Jack Watling

Center for European Policy Analysis inaugural tech forum hosting a spectacular conversation on the integration of emerging tech into the military domain with Andrea Thompson, Lorenz Meier and Congressman Will Hurd - biggest obstacle to US-Europe cooperation in defense tech is interoperability. And China is already out-competing the West in drone development

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8/2/24 Korean News and Commentary https://conta.cc/3AbNvfB 1. Readout of U.S. – ROK Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Committee Plenary Session 2. No N.K. nuclear attack scenario in upcoming major S. Korea-U.S. exercise: USFK commander 3. Pentagon official calls NCG 'best solution' to N.K. threats, cautions against S. Korea's nuclear option 4. Navy chief calls for solidarity against N. Korea's nuclear threats 5. State Dept. decries N.K. trash balloons as 'reckless,' 'destabilizing' 6. Why a second Trump presidency could be devastating for the Far East 7. High-Ranking North Korean Defectors: A Sign of Cracks in Kim Jong Un’s Regime? 8. North Korean defectors meet with US UN deputy ambassador… Suggest ways to improve human rights in North Korea 9. Young North Korean defectors said, "We need to continue the inflow of information to North Korea...It's also important to provide a variety of information" 10. ‘We need to show unity’: Germany joins UN Command to enforce Korean War armistice 11. No response from N. Korea on S. Korea's offer for flood relief: unification ministry 12. South Korea Fires Laser Weapon To Shoot Down UAV During Demo; Marks 1st Public Display Of Advanced DEW 13. S. Korea, U.S. hold first-ever table-top military exercise in Pyeongtaek 14. First US Navy promotion ceremony held aboard Korean naval ship 15. ＜Inside N. Korea＞Forced Labor Camps on Collective Farms Target Urban Job Deserters 16. State media shows North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un leading flood rescue 17. Monument set up to commemorate N. Korean defectors who died during escapes

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Delighted to be quoted by Breaking Defense report on “#Turkey’s first mostly indigenous comms #satellite, could appeal to #Gulf amid space push” along with sitki egeli, Ryan Bohl, and Theodore Karasik Report by Agnes Helou —— Ali Bakir, assistant professor at Qatar University and nonresident senior fellow at Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, said the launch was a “significant milestone for Turkey as it places the country on another prestigious list” after Ankara joined the ranks of unmanned aircraft and fighter jet makers. “Turkey is now one of only 10 countries capable of producing their own communication satellite,” Bakir told Breaking Defense. “This step is critical to Turkey’s defense-related space sector, as it demonstrates the country’s technological capabilities and self-reliance in developing and operating its own space-based assets. This achievement can boost Turkey’s defense industry by fostering the development of domestic space technology and expertise, reducing reliance on foreign satellite systems for military applications, enabling the creation of new opportunities for research,” Bakir said. Turkeys increased footstep in the heavens comes as its Gulf neighbors to the south are also seeking more space capabilities, meaning that they could look to Ankara, experts said. Bakir said Turkey’s proress could be seen “as a valuable asset” for Gulf nations’ own “defense and security needs,” either through collaboration on satellite related projects, joint “utilization” of existing systems or codevelopment of new ones. https://lnkd.in/dVmaAaFp

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With the recent EU Parliament elections seeing a surge in right wing parties, there is concern of the impact on EU foreign and defence policies. The following document is a good brief insight into the EU Parliament's powers in the context of foreign and defence policies. Julien Oeuillet 曾樂昂

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New article out by my China Aerospace Studies Institute colleague Eli Tirk on China expanding UAV production for possible ASW missions. https://lnkd.in/efD2Ks85

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#NATOSummit Panel 2 - Addressing immediate transatlantic production capacity requirements. A lively rapid-fire set of questions and answers from four of the Alliance's major defence industry leaders from 🎯BAE Systems Dr. Charles Woodburn 🎯MBDA Deutschland Thomas Gottschild 🎯RTXChristopher Calio and 🎯Nammo AS Morten Brandtzaeg 💭 Quote of the panel from CEO NAMMO: In the future, we will be judged in how well we cooperated in the NATO industrial base Key points ✴ RTX scaled up production of Patriot and Stinger from a cold start to max capacity now. Transatlantic industry partnerships have been forged to create more capacity. But, acknowledge still much to do ✴ #GEM-T production across the world has doubled ✴ BAE Systems rapidly scaled up output by x2.5. Additional capacity in terms of building, training, new equipment takes time to effect. UK scaled 155mm production by x8 fold - will come on line this year ✴ NATO’s Defence Production Action Plan #DPAP is a key initiative consolidating demand to give a clear signal across the Alliance's manufacturing footprint. ✴ MBDA Deutschland massive investment of 2.5BEUR in production lines, hiring 2.4k people in 2024, including investing in training. 'De-bottlenecking' the supply chain is key to ramping up capacity ✴ Industry are missing the long-term predictability and visibility of demand from nations. Long-term contracts underpin industry's investment in infrastructure and people ✴ Nammo AS is investing 20x more than in a typical year. Now, nations need to put in place long-term orders. Seeing a much greater understanding of the NATO-nations - industry relationship ✴ Industry should not accept orders that deviate from NATO standards ✴ National acquisition and acceptance processes can be accelerated What does Transatlantic defence industrial cooperation mean to you? ✴ RTX 'we cannot do what we need to do without transatlantic cooperation', with billions of dollars going through major programmes in Europe and nearly 1000 Tier 1 defence suppliers, RTX is transatlantic at the core ✴ MBDA Deutschland Cooperation is essential for industry. More cooperation from Europe in the US is needed to improve balance ✴ Nammo AS - transatlantic at heart. More employees in US than any other country. *Watch out for the release of NATO's industrial pledge tomorrow* Find out more about the Defence Production Action Plan here ➡ https://lnkd.in/e7MxeuCV Just a couple of panels left to go NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum - watch live now https://lnkd.in/eErajiWxA NATO Ron Nulkes Rudy PRIEM

