Narco-Terrorism as Grey-Zone Warfare: Pakistan’s Hidden Front Against India

The Cipher Brief | Siddhant Kishore

Pakistan-facilitated narcotics trafficking into India constitutes a deliberate grey-zone strategy, blending profit with subversion and demanding greater US attention. Drug proceeds fund anti-India Salafi-Jihadist groups, erode social stability, and sustain transnational networks, undermining Indo-US strategic convergence. India's Narcotics Control Bureau reported drone-related trafficking cases along the India-Pakistan border skyrocketed from three in 2021 to 179 in 2024, with 163 incidents in Punjab.

How The Rise Of Pro-Pak Jamaat Is Tearing Apart Secularism In Bangladesh – OpEd

Eurasia Review  |  Aleya Sheikh

Bangladesh experienced a political vacuum following Sheikh Hasina’s government fall on August 5, 2024, due to a mass student uprising, which Jamaat-e-Islami swiftly filled. The previously banned party re-emerged, immediately attacking the nation's constitutional secularism. The interim government's Constitution Reform Commission recommended removing secularism, socialism, and nationalism, proposing "equality, human dignity, social justice and pluralism" instead, with Jamaat pushing for further dilution.

China’s Expanding Frontiers

The Strategist  |  Joe Keary, Raji Rajagopalan, Linus Cohen

China is pursuing its interests in the Indo-Pacific through a long-term strategy of gradually shifting the regional status quo, rather than immediate displacement of the United States. This approach involves naval modernisation, grey-zone tactics, and a multi-force coercion toolkit to normalize its presence. Beijing's campaign includes increased military activity, frequent resupply and medical visits to regional ports, regular presence of surveillance ships, and integrating naval functions into dual-use logistics facilities, alongside a larger role for the China Coast Guard.

Winning the Systems War: Why the Army Should Reorganize Itself for Modern Combat

Irregular Warfare | Ryan Walters

China's military analysts, observing America's decisive Desert Storm victory, concluded they could not compete directly, instead developing a "systems confrontation" strategy to exploit U.S. warfighting vulnerabilities. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) views an army as a living network, targeting its seams across contested littorals, orbital space, information environments, public opinion, and legal domains.

‘Five-alarm fire’: Lawmakers say Pentagon must act after smartphone data used to target U.S. troops

The Washington Times  |  Ben Wolfgang

A bipartisan group of lawmakers warned that adversaries' ability to use commercial smartphone location data to find and target U.S. troops in the Middle East constitutes a “five-alarm fire” demanding immediate action. In a letter to Defense Department CIO Kirsten A. Davies, 14 members of Congress urged the DoD to address “ubiquitous technical surveillance” (UTS), or “digital exhaust,” which includes location data easily purchased from data brokers.

CSIS Commission on U.S. Cyber Force Generation

CSIS  |  Joshua Stiefel, Ed Cardon, Lauryn Williams, Taylar Rajic, Matt Pearl, Erica D. Lonergan

The CSIS Commission on U.S. Cyber Force Generation convened senior defense, technology, and national security experts over 10 months to examine how the United States can best organize and sustain a dedicated cyber service. Facing increasing cyber threats in scale and sophistication, the commission evaluated critical structural, operational, and workforce challenges within the current cyber ecosystem, specifically addressing talent shortages, fragmented authorities, and barriers to readiness.

Armenia, Azerbaijan and the unfinished peace

Engelsberg Ideas | Thomas de Waal

Armenia, following two military defeats and the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, is pursuing a peace agreement with Azerbaijan and diversifying its foreign policy beyond Russia. This aims to normalize relations for the first time since the Soviet Union's collapse, transforming the South Caucasus into a transit hub.

Tough love: Spies, dating apps and the dark side of online intimacy

EUvsDisinfo

Russian intelligence services are actively leveraging dating applications, including Tinder, as operational terrain to recruit assets, gather information, and spread propaganda against Ukrainian and Western military personnel since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. These platforms provide hostile actors with target profiles, location data, and direct access to emotionally vulnerable individuals, facilitating recruitment through fake profiles, impersonation, and subsequent blackmail or tasking for sabotage, as documented by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence and SBU.

