The House passed Ukraine aid at last. Here’s what it means.

JUST IN Help is (finally) on the way. The US House on Saturday approved $60.8 billion in aid for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression, after months of delays that have seen Russian gains on the ground. The bill, part of a four-piece national security package put forth by House Speaker Mike Johnson over

Konaev cited in Taipei Times about drone warfare, deterring China, and global conflict

Forward Defense, housed within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, generates ideas and connects stakeholders in the defense ecosystem to promote an enduring military advantage for the United States, its allies, and partners. Our work identifies the defense strategies, capabilities, and resources the United States needs to deter and, if necessary, prevail in future

Iran once had air inferiority. After its attack on Israel, it flies high.

Iran’s unprecedented April 14 attack on Israeli territory was a warning shot. It showed Tehran’s potential ability to put a dent in Israel’s formidable air superiority despite essentially its lacking a modern air force.  The direct Iranian air attack on Israeli soil was a watershed moment in the region’s steadily deteriorating security status quo. It

Great power competition is back. What does that mean for US special operations forces?

After 9/11, US special operations forces (USSOF) became well known for direct-action missions that captivated the public’s imagination and demonstrated unparalleled tactical success. The highly publicized raids, precision strikes, and elimination of terrorist threats solidified USSOF’s reputation as the tip of the spear in the US military’s arsenal. In recent years, however, the global security

Are Israel and Iran stepping back from the brink?

GET UP TO SPEED The volley has been returned. Israel reportedly struck at a military facility in Iran in the early hours of Friday—a response to Iran’s drone-and-missile attack on Israel just days earlier. As the smoke cleared in Isfahan, both Israel and Iran appeared eager to downplay the effects of the strike. With an

Putin’s plan to depopulate Ukraine

Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, is in danger of becoming a “second Aleppo” amid a surge in Russian airstrikes, Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov warned this week. In an April 17 interview with The Guardian, Terekhov said that unless Ukraine urgently receives additional air defenses from the country’s partners, Kharkiv would suffer the same fate as Syrian

Grassroots diplomacy can help unlock international support for Ukraine

Amid growing uncertainty over the future of international aid for Ukraine, diplomatic initiatives at the local and regional levels can play a critical role in securing continued public support around the world for Ukraine’s struggle against Russian aggression. These grassroots efforts, also known as subnational diplomacy, can go far beyond merely symbolic support, and have