Tag: nato

Turkey: The Third Gulf Axis Of Power

Turkey Is Modernizing Its Military to Send Message to the Rest of NATO - Business Insider

I. Historical & Strategic Context

Turkey has long viewed itself as a bridge between Europe, the Middle East, and Central Asia, but in recent years, it has evolved into a military-industrial powerhouse with global reach. No longer a passive NATO border state, Turkey under Erdoğan is increasingly projecting influence:

North Africa (Libya)
The Caucasus (Azerbaijan-Armenia war)
Levant and Gulf (Qatar, Iraq, Syria)
East Africa (Somalia, Red Sea bases)

Strategic Shift: From reactive defense to neo-Ottoman influence projection, blending soft and hard power.

II. Defense Industry as a Foreign Policy Weapon

Turkey is one of the world’s top 10 arms exporters—a remarkable shift over the past decade. Key defense assets include:

Bayraktar TB2 & Akinci Drones

Used in Libya, Syria, Nagorno-Karabakh, and Ukraine with lethal efficiency
Proven value: Affordable, modular, and swarm-capable
Exported to over 30 countries

Domestic Naval Power

ANALYSIS] TCG Anadolu: the most powerful warship and the flagship of the Turkish Navy - Turkish Minute — TCG Anadolu

TCG Anadolu: Turkey’s first aircraft carrier (drone carrier)
Development of homegrown submarines, corvettes, and missile boats
Naval projection into Red Sea and Gulf waters via bases in Qatar and Somalia

Roketsan & ASELSAN Weapon Systems

Indigenous missile tech (SOM cruise missiles, surface-to-air platforms)
Electronic warfare, SIGINT, and AI-based C4ISR platforms

III. Turkey’s Military Footprint in the Gulf & Red Sea

Qatar: The Core Gulf Ally

New military base in Qatar to inaugurate in autumn - Türkiye News

Permanent Turkish base in Qatar (Tariq bin Ziyad Base) since the 2017 Gulf blockade
Trains Qatari military officers and provides a counterbalance to Saudi-UAE axis
Shared interests in Islamic soft power and Muslim Brotherhood-aligned networks

Somalia & Horn of Africa

Camp TURKSOM: Largest Turkish overseas base, training Somali forces
Gateway to Red Sea, Indian Ocean routes, and Gulf of Aden chokepoints
Turkey is viewed by local governments as an alternative to Western and Chinese influence

Levant & Iraq

Deep involvement in northern Iraq operations (anti-PKK) and northern Syria
Construction of semi-permanent military zones near Mosul and Afrin
Facilitates indirect influence over Kurdish and Shia corridors leading into Iran and the Gulf

IV. Strategic Military Doctrine: Asymmetric, Exportable, Agile

Turkey’s emerging doctrine can be summarized as “Agile Strategic Presence”:

Exportable Firepower: Drones, missiles, and electronic systems designed for “plug-and-play” use by allies and proxies
Hybrid Warfare: Combines conventional operations with proxies (e.g., Syrian militias), drones, cyber ops, and psychological warfare
Strategic Basing: Establishing forward bases without requiring full occupation—training partners, guarding ports, building schools and airfields

V. Strategic Recommendations: How Turkey Can Solidify Gulf Influence

Expand Naval Presence into Western Gulf
- Leverage Qatar to co-develop naval facilities
- Introduce drone naval platforms in Hormuz-Red Sea corridor
Create a Turkish-Gulf Defense Education Exchange
- Offer military academies in Africa and Asia under Turkish branding
- Counterbalance Western training programs with Islamic-friendly curriculum
Cyber-Islamic Coalition
- Build digital alliances with Muslim-majority countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan) using shared AI, cyberdefense, and drone doctrine
- Present this as a “non-aligned Islamic defense bloc”
Weaponize Infrastructure
- Package military presence with hospitals, mosques, infrastructure deals
- Lock in multi-domain loyalty among unstable regimes (Sudan, Djibouti, Libya)

Table comparison with UAE & Saudi Arabia

Dimension	Turkey	UAE	Saudi Arabia
Military Doctrine	Agile & Hybrid Warfare	Tech-first asymmetric deterrence	Strategic autonomy, conventional
Regional Ally	Qatar, Somalia	Egypt, Jordan, Israel (informal)	Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan
Defense Industry	Drones, missiles, naval	Drones, EW, AI weapons	Land vehicles, missiles, MRO
Influence Method	Proxy warfare + soft power	Tech diplomacy + training	Arms deals + economic leverage

Sidenote: Hi guys, im trying my best to pump out the content. Life has been hectic lately.

08/13/2025

France Boosts Defense Spending: Key Priorities for 2025
KNDS Group arms expo.

Hello everyone, a buying trend is starting in Europe. Many countries are spending more into defence and arms in response to the Russian-Ukraine war.

France has placed a record defence budget of €47.2 billion for 2025 alone. With its goals to exceed 2% of its GDP to align with NATO commitments France has spending priorities which I will touch on.

