missiles

No missiles, no rifles, no bombs. Ukrainian drones are carrying a type of cargo unprecedented in war: elderly people

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During the Soviet blockade of Berlin in 1948, an American pilot began to throw chocolates tied to small cloth parachutes on children watching the planes from Tempelhof airport. That improvised initiative ended up becoming the famous “Operation Little Vittles“, one of the most unexpected images of the Cold War: military aircraft used to carry hope instead of weapons. Decades later, Ukraine is finding equally unusual uses for its war machines. Lifesaving robots. For years, unmanned vehicles were associated with a very specific idea: transporting weapons, ammunition or explosives where the risk for soldiers was too high. The war in Ukraine is expanding that definition with an image that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago. In some of the most dangerous sectors of the front, the same ground drones that are part of the war machinery are being used to evacuate elderly people trapped between bombings, mines and artillery fire. In a conflict marked by the automation of combat, one of the most unexpected loads carried by these vehicles are not projectiles or supplies, but old people who no longer have a safe way to leave their homes. Rescue through no man’s land. The last known operation took place near Limánin the Donetsk region. While carrying out a logistics mission, a ground drone unit from the Kraken group was approached by a woman who asked for help to leave the area along with three other people, one of them injured by shrapnel. After coordinating the procedure for days, the operators sent a Zmiy Logistic vehiclea kind of remote-controlled four-wheeled buggy capable of transporting up to about 500 kilos of cargo. The drone traveled about 16 kilometers to the agreed point, rpicked up the four evacuees and began the return journey to a river crossing where Ukrainian soldiers completed the rescue and took the wounded to a hospital. The impossible life in the gray zone. These rescues They show a less visible reality of war. Despite years of fighting, there are still civilians living in the so-called “gray zone”, a strip of land disputed between both armies that can reach between 16 and 20 kilometers wide. There are practically no public services, shops, schools or hospitals left there. Power outages are common and bombings are part of the daily routine. However, many older people continue to resist in those places because they don’t want to leave the houses where they have lived all their lives, because they care for sick relatives or because they hope that the war will end before being forced to leave permanently. Iron soldiers on a new mission. It is not an isolated case. They remembered in Insider that in early April, another 77-year-old Ukrainian woman was evacuated from the same area using a ground drone operated by the 60th Mechanized Brigade. The images They went around the world because the soldiers approached her with a blanket on which a message as simple as it was revealing could be read: “Grandma, get on.” The scene summarizes the extent to which these systems are evolving. Originally designed to transport supplies, plant explosives or even assemble remote weaponry, the so-called “iron soldiers” are beginning to take on rescue tasks that previously would have required exposing soldiers or volunteers to extreme danger. Total automation. Behind these stories there is a much deeper transformation. Ukraine and Russia are accelerating the incorporation of unmanned ground vehicles to carry out missions that They are too risky for people. Some carry ammunition, some carry medical supplies, and some incorporate remote-controlled weapons. The Ukrainian goal is especially ambitious: Minister of Digital Transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, has announced the purchase of 25,000 ground drones during the first half of 2026 and aspires for all frontline logistics to one day depend on these systems. During the first quarter of the year alone, unmanned vehicles performed more than 21,500 missions. Unexpected consequences. The usual image of military innovation may be associated with increasingly destructive systems, but the Ukrainian experience is showing an unexpected consequence of that technological revolution. The same robots that were born to keep soldiers away from danger are being used to remove vulnerable civilians from some of the most dangerous places in Europe. As militaries race to automate combat, ground-based drones are proving military technology can play a role, too completely different: become the ultimate escape vehicle for those trapped in the ruins of an endless war. Image | ArmyInform In Xataka | Storks have become the best anti-drone weapon of war. And Russia and Ukraine are taking note In Xataka | Ukraine has been terrorizing Russian soldiers with its heavy drones for years. Now they are literally giving it back.

