Latest Articles about Military/Security

Radio Exercises and Trends in Russian C2 Capabilities
Despite the reported impact of COVID-19 on Russia’s military-industrial complex (Vedomosti, April 10), deliveries of new equipment continue (see EDM, March 25, April 1), including of modernized radios (Mil.ru, April 28) intended to improve the command-and-control (C2) capabilities of the Russian Armed Forces (see EDM,... MORE

Modernizing Russia’s Tanks: The Case of the T-14 Armata
On April 19, Denis Manturov, the head of Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, stated that “foreign partners” had lodged applications to procure the future export version of the much-advertised new T-14 Armata tank. The problem is that this main battle tank model has not... MORE

Turkey’s Critical ‘S-400 Moment’ Has Arrived
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Ankara has apparently postponed the activation of the S-400 air-defense missile system it had purchased from Russia that had been planned for April 2020 (Hurriyet Daily News, April 29). Regardless of the COVID-19 justification, Turkey’s decision was, in fact, motivated... MORE

Chinese Survey Vessel Incident Puts Malaysia’s South China Sea Approach Under Scrutiny
Introduction: Challenges to Malaysia’s South China Sea Approach Malaysia has traditionally pursued what might be termed a “playing it safe” approach with respect to the South China Sea, where it pursues a combination of diplomatic, economic, legal, and security initiatives to secure its interests as... MORE

The Political Dimension of Russia’s Spy Games in Ukraine
Since the beginning of the undeclared Russian-Ukrainian war in early 2014, the secret services of both countries have been key players in the conflict, particularly due to its “hybrid” nature. Covert operations, sabotage and espionage naturally all increased significantly compared to the pre-war years. Russian... MORE

Russia’s Armed Forces Test and Refine Electronic Warfare Capability
A critical element in the reform and modernization of the Russian Armed Forces over the past dozen years has been the exponential development of electronic warfare (EW) capabilities. Prior to the reforms initiated in the fall of 2008, the military’s existing EW capabilities were disparate,... MORE

New Ukrainian Naval Base ‘East’: A Countermeasure Against Russia’s Hybrid Strategies in the Sea of Azov?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made an official visit to the southeastern coastal oblast of Zaporizhzhia, on April 11. During his trip, local officials familiarized the commander-in-chief with the operational situation in the Sea of Azov. Additionally, Zelenskyy visited the port of Berdyansk, located in close... MORE

Multiple Challenges Hinder Russian Efforts to Modernize Its Satellite Navigation System
Russia’s constellation of GLONASS navigation satellites are part of a dual-use system—available to both civilian users and the military. Moscow began deploying it during the 1980s–1990s, but its initial capabilities were almost fully lost by the year 2000, due to technical and economic shortcomings. However,... MORE

COVID-19 and the Russian Military: Internal Cases and Role in the State’s Response
The government of the Russian Federation, like the authorities in most other countries, proved slow to respond and initially mostly downplayed the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic. But as cases of COVID-19 have begun to soar in the densely populated parts of the country,... MORE

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Russian Armed Forces
Russia has been invaded once again. But this time, the intruder is the novel coronavirus responsible for the global COVID-19 pandemic, which has already resulted in the deaths of 361 Russians, as of April 19 (StopKoronavirus.rf, April 19). As in past invasions, the country’s Armed... MORE