What Would Trump Victory Mean For India? – OpEd

Subrata Majumder

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Come September, global futurists are scrambling to anticipate how a second term of Trump’s Presidency bode for the world and India. According to the latest opinion poll by New York Times, Kamla Harris has marginal edge over Trump. But, it does not foretell the demise of Trump chances for second term.

Kamla Harris, though half Indian by heritage, does not augur well for special priority on USA-India relation. Reality lies with the background during Biden administration, when strengthening of US-India relation was geared by President initiative, rather than Harris’ Indian heritage, the then Vice-President..

It is a mix of concern and comforts, If Trump comes back in power. Trump’s emphatic focus on protectionism is a matter of concern. At the same time Trump’s hard stand against China bode well for India in the wake of Trump likely using India to counterbalance China in Indo Pacific region.

India : Crumbling Maoist Edifice In Chhattisgarh – Analysis

Deepak Kumar Nayak

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On August 10, 2024, a Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadre was killed by Security Forces (SFs) in the forests near the Ikeli, Nelgoda, and Tumnar villages under Geedam Police Station limits in Dantewada District in the Bastar Division of Chhattisgarh. Following the gunfight, the body of a male Maoist cadre and a weapon were recovered from the site. Prima facie, the slain Maoist was a member of the CPI-Maoist ‘platoon number 16’.

On June 27, 2024, two tribals, including a woman, were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion triggered by the Maoists near the forested village of Tadelbaya under Barsoor Police Station limits in Dantewada District.

On May 23, 2024, a CPI-Maoist cadre was killed in an encounter with SFs in a forest along the Narayanpur-Bijapur border area, under the jurisdiction of the Barsoor Police Station in Dantewada District. The Maoists planted a 15-kilogramme IED with the aim of causing harm to the SFs, which was safely destroyed on the spot by the SFs. A huge cache of arms, ammunition, and explosives was also recovered. The identity of the slain Maoist was yet to be ascertained.

On May 22, 2024, at least seven Maoists were killed in an encounter with the SFs that took place in the jurisdiction of Barsoor Police Station limits in Dantewada District. The operation began at around 11am [IST] when Maoists suddenly opened fire on the Forces, and intermittent firing continued into the evening. As the Forces moved forward, they found the bodies of seven Maoists “dressed in the uniforms of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) and also their weapons”. The identities of the Maoists were yet to be ascertained.

India: Global Terror And Failure To Launch – Analysis

Ajit Kumar Singh

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On August 22, 2024, the Delhi Police Special Cell uncovered a terrorist network linked to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), arresting 11 suspects and detaining three others, in raids at 15 locations across three states, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Six suspects – Hasan Ansari, Enamul Ansari, Altaf Ansari, Arshad Khan, Umar Farooq, and Shahbaz Ansari – all residents of Jharkhand, were arrested in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan, while undergoing weapons training. They had been residing in Rajasthan for the preceding few days. Another five more suspects – Ishtiyaq Ahmed, Motiur, Rizwan, Mufti Rahmatullah, and Faizan – were arrested in Ranchi, Jharkhand, following the arrest of and disclosures by, the six arrested earlier. Three suspects were also detained from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, for questioning.

A cache of arms, ammunition and other materials were recovered during the operation, including one AK-47 rifle, a .38 bore revolver, six live cartridges of .38 bore, 30 live cartridges of .32 bore, and 30 live cartridges for the AK-47. A dummy INSAS rifle, an air rifle, an iron elbow pipe, one hand grenade, some wire, a 1.5-volt AA battery, a table watch, four ground sheets, a target, a camping tent, and various food items such as biscuits, a packet of chips, and a water bottle.

According to reports, members of the terrorist module received training, including weapons handling, at various locations, such as the jungles of the Aravalli Hills in Rajasthan. According to the Police, the module, active for several months, with its members coordinating through social media, was planning to carry out a terrorist attack in northern India during the upcoming festive season.

Biden Pentagon spokesman insisted Afghan withdrawal wasn't chaotic but his emails say otherwise

Steven Richards and John Solomon

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The Pentagon's chief spokesman has long insisted there was no "chaos" during the bungled U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, but his own email correspondence shows senior officials were acutely aware that conditions in the country were chaotic and spiraling into deadly violence, according to newly obtained government documents.

These memos and emails chronicle political efforts by the Biden/Harris administration to soft-pedal the truth to the American people about its first major foreign crisis. The documents were obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request from the nonprofit watchdog Functional Government Initiative.

