United with Ukraine: International Support for Ukraine goes from strength to strength as Western Powers Support the delivery of F16 Fighter Jets

International governments have pledged military assistance for Ukraine since Russia invaded in February of 2022. This support has yet again grown with the UK and Netherlands vowing to form an “International Coalition” with the express purpose of providing training and F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine (Kent et al., 2023, para. 1). Since the Russian invasion last February, the US has given $19.3 billion in aid, the UK £2.3 billion, and the EU as a coalition have transferred €3.1 million, most of which is in the form of lethal platforms and weapons (Mills & Curtis, 2023, p. 4).

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Is AUKUS and Australia’s pledge to acquire nuclear-powered submarines a turning point in Indo-Pacific power relations?

This Info Flash focuses on the creation of the AUKUS partnership, with the main aim being that of assisting the Australian Navy in the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs). The agreement raised concerns regarding the possibility of escalating tensions between China and Taiwan (Sabbagh et al. 2021). Nevertheless, despite vocal dissent from China and France, the agreement has gone ahead. The beginning of the Australian SSNs' military journey inevitably marks an important moment for the delineation of Indo-Pacific security lines. While American President Joe Biden insists that the arrival of submarines to the Australian coasts should not be understood as an act of aggression towards China (Holland & Brunnstrom, 2023), tensions remain in the region. This work assesses how the acquisition of SSNs has impacted Australian military capability and how the developments introduced in March 2023 have the potential to reshape contemporary nuclear warfare and the equilibrium of the Indo-Pacific region.

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The Role of International Actors in Sudan’s Ongoing Crisis

Sudan has been engaged in military conflict since April 15, 2023. Following the removal of the longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir and the attempt of a transition to civilian rule in 2021, a high-intensity armed confrontation has been launched across the country. The parties responsible are the Sovereignty Council’s two leaders, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, his Deputy and head of the paramilitary group known as Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

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A Never-Ending War… Russian Forces Target Kherson Oblast Killing 6 people in 24 Hours

On the afternoon of Monday, 8 May 2023, Russian forces once again bombed Kherson Oblast, a province in southern Ukraine, killing 6 people in the past 24 hours (Lozovenko, 2023). Additionally, an assault on the suburb of Antonivka has left a 67-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man injured and hospitalised (Lozovenko, 2023). With the woman unfortunately sustaining several shrapnel wounds to her head, chest, and abdomen, medical professionals are currently attending to her and doing their best to save her life (The Kyiv Independent, 2023). The Kherson Oblast Military Administration has reported the incident and is likely already investigating the instigators of the attack (Petrenko, 2023). Later in the same day, the village of Stanislav came under attack from the Russian military, resulting in four people getting injured (The Kyiv Independent, 2023). Finally, the village of Kizomys was also targeted with bombs, causing the destruction of two houses (Lozovenko, 2023).

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Decarbonization in the Defence Sector: Framework and Green Technologies

This Info Flash analyses the environmental concerns that have climbed to the top of the international agenda. The armed forces and the defence sector as a whole are not exempt from this trend. Moreover, the defence sector's environmental footprint is massive, making it necessary for the armed services to devise new policies and activities targeted at minimizing this footprint. These changes represent both a threat to military institutions and an opportunity to implement new technologies that can improve operational and military capabilities (Duncan, 2023). Understanding the effects of climate change, thus, is critical for gaining a knowledge advantage. The military has to understand how climate change and shifting climatic conditions affect strategy and operational conduct. Extreme weather events, for example, may have an impact not only on the operability of military capabilities but also on their efficiency and military installations as a whole. In the future, we are also expected to witness more conflicts caused by climate change, for which security agencies will need to prepare (Wigell & Hakala, 2022).

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