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Az NKFIH és a TÜBITAK közös angol nyelvű információs napot szervez a "A magyar-török alkalmazott kutatás-fejlesztési együttműködési programban való magyar részvétel támogatása” című felhívás (2024-1.2.11-TÉT-IPARI-TR) pályázata iránt érdeklődők részére.

En désavouant la décision du président Joseph Biden de livrer des missiles à longue portée à l'Ukraine, M. Donald Trump a confirmé qu'il entendait, sur ce dossier, rompre avec les priorités de son prédécesseur. Dans les autres régions du monde, « l'Amérique d'abord » signifiera l'extorsion de concessions (...) / États-Unis, Géopolitique, Armée, Matières premières, Relations bilatérales - 2025/01

Blouin a fréquenté les mêmes cercles que des icônes de la libération comme Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah et Sékou Touré.

Capoeira, a sport mixing martial art and dance, is one of Brazil’s biggest cultural exports. Now a new generation of African children are rediscovering its appeal and African roots.

Moscou a annoncé ce 6 janvier 2025 la prise de la localité de Kourakové, ville minière stratégique de l'est de l'Ukraine. Selon l'armée russe, cette conquête va permettre d'« accélérer le rythme » pour contrôler la région. De son côté, l'armée ukrainienne poursuit son offensive dans la région russe frontalière de Koursk.

La population slovaque a découvert pour la nouvelle année la nouvelle version de l’hymne national, avec un nouvel arrangement commandé par le nouveau gouvernement, en place depuis un peu plus d’un an. Le gouvernement, dirigé par des nationalistes, affirme que ces modifications visent à « renforcer la fierté nationale ».

Le président serbe Aleksandar Vučić a-t-il vraiment une garde prétorienne de plusieurs milliers de membres, prête à en découdre avec l'opposition ? Ou bien est-ce un coup de bluff de plus, alors que le régime prend l'eau de toutes parts face à la colère citoyenne ?

- Le fil de l'Info / Courrier des Balkans, Vucic, Serbie, Politique

When one thinks of America’s baddest units to serve in the Vietnam War, chances are the U.S. Army Special Forces (SF, aka “Green Berets”) and Rangers, along with the U.S. Navy SEALs, come immediately to mind.

However, not so many people realize that even the “kinder, gentler” U.S. Air Force (USAF) had its own band of rough and ready ground-pounders who took the fight to the Communist enemy in Vietnam. We now recognize the USAF’s Combat Security Police (CSP) units.

Origins

Among other things, the Vietnam War ushered in a new type of threat to U.S. airbases in forward deployed locations. Clearly defined front lines and safe rear areas were absent. Thus, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong (VC) targeted air bases on a regular basis and destroyed a large number of aircraft early in the war. Ergo, the USAF was forced to redirect its attention from internal security to providing a well-trained, well-armed, and highly motivated combat security police force capable of repelling raids by experienced enemy sapper units.

Thus, it came to pass that the 1041st USAF Security Police Squadron (Test) was formed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Designated by the codename "Operation Safeside,” the 1041st USAF SPS (T) first arrived “in-country” at Phu Cat Air Base on January 13, 1967. A year later, it would be succeeded by the 82nd Combat Security Police Wing’s 821st Combat Security Police Squadron (CSPS) and 822nd CSPS (the 823rd CSPS would follow in 1969).

Operational History/Combat Performance

When I was a 1st Lieutenant attending the Security Forces Officer Course at Lackland AFB, Texas, back in 2004, one of the noncommissioned officers in my instructor cadre stated that these CSP units actually had the highest kill-to-loss ratio of any American military unit in the Vietnam War. Alas, I haven’t been able to find any independent corroboration of that lofty claim. Nonetheless, the CSPs definitely made an impact.  