Israel’s Strategic Problem

Geopolitical Futures  |  George Friedman

Israel faces a profoundly weak strategic position, being only 9 to 71 miles wide, which denies it defensive depth and time to recover from attacks. This geographical vulnerability necessitates a military doctrine focused on pre-emptive combat and early defeat of enemies, requiring the Israel Defense Forces to maintain significant power superiority.

Putin remains uncompromising on Ukraine, but is public discourse on war changing in Russia?

BBC  |  Steve Rosenberg

Vladimir Putin remains uncompromising on Ukraine, asserting Russia's war aims are being met despite the conflict entering its fifth year as a bloody war of attrition. Russia continues massive missile and drone strikes, demanding Ukraine cede the entire Donbas region, and escalating attacks in response to challenges like a growing budget deficit and economic stagnation.

Ukraine Turns the Tide: Why a Cease-Fire Is Now a Real Possibility

Foreign Affairs | Jack Watling

Ukraine's military performance has reached a turning point, fostering optimism in Kyiv that a cease-fire with Russia is now a real possibility. Russian attacks are exerting less pressure, and their combat performance is waning, contrasting with 2024 and 2025 when Russia out-recruited losses. Ukraine addressed manpower issues by establishing army corps for training, extending basic training, and implementing mobilization reforms with better pay and defined service durations.

On Springtime Battlefield In War’s Fifth Year, Ukraine Claws Back Territory – Analysis

Eurasia Review  |  Yehor Lohinov, Mike Eckel

Ukraine's forces clawed back more territory from Russian troops than they lost in mid-May, marking the second such instance this year in the war's fifth fighting season. This incremental gain, though not a tipping point, suggests a better general situation for Ukraine than in several years, with Russian advances largely stalled and a net loss of ground according to DeepState and the Institute for the Study of War.

Congress quietly moves to integrate US and Israeli militaries

Responsible Statecraft  |  Ben Freeman

The U.S. Congress has proposed Section 224, titled “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,” within the House's 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This provision aims to significantly integrate the U.S. and Israeli militaries beyond the over $200 billion in military assistance Israel has received since 1948. It establishes bilateral research and development, co-production of weapons, joint ventures, and data fusion across defense technologies like AI, quantum, autonomous systems, and cyber.

A Hard Offer To Refuse: Ukraine’s Strategic Pitch To A Middle East In Flux – Analysis

Eurasia Review  |  Arthur Michelino

Ukraine is strategically offering its unique expertise in defeating Iranian Shahed-136 drones to Gulf states, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, which are currently experiencing sustained Iranian drone and missile campaigns. This offer leverages Russia's inability to protect its Gulf partners from its own ally, Iran, despite years of accommodating Russian capital.

Digital Sovereignty Is in the Fine Print

Project Syndicate  |  Gabriela Ramos, Emilija Stojmenova Duh

Most countries remain significantly dependent on American tech firms for the provision of their core government services, a situation persisting despite their considerable efforts to develop indigenous digital industries and robust infrastructure. This widespread reliance on cloud infrastructure and essential software platforms, predominantly owned by a handful of powerful technology companies based largely in the United States, poses a critical challenge to national autonomy.

GROUND UP: MODERNISING LAND FORCES IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC

IISS

India, Indonesia, and Japan are pursuing markedly different land-force modernization strategies, driven by their unique security contexts and approaches. India is focused on equipping its army for large-scale conventional combat operations, a direct result of its long-standing territorial disputes with both of its nuclear-armed neighbors. The Indonesian Army is shifting back to its roots with a renewed focus on local territorial defence, socio-economic missions, and increasing personnel numbers, which may come at a financial cost of reducing equipment procurement.

From Ukraine to Israel, the Death of the Tank Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

Newsweek

Hezbollah's cheap, locally built drones, costing $300-$400, have been effectively targeting Israeli tanks, soldiers, and bulldozers in southern Lebanon, even penetrating the Merkava's Trophy protection system. This mirrors footage from the Ukraine war, where Russian and Ukrainian tanks were destroyed by quadcopters. Despite these incidents, which highlight tanks' vulnerability to inexpensive drone attacks from above, the notion of the tank's obsolescence is premature.

