Analysis

Introduction Jihadist insurgencies in Burkina Faso began in 2016-2017 and have escalated dramatically since 2019. Between 2018 and 2024, jihadists killed more than 25,000 people. From 2022 to 2023, fatalities attributed to terrorism increased by 68 percent, making Burkina...

On September 9, 2025, the government of Ethiopia officially inaugurated Africa’s largest dam, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). This massive project was under construction from 2011 to 2023 and was in the process of being filled for the...

In the early morning hours on September 10, more than a dozen Russian target drones crossed into Polish airspace, before less than a dozen were shot down by Dutch F-35s. The infiltration sparked concerns about escalation between NATO and...

The multi-state dispute in the South China Sea has enveloped the region for decades, with no signs of abating. Much of the media attention on the region has recently focused on coercion and aggression conducted by the People’s Republic...

The Norwegian government has made a landmark decision in its naval modernization strategy by choosing the United Kingdom as its key partner for the acquisition of new frigates. This is not just another procurement deal: It is the single...

Introduction While international attention often centers on China’s latest foundation models or its constrained access to high-end artificial intelligence (AI) chips, these headlines obscure the broader architecture of China’s AI strategy. China is pursuing a dual-track approach that combines...

The June 27, 2025, signing of a Peace Agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Rwanda in Washington, DC and the Declaration of Principles, agreed to by representatives of the DRC government and...

Atlantic Bastion represents the Royal Navy’s future plan for anti-submarine capabilities, defending the North Atlantic against the threat from the Russian submarine fleet. First formally revealed in the United Kingdom’s recent Strategic Defence Review, the program brings in emerging...

Executive Summary Historically, Tehran has enjoyed outsized influence over Iraqi policy through the entrenchment of its Axis of Resistance (AOR) proxies in Iraq’s governing institutions and security apparatus. However, simmering domestic tensions and broader regional setbacks have converged at...

One may occasionally hear statements about military defense that sound absurd, like a recent claim that “Lithuania is running out of space for its military.” How and why does this statement make sense, and what does it mean for...