Despite optimistic talk from top diplomats in both the US and Saudi Arabia, regional experts don’t see any movement in the near term, due both to Riyadh’s demands and the Gaza conflict.
By Agnes Helou“How are we going to reduce civilian deaths to the smallest amount humanly possible?” asked Palantir’s Alex Karp this week. “That is a tech problem.”
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.“We are assessing. We have not made any final decisions on this yet,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said about a shipment of Boeing-made weapons to Israel. “But yes, there are some things we are taking a closer look at.”
By Aaron MehtaDavid Harel, CEO of the Israeli firm Asio Technologies, told Breaking Defense his company’s Orion device has deployed by the thousands with Israeli soldiers in Gaza.
By Seth J. FrantzmanBreaking Defense talked with a tank company commander who is helping to create the new units, which will mean less reliance on reservists for tank operations.
By Seth J. FrantzmanOver 300 drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles were launched by Iran at Israel, but 99 percent were intercepted, US officials said.
By Ashley RoqueIsrael’s Sa’ar 6s have seen extensive operations during the war in Gaza in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
By Seth J. Frantzman“If we don’t see changes from their side, they’ll have to be changes from our side,” said National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
By Ashley Roque and Valerie InsinnaThe new brigade represents a consolidation of Israeli forces in the north, which an IDF official told Breaking Defense made sense as operating across the whole mountainous area requires specialized gear, vehicles and training.
By Seth J. FrantzmanDiscussing Israel’s protections for civilians in its bombing campaign of Gaza, Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said that after observing an Israeli strike cell in late 2023, Jerusalem’s forces were “making a bona fide effort to adhere to the law of armed conflict.”
By Michael MarrowThe report from the Secure World Foundation also notes the “dismal” state of cybersecurity for space systems infrastructure.
By Michael MarrowRoy Riftin says AI can help ground forces identify threats, as long as it defends against false flags and keeps a human in “the loop.”
By Seth J. FrantzmanThe Army has sent lawmakers a $2.2 billion unfunded priority list for FY25, while US Central Command says it would happily funnel an additional $450 million towards regional security.
By Ashley Roque and Valerie Insinna“There’s no way we go into a large-scale fight without relying on allies and partners for supply chain airfields [and ports]. We’ve identified [those], you know, down to every airfield and port there is,” said Army Materiel Command head Gen. Charles Hamilton. “Have we done the same thing here in the United States?”
By Ashley Roque