‘The arteries of modern civilization’: The US and allies take action to protect seabed cables

CNN | Tim Lister

The United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom are developing unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs) as part of their trilateral AUKUS defense pact to protect seabed cables and pipelines from sabotage threats. This initiative, announced at a defense ministers' meeting in Singapore with deliveries due next year, addresses a growing risk of Russian and Chinese sabotage, alongside concerns about Iran exploiting data networks in the Persian Gulf.

Niall Ferguson: AI Is the Most Dangerous Arms Race in History

The Free Press  |  Niall Ferguson

The modern artificial intelligence race between the U.S. and China is the most dangerous arms race in history, mirroring 20th-century nuclear brinkmanship, and currently lacks the strategic doctrine and arms control necessary for stabilization. Niall Ferguson warns that while AI promises extraordinary benefits like medical breakthroughs and economic growth, its rapid, largely unregulated development poses profound financial and geopolitical risks.

Kinetic Escalation in the Persian Gulf: The Dangerous New Cycle of U.S.-Iran Confrontation and a Global Polycrisis

Niti Shastra  |  Navroop Singh, Himja Parekh

The Persian Gulf has become an epicenter of U.S.-Iran confrontation, beginning with a U.S. precision-guided Hellfire missile strike disabling the Botswana-flagged VLCC M/T Lexie, suspected of illicit Iranian crude exports. This action, intended to reinforce sanctions, escalated when American forces targeted military infrastructure on Iran's Qeshm Island, including communications and command-and-control facilities.

What Is Maven Smart System, and What Does It Do?

Center for Strategic and International Studies | Matt Mande and Gregory C. Allen

The United States utilized the Maven Smart System (MSS) to strike over 1,000 targets during the initial 24 hours of the war in Iran, achieving a tenfold increase in targeting capability compared to the pre-MSS era. This Department of Defense flagship AI-enabled software platform originated from Project Maven (founded 2017) and is primarily integrated by Palantir, whose contract surpassed $1 billion by May 2025.

Iran’s New Grand Strategy: How a Remade Islamic Republic Will Reshape the Middle East

Foreign Affairs

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in February 2026, following Israel's 12-day war in June 2025, failed to collapse the Islamic Republic, instead transforming it into a more resilient and nationalistic state. Initial U.S. expectations of a quick victory and regime change proved unattainable, as Iran retained military capacity and avoided popular uprising despite extensive bombing and a naval blockade.

What Persia Taught Alexander

Real Clear Defense  |  Dennis T. Cosgrove

The "Great Game" has shifted from Central Asia to Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, where the United States risks misunderstanding the strategic contest. Iran, positioned at the intersection of Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Gulf, possesses a civilizational legacy and historical ties that shape its worldview and deep suspicion of external pressure, especially after the 1953 coup.

Space Force Wants 5 New Tactical Ops Centers for Electronic Warfare

Air & Space Forces Magazine  |  Todd South

The Space Force aims to enhance its electronic warfare capabilities by establishing five new tactical EW centers across the U.S. and globally, a critical need underscored by recent Iranian attacks on USSF infrastructure and assets during Operation Epic Fury. Brig. Gen. Christopher Fernengel reported that space capabilities were targeted and destroyed for the first time, with adversaries increasingly using kinetic and cyber weapons against Space Force systems.

Modern war and the systemic learning deficit in Western military institutions

Lowy Institute

Western military institutions, including Australia's, exhibit a systemic learning deficit, failing to rapidly integrate lessons from modern conflicts like Ukraine and Iran. Despite unprecedented visibility into battlefield innovations, Western forces have not institutionalized key insights into doctrine, force structure, or procurement priorities. This creates a structural disadvantage against an "authoritarian knowledge market" formed by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, where battlefield insights transfer rapidly.

How many years behind China is India?

