News Monitors analysis shows that the use of Russian Wagner Group mercenaries by the military government in Mali is causing increased activity by Islamic terrorist groups in the region, and drawing criticism from neighboring countries.… Read More The Security Situation in Mali: The Impact of the Wagner Group and Islamic Terrorists
In the commercial space imagery industry, competition is heating up as companies strive to hold onto their dominant positions and profit margins. Maxar Technologies, the largest supplier of satellite photos and other imagery to commercial and government customers, recently went private in a $6.4 billion deal with private equity fund Advent International. This move allows Maxar more flexibility in making business decisions and to rely less on stock markets for capital. However, rival SpaceX has announced a new subsidiary called Starshield to provide enhanced versions of Starlink technology and larger earth-imaging satellites to provide whatever sensing capabilities a national security customer wants. This includes photos, real-time video and all manner of data which satellite sensors can collect. This new subsidiary aims to take business away from commercial firms like Blacksky and Maxtar that already have government contracts for persistent imaging. The market for OSINT is constantly evolving, and companies are competing to stay at the forefront of the industry.… Read More Uncovering the Intelligence Community’s Battle for OSINT Dominance: An Analysis by News Monitors
How Russia’s post-cold war submarine program fell behind schedule, and the impact it had on their naval capabilities At the end of 2022 Russia put the Suvorov (K-553), its sixth Borei class SSBN (nuclear ballistic missile sub) into service. Suvorov is the third of the marginally improved Borei B SSBNs, which carry the same 16… Read More News Monitors Feed: Russia’s Borei Class SSBNs: A History of Delays and Cost Overruns
The United States has recently sent a shipment of weapons to Ukraine, including Patriot air defense systems and JDAM smart bomb kits to convert unguided bombs into GPS-guided bombs. The shipment also includes more GMLRS guided rockets and Excalibur GPS guided 155mm artillery shells. There are also more HARM anti-radar missiles, HIMARS launcher vehicles, Cougar… Read More Arms Delivery to Ukraine: An Analysis of the Latest Weapons Systems. Including Patriot Air Defense Systems, JDAM Smart Bombs, and More
SpaceX has announced the creation of a new subsidiary, Starshield, which will utilize enhanced versions of Starlink technology and larger earth-imaging satellites equipped with sensors to provide a range of data collection services for national security agencies such as the NSA and CIA. This includes the ability to capture photos, real-time video, and various forms… Read More Starshield: The Next Revolution in Military Intelligence Gathering
News Monitors Analysis: The Syrian conflict continues to be a complex and multifaceted war, with various countries and non-state actors vying for influence and control. Israel, Turkey, and Russia have all been actively involved in the conflict, with Israel conducting airstrikes against Syrian targets, Turkey supporting Syrian rebel groups and carrying out its own airstrikes,… Read More Conflict in Syria: Recent Incidents and Interventions by Israel, Turkey, and Russia
“Russian Sleeper Agents: A Comprehensive Guide” Russian sleeper agents, also known as “illegals”, have been a problem for years, with more being activated in recent years for various tasks including espionage. Since the invasion of Ukraine, sleepers have been activated to gather information on NATO’s efforts to support the Ukrainian war effort. European counterintelligence agencies… Read More Espionage in Europe: “The Threat of Russian Sleeper Agents”
The U.S. is once again aggressively banning Chinese-manufactured digital communications equipment. Let us all be thankful. On Dec. 2 the Federal Communications Commission expanded and toughened its ban on the “sale and import” of Chinese technology manufactured by firms the FCC determined present an “unacceptable risk” to U.S. national security. The firms include Huawei Technologies… Read More Chinese Dual Use Technology. From 5G to IOT Devices, System “backdoors” Used As Offensive Weapons.
A month ago Russia revealed that commercial space satellite-based services might be considered a legitimate target because Starlink provides Ukrainian forces with superior communications than what Russian troops have, while Maxar commercial photo satellites have documented Russian failures in Ukraine in embarrassing detail. What the Russians don’t discuss openly is the fact that Russian EW… Read More Report: Russian EW (Electronic Warfare) equipment and ASAT (anti-satellite) systems have both proved incapable of shutting down Starlink and Maxar
Turkish arms developers and manufacturers have introduced a new loitering munition called Alpagut. This is a 45 kg (99 pound) UAV with an endurance of 60-90 minutes and a range of about 60 kilometers from the aircraft or UAV that launched it. There is a 11 kg (33 pound) warhead that can be used against… Read More Turkish UAV’s: A New Loitering Munition Called Alpagut.