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

Photo / Image: B-52 Refueling during combat flight supporting Operations Epic Fury on March 26, 2026. CENTCOM Facebook.

Executive Summary

This weekly briefing summarizes the most significant events affecting special operations forces, irregular warfare, intelligence, and national security during the past week. Some big news coming out of Ankara, Turkey – the site of the recent NATO Summit. Somali piracy is ramping up again – but the measures to curtail it are no longer in place. Ukraine appears to have regained operational momentum against Russian forces. The U.S.-Iran war remains strategically inconclusive, the MoU is of questionable value, and the Strait of Hormuz is still mostly closed. President Trump has declared the U.S. ‘Guardian of Hormuz’, has reinstated the Iran blockade, and proposes a 20% cargo fee. Trump has notified Congress that the war is back on, gaining 60 more days to attack Iran.

Do you receive our daily newsletter? If not, you can sign up here and enjoy it 2 or 3 times a week with your morning coffee (or afternoon tea depending on where in the world you are).

Key Outlooks

• NATO Summit reshapes alliance priorities
• SOF for 2040
• Smartphone Apps for SOF
• Royal Marines in the High North
• UKCF Now Lead for SOMTG
• Iceland on Trump’s Mind . . . again
• Decline of ODNI