In 1947, on the initiative of Albert Einstein, the University of Chicago published for the first time in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist the Clock of the End of the World, or Doomsday Clock in English. This clock represented the time that humanity had left, since its appearance, before a cataclysmic event of the Nuclear War type came to eradicate it. In 1947, the clock was set at 23:53 p.m., 7 minutes before the apocalypse. This value, calculated empirically, served as a reference point for future annual assessments, so as to present in a simple and effective way the increase or decrease in risk, according to the college of scientists (including around ten…
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When cyber warfare encroaches on biological warfare
One of the most striking lessons from the Covid crisis, which has been hitting the world for more than two years, is probably not the vulnerability of human societies to the appearance of a new pathogen, a subject that has been documented for many years. years. On the other hand, this crisis highlighted the immense dependence of Western societies on their health system, and on the adherence of citizens to this system. Thus, it was never the incidence rate, yet the alpha and omega of epidemiology, any more than the number of deaths, which were at the heart of political decisions in Europe and the United States to stem the effects of…
Read the articleThe 7 main defense challenges of 2021
2020 was a year of extraordinary intensity in terms of defence, both politically and technologically. And whatever some media say, it is very likely that 2021 will be in the same vein, with increasingly intense international friction, accelerating global rearmament, and increasingly clear-cut national positions, all leading to an increase in number and intensity of crises. Certain subjects will have to be followed with great attention in the weeks and months to come, because they will very likely be able to condition the Defense issues for 2021 and the years to come. The Defense Policy…
Read the article5 of the 6 American Chiefs of Staff in quarantine due to Covid-19
The bulk of the US Armed Forces Chiefs of Staff are now in quarantine, after US Coast Guard Chief of Staff Admiral Charles Ray was diagnosed with the Covid19 coronavirus early week. The latter had indeed experienced mild symptoms during the weekend, justifying the test. All the general officers who have worked with Admiral Ray in recent days, i.e. 5 of the 6 chiefs of staff, General Berger of the US Marines Corps being the only exception, have therefore been in quarantine since yesterday. evening, creating a completely new situation at the Pentagon. According to the Pentagon spokesperson, the chiefs of staff concerned remain…
Read the articleWill the United Kingdom sacrifice its defense on the altar of Covid19?
Since the end of the Second World War, Great Britain had, with France, the most experienced and most efficient armies in Western Europe, relying on a century-old military tradition and an efficient and innovative Defense industry which will have given birth to many equipment and techniques which are still used today by the armed forces of the whole world. But today, in the face of the Covid19 crisis which is hitting the United Kingdom hard, this powerful component of Western Defense is in great danger of seeing many of its capacities depleted, on the altar of budgetary savings. Indeed, as part of the Strategic Review…
Read the articleRecovery plan: the missed opportunity for the French authorities for its defense industry and its armies
On September 3, 2020, the French government presented its Recovery Plan to alleviate the economic consequences of the COVID19 crisis, which has hit businesses and jobs hard in the country. If the majority of the industrial and economic sectors are effectively endowed to try to preserve what can be, and transform what must be, no announcement has been made concerning the National Defense industry, yet the the most efficient State investment in terms of job creation and budgetary return for the State. Questioned on the subject, the French authorities considered that the investment plan resulting from the Law of…
Read the articleNew Russian helicopter carriers can be converted into hospital ships
Like France, which deployed its assault helicopter carriers Mistral and Diksmuide to transfer patients affected by Covid19 to Corsica, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean, the Russian Navy deploying its hospital ship Irtysh to Vladivostok from April 13, 2020 to lighten the load on hospitals in the region, which are about to be saturated by the influx of patients. If this episode led the Russian Minister of Defense, Victor Shoighou, to reconsider the advisability of building one or more hospital ships, the budgetary constraints and the operational pressure of the Russian Shipyards are likely to, if not cancel, all of…
Read the articleRussia plans to export $ 13 billion in defense equipment in 2020
On the occasion of the Army 2020 exhibition, which is currently being held near Moscow, the CEO of the company Rosoboronexport in charge of Russian arms export contracts, Alexander Mikheyev, announced that he expected a volume export delivery of $13 billion in 2020, despite the Covid19 health crisis. In addition, the overall order book for Russian defense exports would be stable at $50 billion, consolidating Moscow in second place among countries exporting defense equipment after the United States. This volume is in line with the forecasts announced in 2019 for the year 2020, well before the Covid19 crisis.…
Read the article20 programs to strengthen the armies and preserve the French industrial fabric
Between the health and economic crisis linked to the Covid19 virus, and the security crises that are shaking the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Asia and Eastern Europe, there is no shortage of subjects of concern for French political leaders in in charge of defence, public finance and industry. But while these files are managed in isolation today, a global vision would make it possible to consider solutions that meet all the needs and contextual requirements. Strengthening the French armies, a pressing need Although the Military Programming Law 2019-2025 has undeniably made it possible to stem the loss of capacity that has affected the French armies for more than…
Read the articleCovid-19: Singapore delays deliveries of submarines and helicopters, but continues defense modernization
According to Defense News, the Singapore Armed Forces recently made announcements about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their materiel acquisition programs. The main delays should concern the deliveries of new generation submarines and transport helicopters planned for this year, and which should be postponed by one or two years. The planning for the purchase of F-35B stealth combat aircraft would not, however, be impacted by the current crisis, for the moment. If the Asia-Pacific region was one of the first affected by the pandemic, the situation now seems to be almost back to normal in Singapore, which has been able to effectively manage the…
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