The memos show, for instance, that while then-DOD Undersecretary of Communications John Kirby tried to jaw-bone reporters to portray the Afghan withdrawal as orderly like President Joe Biden had promised, he was receiving briefings from diplomats and military officials in theater who were frantic to stabilize a crisis, particularly at the Kabul airport were evacuations of Americans were taking place.

Voters blame U.S. leadership for bungled Afghanistan withdrawal and want accountability

Terrance Kible

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Anew poll of registered voters shows most blame the bungled U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on failed American leadership and planning and want accountability for the mistakes.

The Napolitan News Service poll of 1,000 registered voters between Aug. 21 and 22 was conducted on the third anniversary of President Joe Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, which resulted in the deaths of 13 Marines and the fall of the country to the Taliban.

It posed 12 questions on the Afghanistan withdrawal. Participants who followed news about Afghanistan "very closely" or "somewhat closely" numbered 43%.

More than half of the participants, 59%, correctly agreed with the statement that "13 American soldiers were killed" during the Afghanistan withdrawal. The remainder either answered incorrectly, 6%, or were "not sure," 35%.

When asked by pollster Scott Rasmussen where the blame for the deaths belonged, 54% said the deaths were "due to the failures of U.S. leadership and planning." The remaining participants saw the deaths as "an unavoidable result of any military withdrawal," 25%, or were "not sure," 21%.

Myanmar crisis to South China Sea tensions: Is PLA's Southern Theatre Command stretched?

Simantik Dowerah 

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China’s People’s Liberation Army Southern Theatre Command is facing an unprecedented strain as it prepares for a three-day live-fire drill on the Chinese side of the China-Myanmar border. This drill, set to commence on Tuesday, is a critical test of the command's capabilities as it grapples with the increasing instability in Myanmar, which poses a significant threat to China’s border security and strategic interests.

Escalating tensions and the need for vigilance

The Yunnan provincial government announced that the drill would take place in several key locations including Ruili city near the townships of Huyi and Wanting, Zhenkang county near Mengdui township and the autonomous county of Gengma Dai and Wa near Mengding town. These areas are close to the nearly 2,000-kilometre border that Yunnan shares with Myanmar making them particularly vulnerable to the spillover effects of the ongoing civil war in Myanmar.

According to South China Morning Post, the PLA Southern Theatre Command has emphasised that the primary purpose of these drills is to "test the theatre troop’s capabilities in rapid mobility, three-dimensional containment, and joint combat, to maintain the safety and stability of the border areas." This statement reflects the PLA's concerns about the growing violence in Myanmar and its potential to destabilise the border region.

Rising Tensions In The South China Sea: Can Diplomacy Prevent Conflict – Analysis

Simon Hutagalung

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The South China Sea has long been a focal point for geopolitical tensions due to conflicting territorial claims made by several Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, against China’s expansive claims. This region holds significant importance due to its abundant natural resources and strategic role in global shipping routes. Consequently, it has witnessed numerous confrontations, often characterized by China’s assertiveness.

In recent developments, the Philippines has accused China of escalating aggressive behaviour, such as the ramming of a Philippine vessel and the deployment of water cannons near the Second Thomas Shoal. These actions have exacerbated tensions and underscored the urgent need for diplomatic intervention and adherence to international maritime laws, to maintain regional stability and avert potential conflicts.

Overview of the Incident

The incident in question occurred in the vicinity of the Second Thomas Shoal, an area located within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), but contested by China as part of its “nine-dash line” territorial assertion. The accusations put forth by the Philippines revolve around two specific actions: the ramming of a Philippine vessel and the usage of water cannons against another Philippine boat.

China Copies US “Manned-Unmanned” Teaming With Different Twist

Kris Osborn

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What if a US Navy unmanned surface vessel’s vertical towed array sonar trailing beneath the surface detects and enemy submarine in position to attack US surface warships with torpedoes, and instantly shares critical time-sensitive data with both undersea and aerial drones in position to respond. A forward-positioned undersea drone might either function as an explosive to attack the enemy submarine or transmit targeting data to a US Navy submarine in position to attack from safer stand-off distances. Perhaps an aerial drone or helicopter can use laser scanning and EO/IR targeting to find and destroy the enemy submarine target when it comes close to the surface, by virtue of receiving location data from surface and undersea drones. Of greatest significance, a decision to attack and destroy a manned enemy submarine using the processed and networked intelligence can be made by human decision makers performing command and control from the surface, air or undersea. This kind of scenario, drawing upon both the speed of AI-enabled data processing and human decision-making faculties, is precisely the kind of Concept of Operation now being pursued by US weapons developers both within and across the military services. With US military progress advancing these technologies and concepts at lightning speed, many are likely to wonder what US adversaries such as Russia and China are doing in this area.