The Indic Prism  |  Rohit Shinde

India lags China significantly across multiple economic and developmental metrics, with the gap often widening rather than converging. In nominal GDP per capita, India is approximately 18 years behind China, reaching China's 2007-08 level of around $2,900. When measured by Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) GDP per capita, India trails China by about 12 years.

A Review of India's 2023 Space Policy and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

Carnegie India | Harshan Vazhakunnam

India's space sector is undergoing a significant transformation, shifting from a government-centric model to one increasingly accommodating private enterprise. The 2020 space reforms and the Indian Space Policy (ISP) 2023 have redefined public and private participation, projecting India's space economy to grow fivefold from $8.4 billion in 2022 to $44 billion by 2033.

Pakistan’s Diplomatic Pivot Makes It a Trump-Era Power Player

Foreign Policy | Azeem Ibrahim

Pakistan has strategically pivoted its diplomatic approach, positioning itself as a significant power player during the Trump administration. Islamabad has adeptly learned to present its diplomatic initiatives in a manner that aligns with the U.S. president's desired public image. This calculated strategy allows Pakistan to leverage its interactions with the United States, potentially enhancing its influence and achieving its foreign policy objectives.

China Aims A.I. at Predicting Who Could Pose a Political Risk

The New York Times  |  Julian E. Barnes

A Chinese company, Geedge Networks, is developing artificial intelligence-powered technology to enable authoritarian governments to not only monitor dissidents but also predict who might become one in the future. This work, appearing to be in the research stage with its government-supported MESA Lab, aims to generate profiles of Chinese citizens by examining location data and internet use to highlight individuals posing a political risk.

Iran Embraces a Forever War

Foreign Affairs  |  Mohammad Ayatollahi Tabaar

For the past two months, Iran and the United States have engaged in intermittent and ultimately unsuccessful peace negotiations. These discussions followed a very shaky cease-fire agreement established in early April. Throughout this period, officials from both nations exchanged and subsequently rejected various long-term proposals, indicating a fundamental disagreement on the terms for a lasting resolution.

Operation Jailbreak: the Army’s massive push to hack its own systems and make them talk to each other

DefenseScoop | Drew F. Lawrence

The U.S. Army launched "Operation Jailbreak," a month-long "hackathon" at Fort Carson, bringing together engineers from over 50 defense companies to integrate its disparate military systems. This initiative, part of the new Right to Integrate (R2I) strategy, aims to dismantle long-standing connectivity restrictions preventing missile systems, tanks, and drones from exchanging data.

Soldiers do not care about your milestones. Build accordingly.

LinkedIn  |  Matthew Paul

The U.S. Army is transitioning its software development from legacy waterfall systems to commercial, cloud-enabled platforms utilizing Agile principles and DevSecOps. The primary challenge, however, is not technological but cultural, requiring a sustained commitment to modern software practices. Successful programs must recognize that software is never truly "done," necessitating continuous evolution and treating sustainment as a core responsibility.

A Trump Deal With Iran Could Spell Trouble for Netanyahu

Foreign Policy  |  Aaron David Miller, Daniel C. Kurtzer

U.S. President Donald Trump consistently employs a "bully pulpit" strategy, threatening adversaries and allies with severe consequences to achieve his objectives. This approach has yielded mixed results, such as compelling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a 20-point Gaza peace plan in October 2025 after Trump threatened to withdraw support.

Foreign Policy Analysis and Trump: Risk, Iran, and the Limits of Decision-Making Models –

E-International Relations | Kristian Alexander

Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran represents a consequential use of force, emerging from a complex interplay of strategic calculation, political instinct, and leadership style. This action challenges existing Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) frameworks, requiring a hybrid approach to understand a decision-making process that is both structured and deeply personal.

The Semantic Pixel: Why the U.S. Must Build the Ultimate Multi-Modal Foundation Model

The Cipher Brief  |  Mark Munsell

The United States must develop a National Geospatial-Intelligence Embedding Model (NGEM) to maintain decision advantage, building upon commercial advancements like Google DeepMind's AlphaEarth Foundations (AEF) model, released in July 2025. While AEF provides pixel-level geospatial embeddings, the proposed NGEM would integrate the intelligence community's diverse multi-physics and temporally deep data.