one where the US does not discuss Iran’s missiles, bombs or uranium

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During the so-called “tanker war,” a single Iranian missile against a ship in the Persian Gulf was enough to skyrocket the price of oil and forcing the United States to escort civilian ships between mines and maritime attacks. Decades later, the Strait of Hormuz still has the same capacity to unnerve the entire world economy in a matter of hours. The war that was going to destroy the Iranian nuclear program. The great paradox of the possible agreement between the United States and Iran is that the war officially began to stop the Iranian nuclear program and could end, at least dand momentwithout resolving practically any of the issues that justified the conflict. Washington and Tehran are close to cmiss an understanding temporary focused above all on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, stabilizing the energy market and avoiding an even greater regional escalation, while issues such as Iranian ballistic missiles, uranium enrichment or the future of the nuclear arsenal are postponed for later negotiations. The situation turns out especially striking because Trump and Netanyahu had presented the offensive against Iran as a historic opportunity to definitively dismantle Tehran’s strategic military capabilities. Months later, Iran continues to maintain tons of nuclear material enriched, it maintains a large part of its missile capacity intact and has also managed to demonstrate the extent to which it can threaten the global energy supply. Strait of Hormuz The true center of the negotiation. The core of the agreement does not revolve around centrifuges, nuclear warheads or international inspections, but on a much more immediate issue: reopen the maritime passage through which approximately a quarter of the world’s oil circulates. The Trump administration has finished accepting that the absolute priority was to unblock Hormuz before the economic impact began to spiral out of control inside and outside the United States. The possibility of a prolonged war with oil soaring and gasoline approaching politically toxic levels began to seriously worry the White House, especially ahead of the legislative elections. The negotiated draft contemplates a ceasefire sixty day temporary during which Iran would remove mines from the strait, allow maritime traffic without tolls and could sell oil again with certain relaxations of US sanctions. In other words, Washington has ended up negotiating the global energy flow first and leaving for later exactly what supposedly made war inevitable. The surprising transfer. Until just a few days ago, the US administration insisted that there would be no agreement that he did not address the Iranian nuclear program from the beginning. However, strategic reality ended up imposing itself on political discourse. US officials recognize now that negotiating the gigantic Iranian nuclear framework in a matter of days was simply impossible and that even Obama’s nuclear deal required almost two years of talks and hundreds of technical pages. The result is an extraordinary change in tone by Trump, who went from demanding Iranian “unconditional surrender” to talk about a relationship “more professional and productive” with Tehran. The problem for Washington is that this turn fuels criticism from both Republican hawks as from Israeli sectors who consider that the United States has ended up giving up pressure precisely when Iran was most economically weakened. Iran holds its cards. Although Washington assures that Iran would have verbally agreed to discuss limits on uranium enrichment and possible deliveries of highly enriched nuclear material, the reality is that it does not yet exist. no solid commitment nor clear mechanisms to verify these concessions. Tehran has also not agreed to seriously discuss restrictions about their ballistic missilesa fundamental issue for Israel and for the Arab allies of the Gulf. In fact, much of Iran’s negotiating power continues to rest on exactly the elements that the United States I wanted to delete: its ability to close Hormuz and its stock of enriched uranium close to military grade. Iran seems to have understood that the more it manages to link global energy stability with its own economic survival, the more difficult it will be for Washington to maintain a purely military or maximalist strategy. The fear of Israel. Behind the agreement, a growing tension between the strategic interests of the United States and Israel also emerges. Netanyahu would have expressed directly Trump expressed his concern about several points in the draft, especially because the understanding would include a broader reduction in regional tensions that would even affect the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. The White House try to reassure to Israel assuring that any rearmament of Hezbollah would justify new Israeli military actions, but the implicit message is clear: Washington wants to stabilize the region and reduce the risk of an all-out war even if that means accepting temporary and imperfect solutions. For many Israeli and Republican sectors, the agreement means assuming that the initial objectives of the war were probably unattainable. An “energy” negotiation. If you like, what is happening in the Middle East reflects the extent to which modern wars they may end up redefining completely their original priorities. The military campaign began with the promise of destroying Iran’s nuclear program and ending Tehran’s strategic threat. However, after weeks of global tension, crossed attacks and real risk of regional escalation, the negotiation has ended up pivoting on something much more basic and urgent: prevent the collapse of global energy trade. The most revealing detail is that there is not even a definitive agreement yet on enriched uranium, sanctions or Iranian missiles, but even so both sides seem willing to move forward. if oil circulates again normally. Ultimately, the crisis has shown that Iran retains a much greater capacity for pressure than many expected and that, for the United States, the economic and political price of a prolonged war ended up being more dangerous than accepting a truce full of unknowns. Image | RawPixel In Xataka | A drone has just set fire to the perimeter of the first Arab nuclear power plant: we have entered uncharted territory In Xataka | Iran is about to … Read more

In the era of drones and smart missiles, the US has recovered a relic of the First World War: the bayonet

