Defense Strategy and Capabilities - International Studies of Strategic and Geopolitics

The Strategic Importance of the Dnipro River in the Russia-Ukraine War

13Nov

By ISSGNo Comments

Russia and Eurasia, Defense Strategy and Capabilities, Europe

The Strategic Importance of the Dnipro River in the Russia-Ukraine War

By José Carlos Palma* The Dnipro River, the longest river in Ukraine, has played a pivotal role in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The river's strategic importance stems from its geographical position, its role in transportation and logistics, and its symbolic significance for both sides. Geographical Significance Flowing from north to south through the heart of Ukraine, the Dnipro River divides the country into eastern and western halves. This geographical feature has significant implications for both military operations and civilian life. For Russian forces, controlling the Dnipro River would provide a natural defensive barrier and facilitate the movement of troops and supplies. Ukrainian forces, on the other hand, have sought to prevent Russian control of the river, re...

The Militarization of Russia’s Murmansk Region: A Comprehensive Analysis of Strategic Significance

12Jul

By ISSGNo Comments

Arctic, Defense Strategy and Capabilities, Russia and Eurasia

The Militarization of Russia’s Murmansk Region: A Comprehensive Analysis of Strategic Significance

By José Carlos Palma * The Murmansk region in Russia stands as a critical and heavily militarized area due to its strategic location, historical defense considerations, and evolving geopolitical dynamics. Situated in the far northwestern part of the country, bordering the Barents Sea and adjacent to NATO members, the region plays a pivotal role in Russia's military posture. This article provides a deep and detailed analysis of the factors driving the militarization of the Murmansk region, examining its Arctic strategic importance, the significance of the Northern Fleet, military bases and installations, nuclear deterrence, Arctic military modernization, and geopolitical considerations. Arctic Strategic Importance: The Arctic region has become a focal point of international interest d...

US, UK and Australia carry out China-focused air drills

9Feb

By ISSGNo Comments

Defense Strategy and Capabilities, Defense & Security

US, UK and Australia carry out China-focused air drills

NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nevada — The US, UK and Australia carried out joint air drills on Wednesday (Feb 8) over the Nevada desert and beyond as part of an effort to simulate high-end combat operations against Chinese fighter aircraft and air defences. Reuters accompanied British forces for several hours during the US-hosted, three-week-long Red Flag exercises aboard Britain's KC-2 Voyager refuelling tanker aircraft, which on Wednesday supplied fuel for US and British fighter jets. US Air Force Colonel Jared J. Hutchinson, commander of the 414th Combat Training Squadron that runs Red Flag, said the annual drills were not tied to any recent events. On Saturday, a US fighter jet shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina, hiking tensions. "(China is) just t...

Why Is Russia Recruiting Former Afghan Soldiers For Its War Against Ukraine? – Analysis

16Jan

By ISSGNo Comments

Defense Strategy and Capabilities, Defense & Security

Why Is Russia Recruiting Former Afghan Soldiers For Its War Against Ukraine? – Analysis

By The Jamestown Foundation According to multiple reports, Russia is recruiting Afghan security personnel, who were previously trained by the United States, for its war effort against Ukraine. The former Afghan elite commandos and soldiers are reportedly joining the Russian private military company known as the Wagner Group, a private mercenary force playing a prominent role in Moscow’s war against Ukraine—especially in the recent intense fighting around Bakhmut (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, December 27, 2022). Before its military withdrawal, which was completed in 2021, the US built and trained the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, spending almost $90 billion over the past 20 years. US Navy SEALs and the British Special Air Service handled most of the training for these...

The Swedish Air Force prepares for the next 20 years

29Dec

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Europe, Defense Strategy and Capabilities

The Swedish Air Force prepares for the next 20 years

As part of a military strategic analysis study up to 2045, the Swedish Air Force (Flygvapnet) designed its roadmap for the next two decades, which will guide its expansion and modernization. The study, conducted for the entire Swedish Armed Forces, seeks to guide decisions on defense policy towards 2045. It echoes the war in Ukraine and Sweden’s future membership in the NATO structure, which marks a turning point for the country after decades of strategic neutrality. As a NATO ally, the study presupposes an increase in the threshold for armed Russian attacks against Sweden, while changing the threat landscape and increasing the risk of military activities on the country’s borders. The outcome of the war in Ukraine is unknown and the regional and global consequences are difficult to pr...

China Military Power Report Examines Changes in Beijing’s Strategy

28Dec

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Defense Strategy and Capabilities

China Military Power Report Examines Changes in Beijing’s Strategy

The 2022 China Military Power Report lays out the challenges facing the United States military as it works to manage relations with the emerging superpower. The report, released today, calls the Peoples' Republic of China "the most consequential and systemic challenge to our national security and to a free and open international system." A senior defense official speaking on background said China is increasingly clear, in its ambitions and intentions. "It's important to understand the contours of [Peoples' Liberation Army] modernization to include their thinking about what the PLA's way of war would look like, to kind of survey their current activities and modernizing capabilities and to assess their future military modernization goals," he said to reporters prior to the release of th...

PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES FOR RESILIENCE

28Dec

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Defense Strategy and Capabilities

PSYCHOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES FOR RESILIENCE

BY SHANNON HOUCK * When the National Socialists assumed power in Germany in 1933 and ushered in a series of laws that segregated Jews from “Aryan” society, most Jews believed that the Nazi regime would not remain in power for long. It was not until the “Night of Broken Glass” in 1938 — when Nazis coordinated violent, widespread attacks against Jewish synagogues, schools, businesses, hospitals, and homes — that most German Jews realized the gravity of the threat and urgently tried to flee. Resistance movements did not begin in earnest until 1943. Today in 2022, the need for the will and ability to protect civil liberties and defend sovereignty is once again clear, after Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and China’s escalatory threats to use military force to annex Taiwan. In any so...

Guard’s Global Reach, Capabilities Support National Defense Strategy

28Dec

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Defense Strategy and Capabilities

Guard’s Global Reach, Capabilities Support National Defense Strategy

ARLINGTON, Va. – What the National Guard brings to the global stage directly contributes to significant pieces of the 2022 National Defense Strategy, said Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau. “Today, we are an integral part of the Joint Force and our nation’s second-largest military organization after the U.S. Army,” said Hokanson, the Guard’s top officer and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “The Department of Defense cannot implement the National Defense Strategy without the National Guard.” The recently released, unclassified version of the NDS serves as a strategic guide for the Defense Department, outlining how it aims to meet “top-level defense priorities,” said defense officials. At the top of those priorities is addressing the “multi-domain threa...