Security & Defense
The PLA, the US Indo-Pacific Command, the Quad, AUKUS and the emerging security architecture of the region.
Blockade vs. Blockade: The Unnecessary Energy Crisis in the Strait of Hormuz
President Trump's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz challenges Iran's control but risks confrontation with China and a global energy crisis.
US Navy Deploys AI to Counter Iranian Mines in Strait of Hormuz
The US Navy has begun clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran deployed a small number of mines in the waterway. AI-powered sonar s
Chinese-linked tanker tests US blockade in Strait of Hormuz, raising risk of confrontation
The Chinese-linked tanker Rich Starry has transited the Strait of Hormuz despite a US blockade. The incident raises the risk of a direct con
Iran War Inflicts Irreversible Losses on US Credibility and Regional Order
The US-Iran war has cost $28 billion, killed over 1,500 Iranians, and shattered regional stability. No peace deal has emerged, and US credib
Trump's Hormuz Blockade Raises Global Tensions, Drawing Parallels to Pre-WWI Alliances
Former US President Donald Trump has announced a US Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to intercept vessels paying tolls to
Allied Shipyards Seen as Vital to Closing US Naval Gap with China
The US Navy faces a widening shipbuilding gap as China expands its fleet. A new report from the Center for Maritime Strategy urges deeper co
Russian Naval Patrols Deter Estonia from Inspecting Sanctions-Busting Oil Tankers
Estonian Navy Commander Ivo Vark stated his forces will no longer board Russian 'shadow fleet' tankers in the Baltic Sea, citing heightened
Medieval Christian Rhetoric Fuels Modern Islamophobia in US-Iran Conflict
US political figures are invoking medieval Christian critiques of Islam to frame the conflict with Iran. Historians trace these tropes from
The Third China Shock: How Cost Asymmetry is Reshaping Indo-Pacific Defense
A new era of defense economics, termed the 'Third China Shock,' prioritizes mass-produced, low-cost systems over expensive, exquisite platfo
US Air Force Faces Critical Shortfalls in Sustaining a Prolonged Conflict with China
Multiple US defense studies warn the Air Force is too small and outdated to sustain a prolonged conflict with China, particularly over Taiwa
AI-Driven Biology Outpaces Governance, Raising Dual-Use Risks Across Indo-Pacific
AI models like OpenAI's GPT-5 are autonomously designing and executing tens of thousands of biological experiments via robotic cloud labs. T
Quad's Rare Earth Strategy Confronts Myanmar's Fragmented Control
The Quad's push to secure critical minerals is complicated by China's near-monopoly on refining and the Kachin Independence Organization's c