Read more about the article Bringing Back Military Mobility
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Bringing Back Military Mobility

This Info Flash outlines how the conflict in Ukraine has reignited concerns within Europe regarding military mobility because of several factors like bureaucratic delays in border crossings and much of Europe’s infrastructure not prepared for military use. As a result, significant work needs to be done to ensure seamless military movement across Europe’s many borders. Fortunately, the European Union already has large infrastructure projects which can be updated to incorporate military requirements. In addition, NATO's involvement has been and continues to be an important factor in hosting training exercises and setting goals. Finally, it can be presumed that the EU will allocate more funding for this continental project, while also focusing on cyber defence threats

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6 March 2023
Read more about the article Refusing a Second “Finlandization”? The Drivers and the Impact of Finland and Sweden’s NATO Membership on the Arctic Region
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Refusing a Second “Finlandization”? The Drivers and the Impact of Finland and Sweden’s NATO Membership on the Arctic Region

This Info Flash outlines the European security crisis, which has its roots beyond the unsolved issues with post-Soviet Russia and NATO enlargement towards the East of Europe. The current invasion of Ukraine shows that two opposing international concepts are on the battleground. The goal of this research is to investigate the reasons that led two of the most prominent European neutral nations – Sweden and Finland – to take sides in the current conflict between the two contrasting visions of the international order, joining the Atlantic Alliance. It is elaborated on a historical analysis of Finland and Sweden, which shows the lessons learnt from experiences in order to determine the present-day challenges that both face due to their geopolitical position in the Arctic region. In doing so, this paper aims to understand the past, present and future international arrangements involving the Arctic as the next battlefield where the two contrasting international order visions will collide. 

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2 March 2023
Read more about the article Responding to the T-14 Armata
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Responding to the T-14 Armata

This Info Flash outlines the challenge that Russian main battle tank (MBT) developments, the T-14 Armata now challenges all of NATO’s platforms. With the war in Ukraine signalling that conventional warfare is far from over, NATO must re-evaluate its armoured capabilities. The capabilities of the Russian T-14, the American M1 Abrams, the German Leopard 2, the British Challenger 2, the French Leclerc, the Italian C1 Ariete, the Polish PT-91 Twardy, and the upcoming Turkish Altay are investigated in order to understand why the United States must choose between what it is accustomed to in the Abrams or move on to something entirely new. Simultaneously, the bilateral relationship between France and Germany is taken into consideration for understanding the need for inviting other European states into its Main Ground Combat System project.

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22 February 2023
Read more about the article France’s strategic pivot to Europe and its impact on the international fight against terrorism in the Sahel region
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France’s strategic pivot to Europe and its impact on the international fight against terrorism in the Sahel region

This Info Flash outlines the history of Operation Barkhane, offering a general overview of French and European efforts to maintain stability in the Sahel region over the past ten years. The principal causes of France’s disengagement are analysed taking into account external factors, such as the Russian-Ukrainian war at the end of February 2022. Because of the sensibility of this issue, Professor Luca Ranieri, one of the most prominent scholars dealing with security problems in the Sahel region, builds in an interview a critical assessment of Operation Barkhane. Understanding the main weaknesses of this initiative poses extreme usefulness in order to avoid repeating the same errors in the future.

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16 February 2023
Read more about the article What are the Potential Ramifications of a Digital Euro Upon the Defense Sector
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What are the Potential Ramifications of a Digital Euro Upon the Defense Sector

This Info Flash outlines the digitalization of China’s currency in 2021, opening the question of if the United States and the EU would respond to this shift with their own digital currencies. As a result, both the EU and the US are designing, debating and experimenting with their own versions of a central bank digital currency. Few discussions exist concerning the potential impacts on national defence industries within Europe, and as a result, there is a need to understand what potential consequences and benefits the digital currency transition could bring to the defence sector.

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15 February 2023