Will Manila and Hanoi’s maritime deal challenge Beijing in the South China Sea?

South China Morning Post  |  Alyssa Chen

The Philippines and Vietnam have established a new maritime cooperation agreement aimed at countering Beijing's regional strategy in the South China Sea. This bilateral pact directly chips away at China's preferred tactic of conducting only one-on-one negotiations with individual claimant states to resolve overlapping territorial disputes. A decade after Beijing rejected the ruling by The Hague's Permanent Court of Arbitration regarding its expansive claims, rival nations continue to actively manoeuvre for control.

Digital Chokepoint: Why Defending the Red Sea is a Trillion-Dollar Financial Prerequisite

Real Clear Defense  |  Lise Korson

The United States must transition to a conditional, technology-driven grand bargain with Beijing to permanently secure Middle East chokepoints and protect over $10 trillion in daily global financial transactions. This strategic shift requires leveraging America's absolute computational advantage in artificial intelligence photonics infrastructure to secure verifiable Chinese naval de-escalation in the Pacific.

The U.S. Marine Corps Concept for “Stand-In Forces”

China Maritime Studies Institute  |  Yue Zhiqiang, Wang Li, Li Jinqiao

The United States Marine Corps is deploying Stand-In Forces within the weapons engagement zone to counter regional maritime adversaries through persistent, highly lethal forward operations. These specialized expeditionary units conduct reconnaissance, establish long-range target custody, and execute rapid littoral strikes to disrupt and deceive enemy forces in contested coastal areas.

Countering China’s A2/AD Capabilities

Real Clear Defense  |  James Steels

United States military forces plan to counter China's expanding A2/AD capabilities during a potential Taiwan conflict by systematically dismantling Beijing's sophisticated sensor and missile networks. This coordinated operational approach aims to degrade Chinese targeting systems rather than merely intercepting individual missile strikes, thereby securing critical maritime access within the contested theater.

The 2025 Pentagon Assessment of Chinese Nuclear Weapons Capabilities

National Institute for Public Policy  |  Mark B. Schneider

The People’s Liberation Army is rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal toward parity with the United States, despite a December 2025 Pentagon report claiming a temporary slowdown in warhead production. This massive modernization effort has positioned Beijing to exceed 1,000 operational warheads by 2030 and potentially achieve strategic nuclear peer status within five years.

Artificial Intelligence Arms Control Would be a Disastrous Mistake

Real Clear Defense  |  Michaela Dodge, Michael Hochberg

The United States and China are rapidly accelerating investments in artificial intelligence capabilities, creating an intense technological competition that threatens to reshape the global balance of power. While Beijing advocates for international AI regulations and arms control frameworks, these diplomatic initiatives are designed to disproportionately disadvantage Washington by slowing Western innovation while China covertly bypasses compliance.

China’s Telecom Forward Base: How Military-Civil Fusion Weaponizes Global Networks

Small Wars Journal | Gerald Mako

China's military-civil fusion doctrine has systematically converted global telecommunications networks into a forward-operating base for the People's Liberation Army and Ministry of State Security. This strategy leverages campaigns like Salt Typhoon to compromise edge devices worldwide, securing durable, low-and-slow access that survives routine patching cycles. These operations exploit legal mandates under the 2017 National Intelligence Law, which obligates all domestic organizations and citizens to support state intelligence efforts.

Hormuz, Malacca, and the Intractability of Geoeconomics in Geopolitics

Providence | Francis P. Sempa

The United States military is executing a $65.8 billion shipbuilding strategy alongside targeted geoeconomic maneuvers to secure critical maritime chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz and the Strait of Malacca against Chinese and Iranian aggression. This integrated approach aims to exploit China's acute vulnerability to energy disruptions along its primary Middle Eastern supply routes.

Inside the terrifying Pete Hegseth purge pushing the US army to breaking point

The Independent | Eric Lewis

United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is systematically overriding merit board procedures to block minority and female officer advancements, pushing the armed forces toward a leadership crisis. This controversial policy has already blocked the promotions of 40 people this year alone, drawing sharp criticism from former military commanders.

