Defence & Space

SBU on Operation Spider’s Web Details: Was a Tu-160 Strategic Bomber Destroyed?

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has released a video compilation showing all FPV drone strikes carried out with Osa-type drones…

2025-06-07 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Iron Beam with new laser director

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the Israeli Ministry of Defense unveil new Iron Beam laser director. Company to Showcase Full High-Energy…

2025-06-05 | Redakcja | 5 minutes

Karkonosze Program: A Game-Changer for the Polish Air Force’s Tankers?

The Polish Air Force has been requesting the acquisition of aerial refueling tankers for years. The program to procure a multi-role transport…

2025-05-23 | Sławek Zagórski | 5 minutes

Swedish A26 Submarine and Poland’s Orka Program

In early April, Saab organized a visit for representatives of the Polish defense media to the Saab Kockums shipyard, located in Karlskrona…

2025-05-08 | Przemysław Gurgurewicz | 16 minutes

SBU on Operation Spider’s Web Details: Was a Tu-160 Strategic Bomber Destroyed?

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has released a video compilation showing all FPV drone strikes carried out with Osa-type drones…

2025-06-07 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Iron Beam with new laser director

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the Israeli Ministry of Defense unveil new Iron Beam laser director. Company to Showcase Full High-Energy…

2025-06-05 | Redakcja | 5 minutes

Advancing multi-domain EW operations: Rohde & Schwarz unveils latest innovations at AOC Europe

Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates the next generation of SIGINT/EW systems, sensor fusion and signal analysis solutions, designed to meet the evolving…

2025-05-12 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

Iberian Blackout: Is Poland Prepared for a Similar Scenario?

The blackout on the Iberian Peninsula has prompted a few cautious questions about whether Poland is secure in the event of…

2025-05-02 | Krzysztof Zagórski | 6 minutes

Poland: GROTowisko-25 Conference Begins Next Week

On the weekend of June 14–15, 2025, the next edition of GROTowisko will take place. Once again, the military complex…

2025-06-04 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Russia: MAKS International Aviation and Space Salon Cancelled Again

The CEO of the Russian state corporation Rostec, Sergey Chemezov, announced that the 16th MAKS-2025 International Aviation and Space Salon,…

2025-06-04 | Rafał Muczyński | 2 minutes

Iron Beam with new laser director

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the Israeli Ministry of Defense unveil new Iron Beam laser director. Company to Showcase Full High-Energy…

2025-06-05 | Redakcja | 5 minutes

The Philippines Ordered 12 FA-50PH Block 20 Aircraft

The Department of National Defense of the Philippines has signed a contract with the South Korean company Korea Aerospace Industries for…

2025-06-04 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

IDET & PYROS 2025: KALAN Tracked Amphibious Vehicle as the Successor to the PTS

During the International Fire Fighting Equipment and Services Fair PYROS (held alongside IDET 2025 in Brno), the Czech company New…

2025-05-30 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Leonardo and Weststar Join Forces to Supply Helicopters to Malaysia

During the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Italian company Leonardo and Malaysian firm Weststar…

2025-05-20 | Redakcja | 4 minutes

SBU on Operation Spider’s Web Details: Was a Tu-160 Strategic Bomber Destroyed?

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has released a video compilation showing all FPV drone strikes carried out with Osa-type drones…

2025-06-07 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Iron Beam with new laser director

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the Israeli Ministry of Defense unveil new Iron Beam laser director. Company to Showcase Full High-Energy…

2025-06-05 | Redakcja | 5 minutes

SBU on Operation Spider’s Web Details: Was a Tu-160 Strategic Bomber Destroyed?