America Must Present an Alternative to China’s First BRI Project

Farrell Gregory

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The great power competition for tomorrow’s critical mineral supplies will play out in African ports and mines. Despite falling behind China in foreign investment, America has the opportunity to catch up and secure access to the resources that power next-generation military and commercial technologies. But to compete, we must understand China’s role as an alternative lender and developmental partner. Out of all African countries, Tanzania best exemplifies the potential of Chinese engagement as well as the danger that America and its allies could be shut out of an essential supply chain for critical minerals.

China and Tanzania have long enjoyed a close relationship since establishing relations in 1964. In 1970, the two countries began work on the TAZARA rail line. Funded largely by grants from the PRC, the expansive project stretched for over 1,000 miles to connect landlocked Zambia to coastal Tanzania.

The TAZARA railway also became an early test for Beijing’s now-familiar BRI formula. Using Chinese materials, overseen by Chinese firms, and in total employing over 50,000 Chinese workers, the railway offered an opportunity for the PRC to expand its construction industry and diplomatic footprint abroad. Upon its completion in 1975, the rail stood both as an example of successful cooperation between China and other developing countries and as a cornerstone of the burgeoning Sino-Tanzanian relationship. It also created a potential route for natural resource extraction. By linking northern Zambia with Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city and main port, the TAZARA line could serve to transport copper, cobalt, and other critical minerals from the African interior. Today, the railway is in a state of disrepair, as Tanzania has long sought aid to modernize the line from China. But recently the PRC committed to spending up to $1 billion to modernize the rail line – an investment which could transform TAZARA into the lynchpin of Beijing’s African mineral supply chain.

China's Property Rescue Plan Isn't Working

Giulia Carbonaro

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The Chinese government's efforts to stabilize its struggling property sector have failed and the industry's problems are likely to continue putting downward pressure on the country's economy, experts have told Newsweek.

In recent months, particularly following April's meeting of the Chinese Communist Party's powerful Politburo, there have been attempts to stabilize the nation's property market after it was thrown in disarray in 2021 when real estate giant Evergrande Group defaulted on interest repayments.

But despite the introduction of measures, which included reducing down-payment requirements in some places, getting rid of the floor of mortgage rates and easing purchase restrictions, "there's still no evidence that these measures are doing anything near enough to stabilize the market," David Lubin, the Michael Klein Senior Research Fellow in the Global Economy and Finance Programme at Chatham House think tank, told Newsweek.

Unmasking the US cognitive warfare against China

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You might have noticed that "China Travel" is trending both on Chinese and international social media. As China expands the scope of its visa-free travel policy, an increasing number of curious foreigners, including many vloggers, are coming to explore a country they have heard so much about but never visited before. Unsurprisingly, many of them find that the real China they see and experience first-hand is totally different from what they were told back home. By taking the "seeing is believing" antidote, they are breaking free of the persistent indoctrination about China by Western media.

It's no secret that some people in the US are trying to wage a cognitive war against China. By repeating false accusations and spreading disinformation, they aim to tarnish the reputation of China, the one it labels as "primary rival", and make the world believe that somehow China is a "global villain", so that they could galvanize more resources and hoax more people into containing China's development and retain US global hegemony or dominance, whatever you call it. Some recent revelations once again attest to this fact.

Disinformation operations on social media

In June, an exposé by Reuters revealed a year-long anti-vax disinformation campaign since spring 2020 by the Pentagon to discredit China's pandemic relief efforts across Southeast Asia, especially the Philippines, as well as in Central Asia and parts of the Middle East. The campaign involved creating fake accounts to spread rumors that the virus was a bioweapon engineered by China and that Chinese vaccines contained prohibited substances.

Iran Says Israel ‘Lost Deterrent Power’ After Hezbollah Attack

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Israel has reportedly launched new strikes at Hizballah, which has been designated at terrorist organization by the United States, just inside Lebanon a day after a heavy exchange of missile and drone attacks between the two foes that Iran claimed showed a shift in the balance of power.

State media reported on August 26 that Israel targeted the border village of Tair Harfa and an area near Sidon in Lebanon a day after Hizballah launched scores of rockets and drones against targets in northern and central Israel in the early hours of August 25. The attack came shortly after Israel carried out what it described as preemptive strikes targeting Hizballah’s rocket launchers.

