Space Brief: 08 DEC 2025
Space Brief for the first week of December covers the expansion of SpaceX operations at Cape Canaveral and the potential nomination of a commercial space advocate to the NASA administrator role. With the Artemis program experiencing challenges, effective leadership will be needed to improve efficiency and make hard decisions to make program milestones. China has […]
Strategic Analysis of the 2025 National Security Strategy
The November 2025 National Security Strategy (NSS) outlines a comprehensive vision for American engagement with the world, formalizing a foreign policy doctrine explicitly described as “America First.” This approach is predicated on a foundation of pragmatic realism, the unapologetic defense of national sovereignty, and a firm commitment to economic nationalism. While the strategy covers a […]
Cargo Brief: 05 DEC 2025
Peak season arrives under pressure from the removal of the MD-11F from service following the crash of UPS Flight 2976 placing pressure on integrators who already face strains on capacity. IATA cargo data indicates a growing demand for air cargo matching indicators of a robust global economy. Asia in particular has a noted increase in […]
Task Force Scorpion Strike & Attritable Mass
A New Paradigm in Defense Procurement: Speed & Cost The Department of Defense is executing a significant departure from its traditional, multi-year weapons development cycles, signaling an attempt at a foundational shift in procurement strategy. In an era of rapidly evolving threats, the long-standing model of developing exquisite, high-cost platforms over many years is being […]
Artemis: The Dawn of a New Lunar Era
The Artemis program represents a bold new chapter in human space exploration, designed to return U.S. astronauts to the Moon and establish a sustained human presence on and around the lunar surface.
Shahed-171 “Simorgh”
Origin: Iran | Manufacturer: Shahed Aviation IndustriesRole: UCAV/Stealth ISR Platform Overview: The Shahed-171 “Simorgh” named after a mythological Phoenix-like creature is a full-scale Iranian reverse-engineered copy of the US Air Force’s RQ-170 Sentinel, captured near the Afghan-Iran border in December 2011. Developed by Shahed Aviation Industries, it first flew in 2014 and was displayed on […]
Boeing 777X Program: EOY 2025 Update
Navigating Turbulence in a Critical Program As 2025 draws to a close, The Boeing Company’s flagship 777X program finds itself at a critical juncture. The next-generation widebody is a cornerstone of the manufacturer’s strategy to maintain dominance in the lucrative long-haul market and a direct challenger to Airbus. However, the program has been defined by […]
MD-11 Grounding Deepens After UPS Flight 2976 Crash
The global McDonnell Douglas MD‑11 fleet remains grounded following the crash of Flight 2976 in Louisville, which killed 14 people in early November 2025. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), UPS Airlines, and FedEx Express have all issued statements confirming either mandatory or voluntary suspensions of MD-11 operations while investigators assess a suspected structural failure in […]
Venezuelan Drone Programs
Venezuelan drone programs have undergone nearly two decades of layered capability development with Iranian help, moving from basic surveillance UAVs to an increasingly credible armed and loitering-munition fleet. Analysts now routinely describe it as the only Latin American state with an operational armed drone program, and one that is structurally tied to Iran’s sanctions-proof export […]
World Cup WA State Counter-UAS Summit
World Cup Counter-UAS summit meets as the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup begins, preparations are underway not just for the global sporting event, but for securing the venues against one of the fastest-growing threats in modern security: Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), commonly known as drones. Earlier this month, on November 5, 2025, the […]