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has released a video compilation showing all FPV drone strikes carried out with Osa-type drones…

2025-06-07 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Polish Minister of Defence Travels to the U.S. for Meeting with Pete Hegseth

A press conference was held at the 1st Airlift Base with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz…

2025-05-26 | Redakcja | 5 minutes

Airbus, CNES and VAST reaffirm commitment to strengthening EO capabilities in Vietnam

Airbus Defence and Space, the French Space Agency, and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology have signed a Declaration of…

2025-05-26 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

ICEYE and IHI start cooperation to develop SAR satellite constellation in Japan

The Polish-Finnish company ICEYE and the Japanese IHI Corporation are beginning cooperation in the construction of a constellation of up to 24…

2025-05-22 | Redakcja | 3 minutes
Shooting

Mactronic M-Fire Guardian – A New Flashlight for Professionals

Mactronic is introducing a new angle flashlight, the M-Fire Guardian. According to the manufacturer, it is the first angle flashlight with red…

2025-06-04 | Michał Ihnatów | 6 minutes

New Lapua TRX TrueRange Expanding Bullets And Ammunition

Lapua will soon introduce a line of TRX TrueRange Expanding bullets and ammunition, designed for long-range shooters and hunters engaging game…

2025-06-04 | Michał Ihnatów | 2 minutes

Mactronic M-Fire Guardian – A New Flashlight for Professionals

Mactronic is introducing a new angle flashlight, the M-Fire Guardian. According to the manufacturer, it is the first angle flashlight with red…

2025-06-04 | Michał Ihnatów | 6 minutes

New Lapua TRX TrueRange Expanding Bullets And Ammunition

Lapua will soon introduce a line of TRX TrueRange Expanding bullets and ammunition, designed for long-range shooters and hunters engaging game…

2025-06-04 | Michał Ihnatów | 2 minutes

Protective Rescuer Vest – BC Arms Archangel

The Archangel Rescuer Vest is the result of a collaboration between Polish companies Currahee and BC Arms. It was created in…

2025-05-16 | Mariusz Rams | 6 minutes

Direct Action Spitfire Plate Carrier – Part 1: Testing the Carrier

Nowadays, the market offers a wide range of options in the gear and load-bearing equipment category. One of the most basic…

2025-05-08 | Michał Gaweł | 14 minutes

Enforce Tac 2025 starts on February 24th

Enforce Tac is an international trade fair aimed at law enforcement officers, experts from government agencies, and representatives of the…

2025-01-30 | Michał Ihnatów | 4 minutes

POLSECURE: Holsters HPE Poland offer for uniformed services

At the 3rd International Police and Public Security Fair POLSECURE 2024 in Kielce, Holsters HPE Poland presented its offer for…

2024-05-01 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

MSBS GROT BULLPUP conversion now available

Fabryka Broni “Łucznik” Radom is introducing long-awaited conversion kits for the MSBS GROT S16 FB-M1 and S10 FB-M1 semi-automatic rifles,…

2025-06-02 | Michał Ihnatów | 3 minutes

IDET 2025: Grand Power Showcases M4M1 Carbines for the Slovak Armed Forces

At the International Defence and Security Technologies Fair IDET 2023 in the Czech Republic, Grand Power — a Slovak firearms manufacturer — showcased…

2025-05-28 | Michał Ihnatów | 4 minutes

Setting Up a Shooting Belt: An Example with Clawgear

To assist with shooting training and beyond, various belts and gear configurations have been developed and customized to suit individual needs. It’s…

2024-11-28 | Łukasz Kołodziejski | 14 minutes

Weapon light: a practical tool for everyday service. How to choose?

In the world of armed forces, where every second can determine the outcome of an operation, precision and effectiveness are…

2024-08-29 | Redakcja | 7 minutes

Over 100% increase in gun permits in Poland in 2024

The Polish Police have released statistical data on firearm permits issued in 2024. An increasing number of Poles now hold…

2025-02-20 | Michał Ihnatów | 5 minutes

Firearms In Poland 2023: Number of permits continues to grow

The National Police Headquarters has released statistics regarding the number of firearm permits and firearms themselves in the hands of…

2024-02-17 | Michał Ihnatów | 5 minutes

5 Best Value ATN Rifle Scopes Under €1500

ATN is a leading manufacturer of daytime optics, smart night vision, and thermal vision technology. The innovative features and ergonomic designs…

2022-11-11 | Redakcja | 8 minutes

MILMAG Visits Grand Power

Grand Power is a Slovak manufacturer of the acknowledged good quality firearms. Take part in our guided tour with English subtitles.

