Curated news, analysis, and commentary on special operations, intelligence, irregular warfare, national defense, and global conflicts.

Photo / Image: The guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) launches a Block V Tomahawk. (U.S. Navy photo by Ensign Sean Ianno, 30 Nov 2020).

Executive Summary

This weekly briefing summarizes developments in special operations forces (SOF), global conflicts, intelligence, and national security from the past week. SOCAFRICA Flintlock exercise ends. One soldier missing and one deceased as AFRICOM’s African Lion exercise comes to a close. The Iran war appears to be in a stalemate, with U.S. strategic objectives still illusive. Artificial intelligence (AI) is making significant headway in the U.S. military. British paratroopers deliver critical medical support to Tristan da Cunha, a remote island with one suspected case of Hantavirus.

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Key Outlooks

• Two U.S. Army soldiers went missing from African Lion exercise, one found deceased
• Changes to Reconnaissance Marines training
• Russia presence in Madagascar increases
• U.S. SOF participates in Exercise Balikatan 2025 in Philippines
• U.S. allies sending maritime assets to Middle East
• Dutch intelligence estimates Russian permanent losses exceed 1.2 million