The Politicization of the U.S. Military Did Not Start With Trump

Foreign Policy | Julian E. Zelizer

The United States military has experienced a long history of politicisation that contradicts modern nostalgia depicting the armed forces as historically insulated from partisan conflict. This historical reality is demonstrated by past civil-military tensions, notably the high-profile relationship and strategic friction between President Harry Truman and General Douglas MacArthur.

Fundamental Deterrence Challenges and Tailoring

National Institute for Public Policy  |  Keith B. Payne

United States nuclear and non-nuclear force postures must adapt to a bipartisan policy of tailoring deterrence to the unique characteristics of diverse adversaries. This strategic shift requires a larger, more flexible standing arsenal capable of holding various high-value, hardened point targets at risk to prevent conflict and maintain regional stability.

Pete Hegseth Called Anthropic a ‘National Security Risk.’ Now CISA Is Using It.

National Interest  |  Peter Suciu

The United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has deployed Anthropic’s restricted Mythos artificial intelligence model to audit federal software code for critical vulnerabilities. This deployment directly challenges the Pentagon's previous designation of the developer as a national security risk, highlighting deep policy inconsistencies within the American government regarding advanced technology adoption.

The Value of U.S. Land Power

Center for Strategic and International Studies  |  Jerry McGinn, Jason Paul "JP" Gresh, Alek Jovovic

U.S. land power is undergoing intense scrutiny regarding its roles and missions due to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Iran alongside escalating competition in the Indo-Pacific. This strategic reassessment, published on July 14, 2026, by Jerry McGinn, Jason Paul "JP" Gresh, and Alek Jovovic, evaluates the utility of land forces within the broader joint force.

Gas Crisis Increasingly Serious Political Problem for Putin

The Jamestown Foundation | Paul Goble

Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries have triggered severe domestic gasoline shortages, rapidly destabilising the Kremlin’s political control ahead of the September Duma elections. This fuel crisis has sparked widespread public anger over unequal resource distribution, as elites receive preferential access while ordinary citizens face worsening shortages.

Putin Will Turn a Cease-Fire Into a Weapon

Foreign Affairs  |  Michael Kimmage, Hanna Notte

Russia is highly likely to exploit any future negotiated cease-fire in Ukraine to consolidate its territorial gains, reconstitute its depleted military forces, and prepare for subsequent offensive operations. This strategic pause would allow Moscow to weaponise diplomacy, fracturing Western political cohesion and undermining international support for Kyiv's long-term security.

Understanding Russia-Iran Collaboration in Cyberspace

Center for Strategic and International Studies | Nikita Shah and Justin Sherman

Russian and Iranian cyber operations in the 2026 United States-Iran conflict have triggered widespread concern, yet claims of deep bilateral cyber warfare collaboration remain largely unsubstantiated by open-source intelligence. Unverified reports suggest joint targeting of Israeli infrastructure, but these activities lack the strategic impact of proven drone technology transfers.

Ukraine’s Logistics Targeting Raises Questions for Russia’s Rear Defences

Royal United Services Institute  |  Emily Ferris

Ukrainian drone strikes targeting Russian military supply chains and fuel infrastructure around Crimea have severely disrupted Moscow's rear logistics. These coordinated attacks on the R-280 Novorossiya highway and Kerch Strait ferries force Russian forces to reroute vulnerable truck convoys onto secondary roads, exposing critical structural vulnerabilities in Russia's rear defences.

The Next Phase in Ukraine’s War With Russia: The Battle for Minds

The New York Times  |  Carlotta Gall, Oleksandr Chubko

Ukrainian military and civilian leaders have launched a new cognitive influence initiative to weaken public support in Russia for the war and disrupt Moscow's mobilization capabilities. Spearheaded by drone pioneer Maria Berlinska through her newly formed nonprofit Victory Neurones, this strategic shift prioritizes psychological operations over purely kinetic drone warfare.