This was most starkly demonstrated on January 21, 1968, during the Tet Offensive, more specifically during the concurrent defense of two key South Vietnamese airbases: Tan Son Nhut Airbase and Bien Hoa. The excellent 2014 book Sky-Cops and Peacekeepers: Uniforms and Equipment of the USAF Air Police and Security Police, tells the story better than I can, starting with Tan Son Nhut:

“The only thing between some 1500 VC and the flight line was bunker 051, manned by five Security Policeman [sic]; Sergeants Louis R. Fisher [actually, Louis Harold “Lou” Fischer], William J. Cyr, Charles E. Hebron, Roger B. Mills, and twenty-one-year-old Alonzo Coggins … Soon Fisher, Cyr, Hebron, and Mills were all killed. Coggins would survive but was badly wounded. He took cover among the bodies of his dead buddies … Before they stopped counting, Airmen from the 377 SPS noted 962 enemy bodies inside and immediately outside the TSN perimeter.”

Meanwhile, at Bien Hoa:

“At 0320 hours, CSC received notification that Bunker 10 was under a vicious attack by approximately 1,500 enemy troops. At Bein [sic] Hoa there were 350 SP’s and 75 augmentees to blunt the attack, a nearly five-to-one advantage for Charlie … Security Police casualties were two dead, including an augmentee and 10 wounded. Inside the base perimeter, 139 VC were killed and 25 taken prisoner.”

Multiple well-deserved decorations (sadly many of them posthumous) for heroism were awarded to SPs as a result of these two battles: twelve Silver Stars; twenty Bronze Stars with “V” for valor; one Legion of Merit, awarded to Col. Billy Jack Carter; and one Air Force Cross, the USAF’s second-highest decoration, and the first of its kind to be awarded to a non-aviator, Capt. Reginald V. “Reggie” Maisey (regrettably, his Medal of Honor nomination was disapproved).

CSP Legacy

Today, the Louis H. Fischer Award is awarded to the top graduate of the USAF Security Forces Academy Security Apprentice Course (i.e., the enlisted Air Force cops’ technical training course). Mind you, merely being the top graduate of the class doesn’t automatically guarantee a trainee the Fischer Award; you have to earn a 97 percent academic test score average, receive zero derogatory paperwork, pass all evaluations on the first attempt, qualify as an “Expert” with the M17 (SIG P320 9mm) service pistol and M4 carbine (back in my day it was the Beretta M9 pistol and full-size M16A2 rifle), and be recommended by a primary instructor cadre and military training leaders.

(A top graduate of a given class who doesn’t meet these stringent requirements instead receives the Top Performer Award, which is still a tremendous honor in its own right.)

I myself was a recipient of the Sgt. Louis H. Fischer Award back on February 4, 2000, when I graduated from the Security Forces Academy with the inaugural Team 11 of the 343rd Training Squadron. I was twenty-four years old at the time, and now, twenty-five years later, I still consider that one of the proudest achievements of my entire life.

As far as current units are concerned, the legacy was proudly revived at Moody AFB, Georgia, on March 27, 1997, in the manifestation of the 820th Security Forces Group, which was officially renamed the 820th Base Defense Group (BDG) on October 1, 2010. According to the Moody AFB 23rd Wing Public Affairs Office, the 820th BDG serves as “the Air Force's sole unit organized, trained and equipped to conduct integrated base defense in high-threat areas.”

(For anybody wondering about the semantics, the name of the Security Police career field was officially changed to Security Forces on Halloween Day 1997. Personally, I’m not fond of the newer moniker; in my opinion, “Security Forces” as opposed to “Security Police” makes us sound like the East German Stasi or Saddam Hussein’s Mukhabarat, as “SF” makes us sound like wannabe Green Berets as opposed to the Blue Berets that we actually are. But I digress.)

To the old-school CSPs and present-day 820th BDG SF troops alike, a hearty “HOOAH!”

About the Author: Christian D. Orr

Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor for National Security Journal (NSJ). He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He has also been published in The Daily Torch , The Journal of Intelligence and Cyber Security, and Simple Flying. Last but not least, he is a Companion of the Order of the Naval Order of the United States (NOUS). If you’d like to pick his brain further, you can ofttimes find him at the Old Virginia Tobacco Company (OVTC) lounge in Manassas, Virginia, partaking of fine stogies and good quality human camaraderie.

Image: Shutterstock.

Parliamentary activities resume on 6 January 2025 with external parliamentary activities.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Blouin ran in the same circles as liberation icons like Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah and Sékou Touré.

