Real Clear Defense
Tuesday, September 17, 2019 - 00:00
Wednesday, July 6, 2016 - 06:52
NATO has a $100 billion problem. That’s the gap between what NATO countries have committed to spend on defense and what they actually spent in 2015. With global threats on the rise, $100 billion per year would mark a major increase in NATO’s ability to defend itself and maintain the peace in Europe. It seems that NATO members are spending $105 billion less per year on defense than they have committed, with non-U.S. NATO defense spending is 30 percent short of where it should be.
Thursday, October 9, 2014 - 09:12
To date, there have been approximately 240 coalition air strikes against ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria since air operations began nearly a month ago. On the first night of operations against ISIS in Syria, the U.S. put most of its best assets into the fight, employing more than 40 Tomahawk cruise missiles along with F-22 Raptors, F-15 Strike Eagles, F-16s, B-1 bombers, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare planes and drones. U.S. Navy F/A-18E/Fs and coalition partners including the U.K., France, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE and Qatar have participated in air operations too.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014 - 06:31
One of the main criticisms against Washington's attempt to sanction and otherwise punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for his aggressive actions in Ukraine is that this is driving Russia and China closer together in an anti-American axis. Such concerns are unfounded, first because the two are already close strategic partners, but more importantly, because neither really trusts the other ... nor should they. The truth is, when Russia and China get in bed together, they both sleep with one eye open!
Monday, August 25, 2014 - 07:19
As American jets flew top cover, in mid-August Kurdish Peshmerga militia and Iraqi special forces troops recaptured the strategic Mosul Dam from Islamic State militants. Meanwhile Iraqi Golden Brigade commandos liberated parts of Tikrit from the Islamists.