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In the middle of the Iraq war, a group of British soldiers launched a bayonet charge against Iraqi militiamen near Al Amara. The scene seemed like something out of another century, but the British Army considered it a tactical success in the middle of a modern combat already marked by night vision, digital communications and advanced weaponry. The unexpected return of the bayonet. More than 20 years have passed since the scene described, but they counted in a report in Insider that, in an era dominated by FPV drones, electronic warfare, artificial intelligence and guided missiles, the United States Army has decided to bring back something that seems straight out of the trenches of World War I: indeed, the bayonet. The US Army Ranger School, one of the toughest training programs on the planet, has incorporated new hand-to-hand assaults with this war tool within its extreme combat circuits. As? Apparently, soldiers must advance through smoke, tunnels, trenches and physical obstacles while attacking humanoid targets with knives mounted on the end of the rifle. At first glance it seems like an absurd military anachronism in the digital age. However, for the Pentagon the decision responds precisely to the type of war What do you think can happen? in the future. The Pentagon obsession. The war in Ukraine and other recent conflicts have shown something which is of great concern to Western military strategists: modern battlefields depend on extremely vulnerable networks, communications, GPS, drones and electronic sensors. Jamming, electronic warfare attacks, and combat chaos can isolate entire units in a matter of minutes. In this scenario, the US Army fears that soldiers accustomed to operating surrounded by technology lose capacity to continue fighting when screens, communications or air support disappear. That’s why Ranger School now insists on training something a lot. most basic and brutal: move forward, endure fear, maintain physical cohesion with teammates and continue attacking even in extreme situations of exhaustion and disorientation. A relic that never disappeared. The truth is that, although the bayonet is associated above all to suicidal charges of the First World War, never completely disappeared of modern armies. American troops still used it in Korea and Vietnamand British soldiers and US Marines set it again during particularly violent urban combat in Iraq in 2004. Its current value is not so much in the weapon itself as in what it represents psychologically. Military historians have been pointing out for years that the bayonet works especially like a tool to train aggression, discipline and the ability to continue fighting under extreme fear. It forces the soldier to accept something that modern technological warfare sometimes hides: that many combats still end at very short distances and in deeply chaotic conditions. Recovering very old ideas. The movement is especially striking because it arrives just when the war seems more futuristic than ever. Ukraine and Russia have filled the front autonomous droneselectronic interference and constant surveillance from the air. But precisely that same technological saturation is producing an unexpected effect: combat once again becomes extremely disorderly when communications fail or units become isolated. In many sectors of the Ukrainian front, soldiers survive entire days under drones and artillery hardly any contact of course with higher commands. The Pentagon appears to have drawn an uncomfortable conclusion from that experience: The more technological war becomes, the more important it becomes for a soldier to be able to keep fighting even when all that technology disappears. The fear of blackout. Plus: America’s new military obsession is not just about developing better drones or missiles, but about preparing troops capable of operating when the entire digital ecosystem collapsesif it does. The bayonet symbolizes precisely that idea. Not because the Army expects massive loads like those of 1916but because it represents the ultimate survival level military: keep moving forward when there is nothing else left. Ultimately, the decision reflects a very current paradox. The more sophisticated modern wars become, the more armies fear the moment when they will once again resemble something much more ancient, physical and primitive. Image | Joey Rhodes/US Army In Xataka | The United States has 54 billion euros for its army and a very precise place to invest it: in drones In Xataka | A soldier can and should disobey an illegal order. The problem that Anthropic faces is that an AI does not

Satellite images reveal how much Russia fears Ukraine’s drones. 7,000 km away they are covering their nuclear missiles

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The British Navy discovered something truly absurd during naval tests in 1945: a single flock of birds could appear on the radar with a signature similar to that of enemy aircraft. Eight decades later, some of the most sophisticated military systems on the planet clash again to the same problem: Tiny, cheap threats that are difficult to distinguish before it is too late. The drone war against the Russian nuclear arsenal. They counted this week in Naval News that satellite images taken over the Russian submarine base of Rybachiy, on the Kamchatka Peninsula, reveal the extent to which drone warfare in Ukraine is altering Russian military logic even thousands of kilometers from the front. to some 7,400 kilometers of Ukrainetwo strategic nuclear submarines of the Borei class They have appeared completely covered with anti-drone nets while they remain docked in port. The scene is shocking because these submarines are part of the core of Russian nuclear deterrent: each one carries 16 Bulava ballistic missiles capable of launching intercontinental nuclear attacks. However, even that geographical distance no longer seems sufficient for Moscow to feel completely safe from possible surprise Ukrainian operations. From the Black Sea to the Pacific nuclear fleet. The evolution reflects how drones have ceased to be an exclusively tactical problem and have become a strategic threat. Russia had been installing for some time cages, nets and metal structures improvised on ships and patrol boats in the Black Sea to try to stop Ukrainian FPV attacks. Now that same logic has reached some of the most sensitive platforms in its entire military arsenal. The fear does not seem to focus so much on drones launched directly from Ukraine, something practically impossible at such a distance, but on covert operations similar to those that have already hit Russian targets very far from the front. The idea of ​​small cheap drones reaching multi-million dollar strategic assets It has even begun to modify the protection of nuclear submarines. A small threat capable of altering the strategic balance. The nets observed on the Borei do not hide the submarines from satellites nor do they serve as conventional camouflage. Its function It’s purely defensive.: prevent light drones from approaching, landing on the deck or launching explosive charges at vulnerable points, especially on hatches and exposed systems while the submarines are on the surface. Russia had already installed similar protections on some Baltic and Arctic submarines, but on Rybachiy the coverage is much more extensive and envelops practically the entire vessel. There is no doubt, the image conveys a certainly powerful conclusion: the Kremlin already considers it plausible that cheap, improvised and difficult to detect attacks could threaten even part of its nuclear triad. The great psychological change of the war in Ukraine. Beyond the real effectiveness of these networks, the important detail is rather psychological and strategic. Ukraine has managed to get Russia to dedicate resources, time and defensive concern to bases located on the other end of the continent Eurasian. For decades, the logic of nuclear deterrence assumed that submarines hidden in remote bases were virtually untouchable except in an all-out war between great powers. And this is where drones have begun to erode that sense of immunity. The war in Ukraine is showing that a country with limited resources can force a nuclear superpower to cover with mesh improvised some of their most important systems for fear of unexpected attacks. When “nuclear” fears the cheapest. In short, the image of nuclear submarines protected with networks recalls the extent to which the Ukrainian conflict is transforming modern military rules. Platforms designed to survive atomic wars, operate under the ocean for months, and launch intercontinental missiles now also have to worry about cheap quadcopters, commercial explosives, and improvised attacks. Of course, Russia still maintains a huge nuclear and naval advantagebut the proliferation of drones is altering something much more difficult to measure than weapons: the feeling of (in)security. And when even the most remote nuclear bases begin to be armored against small drones, it means that the war in Ukraine has already changed the global perception of military vulnerability. Image | Vantor In Xataka | Once again, Ukraine has opened a missile launched by Russia. Once again, surprising manufacturers have been found In Xataka | Russia has been advancing at a snail’s pace in Ukraine for months. That’s about to change because of one season: summer.

