Author: Defenceline Webdesk

The European Union yesterday announced a fresh tranche of sanctions aimed at the operators of Southeast Asia-based online scamming operations, who they said are responsible for “serious human rights violations.” In a statement, the European Council stated that it was imposing “restrictive measures” against seven persons and three entities in Cambodia and Myanmar, accusing them of “human trafficking, torture, and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatments,” as well as billions of dollars in fraud. The sanctions, which involve asset freezes and travel bans for the designated individuals and entities, are the latest response to the scamming industry that has entrenched…

David Cenciotti, Aviationist Sikorsky details plans to bring optional piloting into production, expand the Black Hawk’s payload and range, and offer armed configurations to both existing and… Source link

Battlefield learning for drone operations is increasingly being considered in real-time, as militaries try to adapt to counter new threats. Source link

On July 12, Bank of Thailand (BOT) Governor Vitai Ratanakorn announced that the BOT would begin auditing high-volume Tether (USDT) transactions. In doing so, he observed that nearly 40 percent of USDT sellers on local platforms were foreign nationals. This decision to scrutinize transactions in USDT, a popular stablecoin, is a part of Thailand’s broader efforts to combat the financial infrastructure that enables the transnational criminal networks operating across Southeast Asia, many of which are linked to Chinese nationals or Mandarin-speaking actors. It suggests that Thai authorities are increasingly intent on disrupting the payment systems that make said criminal ecosystems…

Christopher J. Little, RealClearDefense The fight everyone is having is domestic and rhetorical Source link

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)’s first parliamentary elections, scheduled for September 14 after years of postponement, will complete one of the central political commitments under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB): the transition from an appointed government to an elected one. This milestone, however, will not mark the end of the peace process writ large. The appointment in mid-July of a new chair of the Philippine Government Peace Implementing Panel illustrates why the implementation of the CAB remains an ongoing political process. After months without a permanent government counterpart to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),…

RCD Congress has made its defense priorities unmistakably clear: protect the warfighter, reduce preventable losses, and maintain readiness in an increasingly dangerous world. Source link

Michael Johnston, RealClearDefense The fleet of the future will not be built on the industrial base of the past. Industry, with support from the Navy, must adopt new methods of advanced… Source link

IntEng Equipping USS Defiant with the A1B nuclear reactor addresses two major operational challenges simultaneously Source link

Bill Gertz, The Washington Times House defense legislators want the Pentagon to produce regular reports to Congress on the impact of weapons shortages needed to deter China. Source link