There were no immediate reports of casualties from Israel’s strikes on August 26.

Iran said on August 26 that the exchange of fire, which marked one of the largest clashes to hit the Middle East since war broke out in the Gaza Strip last October, showed Israel has lost not only its ability to anticipate small-scale attacks but also its deterrent power.

Iran Says Response To Hamas Chief’s Killing In Tehran Will Be ‘Precise And Calculated’

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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told his Italian counterpart that Iran’s response to last month’s killing of Hamas’ political chief in Tehran “will be inevitable, precise, and calculated.”

A statement from Iran’s foreign ministry on Monday describing a phone call between Araqchi and Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also reported Araqchi saying Iran does not seek to escalate tensions but does not fear it.

Iran has blamed Israel for the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, while Israel has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.

The killing helped raised fears of a wider regional conflict along with the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hamas in the Gaza Strip and daily cross-border fighting between Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

Araqchi’s comments followed a spike in Israel-Hezbollah fighting on Sunday during which each side launched hundreds of strikes.

“We are striking Hezbollah with surprising, crushing blows,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting. “This is another step towards changing the situation in the north and safely returning our residents to their homes. And, I repeat, this is not the final word.”

How the Israel Cyber Campus is preparing the next generation of cyber warrior

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Cyber security is a top priority for the world’s largest companies including Alphabet, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon, which have all made huge investments in developing the field. However, even with billions of dollars allotted for cyber, all the world’s largest companies struggle with the same problem: an inability to hire skilled cybersecurity employees.

In fact, according to a study by the nonprofit cybersecurity association, (ISC)2, there is a worldwide gap of 3.4 million cybersecurity workers and the gap is growing faster than the workforce. This gap significantly reduces the effectiveness of cybersecurity efforts that are necessary to protect organizations from attacks.

“Cyber is warfare,” said Yigal Unna, the president of the Israel Cyber Campus, which was established to address this skill gap. “Cyber employees are warriors. They need to face real-life adversity and train to be warriors just like warriors train in judo.”

The Greats Agree: Ukraine's Kursk Offensive Is Strategic Malpractice

James Holmes

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Strategic grandmasters would upbraid Ukraine’s leadership for hurling an offensive into the Russian border district of Kursk. Sure, Carl von Clausewitz, the Prussian soldier-scribe of everlasting renown, countenanced opening secondary theaters or operations under certain circumstances. But he did so grudgingly. Clausewitz cautioned commanders to divert forces only on a not-to-interfere basis with success in the primary theater, which after all represents the theater of greatest consequence as the leadership defines it.

This is sage counsel. If nothing else, strategy means setting and enforcing priorities. This takes self-discipline. It makes little strategic sense to hazard what matters most for the sake of something that matters less, no matter how beguiling. For Ukraine—a combatant that stands in mortal peril—the foremost priority must be to hold as much Ukrainian ground as possible while striving to regain lost ground. Kursk is great from a fist-pumping standpoint. Apart from that its benefits appear lackluster.

As he does for so many martial enterprises, Clausewitz enunciates a simple formula to help the leadership fathom whether to open a secondary theater or operation. Some years ago I took to calling it Clausewitz’s Three R’s, namely reward, risk, and resources. A new endeavor, that is, must not merely promise nice-to-have gains. It must be “exceptionally rewarding.” He presents no units of measurement for exceptional reward, but his message is stark: if it is not necessary to do this, it is necessary not to do it.

Shock For Russia! Ukraine’s Slow & Bulky UAVs ‘Outclass’ Its Superfast & Stealthy Cruise Missiles; Here’s How

Vijainder K Thakur

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Large and slow-flying Ukrainian drones like the UJ-22 Airborne and the A-22 Foxbat have had good success in penetrating Russia’s much-vaunted layered air defense. The drones have repeatedly struck heavily defended Russian air bases and energy storage and processing installations.

The Ukrjet UJ-22 Airborne is a single-engine drone that can either carry an internal warhead or several air-dropped bombs weighing up to 20 kg. It has a traditional light aircraft layout with straight high wings and a tractor propeller, simple straight wings, and fixed undercarriage.

The 3.7-meter-long drone, with a 4.2-meter-wide wing span, is one of the largest kamikaze drones known to be in service. It has a range of 800 km. The A22 Foxbat is a similar large drone.

