Research Team - Washington Institute For Defence & Security

07 Aug 21

Drones War: Iran is transforming the Middle East

Propaganda can be just as essential as actual breakthroughs in drone conflicts. Everyone that builds drones seemed to be copying each other. The Sentinel was a replica of Iran’s Saegeh. Iran’s jet-powered Simorgh, the Shahed S-171, is also a replica of the US Sentinel drone, which was initially deployed by Tehran in 2014. The IRGC’s […]

07 Aug 21

The US approves $750 million arms sales to Taiwan, China vows to hit back

The sale of self-propelled howitzers and GPS-guided artillery shell kits to Taiwan has been approved by the US State Department, marking the Biden administration’s first such permission for the self-ruling country. On Wednesday afternoon, the Defense Security and Cooperation Agency, or DSCA, approved Taiwan’s purchase of 40 M-109A6 Paladin 155mm self-propelled howitzers, as well as […]

07 Aug 21

UN: North Korea is developing nuclear missile programs in 2021

According to an excerpt of a classified United Nations report, North Korea continues to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs in defiance of international sanctions and despite the country’s worsening economic circumstances during the first half of 2021. A team of independent sanctions monitors submitted a report to the United Nations. Pyongyang “continued to […]

07 Aug 21

Five more terrorists have been added to the US State Department’s worldwide terrorist list.

The State Department said on Friday that five suspected Islamist militants have been added to its Specially Designated Global Terrorist list, requiring any ownership or interests in U.S. properties they possess to be blocked. Individuals or foreign financial institutions who engage in specific transactions with the five might face US penalties as a result of […]

06 Aug 21

Egypt obtains its fourth submarine from Germany

Egypt’s fourth German-built S-44 submarine arrived at its Alexandria naval station on Monday, according to the Egyptian Navy. In a statement, Egyptian Armed Forces spokesperson Gharib Abdel Hafez said, “This latest addition to Egyptian naval forces represents a huge reinforcement for the capabilities of the Egyptian army, which will contribute to the protection of the […]

06 Aug 21

Isolation of the Russian internet and its consequences for Russian cyber activity

President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin announced their commitment to future, lower-level cybersecurity discussions after their meeting in Geneva. Biden claimed he pushed Putin to crack down on cybercrime in Russia during a press conference conducted separately from Putin. Yet, just weeks later, over the July 4 weekend, a Russian criminal gang launched a […]

06 Aug 21

Baykar building a shipborne fleet of combat drones in Turkey.

Baykar, a Turkish drone manufacturer, has revealed fresh information about its newest drone, which is meant to take off from ships loaded with unmanned aircraft. The Bayraktar TB-3, which is still under development, will be a larger and more competent model in the same family as the TB-2, according to Selcuk Bayraktar, the company’s chief […]

06 Aug 21

Does the US Arms Sales Policy need revision?

The United States’ policy on arms sales is out of control. Since 2002, the United States has sold significant conventional weapons and accompanying military assistance to 167 nations for more than $197 billion. President Donald Trump signed a record number of arms agreements in his first year in office, potentially totaling hundreds of billions of […]

06 Aug 21

Facebook is too little, too late when it comes to combating online disinformation campaigns

Facebook has yet again come under fire for failing to stem anti-vaccination disinformation on its platform. But its failure to do so is not unprecedented; Facebook repeatedly hosts a variety of disinformation campaigns, ranging from allowing far-right extremist merchandise pages to allowing authoritarian nations to pay for adverts filled with false information. No action taken […]

18 Jun 21

Can the NATO overcome Russian army capabilities?

There is little doubt that Russia’s annexation of Crimea and other acts of aggression in Ukraine have given birth to a new era of instability in Europe, redrawing borders by force and raising hostility and the possibility of conflict between NATO and Russia. These elements have already been observed in post-World War II history. There […]