The Return Of War: Ukraine And Iran Wars Have Outgrown The Hybrid

Eurasia Review  |  Nitish Kumar

The conventional conflicts in Ukraine and Iran demonstrate that hybrid warfare strategies have escalated into open, high-intensity military confrontations. This transition occurred as both Moscow and Tehran crossed critical adversarial red lines, shifting from deniable proxy operations and disinformation campaigns to direct, state-led military actions that threaten the existing global security order.

A Robot Army Remakes Ground Warfare in Ukraine

The New York Times  |  Maria Varenikova, Paul Mozur

Ukrainian infantry battalions are deploying thousands of tracked and wheeled ground robots monthly to conduct supply deliveries, ammunition transport, casualty evacuations, and mine-laying operations. These unmanned ground vehicles have recently advanced to executing direct trench assaults, enabling frontline forces to capture Russian-held positions without exposing soldiers to direct enemy fire.

Beijing Wants to Lock Down AI. Washington Should Open It Up

The American Conservative | Mark A. Jamison

China is considering tight export controls on its advanced artificial intelligence models to guard its domestic technological advantages as national security assets. Meanwhile, a Chinese developer recently released an AI model trained on indigenous chips that performs on par with Anthropic's Mythos on cybersecurity, threatening to bypass existing American cyber defenses.

Insights from table-top exercises in Europe on AI safety and cyber misuse

RAND Corporation | Afek Shamir, Henri van Soest, Stephen Clare, Sana Zakaria

RAND Europe, the UK AI Security Institute, and Mila conducted three table-top exercises with senior government officials in Germany, the Netherlands, and France to simulate an AI-enabled cybersecurity crisis. The simulations, grounded in the 2026 International AI Safety Report, evaluated national responses to the exploitation of a fictional government-backed frontier AI model and an open-weight competitor.

Development of off-road autonomy for unmanned ground vehicles

Norwegian Defence Research Establishment  |  Marius Thoresen, Magnus Baksaas, Niels Hygum Nielsen, Eilert André Mentzoni, Morten Hanevold, David Kolden, Brage Gerdssønn Eikanger, Kim Mathiassen

The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment has developed and evaluated a modular autonomy stack on its Milrem Themis unmanned ground vehicle, named Tor, to enhance off-road navigation capabilities. This system integrates perception, motion planning, and trajectory tracking to navigate without predefined paths or satellite positioning, aiming to reduce operator workload during tactical military operations.

Designing Adaptive Thinkers: How Cognitive Interventions Shape Innovation and Decision-Making in Military Organizations

Small Wars Journal | Cara Wrigley, Murray Simons

Military organizations are utilizing structured cognitive interventions, known as epistemic devices, to reshape how personnel frame complex problems, mitigate cognitive bias, and make decisions under extreme uncertainty. These designed activities, which include systems mapping and red-teaming, serve as critical mechanisms to deliberately build and sustain adaptive thinking capabilities across defense institutions.

Into the Deep: Special Forces and the Future of Large-Scale Combat

Modern War Institute  |  Charlie Phelps

US Army Special Forces must adapt to conduct deep area operations and deep strike to disrupt peer adversaries like China and Russia in future large-scale combat operations. By infiltrating denied areas to neutralize critical command-and-control nodes, logistics hubs, and air defense systems, these specialized units extend the joint force's operational reach.

Files relating to Kudankulam nuclear power plant exposed in data breach: report

The Hindu

The Kudankulam nuclear power plant in India has reportedly suffered a significant data breach exposing sensitive files, according to a report published by The Hindu on July 15, 2026. This security incident highlights critical vulnerabilities in the cybersecurity infrastructure of India's nuclear energy sector, raising immediate concerns regarding the protection of operational data and strategic assets.

