Areas of Expertise - Washington Institute For Defence & Security

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 […]

14 Apr 21

US withdrawal from Afghanistan shows Biden’s bravery

The Biden administration’s plan to pull all American soldiers out of Afghanistan by September 11, 2021 was a good strategic move that required a lot of political bravery. The administration rightly judged that continuing the US military presence in Afghanistan has become a strategic burden and a pointless investment that has lost its potential to […]

09 Mar 21

NATO Tests Maritime Security Drone

NATO Maritime Air (MARAIR) Operations team carried out a communications test flight with the NATO Alliance Ground System (AGS) during its flight on February 25, 2021. As the AGS was flying over the Central Mediterranean, MARAIR based out of NATO Maritime Command headquarters in Northwood, U.K. was able to establish a communications link to the […]

08 Mar 21

India’s S-400 deal with Russia may trigger US sanctions: Congressional Report

WASHINGTON : India’s multi-billion dollar deal to purchase the Russian-made S-400 air defence system may trigger US sanctions on New Delhi, a US Congressional report has warned. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) – an independent and bipartisan research wing of US Congress – in its latest report to Congress, said India is “eager for more technology-sharing […]

08 Mar 21

Difficult post-ISIS challenges emerge for US, allies

BY SETH J. FRANTZMAN, The Hill – With the military defeat of ISIS in Syria, its once large “caliphate” that stretched across Iraq and Syria has been reduced to dozens of tents near the Euphrates River. Now, new challenges are arising. ISIS members from Western countries are demanding a right to return to their home […]

08 Mar 21

The U.S. Army’s Massive 155mm Cannons Can Now Kill from Long-Range

by Kris Osborn – National Interest – For decades, mobile and Self-Propelled Army 155mm artillery cannons maxed out ranges at about 30-to-40km, until now. In recent years the Army has massively extended the range at which its GPS-guided precision rounds can attack, by architecting a first-of-its-kind Extended Range Cannon Artillery program Due to its continued role providing […]

08 Mar 21

Putin’s Secret Weapon: Russia’s Tsirkon Hypersonic Missile Is Nasty

By Peter Suciu – In December of last year, the Russian Northern Fleet’s Project 22350 frigate Admiral of the Soviet Union Fleet Gorshkov successfully conducted a test-launch of a Tsirkon hypersonic missile. It was fired from the Russian warship in the White Sea against a target 450 km away in the Barents Sea. It was the third test in as many […]

08 Mar 21

Russia’s Military Mission Creep Advances to a New Front: Africa

By Eric Schmitt, NY Times March 31, 2019 – OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso — Russia has been steadily expanding its military influence across Africa, alarming Western officials with increasing arms sales, security agreements and training programs for unstable countries or autocratic leaders. In the Central African Republic, where a Russian has been installed as the president’s national security […]