Recent Damaging Ukrainian Drone Attacks

Since the start of the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk on August 6, Ukrainian drones have targeted air bases at Baltimor and Borisoglebsk in the Voronezh region and Savasleyka in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

Populist challenge leads stodgy German parties towards political chaos

Henry Olsen

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The smallest party in Germany’s tripartite government, the Free Democrats (FDP), have been angering their coalition allies with a series of recent policy pronouncements. It is clear their leader, Finance Minister Christian Lindner, is trying to revive the party’s flagging fortunes by provoking his more left-wing partners.

It is less clear how this turns out well for the FDP or the quest for a stable German government.

Lindner’s gambits have generally reinforced the FDP’s image of a pro-business, fiscally conservative party. He has insisted that German budgets adhere to the constitutional “debt brake” which limits annual deficit spending to 0.35 per cent of GDP unless the Bundestag declares an emergency.

The other coalition parties, the Social Democrats (SDP) and Greens, would like to use the Russian invasion of Ukraine as an excuse to waive the debt limit, but Lindner is having none of that. The result is that the significantly increased social and climate spending they want is off the table.

Hot Summer: Russia and Europe

Edward Lucas

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Appease Russia or confront it, spies and saboteurs will target you regardless. Germans worry that sending Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine would lead to a dangerous confrontation. But as far as the Kremlin is concerned, their country is already a target.

Earlier this summer, CNN broke the story of a plan to assassinate the chief executive of the German arms giant Rheinmetall, along with other weapons industry executives. That story has gone oddly quiet. But Russian activity has continued. German prosecutors say they are investigating “the suspicion of espionage activity for sabotage purposes” following repeated drone flights over critical energy infrastructure in Schleswig-Holstein.

This story has several depressing features. The drones have been buzzing around for weeks, at least. They are thought to be launched from merchant vessels in the North Sea. The German police drones tried to follow the intruders but could not match their speeds of 90 kph (55 mph). This is not 1945, when Allied air forces flew freely over the shattered remains of the Third Reich. Germany is one of the richest countries in the world. It should do a better job of defending its airspace.

Ukraine war a lose-lose proposition for all concerned

Alexander Casella

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Some two and a half years after Russia launched its “special military operation” against Ukraine there appears to be little thought given to how the conflict could realistically end. Currently, both parties claim that their goal is “victory.”

For President Volodymyr Zelensky, this entails the return to Ukraine of all the territories occupied by Russia, including Crimea, and NATO membership.

For President Vladimir Putin victory means that Russia gets to keep the territories it seized from its neighbor and that Ukraine not only abstains from joining NATO but acknowledges that it is part of Russia’s sphere of influence.

In other words, each party demands the unqualified capitulation of its adversary as of today. Given the current circumstances, these conditions are not likely to be met, and if recent history is a guideline, they probably never will be.

Putin’s Control over Russia Might Not Be As Secure As He Thinks

Alexander Motyl

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A few days ago, another mercenary leader called for Russian President Putin’s overthrow. Now, a leading political player of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) has issued a dire warning to Russia’s self-elected president.

Aleksandr Vaskovsky, 52, is no small fry. Since April 2017, he’s served as acting chairman of the DNR Supreme Council and co-chairman of the Independent Trade Union of Miners. A DNR patriot and proud son of Mother Russian, he knows of which he speaks. And if he speaks critically, he must mean it.

Here’s what he had to say about life in the DNR in an interview with the pro-Putin Russian blogger, Pavel Ivanov:

“Here’s what we hear in private conversations. The people have had enough. When there accumulates a critical mass of people and participants of the Special Military Operation [the war against Ukraine] with combat experience, all their anger and fury will be enhanced by our organizational abilities and technologies. Then, I fear, neither the prosecutor’s agencies nor the special services will be able to control things…. Don’t push people to their limit, because we will not be able to control them.”

Authorities Arrest Telegram CEO Pavel Durov at a Paris Airport, French Media Report

BARBARA SURK

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The founder and CEO of the messaging service Telegram was detained at a Paris airport on an arrest warrant alleging his platform has been used for money laundering, drug trafficking and other offenses, French media reported Sunday.

Pavel Durov, a dual citizen of France and Russia, was taken into custody at Paris-Le Bourget Airport on Saturday evening after landing in France from Azerbaijan, according to broadcasters LCI and TF1.

Investigators from the National Anti-Fraud Office, attached to the French customs department, notified Durov, 39, that he was being placed in police custody, the broadcasters said.

Durov’s representatives couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.

