French authorities boarded an oil tanker off the coast of France and arrested senior crew members in September 2025. The ship is suspected to be part of Russia’s illicit shadow fleet and was known to be just off the coast of Denmark when drone incursions disrupted Danish airports last month, leading to media speculation that the ship’s crew may have been involved in the incident. French President Emmanuel Macron said at a European Union summit in Copenhagen on October 1 that the ship’s crew had committed “serious wrongdoings,” prompting France to stop the vessel as it rounded the country’s northwestern…
The Watch
The United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the U.S. Coast Guard have been “naming and shaming” Chinese Communist Party (CCP) vessels near Alaska in recent months. The latest CCP ships in question appear to be research vessels operating from July through September in the extended continental shelf when Coast Guard vessels intercepted them. The CCP activity indicates a more aggressive posture in the U.S. Arctic region. U.S. forces closely monitored and tracked the ships, much like they would CCP planes in the Alaska Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) or CCP naval vessels in the area. USNORTHCOM and Coast Guard officials did…
The United States is rapidly replenishing ammunition stockpiles, boosting the domestic economy while preparing for future potential conflicts. The U.S government recently created the Munitions Acceleration Council, a body designed to coordinate increased production among domestic arms suppliers by up to four times the current rate. In June, the council met with industry executives to discuss ways to speed production, according to a September 2025 report in The Wall Street Journal. The council is focusing on 12 weapons systems that are seen as crucial in successfully waging future war efforts, including Patriot interceptors, Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles, the Standard Missile-6,…
The Peruvian Air Force, traditionally a buyer of Russian warplanes, has signaled it will purchase U.S.-made F-16s for its next generation of fighter jets. The reluctance of Peru, along with other Latin American countries, to buy Russian-made military hardware is the latest indication that sanctions and Russia’s inability to effectively rearm as the war in Ukraine drags on have weakened the traditional arms export giant. The U.S. State Department approved the sale of 14 of the Block 70/72 F-16s, Lockheed Martin’s newest model with advanced avionics and weapons capability, to Peru in September 2025. Peru requested 12 single-seat models and…
The European Union (EU) plans to ban the import of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) a year earlier than planned, EU officials said in announcing another package of sanctions against Moscow for its war against Ukraine. “It is time to turn off the tap,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. “Russia’s war economy is sustained by revenues from fossil fuels. We want to cut these revenues,” von der Leyen said September 19, 2025, as she announced the proposal, which requires unanimous approval from EU governments. “So we are banning imports of Russian LNG into European markets.” European Commission Vice President and foreign policy…
Denmark denounced Russian aggression, and NATO allies quickly responded after repeated unmanned aerial systems (UAS) incursions into Danish territory closed the country’s airports and disrupted commercial activity in September 2025. The drone activity drew sharp condemnation from NATO leaders as the incidents occurred soon after Denmark announced it was making a large purchase of long-range precision weapons. Denmark’s government leaders, although lacking definitive proof, said they strongly believe Russia is behind the “hybrid attacks,” a pattern that has been repeated in other Nordic and Baltic countries since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the resulting sanctions and international isolation experienced…
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth welcomed Canadian Defence Minister David McGuinty to the Pentagon on September 22 for discussions on the nations’ long-standing defense relationship and close military-to-military cooperation. “Defending North America remains our top priority,” McGuinty said on his first visit to Washington as defense minister. Canada is one of the United States’ closest defense partners, and both nations share responsibility for defending the continent through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the only binational military command in the world. “Our great nations have served together in many wars. … And today our warfighters continue that, serving together through…
The Royal Bermuda Regiment (RBR) celebrated its 60th anniversary in September 2025, honoring retired veterans as it launched a public education campaign to raise awareness of the unit’s importance to the Atlantic island’s security and resilience. “Our 60th anniversary year is a year of opportunity,” said Lt. Col. Duncan Simons, the RBR’s commanding officer, according to the Royal Gazette, a Bermuda newspaper. “Not only is this year an opportunity to draw attention to the regiment as we celebrate this milestone but it also presents an opportunity for the National Security and Defence Review, which will soon commence.” Simons told the…
Norway has put new hurdles on uninsured and underinsured oil tankers passing through its waters, the government announced in August. Under the new rules, which are mostly aimed at a “shadow fleet” of ships transporting Russian crude oil, the Norwegian Coastal Administration will approach foreign-registered oil tankers entering Norway’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and request proof that they are properly insured. There are no mandatory penalties if crews aboard the ships choose not to comply or are found to have inadequate coverage, the High North News website reported. The new regulation will be tested for six months, and then it will be…
Denmark has been ramping up defense spending quickly as Russia’s war in Ukraine grinds toward its fifth year. As Moscow repeatedly violated NATO airspace in September 2025, concerning moves reminiscent of Russia’s initial 2014 invasion of Ukrainian territory, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced Copenhagen would buy long-range precision weapons capable of hitting targets in enemy territory. Frederiksen said the decision to buy such weapon systems was prompted by Russian aggression in Ukraine and elsewhere. “There is no doubt that Russia will be a threat to Europe and Denmark for years to come,” Frederiksen told reporters on September 17, according…