The Social Dimensions of CPEC in Pakistan

Institute for Security and Development Policy | Ajay Darshan Behera

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has exacerbated regional inequality, environmental degradation, and social exclusion across Pakistan despite driving over USD 60 billion in energy and infrastructure investments since 2015. Local communities in marginalized areas like Balochistan and Gwadar face severe livelihood disruptions, forced displacement, and intense securitization that restricts civic space.

Balochistan’s Information Black Hole

Brief

The Baloch Liberation Army launched a series of highly coordinated attacks across Balochistan on July 9, 2026, killing at least forty-two police officers and soldiers. These lethal assaults triggered immediate retaliatory military operations that the Pakistani government claims killed seventy-five insurgents, highlighting a rapidly escalating conflict over provincial territorial control.

Sri Lanka’s Brief Window to Stop Displaced Cyber-Scam Networks

E-International Relations  |  Bruno S. Sergi, Fabian M. Teichmann

Sri Lankan police have arrested over one thousand foreign nationals since early 2026 to combat displaced Southeast Asian cyber-scam networks migrating to the island. This rapid influx of illicit operations threatens the country's fragile post-crisis economic recovery and its upcoming international money-laundering evaluation, which could return the nation to the Financial Action Task Force's grey list.

How China Is Winning Friends and Influencing People

Foreign Affairs  |  Lizzi C. Lee, Eric Olander

Chinese private enterprises are rapidly expanding their commercial footprint in Vietnam, significantly enhancing Beijing's soft power and influence across the developing world. This corporate expansion integrates Chinese consumer technology, electric vehicles, and digital platforms directly into the daily lives of local populations, establishing a subtle but durable foundation for geopolitical alignment.

Xi Purges Six More PLA Generals

The Jamestown Foundation  |  Brandon Tran, Gerui Zhang

Chinese President Xi Jinping has purged six high-ranking People’s Liberation Army generals to dismantle patronage networks associated with former Central Military Commission vice chairman Zhang Youxia. This sweeping action targets previously insulated sectors, including the PLA Air Force and the Western Theater Command, prioritizing political loyalty over combat experience.

Chinese nuclear weapons, 2026

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists  |  Hans M. Kristensen, Matt Korda, Eliana Johns, Mackenzie Knight-Boyle

China has accelerated its nuclear modernization program to field an estimated 620 nuclear warheads, establishing the fastest-growing arsenal among the nine nuclear-armed states. This rapid expansion includes developing three new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile silo fields and refitting ballistic missile submarines with new, longer-range JL-3 missiles to strengthen Beijing's strategic deterrence posture.

“The Venezuela Model” and the New US Doctrine

Istituto Affari Internazionali | Rafael Ramírez

On 3 January 2026, US military forces launched air strikes in Caracas, captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and installed a transitional government led by Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez to assert Washington's strategic and security interests. This unilateral intervention bypassed the United Nations Security Council, establishing a precedent for direct political and economic tutelage.

America Can Bomb Iran. It Cannot Bomb Away the Strait of Hormuz

19FortyFive  |  Andrew Latham

United States military strikes against Iranian air defences and naval craft near the Strait of Hormuz have failed to secure the waterway, as commercial transit fell 52 percent between July 10 and July 12. Only six vessels transited on Sunday, proving that tactical escalation dominance cannot eliminate Iran's asymmetric capacity to disrupt shipping.

Army Pioneers Use of Generative AI “Data Minutes” for Multi- Domain Missions

Warrior Maven  |  Tuva Siegel

The United States Army Pacific is integrating generative and agentic artificial intelligence into daily operational workflows through structured 'data minutes' to streamline multi-domain combat operations. This rapid technological adoption aims to accelerate tactical decision-making cycles across the Pacific theatre while maintaining strict human-in-the-loop oversight for precision targeting. Operationalizing these capabilities follows the recent redesignation of the 7th Infantry Division into the Multi-Domain Command–Pacific, which fuses traditional ground forces with long-range precision fires, cyber, space, and electronic warfare.