🇫🇷 Spending Priorities
1. Modernize the nuclear deterrent (air and submarine-based)
2. Replenish munitions & stocks (lacking after Ukraine lessons)
3. Upgrade armoured forces (Scorpion program)
4. Expand drone, cyber, and space capabilities
5. Strengthen overseas deployments (esp. in the Indo-Pacific)
France’s “Force de frappe ” (‘Strike Force’)remains the backbone of national sovereignty.
- Maintaining an independent nuclear deterrent is non-negotiable in French 🇫🇷 grand strategy.
- Spending priorities include:
  - Upgrading M51 SLBM missiles on its four Triomphant-class SSBNs (submarines)
  - Modernizing the ASMPA-R nuclear air-launched missile carried by Rafales
  - Sustaining the dedicated infrastructure at the Île Longue nuclear submarine base
  - Research on next-generation nuclear warheads
Cold War Era kit replacement

France is replacing Cold War–era kit with next-generation assets:

🦂 SCORPION Program (Army)
- Replaces old VAB armored vehicles with Griffon, Jaguar, Serval
- Integrated with SICS (Scorpion combat info system) for networked warfare
- Boosts mobility, survivability, and sensor-to-shooter speed
MBTs & Artillery
- Refurbishing Leclerc tanks
- Investing in the next-generation MGCS tank with Germany (though facing delays)
- New Caesar 6×6 and 8×8 self-propelled artillery upgrades
Precision Munitions
- Stocks of AASM Hammer bombs
- Meteor air-to-air missiles
- MMP (medium-range anti-tank missile)
- Large munitions stockpiles after seeing Ukraine’s burn rates
🌍 Overseas Posture & Infrastructure

France has permanent forces in:
- French Polynesia
- New Caledonia
- Djibouti
- French Guiana
- UAE (Abu Dhabi airbase)
Spending priorities include:
1. Modernising these outposts
2. Prepositioned stocks
3. Hardened airfields
4. Satellite comms for global force projection
→ This is part of France’s ambition to be a global (not just European) military power.

🏛️ Strategic Summary

France’s spending priorities reflect:

A) A nuclear-armed sovereign deterrent (cannot rely on the U.S. alone)
B) High-intensity peer conflict preparedness (no more purely counterinsurgency kit)
C) Expeditionary reach (Indo-Pacific, Africa)
D) Resilience (stockpiles, industrial base)
E) Technology edge (cyber, drones, precision weapons, AI)
07/14/2025
Navigating Germany’s Ammunition Crisis and Defense Goals

A ceremony involving the Bundeswehr

Germany is currently facing issues in force generation. With a goal of having 203,000 active troops by 2031, it is possible that they achieve that target.

Current active troops as of 31st March 2025 of 182,000 troops means that they have to draw upon another 21,000 troops in a span of 6 years.

Taking into consideration troops that resign or retire, incentives to recruit more from the younger population are being observed.

Defence Spending Skyrockets

Panzerhaubitze 2000 firing

Germany has announced a €100 billion fund to raise its defence spending to 2% of its GDP. It raises the question on whether the country is able to solve its own internal problems.

Germany currently faces procurement paralysis, industrial underinvestment and energy challenges. Ammo such as high-explosive artillery shells are in short supply due to the Ukraine war.

I will put more focus on its ammunition shortfall as it sums up all the issues that Germany faces.

The country had supplied Ukraine with tons of ammo resulting in a reserve of only 20,00 shells. With a plan to implement €21.4 billion into its ammo reserves by 2031, Germany aims to solve its weak supply chains.

Ukraine Artillery Pieces

Germany imports most of its ammo from China which is unreliable in event of a war breaking out. Shipping times will cause delays and in a time where speed is what decides who wins, it is important to close up the gap.

Focus on investing in its domestic production is underway. With companies like Rheinmetall, expanding its factories. Facing rare earth and explosive components shortages, expanding is difficult.

Gen-Z refusing to fight?

Germany has a birth rate issue. With 1.35 children per woman in 2023, not many are willing to pick up a weapon. Competition is fierce with civilian labor markets.

There is a saying from WW2, “Every Soldier requires 7 in logistics”. Having a necessary workforce to support 203,000 troops will be a challenge.

Germany also faces a barracks capacity problem. Having a bunch of soldiers is useless if there is no place for them to sleep.

I would not be surprised if Germany were to bring back conscription to boost numbers with enough support.

To sum up the potential,

If Germany can restructure it has :
1. a solid industrial base,
2. vast financial resources,
3. strong alliances,
— and can recover its defence strength within 5–7 years, especially in combined NATO frameworks.

Time will tell if Germany can build the necessary support systems to field an active army of 203,000 troops in these uncertain times.

Blog Talk

Hi guys, this is my fourth blog post since starting, I am getting the hang of it, will improve more as i pump out the content. Il probably delve into military intelligence next or whatever comes up in these turbulent times.

If anyone wants to reach out to connect feel free to contact me 🙂

Disclaimer Time!: I am not a professional, all my writings are my own personal opinion. Nothing I say should be taken as financial advice.

06/30/2025