NATO as part of the European Phased Adaptive Approach (EPAA). Yes, this is nothing new. Nothing. New. The architecture is rather straightforward, and relatively unchanged since the below graphic from 2015. Just as the U.S. supplies NATO’s dedicated nuclear deterrent, it also provides its only significant theater-wide ballistic missile defense. Regardless of whether we declare victory tomorrow and go home with the hostile Islamic Republic intact, or the Iranian people birth a Jeffersonian Democracy in the heart of Persia—or something in between—the Europeans must develop an anti-ballistic missile capability. Most likely, the best route would be for Aegis-equipped European navies (ESP and NOR) to upgrade their software and adopt SM-3 capability as the Japanese have. The others will have to find some way to get a comparable capability. They are naked without an American shield. As I warned, again, over four years ago. I have warned even longer IRL until it has become tiresome that they do not realize that the American public is just one election away from shrugging being Europe’s security blanket. Everything regresses to the mean, and at our heart we are a mercantile republic, not an empire. WWII and the Cold War warped the nature of our relationship with Europe, and the force of regressing back to our natural state will bring us back across the Atlantic and looking to our West for the future unless the Europeans take concrete steps to encourage us not to. Many in Europe, especially their natsec “elite” who think they know the USA because they read WaPo, NYT, and The Economist - have visited DC and lived a semester in Boston, etc, delude themselves to think Trump was an outlier. He was a warning, not a temporary PITA. Few things will wear an American’s patience thinner than a repeated refusal by someone to do their fair share of the work; to pay their fair share of the cost; to bear their fair share of the burden. It isn’t just a political threat. Early last year, I repeated again, As I’ve been reminding all my European friends for over two decades: the USA is just one election, natural disaster, or Great Pacific War away from simply walking away from our primary role in defense of Europe. Any of these “white swans” could come with little to no warning. Europe need to be ready to stand on their own at worst, or more likely, with Europe being an “economy of force” concern for the USA. Best case, a stronger Europe will make for a stronger NATO which will make for a more peaceful future. Doesn’t seem like a radical position anymore, does it? Aegis Ashore and our Spain-based DDGs aren’t there to protect American bases…though they do that. They are there because there was an alliance defense requirement to be met and the U.S. was the only nation able to do it and it was in our national interest. We did it because it was our pleasure. It may not be one day. Leave a comment Share This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. View the full article

An Iranian-backed militia carried out a drone strike on Camp Victory in Iraq, targeting a United States military installation and hitting multiple assets, according to video released on March 24 and open-source analysis. Footage shows a first-person view (FPV) attack drone striking a parked Black Hawk helicopter within the base perimeter. Open-source imagery from the […]View the full article