French prosecutors declined to comment on Durov's arrest when contacted by The Associated Press on Sunday, in line with regulations during an ongoing investigation.

French media reported that the warrant for Durov was issued by France at the request of the special unit at the country's interior ministry in charge of investigating crimes against minors. Those include online sexual exploitation, such as possession and distribution of child sexual abuse content and grooming for sexual purposes.

Facebuck: The Political Economy of the Libra ‘Stablecoin’

Jose Miguel Alonso-Trabanco

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From a long-range perspective, private money is not a new phenomenon. Meaningful precedents include commercial bills of exchange controlled by financiers during the Renaissance and money minted by the English East India Company as a nonstate quasi-authority. In the digital age, the proliferation of FinTech —an innovation of the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”— has encouraged private firms to launch their own cybercurrencies. Furthermore, the possibility of supranational money has been proposed more than once, but none of these plans has taken off. In the deliberations under the umbrella of the Bretton Woods conference, British economist John Maynard Keynes suggested the creation of ‘bancor’ as a gold-backed monetary invention designed to diminish the risks of competitive devaluations and wild fluctuations in exchange rates. Such problems threatened both global macroeconomic stability and world peace. Despite its theoretical advantages for the preservation of financial, monetary and strategic stability, the United States rejected bancor because it was preferable for American national interests to ensure the dollar’s dominance as hegemonic reserve currency. On the other hand, in the 60s, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) formulated the Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) as an artificial multilateral concoction that would operate as internal unit of account and reserve asset. Since the value of the SDRs is supported by a plural integrative basket of hard currencies, the SDRs can hypothetically act as stable money on a global scale. Yet, their monetisation remains negligible because they still cannot be used in private cross-border financial and commercial transactions.

Will the AI Revolution Lead to Greater Prosperity?

DIANE COYLE

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As global economic growth slows, many hope technological innovation is a potential solution. The International Monetary Fund’s latest World Economic Outlook, for example, highlighted the potential of artificial intelligence to boost productivity and GDP. But the report also warns that given the uncertainties surrounding the extent of AI’s impact, such forecasts should be approached with a dose of caution. While AI could usher in an era of prosperity, this outcome depends on how these emerging technologies evolve.

The current wave of techno-optimism, along with anxiety about emerging technologies’ potential implications for labor markets, can be attributed to the notion that AI is what economists call a “general-purpose technology.” Such innovations permeate the entire economy rather than being confined to a single sector.

General-purpose technologies can be divided into two broad categories: those that revolutionized energy, such as the steam engine and electricity, and those that transformed communication, like the printing press and the telephone. Although such innovations often take years, even decades, to realize their full potential, they can lead to a surge in productivity and rapid economic growth.

When it comes to military AI, there is no second place - Opinion

Adm. Gary Roughead, U.S. Navy (Retired)

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When future military capabilities are discussed these days, artificial intelligence and how it will change the nature of warfare is at the top of the list.

But within the Pentagon and the services, AI ambition does not match current budgetary realities.

And while more money is rarely the answer to every Defense Department shortcoming, militaries are what they buy.

As a former Chief of Naval Operations and former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who continues to participate in non-governmental dialogues in Asia, to include with China, I’ve followed China’s impressive military growth.

Chinese ships, aircraft, and technology are not as good as ours, but they are buying more and rapidly getting better. The dialogue agendas and discussions have also evolved, to include transformational technologies with AI top of mind. Unquestionably, as we move deeper into the AI modernization war, Beijing is buying in that space and doubling down.

Army progressing toward Theater Information Advantage Detachments deployments

Carley Welch

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The Army is making strides towards standing up its Theater Information Advantage Detachments (TIADS), a new kind of unit that seeks to monitor the information warfare efforts of adversarial nations like China and Russia at the field level.

Thanks to the hefty amount of equipment and personnel needed, these organizations are scheduled to stand up in fiscal year 2026. Lt. Gen. Maria Barrett, commanding general of Army Cyber Command, said this week that the service has received positive feedback to the idea internally.

She said that other “theaters were already itching to get this capability, so much so that organically, they pulled people from different areas in order to really start, jump-start their campaign of learning,” Barrett said, as she closed out the 2024 TechNet Augusta conference. These “different areas” referred to the redesignation of the US Army Pacific’s G39 staff, a group responsible for information activities, to the TIADs.

In February, the Army Force Structure Transformation plan approved the creation of three TIADS — one detachment in Europe, the other in the Pacific region and an interterritorial detachment for the Army Cyber Command.