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Missiles Are Too Expensive, Prototypes Too Slow — Europe Needs Lasers Now
Europe’s defence industry is often accused of being cautious to the point of paralysis. In the race to deploy next-generation laser weapons, that instinct may now prove actively dangerous. The decision by Australia’s Electro Optic Systems (EOS) to pivot decisively…
Chagos Archipelago: Britain’s Self-Inflicted Strategic Retreat in the Indian Ocean
There are bad ideas in politics, and then there are ideas so recklessly self-defeating that one wonders whether national interest has been deliberately left out of the room. The UK’s current Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s proposed handover of the Chagos…
China-linked machine tools and chips: claims of a supply chain behind Russia’s Oreshnik missile
European governments have often treated dialogue with Beijing as a practical channel in foreign policy, including in managing risks linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine. A recent investigation by The Telegraph has prompted a different focus: whether Chinese-origin industrial equipment…
Starlink terminals on Russian drones raise fears of real-time targeting
Russian forces are increasingly being linked by Ukrainian specialists to the use of Starlink satellite terminals on strike drones, a development that, if sustained, could complicate interception and widen the range of targets that can be engaged under operator control.…
Reclaiming Port of Darwin From China: Australia Sends a Signal of Resolve
In an increasingly volatile world, where strategic certainty is at a premium, Australia’s recent decision to reclaim control of the Port of Darwin represents more than a policy adjustment — it is a confident assertion of national interest that other…
CSIS: Russia’s advance in Ukraine measured in metres, not kilometres
A Washington-based think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), says the pace of Russia’s ground advance in Ukraine has fallen to levels that are historically low when set against major combined-arms offensives over the past century. In…
Kharkiv rail strike raises questions over Russia’s civilian targeting and negotiation pressure on Ukraine
A Russian drone strike on a civilian passenger train in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on 27 January 2026 has sharpened attention on the targeting of civilians as diplomatic contacts continue in parallel. Ukrainian prosecutors said five people were killed when drones…
Britain’s Bold Bid to Spawn the Next Defence Unicorn: A £20m Fund Aims to Transform National Security and Tech Innovation
The UK government has launched a targeted £20 million initiative designed to unearth and accelerate the country’s next “defence unicorn”. Announced this week by Defence Secretary John Healey, the fund is tailored to fast-track small, innovative British firms into the Ministry…
From BAE to Rheinmetall: The Industrial Surge Behind Europe’s “Buy European” Push
Europe stands at a strategic crossroads. A continent long reliant on its transatlantic ally for security hardware may finally be confronting an uncomfortable truth: major geopolitical shifts demand a robust, autonomous defence industrial base. This week in Brussels, France’s Minister…
Iran: Washington’s latest drills send a message Tehran cannot ignore
In Washington’s corridors of power, where rhetoric often alternates between bravado and caution, the announcement this week of a multi-day aerial military exercise in the Middle East has been portrayed by the Pentagon as a routine demonstration of readiness. Yet…