China is manufacturing missiles at an unprecedented speed. And the final objective is not Taiwan, it is another island 3,000 km away

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In the early 2000s, many Chinese technology companies they became famous manufacturing thermal cameras, fiber optics or cheap electronic components for the civilian market. Two decades later, several of those same companies appear linked to one of the most ambitious military programs on the planet. Xi’s missile factory. Reuters counted in an extensive report that China is manufacturing missiles at a speed that is beginning to transform entire sectors of its economy. What for years was a relatively opaque military ecosystem is becoming a gigantic industrial chain where dozens of private and state companies are skyrocketing income thanks to the accelerated rearmament promoted by Xi Jinping. The most revealing data is not only the increase in chinese arsenalbut the number of companies that already partially make a living from it: manufacturers of infrared sensors, fiber optics, stealth coatings, 3D printed metals or specialized electronic systems are registering record profits while much of the Chinese economy is going through much more serious difficulties. Beijing has achieved something that few countries have achieved on this scale: merge civil and military industry to the point of converting missile development into a strategic economic engine. The real target is further away than Taiwan. The island constantly appears as the center of any possible conflict in Asia-Pacific, but depending on the mediumthe Chinese missile deployment points to something broader. Beijing not only wants the ability to invade or blockade the island, it wants to prevent the United States from being able to intervene effectively. And there appears the true strategic objective located about 3,000 kilometers away: guam. As we have counted At other times, the island functions as one of the main US military nodes in the Western Pacific, a huge air, naval and logistics platform from which Washington could sustain operations around Taiwan. That is why China has been developing systems specifically designed to threaten it for years, like the DF-26known precisely as “Guam Express”. Chinese military logic is relatively simple: If it manages to put Guam at risk, it greatly complicates the US ability to project power near its coasts and breaks one of Washington’s great strategic advantages in the region. Economy oriented to manufacturing war. Plus: Xi’s program does not depend solely from state giants such as China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation or China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation. The most striking thing is how civil companies seemingly normal have ended up integrated into the Chinese military ecosystem. Some began manufacturing thermal sensors to detect fever during the SARS epidemic and today produce components for missiles and military drones. Others develop fiber optics for precision navigation or stealthy materials capable of reducing radar detection of aircraft and projectiles. The result is an industrial structure that is extremely difficult to isolate through sanctions, because many of these companies operate simultaneously in civilian and military markets. The United States has been trying to limit Chinese access to advanced chips and sensitive technologies, but Beijing has responded by expanding an increasingly extensive and autonomous national network of suppliers. The effect of the war on Iran. The war between the United States and Iran has further reinforced this arms race. While Washington consumes part of its missile and ammunition reserves In the Middle East, China is carefully observing how modern wars are becoming conflicts of industrial attrition where the ability to manufacture and replenish weapons quickly begins to be as important as the individual technological quality of each system. That is where Beijing believes it has an advantage. The reason? China already has of thousands of missiles ballistic and cruise able to cover much of the Indo-Pacific, and the expansion rate it’s still huge despite the purges internal affairs within the Chinese Army and the investigation of senior commanders for corruption. In some ways, Xi seems to be preparing the country for a prolonged scenario of military competition where whoever manages to keep production lines open the longest will survive. The new global race. All of this is happening while much of the planet simultaneously accelerates its rearmament. France, South Korea, USA either Japan are increasing production and military spending, but the Chinese case stands out for its industrial dimension and by the speed at which it evolves. Beijing not only increases the number of missiles, it also develops new hypersonic generationsexpands its nuclear arsenal and tests systems capable of threatening aircraft carriers, air bases and targets thousands of kilometers away. The big concern in Washington is that China is approaching a point where it can sustain a conflict long thanks to a combination of mass production, relatively low costs and enormous integration between civil companies and defense. That is why the growth of the missile program China is beginning to be interpreted less as simple regional rearmament and more as the silent construction of an economy prepared to compete militarily with the United States on a global scale. Image | CCTV In Xataka | The YJ-20 has just entered the scene at the most delicate moment: China has launched its hypersonic missile against the US and Japan In Xataka | China is beating the US with a simple strategy: manufacturing hypersonic missiles at the price of a Tesla

Dubai has come to the same conclusion as Russia. To protect your oil from drones there is something better than missiles: giant cages

