COMMENTARY
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Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth charts an ambitious path — but the turbulence ahead is real
When Air Chief Marshal Harv Smyth rose to address the DSEI conference in London on Thursday, his tone was not triumphant, but taut. His central motif — putting more “AIR” into Air: Agile, Integrated, Ready — offered a confident slogan,…
Russian drone probes in Poland: mapping NATO’s seams and logistics risk
Russian-origin unmanned aircraft entering Polish airspace on 10 September were not random strays but a structured probe aimed at Polish air defences and NATO decision-making. The pattern of debris south of Lublin and assessed routing towards Rzeszów–Jasionka—the principal trans-Atlantic logistics…
“Enough Is Enough”: The West Must Hit Russia Where It Hurts, Urges Sir Iain Duncan Smith
Sir Iain Duncan Smith is rarely, if ever, accused of understatement, and his contribution to Wednesday’s Commons debate on Russian drones straying into Polish airspace was characteristically blunt. Fresh from a visit to Ukraine, he cut through the platitudes and…
Jets scramble, policy hesitates: Alliance response to Poland incursions underwhelms
Poland and its allies scrambled fighter aircraft overnight on 10–11 September after nineteen unmanned aerial systems — launched during a large Russian strike on Ukraine — violated Polish airspace. Polish F-16s, supported by Dutch and Italian jets, shot down several…
Judge Justice Jay’s ‘All the Best’ to 7/7 London Bombings Terrorist was an Affront to the Victims
Britain has been here before: the public promised vigilance against terror, only to discover that dangerous men walk free through gaping holes in the system. The case of Haroon Aswat, long linked to the 7/7 London bombings, was a scandal…
Japan and South Korea Step into the Fray—As Washington Watches
In a regional flashpoint that was supposed to remain dormant, Japan and South Korea have jolted into action. On Monday, for the first time in a decade, Japan’s defence minister will sit opposite his South Korean counterpart in Seoul to…
Brussels Preaches Security, Yet Leaves Civilians Defenceless
For months now, the rhetoric out of Brussels has been thick with solemn talk of “readiness” and “resilience.” Ursula von der Leyen and her officials trumpet new European Defence Industrial Strategies, issue communiqués about stockpiling ammunition, and discuss force integration…
Europe’s Veterans Are Leading the Defence Tech Revolution
For too long, Europe has relied on words rather than deeds to shore up its security. Ministers talk of sovereignty and resilience, yet when it comes to defence technology, the continent has lagged behind. Now, however, an unexpected force is…
Macron and Starmer Struggle as Putin Calls Western Troops “Legitimate Targets”
French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer have unveiled plans for a multinational reassurance force in Ukraine—but vagueness, hesitancy, and the unpredictable interventions of Donald Trump threaten to undermine their efforts and embolden Vladimir Putin. The latest…
What a Socialist Government Under Olivier Faure Would Mean for France’s Security – and Europe’s
The prospect of a Socialist government in France, under Olivier Faure, may look on the surface like an ordinary change of political colour. Yet beneath the rhetoric of fairness and redistribution lie serious questions about how such a shift would…