Areas of Expertise – Page 2 – Washington Institute For Defence & Security

01 Jul 22

The Biden administration backs a prospective F-16 sale to Turkey.

The Biden administration backed the prospective sale of US F-16 fighter fighters to Turkey on Wednesday, a day after Ankara withdrew its veto on Finland and Sweden joining NATO. On a conference call with reporters, Celeste Wallander, Assistant Secretary of Military for International Security Affairs at the Pentagon, said that robust Turkish defense capabilities will […]

06 Jun 22

Another Russian general has been killed by Ukrainian forces.

One of Moscow’s top generals was killed amid severe battle in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas area, according to Russian official media. According to a reporter for the state-owned Rossiya 1, Maj Gen Roman Kutuzov was killed while conducting an attack on a Ukrainian hamlet in the area. According to Alexander Sladkov, Gen Kutuzov was commanding forces […]

06 Jun 22

The United Kingdom will provide Ukraine M270 multiple-launch rocket systems.

Despite Russia’s danger to the West, the UK is delivering its first long-range missiles to Ukraine, according to the defence secretary. According to Ben Wallace, the M270 multiple-launch rocket system will improve Ukraine’s defense against Russia. The government has not confirmed the number of weapons that will be deployed, although the BBC believes that three […]

01 Jun 22

The German government is preparing a $108 billion defense increase for a vote.

German government and opposition party leaders are urging their members to support a constitutional amendment that would ensure a €100 billion (U.S. $108 billion) military budget proposed by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in late February, just days after Russia invaded Ukraine. The fund, which is intended to fill equipment and ammunition gaps, will be critical in […]

30 May 22

The US Army has agreed to backfill Stingers supplied to Ukraine.

The US Army has given Raytheon Technologies a $624.6 million contract to develop Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to replenish its own stockpile after providing around 1,400 Stingers to Ukraine to reinforce the country’s defense against the Russian incursion. The Pentagon announced Friday that “work sites and financing will be established with each order, with a projected […]

30 May 22

Poland after 500 American rocket launchers to beef up its military.

In the midst of Russia’s invasion of its neighbor Ukraine, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Bazczak revealed that he has signed a letter of request to purchase 500 M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, from the United States. “We are strengthening our rocket and artillery forces,” Baszczak stated in a tweet issued by his […]

22 May 22

The Pentagon is making progress on cybersecurity despite hurdles.

According to a congressional watchdog study, the Department of Defense is making substantial progress in securing key networks in the face of cyber assaults from foreign enemies seeking intel. According to the Government Accountability Office, the department had 70 percent or higher compliance in implementing four select safeguards for controlled unclassified information as of January, […]

18 May 22

The United States accuses casino magnate Wynn of working as a Chinese agent

The US Justice Department sued Steve Wynn, the former CEO of Wynn Resorts, on Tuesday to compel him to register as a Chinese agent and accused him of influencing then-President Donald Trump on behalf of Beijing in 2017. Wynn’s attorneys refuted the charges, claiming that he had never served as a Chinese government agent and […]

15 May 22

Bleeding Outward: The Threat of Extremist Spillover from Afghanistan to Central Asia

Following a chaotic US withdrawal in August of 2021, Afghanistan has been under control of the Taliban, the fundamentalist group which had ruled the country briefly in the 90’s. A security vacuum left by US forces has sparked concerns among neighbors that conflict might not end at the nation’s borders. The fear of extremist spillover […]

01 May 22

East of the Dniester: Transnistria in the Ukraine Conflict

As the Ukraine war enters its third month, the eyes of the international community remain firmly transfixed on Eastern Europe. One frontier of Russian influence which has seemed curiously frozen during this escalation, has been the tiny breakaway state of Transnistria, within the recognized territory of Moldova. The perception of a statelet motionless in the […]