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Quoted in Air & Space Forces Magazine online article below (quote taken from Center for a New American Security (CNAS) event last week) on the difficulty of effectively signaling/communicating during a strategic crisis or within an ongoing conflict. Secure channels of communication (and well-understood protocols) are critically important to establish well before a crisis; when in place, they can be vital to reducing risk and managing escalation. (Views expressed at CNAS event & quoted in story are my own and do not necessarily represent the views of NDU, DoD, or the U.S. Government). #escalation #deterrence

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January 12, 2025 Weekly Update on PLA Activities in the Waters and Airspace Around Taiwan based on MND's data. Also, RCDA is expected to publish an analysis on the military implications of the 2024 trends in the coming days. For more RCDA's analysis: The Overlooked Trend in China’s Military Violations of Taiwan’s ADIZ: https://lnkd.in/gSzBtu7H Instead of Joint Sword 2024-C, PLA Intensifies Winter Naval Training: https://lnkd.in/gJX9Patv Joint Sword-2024B: Quarantining Key Ports and Seizing Comprehensive Superiority: https://lnkd.in/gm6V-pxC Joint Sword 2024-A: Blockades and Gray Zone Tactics: https://lnkd.in/g-KG7htD To read more of RCDA's analysis on PLA activities against Taiwan, please visit RCDA's website: https://rcdatw.org/

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I'm very excited to share my new Henry L. Stimson Network report with Hunter S. and Jonathan Walker on Chinese missile threats to U.S. air bases in the Indo-Pacific. A preview of the findings:   👉 Chinese missile attacks could ground the bulk of U.S. Air Force operations in the Pacific for the critical first days or even weeks of a conflict, including in a Taiwan contingency. 👉 Runways and taxiways in Japan would remain closed to fighter jets for nearly two weeks—and aerial refueling tankers for over thirty days while runways in Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Pacific Freely Associated States would be kept closed for almost a week, severely limiting the ability to deploy bombers and tankers. 👉 Even with countermeasures like dispersing to Japan Self-Defense Force bases or civilian airfields, operational limitations would continue, raising serious questions about U.S. deterrence capabilities.   You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eAEEmdiN

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Supply Chain disruption rather than immediate degradation 🛑 Hours after #Israel intercepted a ballistic missile heading for #TelAviv launched by the #Houthis from #Yemen, 14 fighter aircraft in company with AAR & Int Support aircraft conducted coordinated attacks against Houthi infrastructure in #Hodeidah and #Sana’a. Israel says attack against the Houthis was not knee-jerk reaction to latest ballistic missile attack, rather in response to continued Houthi attacks. Israel struck three main Houthi-controlled ports Al-Salif, Hodeidah and Ras Issa oil facility disrupting the Iranian regime’s ability to send weapons to the Houthis by sea. The strikes reportedly destroyed all tugboats essential for guiding ships into port. This followed earlier attacks on cranes, rendering the ports inoperable. Over the past 14 months, the Houthis have fired around 200 #missiles and launched 120 UAVs towards Israel. Their assaults have intensified following the ceasefire agreement between Israel and #Hezbollah, with December witnessing six major attacks on Israel alone.

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Ukraine is now using recently supplied longer-range ATACMS and sophisticated drones to degrade Russian air defenses in Crimea, hit air-bases from which Russian interceptors fly and strike critical logistics and economic targets. “The focus on crippling Russia’s air-defense network may also be part of the preparation for the imminent arrival of the first batches of F-16 fighter jets…” https://lnkd.in/dNq8Freh