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In World War II, the British discovered something disconcerting when analyzing the German bombings on its industrial cities: many times it was not necessary to completely destroy a refinery or factory to paralyze it for weeks. It was enough to hit some few vulnerable points to cause fires, disruptions and a disproportionate economic effect. Eight decades later, that same logic once again dominates another war, only now the weapon that attempts to find those weak points fits in an operator’s backpack and costs a fraction of an anti-aircraft missile. Dubai is located in Ukraine. For years, the United Arab Emirates built its security around a very specific idea: cutting-edge technology, advanced anti-aircraft systems and one of the most sophisticated defensive architectures in the Middle East were enough to protect the country’s energy heart. The war with Iran has begun dismantle that trust. After enduring hundreds of missiles and more than 2,200 Iranian drones, Dubai and Abu Dhabi have reached an uncomfortable conclusion that Russia learned before in Ukraine: in the face of cheap, numerous and persistent drones, it is sometimes more effective to raise huge metal structures over oil deposits than spending multimillion-dollar interceptors trying to destroy every threat in the air. The images that appeared near Dubai International Airport show precisely that: those gigantic “cope cages” surrounding fuel tanks, a scene that until recently seemed exclusive to Russian refineries attacked by Ukrainian drones, or in the films of George Miller. The cheap drone war. The problem facing the Emirates has less to do with the individual sophistication of each drone than with the economic logic of the conflict. Iran has demonstrated that it can launch massive waves of Shahed-136-type UAVs and other relatively cheap attack munitions against extremely expensive infrastructure and difficult to replace. Even when air defenses work, the economic drain It’s starting to be absurd: Shooting down low-cost drones using advanced interceptor missiles turns defense into a financially unsustainable battle. That’s where these appear giant metal cages. They are not designed to stop ballistic missiles or complex attacks, but to create a physical separation that reduces the damage of suicide drones or improvised munitions before reaching fuel depots, pipelines or critical facilities. A brutally simple solution, and precisely for this reason it is beginning to spread. Russia led the way. Because what the Emirates is doing now has been going on for years. happening in Russia. Since Ukraine began hitting refineries, oil depots and military bases with long-range drones, Moscow began to cover facilities strategic with nets, metal mesh and improvised structures. What was initially derided as a desperate solution ended up evolving in a defensive system relatively common around vulnerable assets. The logic is simple: an FPV drone or a Shahed does not need to completely destroy a facility to cause a huge problem, it is enough a precise impact on a tank, a pipe or a critical point to cause fires, interruptions and million-dollar costs. The Emirates, despite having practically unlimited resources compared to Russia, is discovering exactly the same structural vulnerability. The difference is that now these cages appear next to the most futuristic skyscrapers and financial centers in the Gulf. Oil as a strategic objective. Iran has focused a good part of its attacks precisely on the Emirati energy heart. Facilities such as the Fujairah oil port or the Habshan gas plant have suffered damage that will take months to fully repair. That explains why the country has accelerated visible defensive measures even after the partial ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. Because the threat has not disappeared. In fact, one of the most disturbing aspects of the conflict is that the attacks continued even after the truce announcements, reinforcing the feeling that any critical infrastructure can become a target again with very little notice. In this context, protecting refineries and warehouses no longer depends only on radars or anti-missile batteries, it also implies physically harden facilities, assume partial impacts and prevent a relatively cheap drone from causing a national energy disaster. The Pentagon changes its mentality. The expansion of these improvised defenses also reflects a broader doctrinal shift within of the US military itself. For years, many officials in Washington considered inefficient invest large amounts of money in physically shielding bases, hangars or critical facilities from cheap drones. Ukraine, Russia and now the Middle East are completely changing that perception. Shortly before the war between Iran and the United States broke out, the Pentagon published new guidelines precisely recommending networks, cables and other passive physical defenses to protect strategic infrastructures. The reasoning is beginning to be difficult to ignore: in an era of massive and cheap dronesthe survival of multi-million dollar facilities may depend less on futuristic systems and more on simple, ugly and gigantic industrial solutions. Dubai, probably one of the most recognizable symbols of global technological modernity, has just assumed exactly that reality. Image | x In Xataka | Every time the US takes stock of Iran’s arsenal and capabilities, it realizes something: it has destroyed very little. In Xataka | Suddenly, a military outpost sprouted up in the Iraq desert: it was Israel in its bombing campaign of Iran

Russian Tu-95MS bombers have just flown over the Arctic Circle with cruise missiles. And they were not alone

