China's Bohai Shipyard has undergone massive expansion.

— Bohai is now assessed to be the largest nuclear submarine building yard globally, with a total final assembly hall area of 118,330 sqm.

— The shipyard now has state-of-the-art facilities for nuclear submarine construction with a total of 24 submarine building bays.

The shipyard is now capable of producing:

— 3-4 SSNs (nuclear attack submarines) per year.
— 1.5-2 SSBNs (ballistic missile submarines) per year.
— A total of 4.5-6 nuclear submarines annually.

— 6 new SSNs were launched between May 2022 and July 2023, with production stabilizing at one SSN every 4 months.

— This rapid expansion and production capacity signals that China has moved from iterative development to large-scale serial production of nuclear submarines, comparable to peak Cold War production rates of the US and Soviet Union.

Source: ORF, Monty Khanna

Russian fiber-optic FPV drone hits a group of Ukrainian soldiers inside a building.

Fiber-optic FPV drones are notable for their ability to provide high-quality video transmission and reliable control.

They also maintain a continuous and stable video signal.

Trump suggests he will lift US sanctions on Russia and Iran if he wins.

"You’re losing Iran, you’re losing Russia. China is out there trying to get their currency to be the dominant currency."

The United States and Iraq have reached an understanding on plans to withdraw US-led coalition forces from Iraq.

— The plan is broadly agreed upon but still needs final approval from both governments and an announcement date.

— Hundreds of troops are expected to leave by September 2025. The remaining troops would depart by the end of 2026.

— The US has approximately 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in neighboring Syria. Other coalition nations, including Germany, France, Spain, and Italy, also contribute hundreds of troops.

Source: Reuters

Taliban Humvee with hood removed & ZSU-23-4 AA gun installed.

#BREAKING Iran has sent short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, WSJ reports.

Washington has informed allies of the Iranian move in the past couple of days, European officials said.

🌻 Ukrainian MiG-29 after making an emergency landing in the spring of 2024.

Israel has received about $310 billion (adjusted for inflation) in total U.S. aid since its founding in 1948, making it the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid.

— Israel currently receives about $3.8 billion annually in U.S. aid.

— U.S. aid accounts for about 15% of Israel's defense budget.

— U.S. law requires maintaining Israel's military superiority in the region.

Source: Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

Ukraine destroyed yet another Russian Army ammunition depot in Voronezh region last night.

Ukrainian UAVs can hit Russian military facilities at a distance of up to 1,800 km, GUR chief Budanov says.

Could politicians in European Union countries be deceiving us?

— The difference between what politicians say and what they do since the start of the war in Ukraine provides an important clue.

— Robin Brooks, Chief Economist at the Institute of International Finance, shared a revealing graph highlighting European Union member states’ exports to Central Asia and the Caucasus following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

— According to Brooks, these exports indirectly reach Russia, indicating that EU countries are bypassing the embargo through intermediary nations in these regions.

— One country that stands out on Brooks’ list is Armenia. As a key transit point between Russia and EU nations, Armenia is allegedly being used to facilitate embargo violations. But how exactly does this happen?

— Armenia is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which also includes Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Additionally, Armenia has trade agreements with the European Union, including the Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

— This dual affiliation enables Armenia to serve as a conduit, helping Russia circumvent international sanctions.

— Brooks’ data suggests that while EU nations publicly back sanctions against Russia, they are quietly engaging in indirect trade through Armenia, undermining the sanctions they claim to support.

Over 200 Fath-300 ballistic missiles were sent from Iran to Russia, The Times reports.

The shipment arrived on September 4, 2024, via a Russian ship to an undisclosed Caspian Sea port.

The Fath-360 has a range of 30 to 120 km and can carry a 150 kg warhead.