From more sophisticated systems like the Air Force’s collaborative combat aircraft to cheap kamikaze weapons, the drone had its heyday in 2023 — and promises, coupled with AI, to be a much bigger part of future warfighting.
By Michael MarrowThe Army spent 2023 looking for ways to refill its weapon stockpiles, preparing for future conflicts and welcoming a new chief.
By Ashley RoqueFrom tectonic geopolitical shifts to billion-dollar-defense deals, here’s just some of the key events in the Middle East in 2023.
By Agnes HelouAnalysts told Breaking Defense the mission could be a test case for potential future, long-range operations in the region.
By Seth J. FrantzmanThe $886 billion policy bill will go to President Joe Biden’s desk for final signature, but final passage of the annual spending bills remains unclear.
By Justin KatzThe ship enters a hostile area where drones and missiles fired by the Houthi group in Yemen have targeted commercial vessels and southern Israeli city.
By Seth J. Frantzman“It is imperative that we, in concert with our allies and partners, remain committed to prioritizing our warfighters’ freedom of action and ability to achieve spectrum superiority,” Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said, citing the prominence of EW capabilities in Ukraine and the Middle East.
By Justin KatzFrom the future of Space Command’s headquarters to the Army’s hopes for the Chinook, here are updates on a few key provisions in a draft version of the defense policy bill.
By Justin Katz“The Houthi disruptive capability… is not a new phenomenon,” one expert told Breaking Defense.
By Riad KahwajiTactics may change daily in modern combat, but tanks will always find a role, argues former senior Turkish officer Yavuz Turkgenci in this op-ed.
By Yavuz Turkgenci“It is an urgent issue. … We need counter UAS capabilities at scale,” said Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Bill LaPlante. “We need lots of money, we need production lines to go up fast.”
By Michael MarrowWithout a multi-national force plan to provide aid and security to the vulnerable Palestinian population, the IDF will be unsuccessful in dismantling Hamas, argues Jonathan Lord of CNAS.
By Jonathan LordAt the Reagan National Defense Forum, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also emphasized that Jerusalem must minimize civilian deaths in Gaza in order to keep any tactical victory from turning into a strategic defeat.
By Ashley Roque and Michael Marrow
In a technical analysis, Ralph Savelsberg suggests the armed Yemeni group is likely firing a variant of an Iranian missile toward far off targets.
By Ralph Savelsberg