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NATO’s Defence Industrial Production Board met for the second time at NATO HQ in April to deliver recommendations and advice to NATO’s National Armaments Directors. The Senior Representatives from Allied nations, representing 55% of the world’s military expenditure (SIPRI), provide their expert review of proposals to sustainably increase industrial capacity, approaches to secure defence critical supply chains and took a deeper look at the interoperability challenges surrounding energetics and components for battle decisive munitions, including considering options for strategic stockpiling. The Senior Representatives gave their direction and guidance on these complex, global challenges that require equally as nuanced responses. Our NATO Industrial Advisory Group counterparts are a critical, strategic partner in this conversation - integrated by design. #nodefencewithoutindustry #NATO #NATOindustry #NIAG Per Christensen Denis Lizandier Andreas Paraskevopoulos Anna Furs Ana Shkembi Antonia Maria Mann Marco Vento NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) Ron Nulkes Pablo Gonzalez Tuija Karanko

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6/8/24 Korean News and Commentary https://conta.cc/4aPDD7L 1. Voice of America: [Washington Talk] “Military agreement suspended, Korean military ‘shackles’ lifted… “Information warfare must be expanded across the board.” 2. North Korea—The Forgotten Human Rights Crisis 3. North Korea recalls documentary about Kim Jong Un’s mother 4. America’s Military Strategy: Can We Handle Two Wars at Once? 5. Kim Jong Un 'polite' and Trump 'practical'? Former leader's kind words cause an uproar 6. An American Company Enabled a North Korean Scam That Raised Money for WMDs 7. Dissecting Propaganda: Using AI to Cut Through North Korean TV Spin 8. It's Getting Heated—and Filthy—on the Korean Peninsula 9. Building Trust, Building Peace: Role Of Confidence-Building Measures On Korean Peninsula 10. Russia’s war in Ukraine has turned South Korea into a manufacturing hotspot 11. Deterring North Korean aggression remains primary goal, new fighter wing commander says 12. US warns North Korea against providing Putin platform for war aims 13. Surpass the Cutting Edge: Reflections on North Korea’s Failed May 27 Satellite Launch 14. N. Korea sends balloons carrying trash to S. Korea again: JCS 15. At UN, North Koreans beg China to stop sending escapees back 16. N. Korea, China, Russia expanding nuclear arsenals at ‘breakneck’ pace: White House official 17. S. Korea, U.S. to hold 3rd round of defense cost-sharing negotiations in Washington next week

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In their latest blog for the Forum for Foreign Relations, Catherine Perez-Shakdam and Stepan Stepanenko deliver a chilling examination of the escalating ISIS threat in Europe, the alarming possibility of ISIS declaring a 'European Caliphate,' and delve into who may benefit from these developments. #Geopolitics #InternationalRelations #Security #ForeignPolicy #ISIS #EuropeanCaliphate #SecurityThreats #Extremism #EuropeanStability https://lnkd.in/empAhEch

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Strategic Defence Review 2025: Rebalancing UK Armed Forces Just published by Peter Roberts and Paul Cornish. When the primary driver of national security and defence is the need to deter actors closer to home (Russia and Iran amongst others), does a force designed for expeditionary warfare in the Indo-Pacific make strategic sense and does it provide the options that politicians will require for the 21st Century? https://lnkd.in/eS64ZmDk

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Inaugurating my new regular "applied history" essay series at War on the Rocks with an examination of the tragic fall of Crete in 1941, and its lessons for contemporary Asia watchers and defense planners--especially vis-a-vis the defense of Taiwan. I argue that the Cretan campaign of 1941 remains illuminating with regard to the contemporary defense of Taiwan for three main reasons. ◼ First, it reminds us of the decisive role Chinese airpower would play in any invasion of Taiwan, and of the urgent need for Taipei to invest more heavily in a multilayered, resilient, and mobile air defense network. ◼ Second, it highlights the criticality of robust communication networks, of mission command, delegated decision-making, and general tactical responsiveness when countering large-scale airborne operations. ◼ And third, it casts an unfriendly light on the challenges inherent to playing an away game against an adversary operating on its own interior lines, emphasizing the importance of establishing a more geographically dispersed and logistically sustainable basing architecture in the Indo-Pacific. Every six weeks, I will be seeking, through the careful study of the history of strategy and military operations, to better illuminate contemporary defense challenges. You will be able to find my collected essays at this designated landing page: https://lnkd.in/epQWF3-Q

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From the South China Morning Post SCMP: "Stronger international laws in outer space can help avoid a new arms race" Zohaib Altaf is a research officer at Centre for International Strategic Studies. Nimrah Javed is an associate researcher at Centre for International Strategic Studies. "The US defence strategy document’s emphasis on commercial integration into defence highlights the need for an updated or expanded framework for international space governance. It underscores the necessity of establishing clear norms and guidelines that address the increasing convergence of commercial and defence space activities. International responses may vary, with some nations viewing this strategy as a call to bolster their own space capabilities, potentially leading to a competitive or cooperative international space landscape. Moreover, the strategy may prompt discussions on the need for transparency, confidence-building measures and cooperative frameworks to ensure that the integration of commercial space into national defence architectures does not exacerbate a space arms race. The international community may need to consider new agreements or amendments to existing treaties that reflect the realities of contemporary and future space operations, ensuring that space remains a domain for peaceful exploration and use by all of humanity. "

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