Americas The US Coast Guard has received a stand-in icebreaker ship to support the service’s polar cutter fleet modernization program. Handed over by Offshore Service Vessels, the MV Aiviq’s primary role is to retain the force’s presence in the Arctic until the arrival of the service’s new Polar Security Cutters by the 2030s. The $125-million deal to procure the commercially-available system was awarded to the Louisiana-based maritime company in November. After its induction, the MV Aiviq will be renamed USCGC Storis, which makes the system the second to bear the name. The US Army has chosen BAE Systems to prototype a new artillery cannon, envisioned to defend bases against a variety of threats including unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles and other advanced air threats. The system has been dubbed the Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon (MDAC) and Hypervelocity Projectile (HVP) prototype. Middle East & Africa The United States has officially greenlit a potential arms deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, marking another significant step in the Gulf nation’s efforts to modernize its naval capabilities. The deal, approved by the State Department and reported to Congress by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency [DSCA], involves selling twenty MK 54 MOD 0 Lightweight Torpedoes [LWT], […]

Canada finds itself in a sticky geopolitical situation. The incoming Trump administration seems to believe that it is going to at some point annex Canada. Meanwhile, the Russians are breathing down Canada’s neck in the Arctic, with the Russian military challenging Canada for dominance over key strategic points in the High North.

Ottawa also faces a territorial dispute with Washington over portions of the Northwest Passage, which is quickly evolving into a key strategic waterway.

To better combat these threats, the Canadian government has announced its intention to build twelve nuclear-powered submarines that will be dedicated to securing Canada’s vast interests in the Arctic. There’s only a small problem: Most experts I have spoken with are skeptical that the Canadian bid to build twelve Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) submarines will ever happen. And, even if it does, it is unlikely to occur in any meaningful timeframe. 

Our North, Strong and Free?

Ottawa is calling the program “Our North, Strong and Free,” and it is billed as a comprehensive strategy of deterrence. But Canada’s problems are much deeper than just being unable to field submarines. 

Currently, Canada's navy is in shambles. Last summer, for instance, a Canadian warship dispatched to the U.S.-organized RIMPAC military exercises at Hawaii had been sidelined from the Pacific exercise due to a major cooling water leak onboard. In fact, multiple headlines have proliferated since last summer about the massive flooding problems with Canada’s warships. What happened in Hawaii was not an isolated incident.

That’s to say nothing of the personnel crisis affecting the Canadian Navy. Basically, Canada’s navy is not attracting talent in any meaningful way. Canada’s military is, therefore, withering both in terms of platforms and personnel.

Oh, and the Canadian submarine force is especially laughable. Currently, the Royal Canadian Navy operates just four Victoria-class diesel-electric submarines. When these subs aren’t being repaired in port, they are deployed to distant locations in the Pacific, taking them far away from the far more important (for Canada, at least) strategic zone of the Arctic. 

That’s part of the reason behind the Canadian investment in the twelve new AIP-breathing submarines.

The new submarines for Canada’s Arctic strategy are specifically designed to stay under the ice for protracted periods. Meanwhile, the first submarines are to be deployed by the mid-2030s, around the same time that the Victoria-class subs are set to be decommissioned. Yet, given the aforementioned problems with Canada’s defense industrial base, the likelihood that this program will ever get moving beyond the conceptual phase—or that the twelve submarines will be built—is very low.

Real Problems 

And the longer the Canadians wait, the greater the chance they will lose their claim on the Arctic—if not officially, then unofficially—as both the Russians and Americans move to dominate the region. 

At the same time, there are so many structural issues within Canada’s defense industrial base as well as its overall defense community that the idea the country could ever muster a real challenge to a true near-peer rival, such as China, is laughable. 

Bottom line: the Canadian Navy is broken. It will not be repaired any time soon. Expect more, not fewer, egregious problems as the Canadian Royal Navy continues its downward spiral. 

Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a Senior Fellow at the Center for the National Interest, and a contributor at Popular Mechanics, consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

Image: Shutterstock.

Just days into the New Year, Kyiv launched a fresh offensive in the Russian Kursk Oblast, reportedly catching the Kremlin's forces off guard on Sunday. According to commentary from social media, columns of Ukrainian armored vehicles advanced toward the village of Bolshoe Soldatskoe, after clearing mines overnight.

