A Review of An Open World: How America Can Win the Contest for Twenty-First-Century Order by Rebecca Lissner and Mira Rapp-Hooper

The authors stress that both economic and military investments will be required to counter China's integration of statecraft and industry.1 It is further suggested that a selective procurement of allies within the Asian-Pacific region is necessary to counter Chinese economic dominance, military aggression, and coercive practices.2 An Open World suggests that the United States should look to build on existing relationships within trade and security cooperatives in the Indo-Pacific region and bolster the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, known as the Quad, to become a formal alliance that projects a robust military presence to counter Chinese aggression and encroachment within the South China Sea. [...]the authors point out the current dearth of expertise, talent, and diplomatic finesse that exists within the United States Department of State. In November 2020, the four members participated in a joint naval exercise meant to improve sea readiness for their fleets.6 This exercise was followed by a virtual meeting the following March and the establishment of working groups to tackle challenges such as supply-chain resilience and COVID-19 vaccine production and distribution.7 If these working groups are the extent of the Quad's influence, then the United States needs to seek other alliances to combat China's aggressive economic and military tactics. Coupling public and private sector goals While this type of partnership with private firms is promising, the authors admit to the widening gap between the national security interests of the public sector and the industrial mission of private corporations, which seems to weaken their argument.

Weaponizing Wheat: Russia's Next Weapon in Pandemic and Climate Eras

[...]the article closes with policy recommendations to prevent the weaponization of wheat. [...]Russia has recently violated Swedish airspace,8 simulated attacks on Norway,9 jammed GPS systems during NATO exercises,10 and tested new missile systems.11 Russia's quest for melting Arctic fossil fuels is part of an overall plan to leverage the advantages they gain from climate change, a plan that is marked by increased aggression and strategic manipulation of climate-vulnerable regions. [...]as importing countries transition away from fossil fuels, demand for Russian oil and gas will decrease, reducing the overall [End Page 63] revenue for the Russian economy. Countries that fell under the Soviet sphere of influence during the Cold War are less diversified in their energy mixes than those in Western Europe and are highly dependent on Russia.19 For example, in 2015, the stateowned oil and gas company Gazprom increased prices for the Baltic states, Bulgaria, and Poland.20 EU antitrust regulators found that Gazprom was manipulating gas prices in Bulgaria and Poland to force them to participate in additional pipeline projects.21 Such manipulative tactics could indicate future avenues for hybrid warfare, through which Russia combines military strength with economic, resource, technological, or political aggression.22 Russia's use of energy as a form of hybrid warfare can also be seen clearly in Ukraine.

The Quad as a Security Actor

When the Quad briefly emerged in 2007-8 among Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, this minilateral was referred to as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. Although some member states occasionally still use that term-often casually-it has been eschewed as a formal designation. Indeed, Quad members have gone out of their way to highlight a softer purpose rather than a security framing for the coalition. They have emphasized the idea of the group as a solutions provider for regional problems, including the Covid-19 crisis and climate change, while simultaneously officials have either denied or downplayed the grouping's security dimension.1 In September 2021, for instance, a senior U.S. official emphasized that the Quad "is not a regional security organization." The official further added that "there is not a military dimension...or security dimension" to the grouping.2However, while the Quad is not a regional security organization or alliance and does not involve formal security commitments or treaty obligations, it does have security and even some military dimensions. This element may not be evident in members' public statements, but as this essay argues, it is a key component of the Quad and the cooperation between its members.The Quad's resurrection lay in the need to respond to a security challenge-a more assertive and powerful China. This was not the only driver, but without it, the Quad was neither necessary nor possible. The member states' desire to respond to this challenge by shaping a favorable balance of power and building resilience in the region has led to several lines of effort, including in the defense and security domains. Among other elements, these interactions have involved building on a relatively low base of member-state interconnection in these sectors, particularly with India. Members' engagement in these realms has been evident in three areas: (1) security consultations and activities via the Quad, (2) sub-Quad activities, involving the deepening of ties between the Quad partners bilaterally and trilaterally, and (3) supra-Quad activities, consisting of member-state cooperation with other like-minded partners.

A Defender-Europe 21 gyakorlat és a kapcsolt nemzeti kiképzési rendezvények tapasztalatai a koronavírussal terhelt időszakból

Jelen tanulmányban a szerzo összefüggéseiben mutatja be a Defender-Europe 21 nagy láthatóságú gyakorlat és a kapcsolt nemzeti kiképzési rendezvények tervezésével és levezetésével kapcsolatos tapasztalatokat. Teszi ezt azzal a szándékkal, hogy a megszerzett tapasztalatok hatékonyan hozzájáruljanak egy jövobeni, hasonló, több haderonem összehangolt tevékenységét igénylo összetett gyakorlat megtervezéséhez és levezetéséhez. A téma kifejtése két fo részt ölel fel. Az írás elso részében az amerikai fél által követett gyakorlattervezési folyamatba kaphatunk átfogó betekintést. Majd ezt követve a szerzo szemlélteti a nemzetközi részvétellel járó, kapcsolt hazai gyakorlatok tervezési folyamatát. A tanulmány második felében a gyakorlat végrehajtása során megszerzett tapasztalatokra és a végrehajtás irányítását ellátó ideiglenesen felállított vezetési elem muködésére vonatkozóan kapunk áttekintést.Alternate :In the present study, the author introduces the gained experiences of the Defender-Europe 21 high-visibility military exercise and the linked national exercises in their complexity, from planning and command and control point of view. Thereby, the gained experiences might effectively contribute to the planning of any complex military exercise requiring synchronised activity in the future. The exposition of the theme will focus on two parts. In the first part the author will introduce the U.S. Army as well as the national exercise planning processes and the related key findings. In the second part of the study, the gained experiences of the execution of the exercises will be presented including the introduction of the temporarily established national command and control element.