2022-05-23 | Redakcja | 1 minutes

Protective Rescuer Vest – BC Arms Archangel

The Archangel Rescuer Vest is the result of a collaboration between Polish companies Currahee and BC Arms. It was created in…

2025-05-16 | Mariusz Rams | 6 minutes

Direct Action Spitfire Plate Carrier – Part 1: Testing the Carrier

Nowadays, the market offers a wide range of options in the gear and load-bearing equipment category. One of the most basic…

2025-05-08 | Michał Gaweł | 14 minutes

EOTECH Holographic Sight – History, Technology, Practice

The holographic sight is a device known for nearly 30 years and used by professionals around the world. A favorite sight of many…

2024-09-02 | Michał Gaweł | 12 minutes

It’s time for Europe to buckle up!

Problems of European defence

The military defence of Europe is in trouble today. There are three main causes for this European military malaise. First, ever since the end of the Cold War, most European states have spent too little resources to maintain even a modest defence capability. Second, most European states have transformed their armed forces into all-volunteer forces, which are way too small for credible deterrence and defence of territory tasks.

Instead these small forces have focused for the last 25 years on sending small contingents to multinational expeditionary operations out-of-area. Third, the United States – which has been the ultimate guarantor of European military security for decades – has under the Trump administration threatened to go it alone if European states fail to meet their defence spending targets. And many European states – Germany included – will certainly miss this target. In sum, Europe as a whole lacks credible defence capability in a situation where relations between Russia and the West have become confrontational.

Peace dividend

Security situation in and around Europe has remained tense for years. As it turns out, Russia and the West have diverging notions about the rules of the international security game. For more than two decades after the end of the Cold War western notions of international security were based on a non-zero sum approach, combined with the policy of engagement and enlargement. During this time, NATO and the European Union expanded eastwards. At the same time, western notions of defence focused mostly on cutting the Cold War era military overweight, axing the number of troops and cashing in the peace dividend. Russia never followed suit. It still today sees security mostly in zero-sum terms, at least vis-à-vis much of the West. Countering or blocking western/American security initiatives has become a way for Russia to boost its international status and prestige – after the catastrophic experiences of internal turmoil and chaos it went through during the 1990s. Admittedly, Russia today is one of the key players in the field of global security – a condition that was hard to imagine during the Yeltsin Presidency during the 1990s.

European naval forces are focused more on assymetrical threats such as illegal migration and piracy. Preperation for war scenario has a second priority

A willingness lost

During the post-Cold War era most Western – and thus most European – states have developed small all-volunteer forces and have focused on expeditionary military operations to perform so-called constabulary duties – weather in the name of military crisis management, humanitarian interventions, counter-terrorist operations or even counterinsurgency operations. In short, during the post-Cold War era, most European states have lost the willingness, capability and military ethos for traditional deterrence and the defence of national or alliance territory. And it has become apparent that in Europe there is not too much appetite for territorial defence – at least outside the so-called Eastern flank of NATO.

One part of the European military malaise has to do with the post-Cold War era hubris about a positive-sum globalizing international security order, where military threats to Europe were supposed to have vanished. For more than two decades, it was all about the so-called new threats somewhere out there. During this time – approximately between 1989/1991-2013 – Europeans outsourced their military security to the United States. Most European states lost the ability to conduct significant military operations by themselves – or even multinationally. Army corps, divisions and brigades were axed and mostly battalion-sized formations were left behind. For a while this was not a problem – as nothing was threatening Europe military-wise.