Rob Lee of the Foreign Policy Research Institute shared images of the Ukrainian forces on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, citing commentary from pro-Kremlin military bloggers. Lee posted, "Some Russian channels have been warning recently of a Ukrainian build up near Kursk and a potential offensive."

Fierce fighting had occurred throughout the weekend with dozens of engagements. However, the size of the operation remains unclear.

"Ukrainian and Western military analysts said that the attacks could be a deliberate attempt at misdirection, trying to force Russian troops to shore up defenses there in the hopes of weakening them on the front line in Ukrainian territory," The New York Times reported.

The paper of record added, "Although Ukraine now holds less than half of the territory it seized in the Kursk offensive last summer, it has managed in recent weeks to slow Russia's advances despite repeated waves of Russian counterattacks, including assaults bolstered by thousands of North Korean soldiers."

Kyiv's invasion of Kursk, which began last August, was the first ground invasion into Russia since World War II. It caught the Kremlin largely off guard, and despite repeated counteroffensives, Ukraine has managed to maintain a foothold in the Russian Oblast. The counteroffensive has been seen as a major embarrassment for Russia.

General Winter is Engaged

Throughout history, armies have often hunkered down during the winter—but that hasn't always been the case in Russia, where both sides have taken advantage of the frozen ground.

The current offensive serves as a reminder of the First Winter Campaign that the Ukrainian People's Republic (UPR) carried out against the Bolsheviks during the Ukrainian-Soviet War in late 1919 and early 1920. The campaign, which has earned comparisons to General George Washington's raid on Trenton on December 26, 1776, had a similar impact. It raised the spirit of the UPR's forces when it needed it most.

This new offensive could have a similar result.

"The Russians in Kursk are experiencing great anxiety because they were attacked from several directions and it came as a surprise to them," Ukraine's top counter-disinformation official Andriy Kovalenko wrote on the Telegram social messaging app.

Kyiv may need to show that it isn't out of the fight and the rumors of its impending defeat are being greatly exaggerated.  As the BBC also reported, "Kyiv's forces are reportedly suffering from manpower shortages and have been losing ground in the east of Ukraine in recent months, as Russian troops advance."

Taking the fight to Russia won't deliver a knock-out blow, but it could show the Ukrainian people—and the West—that the Kremlin hasn't won yet. The timing of the attack came just over two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump is set to take office. He has vowed to end the war quickly, without explaining how he will do so but most believe it would involve pulling U.S. support while encouraging Kyiv to cede territory to Moscow.

It was in October that U.S. military analyst Michael Kofman suggested that Russia's numbers advantage could significantly diminish in 2025 —which helps explain why Moscow has had to turn to North Korea to bolster its numbers. Given that fact, Ukraine may be seeking to gain ground should it be forced to the peace table.

A Truly Cold War

As previously reported, winter has long been one of the greatest allies of the Russian people. Known as "General Winter" or "General Frost," cold harsh weather has been credited with helping defeat foreign invaders.

The cold had played a significant role in the Swedish invasion of 1707, the French invasion under Napoleon in 1812, the Allied intervention in Russia in 1918-1919, and most notably, the German invasion in 1941. However, the cold also aided Kyiv in the late winter of 2022 after Russia launched its unprovoked invasion—and it may now be helping Ukraine in its current offensive operations in Kursk.

It is also likely that the attack was mounted before the spring and the arrival of the "Rasputitsa," the Russian term for the late fall and early spring seasons of the year when travel on unpaved roads across the vast open plains becomes difficult.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

Image Credit: Seneline / Shutterstock.com

Just before the EU referendum, the then USA President, Barack Obama, visited the UK and said he hoped that Britain would stay in the EU.

Nigel Farage was having none of it. An American President, he said, had no right to meddle in British affairs. The President, in short, should “butt out”.

The Mirror ran the headline:

“Nigel Farage tells Barack Obama to keep his nose out of the Brexit debate.”

Zoom forward almost nine years and spot the difference.

Now, Nigel Farage is actively encouraging his close ally and incoming President, Donald J. Trump, together with the unofficial deputy President, Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, to meddle in British affairs.

