Mil News NATO Military News

[Mike1976]

NATO exercise validates POLARIS with undetectable laser link between two Portuguese frigates

At REPMUS 2025, Astrolight’s POLARIS laser link connected two Portuguese Navy ships without detection or jamming, hinting at a low-signature C2 layer.

www.armyrecognition.com

 

[Mike1976]

British Navy Marks Historic First for NATO as HMS Duncan Destroyer Shadows Russian Warship

Royal Navy Type 45 HMS Duncan, under NATO tasking, shadowed Russia’s Vice Admiral Kulakov in UK waters, marking a historic first and ensuring a clean Channel

www.armyrecognition.com

 

[muck]

US president Donald Trump seemingly wants to withdraw the US military from top NATO roles and has had his envoy say that the post of Supreme Allied Commander should go to Germany in the future. (Source)

Yeah, I don't think that idea is going to be popular in some European countries.

Frankly, I think the post should go to Poland. Or at least it should rotate between the biggest armies in the European half of NATO.

But this announcement clearly indicates that Trump wants to minimise America's footprint within NATO, which naturally leaves some questions as to a future "what if" scenario. Even if we fast-forward in time and suppose Europe has greatly strengthened its militaries by then, let's say the dirt hits the fan and war breaks out. Would Trump or a like-minded successor really place significant American forces under European command? I don't think so. And I wouldn't blame them, by the way, no single European military is ever going to be as big as America's. It's absolutely reasonable to give the job to the guy from the biggest force inside the alliance.

Possible interpretations: Trump thinks the question will never arise; Trump or his successors will demand the post be given to an American in war time; or Trump doesn't want to commit forces anyway.

 

[Mike1976]

NATO Conducts Dual Carrier Strike Operation with UK HMS Prince of Wales and Italian ITS Cavour

NATO paired UK HMS Prince of Wales & Italian ITS Cavour in Neptune Strike 25-4, highlighting European carrier strike group capability and alliance integration.

www.armyrecognition.com

 

[Mike1976]

NATO customer awards German Rheinmetall hundred million euros for Hero loitering munitions

NATO customer orders hundreds of Rheinmetall Hero loitering munitions, boosting Europe’s precision strike capacity through 2026 deliveries.

www.armyrecognition.com

 

[Mark Sman]

US president Donald Trump seemingly wants to withdraw the US military from top NATO roles and has had his envoy say that the post of Supreme Allied Commander should go to Germany in the future. (Source)

I don't see a problem with this. It might actually be good for NATO.

Maybe some bumpers. The US gets one turn in four. Intel must crawl up the nominees exhaust port with a microscope.

If the NATO council can't agree on seating a competent leader then we have a bigger problem than one leader.

 

[muck]

German Army Chief Lt Gen Christian Freuding has told 'The Atlantic' that the coordination and cooperation of NATO allies with the United States Armed Forces has all but broken down. Freuding said that until January, there had been a persistent back-and-forth of information, a clear hierarchy and counterparts he could contact even at nighttime. Under the new administration, that flow has become one-sided.

Giving an example, Freuding mentions how he learnt through the media rather than by US officials from Washington's decision to stop supplying Ukraine with arms and halt all shipments [although the USA had previously expected the Germans to be ready to help distributing that aid, muck]. His inquiries were left unanswered, and the White House didn't even know the shipments had been halted.

Freuding explains further how he had to get the German Embassy in Washington to go through the Pentagon's Who's Who to find somebody who could actually tell him what was going on. The general candidly told the interviewer that from his perspective, "[we] not only have an enemy knocking at the door", but are also "in the process of losing a true ally and friend". (Source)

 

[Kadir93]

Germany to activate Israeli-made Arrow 3 defense shield against long-range ballistic missiles.​

Germany to activate Israeli-made Arrow 3 defense shield against long-range ballistic missiles

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius says this air defense would significantly strengthen his country and its partners - Anadolu Ajansı

www.aa.com.tr

​

 

[Mark Sman]

Freuding explains further how he had to get the German Embassy in Washington to go through the Pentagon's Who's Who to find somebody who could actually tell him what was going on.

Hmmm, this guy didn't have US people in the rolodex that could run this down for him?

But quite aside from that, this level of a lack of coordination explains some stuff.

 

[muck]

Hmmm, this guy didn't have US people in the rolodex that could run this down for him?

Freuding was head of the Ukraine situation room at the time, double-hatting as the government's chief advisor on the military situation in Ukraine, and as coordinator of all military aid to Ukraine provided by or passing through Germany. He would've had that rolodex.

The most likely explanation: Hegseth had turned the Pentagon upside down so much he left everything in a chaos.

The less likely, more sinister explanation: We're being ghosted.

 

[muck]

Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in the US state of California, Hegseth welcomed NATO's agreement to significantly boost defence expenditures. "Model allies that step up like Israel, South Korea, Poland, increasingly Germany, the Baltics and others will receive our special favor," he said. He added that the United States expects similar contributions from other allies, and those who fail to meet their obligations could face consequences. (Source)

"Who's a good boy? You are! Yes, you are!"

Though to be fair, these days we're more Dachshund than German Shepherd.

 

[Mark Sman]

German Dachsund is still something when looked at on the global scale. If expenditure does rise to 3.5% that will be significant.