The Daring-class air-defense guided missile destroyer HMS Diamond has become the first United Kingdom Royal Navy warship to intercept a ballistic missile in combat during operations in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday. The Interception According to UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, the HMS Diamond intercepted the Houthi ballistic missile using a Sea Viper anti-air missile system while defending a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday. The interception marks several significant firsts for the Royal Navy: First interception of a Houthi missile since the Royal Navy deployed to the reg ..read more

On April 23, Reuters reported that North Korea had carried out its first-ever nuclear counterattack drill, as part of a larger measure to test the nation’s “nuclear trigger” warning system.  The KN-25 Multiple Rocket Launcher (Credit: Missile Threat) What Happened: As a part of the drill, troops practiced maneuvering after a nuclear attack, and artillery units fired “dummy” nuclear warheads.  As part of North Korea’s nuclear doctrine, the military is authorized to launch preemptive nuclear strikes against enemies if the government is perceived as being under serious threat, according ..read more

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported that 223 civilians, including dozens of children, in the villages of Nondin and Toro, Yatenga province, were summarily executed by Burkinabe forces in February in an apparent reprisal attack over militant activity in the area by Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM). The Massacre On February 25 at about 0700 local time, JNIM militants launched a large-scale attack against a military base in Ouahigouya, which resulted in several casualties amongst Burkinabe forces stationed there. According to survivor interviews by HRW, Burkinabe military forces entere ..read more

On April 24, German law enforcement arrested seven foreign nationals for allegedly plotting terrorist attacks on behalf of the Islamic State Province of Khorasan (ISIS-K), the Afghan offshoot of the Islamic State, according to Reuters.  Of the suspects, one is from Turkmenistan, one is from Kyrgyzstan, and the other five are from Tajikistan.  These individuals were planning on carrying out numerous attacks in Germany but had no finalized plans at the time of their arrest.  However, they were actively seeking to “gather money and weapons” according to Deutsche Welle.  A ..read more

The United States Marine Corps has confirmed that a Marine died on Camp Pendeleton this evening during “routine operations”. The Marine belonged to the Marine Light Attack Helicopter Training Squadron 303, Marine Aircraft Group 39, which is part of the Camp Pendleton-based 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. No announcement has been made on the identity or the cause of death. This comes only one week after Sgt. Colin Arslanbas of Missouri who was stationed at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina, died during training ..read more

Over the past few hours, there have been mixed reports of intense clashes between Iraqi security forces and ISIS militants north of Baghdad in the Tarmiyah region. Sky News Arabia reported that “Violent battles are taking place between the Iraqi army and ISIS members in the Tarmiyah area, north of Baghdad.” However, the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces’ Tarmiyah Regiment posted to its Telegram channel that the reports of clashes “is not true and the security situation in Tarmiya district is stable.” Likewise, the Iraqi Security Media Cell also denied the reports of clashes ..read more

The United States Air Force has announced that Anduril and General Atomics have been awarded the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program contract, paving the way for further development of autonomous unmanned loyal wingmen for sixth-generation fighter and bomber aircraft. According to Air and Space Forces Magazine, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall forecasts that the service will buy at least 1,000 units and potentially up to 2,000 units, which at $30 million a piece would make this a $30-60 billion program ..read more

As this publication reported earlier today, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Ivanov was charged with “taking a bribe on an especially large scale” (Part 6 of Article 290 of the Criminal Code; from eight to 15 years in prison) by the Basmanny Court of Moscow. Russian state-owned media has now reported that not only are the charges stemming from Ivanov giving preferential treatment to defense contractors through an electronic bidding system from 2018 to 2023, but also that Defense Minister Shoigu has relieved him of his position. This follows testimony from a Moscow businessman of the Olympsitstr ..read more

Initial reports are indicating that a U.S. High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) has rolled over in a traffic incident on Interstate 4 near Lake Mary Florida. At least one U.S. servicemember was trapped and has been extricated from the vehicle. Credit: Joe Kelly (FB)Credit: FOX 35 Orlando ?MM 97 I4 EB – currently shutdown. Military Humvee flipped and patient trapped underneath and extricated and transported. Fuel leak being addressed. Lake Mary FD jurisdiction. pic.twitter.com/f0lN7rgA7P — Seminole County Fire Department (SCFD) PIO Media (@scfdpio) April 24, 2024 Traffic is curr ..read more

On April 23rd, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced the installation of Harris radios on three islands located in northern Luzon’s Batanes and Cagayan provinces. The Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) released a statement confirming the installation of the radios at the naval detachments located in Calayan, Fuga, and Mavulis Islands. Radio Installation The statement said that the communication equipment was installed during command inspections of the sites from April 21st to 23rd. The NOLCOM Commanding General (CG), Philippine Air Force (PAF), Lt. General Ferynl G. Buca, led the si ..read more