Articles by Keith Mallon.

The 10 year anniversary of NATO’s intervention in Afghanistan has prompted widespread comment on the progress of that conflict. Striking in the the recent coverage is not only the profound sense of pessimism  from many commentators, but also the attention paid to the insurgency’s component factions . There is no shortage of opinion on Afghanistan, understanding the...Full Article »

Last week’s DSEi exhibition saw several new armoured vehicles and technologies shown in public for the first time, with several major programme updates being unveiled. Widespread analysis of the armoured vehicles market predicts a downturn in orders post-Afghanistan, but there was significant optimism among manufacturers at the show, though it was tempered by the prospect of tougher...Full Article »

This year’s round of air shows left me feeling decidedly unsettled as old certainties just keep on disappearing. Take, for, instance the recent MAKS 2011 , held at Zhukovsky as usual, just outside Moscow. Whereas the 2010 Zhuhai Airshow generated a plethora of coverage from  aviation reporters, this 2011’s MAKS passed by almost unnoticed. That is, if you ignore the rather...Full Article »

“I dropped more bombs than you did.”   And so begins the playground one-upmanship that invariably follows a multi-nation, multi-organisation operation. This time it’s Libya and the NATO allies are getting their measuring tapes out to decide who was the most potent force during the months-long campaign to oust Gadaffi.   Breaking down the numbers   Aviation...Full Article »