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At the beginning of the sixties, various military radars installed in the extreme north of Alaska frequently detected enormous echoes approaching from the polar horizon. For a few minutes, the operators did not know if they were seeing simple patrol flights or the beginning of something much more serious. These constant alerts ended up transforming the Arctic into one of the most monitored places on the planet. Because in the coldest and emptiest regions of the world, any air movement can have enormous meaning. The return of strategic bombers to the Arctic. It announced the same social networks of the Russian Armed Forces along with a video so that it was clear. Russian strategic bombers Tu-95MS They had just flown over the Polar Circle armed with Kh-101 cruise missile while they were escorted by fighters and supported by tankers near NATO airspace. There is no doubt, the image recovers a scene very typical of the Cold War: large nuclear deterrence platforms patrolling for hours on Arctic routes while Western forces monitor them from a distance. As we said, Moscow also wanted the deployment to be visible, disseminating images of the missile under the wings of the bomber and indirectly reminding that these devices can carry up to eight Kh-101 thanks to your AKU-5M systems. Although several analysts believe that the missile shown was an inert version training, the message remains evident: Russia wants to normalize the presence of armed strategic bombers near the borders of northern Europe. A patrol designed to send a message. The mission lasted more than seven hours over the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea and included two Tu-95MS, at least one escort Su-30SM2 and a Il-78M tanker aircraft to practice in-flight refueling. The Russian Ministry of Defense published detailed images of takeoff, aerial maneuvers and the return of the bombers still armed, something unusual even for this type of operations. Moscow insisted that everything was done over neutral waters and in accordance with international standards, although he added an important detail: during part of the route the planes were accompanied by fighters from other countries, probably NATO aircraft who followed the patrol closely. The Arctic thus once again shows signs of constant aerial surveillance between both blocks. The Kh-101 completely changes the meaning of flight. The presence of the Kh-101 missile turns these patrols into something much more serious than a simple routine exercise. This cruise missile, widely used for Russia in Ukrainecan reach targets located at approximately 2,800 kilometers and continues to evolve with new variants equipped with penetration systems, decoys or different types of guidance. Even if the version carried during the flight was only for testing, displaying it over the Arctic serves as a strategic demonstration towards the West. Russia makes it clear that it maintains active its ability to launch long-range attacks from polar corridors that are once again gaining enormous military importance. An increasingly constant air pressure. Plus: These flights fit into much broader Russian military activity around Europe and the Pacific. In recent months too Tu-22M3 have been seen armed with Kh-22 or Kh-32 missiles, MiG-31 carrying Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and Su-24 conducting raids near the Baltic airspace. Precisely one of those episodes recently forced the Rafale fighter deployment French from Lithuania within the NATO air policing mission, together with Romanian F-16s. At the same time, the Tu-95MS themselves have continued to carry out flights of more than ten hours near Alaska and the Sea of ​​Japan, forcing both NORAD and allied European and Asian forces to react. The north once again resembles the Cold War. For years, the Arctic was seen above all as a strategic region for its resources and sea routes, but for some time now it seems to be becoming a priority military corridor. The Russian decision to show armed strategic bombers flying over the Polar Circle with fighter escort and resupply support conveys precisely that idea. If you like, the Kremlin seems to assume that the military rivalry with the West will be long-lasting and that the northern routes will have a central role in any future scenario. The final image that remains is difficult to ignore: nuclear bombers, cruise missiles, Western interceptors and long-distance patrols once again cross paths over the frozen skies of the Arctic. Image | Telegram In Xataka | As we look to the Middle East, the Arctic has become the hiding place for Russia’s biggest challenge to NATO: Borei and Yasen In Xataka | A nuclear giant designed to make way in the Arctic: this is the most modern icebreaker in the Russian fleet

Japan has just crossed a line that it has not crossed since World War II. China has responded with supersonic missiles

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At the beginning of the 20th century, during the battle of tsushimathe Russian imperial fleet took more than seven months to circle half the planet to confront Japan. The result was so disastrous and fast that several powers suddenly understood an idea: in the Asia-Pacific, controlling the sea could decide the global balance long before a total war began. Supersonic missiles off the US and Japan. It we count last week. The South China Sea is becoming a huge military board where Beijing wants to make it clear that it is willing to answer directly to any attempt to surround its area of ​​influence. While the United States, the Philippines and Japan develop the largest Balikatan maneuvers of recent years, China has now responded by sending H-6 bombers armed with YJ-12 supersonic missilesJ-16 fighters equipped with anti-ship missiles and several naval groups around Luzon and Scarborough Shoal. The message is difficult to ignore: Beijing wants to show that it can deploy air and naval force heavy right in front of a military bloc led by Washington and Tokyo without abandoning the initiative in the region. Already looks like a war rehearsal around Taiwan. The Balikatan maneuvers have changed enormously in recent years. What were once relatively conventional exercises between the United States and the Philippines have morphed into focused simulations in maritime settingsattacks against major adversaries and possible conflicts around Taiwan and the South China Sea. The full participation of Japanese forces and the presence of ships from Australia and Canada reflect the extent to which Washington is trying to build a regional network capable of responding to China in the event of a crisis. Beijing interprets it as a direct threatespecially since several of these maneuvers take place near routes and positions that China considers essential to protect its access to the Pacific. Japan has crossed a symbolic line. A few hours ago one of the movements that most irritated Beijing during the maneuvers took place, and it was not only the American presence, but the increasingly active role of Japan. for the first time since World War IIJapanese forces launched abroad a Type 88 anti-ship missile during military exercises in the Philippines, something that China interprets as a clear sign of Japanese “remilitarization.” Although the missile can be used for defensive purposesBeijing considers that deploying this type of weaponry outside Japanese territory breaks part of pacifist logic that Tokyo maintained for decades after 1945. Furthermore, the context further aggravates the tension: Washington also fired Tomahawk missiles from the Philippines using the Typhon systemcapable of hitting targets hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away, potentially including mainland China itself. For Beijing, the image is disturbing because it reflects how Japan, the Philippines and the United States are beginning to rehearse together a scenario where the Pacific island chains could be transformed into advanced attack platforms and military containment against China. Two armed H-6 bombers fly over Scarborough Reef in an attempt by Beijing to show its superiority to Manila and its allies amid the Balikatan maneuvers and territorial disputes H-6 bombers are no longer simple propaganda. Chinese bomber flights over Scarborough Shoal have become relatively commonbut this time the important detail was the weapons. The H-6 appeared with a greater load of YJ-12 supersonic missiles, specifically designed to attack large ships and naval groups. At the same time, J-16 fighters They escorted the deployment while Chinese ships closely followed the multinational flotilla led by the United States and the Philippines. In other words, Beijing is using these exercises to show something very concrete: in a hypothetical regional conflict, it would try saturate and keep away US naval forces using massive quantities of anti-ship missiles launched from land, aircraft and ships. China is surrounding the Philippines with layers of military pressure. Beyond the bombers, China deployed the combat group of the Liaoning aircraft carrier and various armed surface groups with Type 055 destroyersconsidered some of the most powerful ships in the Chinese Navy. One of these groups carried out live fire exercises east of Luzon, precisely in areas that the United States and the Philippines are studying as possible reinforcement routes in the event of war. The Chinese strategic idea is increasingly evident: convert the Philippine maritime environment into a extremely dangerous area for any US attempt to move troops, supplies or reinforcements towards Taiwan or the South China Sea. Naval warfare is changing because of drones. While showcasing bombers and aircraft carriers, China is also accelerating the adaptation of its navy to a threat that has transformed recent conflicts such as Ukraine or attacks in the Middle East: the drones. In fact, Beijing has just presented a new naval antidrone system capable of intercepting stealth and very low altitude attacks in complex electronic warfare environments. The tests carried out in the Bohai Sea show the extent to which the Chinese Navy assumes that future naval confrontations will not depend only on large ships and missiles, but also on enormous swarms of drones capable of harassing or destroying much more expensive ships. The China Sea is filling with signs. The bomber combination with supersonic missilesnext-generation destroyers, aircraft carriers, artificial bases and anti-drone systems reflects something deeper than simple military exercises. China is preparing an environment where any US intervention around Taiwan or the Philippines would be extremely complexsaturated with aerial, maritime and electronic threats. And the most significant thing is that it is no longer just about propaganda displays: Beijing is testing in the field how to coordinate all those capabilities against real forces from the United States, Japan and their allies in one of the most tense regions on the planet. Image | CCTV In Xataka | The YJ-20 has just entered the scene at the most delicate moment: China has launched its hypersonic missile against the US and Japan In Xataka | China is beating the US with a simple strategy: manufacturing hypersonic missiles at the price of a Tesla

