Kaliningrad Russia

Polish Navy floats first frigate under major modernization program

The frigate is scheduled to be delivered to the Polish Navy in 2029. Work on the second Miecznik-class frigate is ongoing.

A strategic proposal: Selling Kaliningrad to Germany, brokered by the USA

"The US should act as a broker to facilitate Russia’s sale of Kaliningrad to Germany, for $50 billion, ideally in a monetary exchange, liquid asset transaction or cash settlement," writes Lt. Col. Jeffery M. Fritz in this op-ed.

Defense Chief: With Giant Exercise Looming, Poland Looks To Lead Central Europe

With $12 billion in weapons purchases from US firms over the past year and a close relationship with President Trump, Poland needs to "get used to being a leader” in Europe, Chief of the Polish armed forces, Gen. Rajmund Andrzejczak, says.

Poland Struggles With HIMARS Buy

The $250 million package for the rocket launcher along with guided warheads and other tactical missiles was seen as a way for Poland and NATO to push back against the Russian military buildup in neighboring Kaliningrad, which gives Moscow the ability to track and knock down Polish aircraft over Polish airspace.

Poland Signals Russia With Huge Missile Defense Deal

The $4.75 billion air defense deal gives NATO a significant new defense against growing Russian threats in the Baltic.

Top NATO General (A Czech) To Europe: ‘Grow Up’

WASHINGTON: After two decades of watching the American share of the NATO budget grow from 50 to 75 percent, the alliance’s leadership is determined to learn how to operate without the usual American help, even as nationalist movements roil the capitals of the transAtlantic alliance and Vladimir Putin hacks his way through democratic elections. Meeting […]

Fear Of Russia Drives Sweden Closer To NATO

WASHINGTON: The Russian threat has driven Sweden so close to NATO that the once-neutral nation is becoming an ally in all but name. While the current Swedish government won’t apply for NATO membership — a position it just reiterated Friday — every other kind of collaboration is not only on the table, but actually happening […]

Russia Builds ‘Arc Of Steel’: Adm. Ferguson

WASHINGTON: “We are observing the manifestation of a more aggressive, more capable Russian navy,” the US Navy’s top commander in Europe said today. And if that fleet is Putin’s seagoing hammer, missile bases ashore are his land-based anvil. Complementing Russian naval modernization, Adm. Mark Ferguson said, we have seen “the construction of an arc of […]

Russians In Syria Building A2/AD ‘Bubble’ Over Region: Breedlove

WASHINGTON: In keeping with its increasingly aggressive behavior over the past two years, Russia is deploying lethal and long-ranged anti-aircraft defenses to keep Western forces out of three key regions: the Baltics, the Black Sea, and, now, the Levant. From where NATO’s top commander Gen. Philip Breedlove sits, the Russian forces flowing into Syria don’t look […]

Upgraded Radios, Networks Needed For Russian Challenge; Troops Fine: Lt. Gen. Hodges

RESTON, VA: US command and control networks take too long to link to allies and respond to Russia’s rapid-fire aggression. In Ukraine, “we’ve had at least two, maybe three of these cycles [already, where] they’ll back off, and there’ll be a long kind of quiet period, and then they’ll spike back up,” Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges […]

Russians ‘Closed The Gap’ For A2/AD: Air Force Gen. Gorenc

AFA CONFERENCE: “The alarming thing,” said the commander of US Air Forces in Europe, is that the Russians are catching up. “They’ve closed the gap.” “The advantage that we had from the air I can honestly say is shrinking,” Gen. Frank Gorenc said, “not only with respect to the aircraft that they’re producing, but the […]