Frisian Flag fighters fly! International exercise is back

[...]all the participants had already arrived the week before. The second week had additional exercise air space available over the northern landscape of The Netherlands where other elements were added to the mission scenarios, like slow mover protection and attacking ground targets. For each mission a leader is appointed and while it is a rotative role, a reasonable number of experienced pilots can get the opportunity to fulfil this responsible task.

Dutch wildcats celebration

[...]we are like an oiled Swiss Army knife, which has proven its added value over the years, and is quickly available when called upon". The 'Cougars' of 300 squadron also deployed to Afghanistan several times during 2006 to 2010 Operations took place out of Kandahar Airfield in support of the Task Force Uruzgan. Besides a transport role of supplies also missions to support Special Operations Forces (SOF) where executed. 300 Squadron also supports humanitarian missions like fighting forest fires (Fire Bucket Operations - FBO), in 2004 the squadron deployed two Cougars to Portugal, and in August 2007 towards Greece to support the firefighting there. For these amphibious overseas missions six Cougars (serials S-419, 441, 442, 445 and 447) are available with maritime equipment like floats to prevent the helicopter from sinking when it comes in the water. [...]2015, the squadron was tasked as Patients transport (Air Ambulance) from the Wadden Islands, which are located in the upper north of the Netherlands in the Wadden Sea, to hospitals on the mainland. According to 1st Lieutenant Niels Henderson, Chief Helicopter Maintenance of 300 squadron, this is a unique opportunity.

Exercises and visits

The two ays of maritime drills witnessed the three navies engaged in a various tactical exercises including naval manoeuvres and surface warfare drills. 6th Indo-France "EX SHAKTI2021" The Sixth Edition of Indo-France joint military exercise "Ex SHAKTI 2021" commenced at the Military School of Draguignan, France with an opening ceremony on 15 November 2021. French Navy's Chevalier Paul calls at Mumbai port To demonstrate the strength of Indo-French naval cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, a French air defence destroyer called at Mumbai naval port after taking part in a large-scale air and naval joint exercise off the coast of Maharashtra. The exercise is meant to enhance synergy and interoperability between Armed Forces of both the Nations in terms of understanding transnational terrorism both on land and at sea, conducting Counter Terrorism & Counter Insurgency Operations and sharing best military practices and experiences. Besides rigorous training, the joint military exercise also included cultural and sports activities to enhance defence cooperation and bilateral relations. INS Kesari, a Landing Ship Tank (Large) had undertaken similar mission in May/June 2020 to provide humanitarian and medical assistance to Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar and Comoros, including deployment of Medical Assistance Teams of the Indian Navy in multiple locations. Since May 2020, the Indian Navy has deployed ships to 15 Friendly Foreign Countries under SAGAR missions.

MADLx: Setting Foundations to Measure ROI Protocol/Recommendations Report: DI-MISC-80711A Bold Quest 20.2

The Coalition Capability Demonstration and Assessment series, known as Bold Quest, fosters Joint and Coalition resource pooling, collaborative data collection, and data analysis to inform capability development on a Joint and Coalition scale. The Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiatives Maturing ADL in Exercises (MADLx) project participated in Bold Quest 20.2 held in October 2020 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. The exercise sponsor, Joint Chiefs of Staff J-6 (Command, Control Communications, and Computers/Cyber), agreed to allow participants to receive pre-event online training focused on the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK), a suite of software to provide geospatial information for warfighter collaboration. After the exercise, participant performance data was shared with the MADLx team for analysis. This report provides the results and findings and includes impacts on exercise performance due to COVID-19 pandemic circumstances. It documents the ADL contributions to the exercise, the planning process and implementation protocol ("how to"), lessons learned, and recommendations.

Singapore-China relations in geopolitics, economics, domestic politics and public opinion: an awkward “special relationship”?

Notwithstanding their asymmetry in size and power, Singapore and the People’s Republic of China enjoy a “special relationship” based on cultural affinity and close economic interdependency. The city-state was also a model of development for its giant neighbor after the latter abandoned Maoist autarchy and embarked on the road of reform. But their ties are also awkward because Singapore is strategically close to the US superpower which views a rising and rivaling China with suspicion. Singapore’s relations with Beijing may become even more awkward during an uncertain power transition in East Asia amid the bitter Sino-US decoupling over trade, technology, finance and human talent.