The US says the war is over… while kamikaze missiles and drones fly

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During the so-called “Tanker War” between Iran and Iraq, several maritime companies arrived to paint flags of other countries on their ships and to change names and registrations almost overnight to try to cross the Persian Gulf without being attacked. Even so, many crews they kept sailing convinced that any mistake, radar or strange movement could turn a routine commercial trip into an improvised combat zone. The most uncertain war. The situation around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz has become a paradox that is difficult to sustain. A few hours ago, the White House insisted on stating that the war ended weeks ago. In fact, Marco Rubio assures that the “Epic Fury” operation has already concluded while Trump now speaks of the conflict as a luck of “miniwar” or a temporary episode where the small and last quarrels are ending… It happens that at the same time they continue flying drones and missilesUS ships continue to intercept Iranian attacks and forces from both countries they continue to cross fire throughout the Gulf. In other words, Washington is trying to sell the idea that the conflict is already in the diplomatic phase while almost daily military actions continue to occur on the ground, especially in the United Arab Emirates, where incidents of bombings They are almost daily. How to block Hormuz without closing it completely. Iran’s great trick has not been to destroy American fleets, but to turn the strait into a place too dangerous for normal trade. Although practically every day some ships They cross the area escorted In the US, traffic remains well below pre-war levels because shipping companies and insurers continue to see the move as a risky bet. Iran thus maintains enormous pressure on the global economy without the need to impose an absolute blockade, using limited attacks, constant threats and the permanent feeling that any transit can end in an incident military. The failure of the US plan. Trump presented “Project Freedom” as the operation that would demonstrate that Washington Hormuz could reopen by force and restore freedom of navigation. However, the plan barely managed to move a few ships before to be paused less than two days after starting. The president’s decision American reflects Washington’s big problem: protecting the strait requires taking constant military risks, but abandoning the operation leaves Iran with the capacity to continue conditioning global energy trade. USA has been trapped between avoiding another major war in the Middle East and not seeming incapable of imposing its own strategy. The truce works like a limited and controlled war. The truth is that on paper there is a ceasefire, but in practice both countries continue to act as if the conflict will remain open. The Pentagon describes the Iranian attacks as “harassment” below the threshold of a new all-out war, allowing Trump to avoid a major escalation. Meanwhile, Iran continues launching limited attacks and testing how far he can escalate the situation without provoking a massive American response. The result is a kind of hybrid war where officially there is no war… but neither is there peace. Arab allies begin to distrust the US. The Iranian attacks on the United Arab Emirates have caused a growing concern among the Gulf monarchies. Many governments in the region perceive that Trump is more focused on getting out of the conflict than on responding harshly to Tehran, even after of new releases of missiles and drones. The feeling is that hosting US bases can make those countries in priority objectivess without necessarily guaranteeing total protection. That doubt is also beginning to spread among European and Asian allies who observe how Washington continually redefines what it considers a real war. China has become the key diplomatic player. Amid the partial blockade of Hormuz, Beijing tries keep balance between its relationship with Iran and the need to stabilize energy markets. United States is putting pressure on China to convince Tehran to fully reopen the strait, especially before the next meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping. The problem is that China continues buying iranian oil and rejects part of the US sanctions, although at the same time the rise in energy prices is seriously damaging its economy. That makes Beijing an indispensable actor for any negotiated solution. Iran believes time is on its side. The Iranian leadership seems convinced that the United States wants to avoid another long war in the Middle East at all costs, and possibly that is why it is using that perception to increase little by little the pressure. Tehran keeps attacks limited, keeps Hormuz partially closed and continues to show it can still disrupt world markets without crossing a red line definitive. The result is a most unprecedented situation, one where Washington tries to declare victory and turn the page, while Iran continues using military threat as a daily trading tool. Image | USN, Mostafa Tehrani In Xataka | Neom has stopped being science fiction thanks to the war in Iran: from a futuristic city to the great logistical shortcut that bypasses Hormuz In Xataka | The strangest plan of the war is ready: guide the 1,000 ships trapped in Hormuz hoping that no one will shoot