Mr Musk spends considerable time trashing Labour Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, on his X platform (formerly Twitter). He has described Reform as the UK’s “only hope” and has urged Britons to vote for it.

On 16 December, Mr Farage – who believes he is going to replace Sir Keir as Britain’s Prime Minister – met Mr Musk at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

The meeting came following widespread media reports that Mr Musk is considering a sizeable donation to Mr Farage’s Reform Party – maybe as much as $100m – as a “f*** you Starmer payment”.

Mr Farage, the leader of Reform, formerly leader of UKIP and Brexit parties, was reported to say that the two had discussed money and that there will be “ongoing negotiations” with the tech billionaire.

Under UK law, a foreign person is not allowed to donate to a UK political party, although a foreign business based in the UK can.

So, maybe it should come as no surprise that four days before the meeting – on 12 December – Mr Musk registered a new limited company in London called X.AI London Ltd.

However, a foreign-owned company based in the UK can only donate to a UK political party if it is carrying on business in the UK at the time of the donation.

A mere registration in the UK does not qualify. The company must actively conduct business within the UK. For example, it should have operational activities, employ staff, or generate revenue within the country.

So far as can be ascertained, X.AI London Ltd has not yet started to trade here.

There is already considerable evidence that Putin’s Russia has meddled deeply into Britain’s affairs and helped to fund and fuel Brexit. See my video at theRussianConnection.co.uk

Now, expect more meddling by Trump and Musk into UK politics, aided and abetted by PM wannabe Nigel Farage for his own ends.

Mr Farage has offered to broker a new US-UK free trade agreement to turn the UK further away from the EU. He said:

“The US is our most important relationship in the world – forget Brussels.”

Is this a trap for Sir Keir?

If he accepts the trade agreement, Farage will take the credit. If he doesn’t, Farage will claim that the Labour government has damaged Britain’s prospects.

“Take back control” was the Brexit mantra. But since Brexit, outside actors seem to be controlling our affairs.

What do you think?

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The post The Brexit nose job appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

U.S. Air Force E-11A aircraft equipped with the BACN (Battlefield Airborne Communications Node) payload took part in a C-UAS and IAMD exercise in the Arabian Peninsula. Airmen from the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing teamed up with their Saudi counterparts for Exercise Yellow Sands, a regional training event aimed at boosting teamwork in Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems […]

The post U.S. E-11A ‘Flying Gateway’ Takes Part In Counter-Drone And Integrated Missile Defense Exercise In Middle East appeared first on The Aviationist.

JetZero is working on the subscale BWB aircraft demonstrator, named “Pathfinder,” while Northrop Grumman’s Scaled Composites division is fabricating the full-size airplane and has already produced test articles of components. The U.S. Air Force is collecting data from flight tests of a subscale version of its BWB (Blended-Wing Body) demonstrator to inform the full-scale aircraft’s […]

The post U.S. Air Force Tests “Pathfinder” Subscale Model of Blended-Wing Body Jet appeared first on The Aviationist.

Ancien ambassadeur de Singapour aux Nations unies — dont il a présidé le Conseil de sécurité en janvier 2001 et en mai 2002 —, le professeur Kishore Mahbubani avance une analyse singulière de la situation politique internationale. Au réflexe atlantiste des médias occidentaux, il oppose une connaissance (...) / Chine, Géopolitique, Diplomatie, Relations internationales - 2025/01

À des siècles d'intervalle, cinq femmes évoluent chacune dans son monde et son histoire, des temps mythiques, pleins de superstition, à l'époque contemporaine, avec ses codes. Pourtant, leurs destins sont étroitement imbriqués grâce à une guitare d'exception. Personnage à part entière, elle rythme les chapitres, tel un leitmotiv.
Composé à l'instar d'une œuvre musicale, le roman La Guitare de palissandre évoque, dans une écriture ciselée et à travers de subtiles nuances d'interprétation, (…)

- Livres / Croatie, Littérature, Grand Bazar - Diaporama

Cette thérapie consiste à appliquer la lumière sur le corps du malade afin de dégager, dit-elle, les mécanismes et les voies de signalisation qui stoppent ou diminuent l'absorption du glucose. Mais suffit-il d'appliquer n'importe quelle lumière au corps ?