The Ukrainian military said Tuesday it had sunk yet another Russian warship in the Black Sea, this time the patrol ship Sergey Kotov. Kyiv has already put nearly a third of Moscow’s Black Sea fleet on the ocean floor, and they’ve done it by relying heavily on drones. Not just the airborne ones you’ve heard plenty about but also unmanned waterborne drones. These deadly and relatively inexpensive weapons have helped Ukraine to even the seascape against a much larger enemy.
Consider that the cutting-edge Sergey Kotov was worth roughly $65 million. The Jet Ski-powered MAGURA V5 kamikaze drone that destroyed it cost about $250,000. You do the math. In less than a year, these drones had knocked off a missile corvette and twolanding ships.
The historical irony. During the Crimean War of 1854-1856, Russia was the power using a new technology called the “torpedo” to harry the British fleet.
The future challenge. Navies around the world have some questions to answer. A cutting-edge US aircraft carrier costs $13 billion, and then you gotta buy the planes. If an enemy can sink it for the price of a modest condo in Phoenix … would you ever deploy it?
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney struck a series of deals during a meeting in New Delhi on Monday, including a 10-year nuclear energy deal under which Canada will provide India with uranium.
The US and Israel have launched a series of strikes against Iran at a moment when the Islamic Regime is at its weakest. Ian Bremmer spoke with Iran expert Karim Sadjadpour in Munich earlier this month to understand the choices the regime and population are facing.
With US forces building up in the Middle East, Trump is betting military pressure will force Iran to bend. Will this turn into a full-scale conflict?
Are we still talking. #PUPPETREGIME