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Poland seeks greater autonomy in nuclear deterrence as Europe revisits defence integration
Poland has moved the question of nuclear deterrence closer to the centre of the European security debate after Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Warsaw wants “as much autonomy as possible” in this field and is holding talks with France and…
HMS Dragon: Royal Navy Destroyer Heads to Cyprus Amid Rising Tensions
In the early hours of a warm Mediterranean morning, the familiar calm of the Akrotiri peninsula was punctured by the buzz of an approaching drone. Within moments, it exploded on the perimeter of RAF Akrotiri, sending a plume of smoke…
Israel’s coherence, Washington’s ambiguity: the missing political strategy in Iran
As Israeli operations follow a clear military logic, questions grow over whether Washington has any coherent political plan for what comes next in Iran. Events in the Middle East have been moving at speed since the latest phase of the…
Shielding the Spear Tip: How Britain Could Defend Its Forward Bases from the Drone Age
The drone that struck RAF Akrotiri was small, comparatively cheap and — in the grim arithmetic of modern warfare — expendable. Yet it exposed something far more valuable: the vulnerability of Britain’s forward operating model in an era when unmanned…
Akrotiri: Drone Explosion on British Sovereign Territory Raises Stakes in Eastern Mediterranean
The stillness of the Mediterranean night was broken shortly before midnight when a drone exploded on the Akrotiri Peninsula — a stretch of land that is not merely adjacent to Britain’s military footprint on the island but forms part of…
Antwerp’s Strategic Shield: Belgium to Install Air-Defence at Europe’s Trade Nexus
When the Prime Minister of Belgium stood before representatives of the Port of Antwerp last week and announced the deployment of an anti-aircraft defence system by 2027, it marked a significant shift in how Europe’s critical infrastructure is fortified against…
Afghanistan-Pakistan Hostilities Mount: Inside the Growing Crisis
Blasts and gunfire rattled through parts of Kabul on Sunday, marking a dramatic escalation in hostilities between Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan that has now stretched into its fourth day. Residents across the Afghan capital awoke to the sounds of explosions…
Israel’s ‘Pre-Emptive’ Strike on Iran Raises Fears of Wider Regional War
Israel has launched what it has described as a “pre-emptive attack” against Iran, a dramatic escalation that has heightened fears of a wider conflagration in the already volatile Middle East. Early this morning, explosions were reported in Tehran, and air…
ProtectEU: Inside Brussels’ Strategy to Prevent Terrorism
When the European Commission unveiled its new ProtectEU strategy on 26th February, it marked a notable moment in the bloc’s long and often cautious efforts to confront terrorism and violent extremism. The initiative, presented as a comprehensive agenda to prevent…
Can Europe’s nuclear deterrent remain credible without US certainty?
Europe’s nuclear deterrence debate has sharpened as officials and analysts examine whether Britain and France can continue to provide a credible nuclear backstop in a less certain security environment. The immediate trigger has been a broader reassessment of deterrence in…