one with drones, missiles and ships burning

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In the 1980s, during the conflict between Iran and Iraq, an American oil tanker was sailing through the Persian Gulf when a missile hit against his helmet without warning. For hours, the crew struggled to maintain control of the ship as it burned in the middle of one of the most strategic shipping routes on the planet, leaving a scene that surprised many analysts: even in apparently “protected” corridors, a single unexpected attack was enough to turn commercial transit into an high risk operation. The plan and the beginning of a new phase. It we counted yesterday. The United States launched an operation to free the ships trapped in the Strait of Hormuz, and did so by creating a kind of “safe” corridor without escort but under dense military cover that includes destroyers, aircraft carriers, more than 100 aircraft and thousands of troops, with the intention of reestablishing the commercial flow without resorting to direct escorts. The initiative sought to unblock a situation that keeps tens of thousands of sailors Nearly 1,000 paralyzed ships have already been detained, in a context where Washington is trying to balance military pressure and diplomatic output, while presenting the operation as defensive and coordinated with the maritime industry to encourage gradual transit through the area. The Iranian response. Iran has reacted immediate and calculatedunfolding a combination of drones, cruise missiles and attacks with speedboats that turn each transit attempt into an episode of maximum tension. In this case it is not a classic head-on collision, but rather a strategy designed to wear out, intimidate and complicate the American operation without necessarily crossing the threshold of total war. In this way, every movement in the strait is answered with distributed threats that force defensive systems to be activated continuously, generating a feeling of constant vulnerability even under the most sophisticated military umbrella. A strait turned into a geographical and tactical trap. As since the beginning of the war, the physical environment of Hormuz multiplies the dangerwith reduced distances that shorten the reaction time of anti-missile systems and an extensive coast from which attacks can be launched almost without warning. Hidden positions, drones at different levels, naval mines and light craft create an ecosystem multi-threat which calls into question the ability of any force to completely control the area. In this scenario, even advanced platforms face a critical challenge– Respond in seconds to simultaneous attacks coming from land, sea and air. The United Arab Emirates enters the line of fire. The crisis has ended up spilling directly to the United Arab Emirateswhich have suffered attacks with missiles and drones supposedly launched from Iranian territory against ships and strategic areas close to their ports. Emirati air defenses have reportedly intercepted multiple projectiles, although some incidents have led to boat fires and limited damage, raising the tension in one of the main energy hubs of the region. There is no doubt, this front expands the conflict beyond the strait and confirms that Iranian pressure is not limited to maritime traffic, but also seeks to impact key infrastructure to increase the political and economic cost of the US operation. The key role of helicopters and layered defense. Faced with this form of war, the United States has resorted to flexible tools like attack helicopters Apache and Seahawk, capable of detecting and neutralizing fast threats such as Iranian boats (Washington claims to have sunk six in the last few hours) before they approach commercial vessels. These assets are integrated into a layered defense which includes electronic warfare, aerial surveillance and interception systems, creating a dynamic shield that has already proven effective by shooting down drones and missiles on multiple occasions. That being said, this defense does not eliminate the riskbut manages it, maintaining constant pressure on the deployed forces. Trump between containment and escalation. On the political level, Donald Trump moves in a delicate balance between responding forcefully to Iranian provocations and avoiding an escalation that leads to open conflict. counted the wall street journal that the US president’s strategy at this time combines demonstrations of power with attempts to keep diplomatic channels open, while receiving internal pressure to act more forcefully. This ambiguity reflects the difficulty to manage a crisis in which every decision can tip the balance towards a broader war or an uncertain negotiation. A pulse that redefines the control of global trade. Beyond the immediate confrontationwhat is at stake is the effective control of one of the most important trade routes in the world, where Iran has shown that it can block or make more expensive transit without the need for a conventional fleet, while the United States tries to impose an indirect protection model that depends on the trust of shipping companies and third countries. The result is diametrically opposite to “plan A” ship release, with an unstable balance in which there are now burned and sunken ships, explosions and constant attacks coexist with attempts to normalize traffic, reflecting that new reality in which maritime warfare is no longer decided only by the large fleets of yesteryear, but by the ability to saturate, intimidate and sustain pressure at a critical point on the global map. Image | USN In Xataka | The strangest plan of the war is ready: guide the 1,000 ships trapped in Hormuz hoping that no one will shoot In Xataka | After gasoline, the war in Iran is about to skyrocket the price of something just as painful: your Zara clothes

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