Read more about the article Outpaced at Sea? What AUKUS Reveals About Europe’s Strategic Drift
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Outpaced at Sea? What AUKUS Reveals About Europe’s Strategic Drift

The AUKUS pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States has swiftly shifted the international dialogue on naval power (Hellyer & Stevens, 2022). For the first time, a non-nuclear weapon state is being armed with nuclear-powered submarines, thus changing not only the Indo-Pacific security environment but, additionally, opening a new chapter in strategic defence cooperation (Cheng, 2022). Whilst London and Washington were putting importance on the strategic need of countering China, Europe wаs left watching from afar: particularly France, whose billion-euro submarine deal with Australia had quickly collаpsed overnight (Tertrais, 2021). This аrticle explores how AUKUS redefines traditional defence norms and remodels the global nuclear submarine balance (Hellyer & Stevens, 2022). Likewise, it examines the implications for the European Union, which has long aimed for larger strategic autonomy, yet still struggles to coordinate effectively at sea (Fiott et al., 2021). Geographically speaking, AUKUS may be a distant pact, however, its message to Europe is as clear as day: naval power matters, and partnerships formed on trust, swiftness, as well as strategic clarity, are already setting the pace (Fiott, 2018).

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22 July 2025
Read more about the article Lines of Sustainment: Evaluating Ukrainian Military Logistics in the Russo-Ukrainian War
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Lines of Sustainment: Evaluating Ukrainian Military Logistics in the Russo-Ukrainian War

This paper aims to examine the critical role of logistics in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war, focusing on the evolving challenges and innovations in Ukraine's military logistics infrastructure. Logistical disruptions, especially from Russian missile strikes and precision bombing, threaten Ukraine's operational momentum and the sustainability of its military operations. This piece explores Ukraine's efforts to modernise its logistics systems, drawing from both doctrinal shifts and technological advancements, such as the integration of drones for last-mile delivery and the launch of the DOT Chain digital logistics platform. Despite these innovations, systemic challenges such as bureaucratic delays and limited air defence coverage persist, undermining the effectiveness of Ukraine's logistics network. The paper offers recommendations for enhancing resilience at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels.

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17 July 2025
Read more about the article Weaknesses in Civil Defence: How Prepared is the European Union?
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Weaknesses in Civil Defence: How Prepared is the European Union?

This paper explores shortcomings of European civil defence by examining both infrastructure vulnerabilities and the widespread unpreparedness of civilians in the face of modern threats. While military spending across the European Union has increased in recent years, civil defence has lagged, with critical needs outdated or insufficient. The increasing complexity of global threats highlights the urgency of updating these systems. The civilian population remains largely unaware and unprepared to handle prolonged disruptions. This paper outlines these gaps, their risks, and the need for a culture of preparedness. It also presents Finland as a model of integrated civil and military defence, offering lessons for the broader European context. A transformation of mindset and investment in smarter civil defence are essential for the EU to confront future crises with confidence.

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14 July 2025
Read more about the article Defence – Climate Change Nexus: the long road for environmental considerations in the defence sector
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Defence – Climate Change Nexus: the long road for environmental considerations in the defence sector

With defence remaining an exclusive competence of Member States (MS) (Article 4§2 TEU), it is automatically excluded from the scope of European Union (EU)’s regulation. This exclusion equally applies to EU environmental regulation tackling climate change and targeting carbon neutrality by 2050. Despite not being covered by the EU's environmental regulations, the defence sector remains responsible for a large part of GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions and should not be exempt from the EU’s climate agenda due to treaty-based principles. Establishing this responsibility is possible through alignment with existing EU green legislation. The EU can offer relevant instruments to enable the defence sector to better incorporate environmental considerations in alignment with the EU green agenda, for example through procurement regulations. However, further effort should be undertaken to reach a consistent and coherent alignment of MS to that end.

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10 July 2025
Read more about the article Naval Drones in the Sky: How Ukraine’s Magura Fleet Is Redefining Air Superiority in Coastal Warfare 
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Naval Drones in the Sky: How Ukraine’s Magura Fleet Is Redefining Air Superiority in Coastal Warfare 

Ukraine’s MAGURA programme shows how distributed seaborne air denial might change coastal warfare assumptions. This InfoFlash defines this concept, tracks MAGURA V5 and V7 development and examines the twin shoot-downs of Russian SU-30SM fighters and Mi-8 helicopters. By pairing low-signature hulls to R-73 or AIM-9 seekers and feeding them target data from the Delta cloud, Kyiv fielded surface craft that can outmatch aircraft whose unit cost outweighs the boats by almost 100:1. Findings indicate inverted cost-exchange ratios, condensed kill chains, and new risks for patrol routes across narrow seas. The paper argues that littoral states should replicate this networked model with off-the-shelf sensors and surplus missiles, shifting budgeting priorities from frigates and fighter wings to expendable nodes and shared data links. Recommended actions include modular procurement, joint training that integrates missile-armed USVs, reinforced ship defences, and tighter controls on seeker heads and autonomy software before proliferation broadens the threat in coming years.

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7 July 2025