 

During last decades most European states have focused on expeditionary military operations to perform so-called constabulary duties

Europeans outsourced their military security to the United States. Most European states lost their ability to conduct significant military operations

NATO’s E-3A Sentry AWACS s has flown over 1000 hours during operations to defeat ISIS in the Middle East

Devastating surprise

The problem for Europe has been the fact that the development of military capability is a long-term effort. One cannot get any new capabilities in a year or two. Rather, it takes at least a decade to boost one’s military capabilities when the need arises. Thus, after much of Europe had disarmed itself in the 1990s and the following decade, Russia’s actions in Ukraine 2014 were a surprise – and a devastating one. There was little military capability left in Europe to counter such actions, should they someday become directed against Europe proper. NATO had shed its skin and had become a forum for generating troops for crisis management and counterinsurgency operations. Participating nations had learnt to send mostly token contributions – to get the national flag into the operation troop placemat. Participation was more important that success in these operations.

Russia’s actions of 2014 Ukraine were a surprise for Europeans. New type of conflict forced a debate about NATO’s future development / Photo: Digital Globe via NATO HQ

Baltic air policing is NATO’s joint mission to guard the airspace over the Baltic States of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

The Trump-effect

The political tsunami called Donald Trump has had its influence on American and global affairs for two years now. During that time, many features related to the institution of the President of the United States have been redefined – or at least they have been reinterpreted. In addition, relations between the United States and its allies in Europe and Asia have become strained. How long this Trump-effect will last and what form it will eventually get, is an open question. This should worry many European states today. After all, much of the deterrence-factor related to NATO is based on the military capabilities of the United States, and on the expectation that they would be available for the defence of Europe – if needed. Now, after two years of the Trump Presidency, the level of US commitment to European security is becoming fuzzier than ever.

It is not only about James Mattis resigning from the post of the Secretary of Defense of the United States on 31 December 2018. Mattis’ resignation was a symptom of a broader trend, namely president Trump actually starting to implement his defence agenda that has been defined during the last few years. The withdrawal from Syria – and in part from Afghanistan – are at the core of this agenda. It is noteworthy, though, that some aspects of president Trump’s agenda – related to the unwillingness of European states to spend money on defense – were not that unfamiliar to the Barack Obama or George W. Bush administrations. As Secretary Robert Gates noted in 2011, there will be dwindling appetite and patience in the United States Congress — and in the American body politic writ large — to expend increasingly precious funds on behalf of nations that are apparently unwilling to devote the necessary resources or make the necessary changes to be serious and capable partners in their own defense.

 

There is still a large financial and technological gap between Europe and USA. After Donald Trump’s European tournee in 2018 NATO needs to find new resources to maintain balance between member states

Today the deterrence-factor related to NATO is mostly based on the military capabilities of the United States

Awakening Europe

Today the million dollar question for the Europeans is how much President Trump in 2019 shares the ideas of Mr. Trump in 2016. Back then Donald Trump noted that let me tell you, NATO is obsolete. We’re spending billions and billions of dollars on NATO. If president Trump’s policies on Syria and Afghanistan are a signpost of a new American approach to defence, those European states that have based their military security on the capabilities of the United States Armed Forces should worry. Uncle Sam might not be as willing as before to pay for European defence.

This should not come as a surprise. In the end, it is primarily up to the Europeans to finance their own defence. And the only way to do this is for all European states to start developing more military capabilities for deterrence and territorial defence. If there is any lesson to be learned from the post-Cold War era, it is that most expeditionary military operations have actually reduced – not increased – security in Europe. While military cooperation in Europe and with the United States is a positive thing, it is ultimately national military capabilities that are the bedrock of military defence in Europe. Cooperation can only work between states that have real defence capability.

 

Lt. Col. Jyri Raitasalo is military professor of war studies at the Finnish National Defence University. The views expressed here are his own.

 

Since Baltic region becomes crucial point for European security, cooperation between NATO and its Scandinavian partners seems to be a corner stone of Alliance northern flank . However, cooperation can only work between states that have real defence capability

In the Afghanistan NATO conducted the most complex, full-scale combat operation in post-Cold War era

Article previously published on MILMAG 01/2019

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