Daily Vantage

Canada’s submarine race has turned into a high-stakes fight over jobs, speed, and Arctic power.Quick TakeCanada has narrowed its patrol submarine contest to **Hanwha Ocean** in South Korea and **ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems** in Germany.Hanwha says its KSS-III Batch-II can deliver four submarines by **2035**, with the first in **2032**.Germany’s pitch now includes a promise to give up two submarines from German and Norwegian orders so Canada can get boats sooner.Both bidders say they can...

China has built a warship that blurs the line between amphibious assault ship and drone carrier, and it may be the most unusual naval test case in years.Quick TakeChina’s Type 076 Sichuan began sea trials after its launch in December 2024.The ship uses an electromagnetic catapult, a feature Navy analysts say is globally unique on an amphibious ship.Official and defense reporting say the ship can launch fixed-wing aircraft, but the drone-only claim is not...

A secret Cold War operation shows how the federal spy bureaucracy used a fake mining ship, a billionaire cover story, and the now-infamous “neither confirm nor deny” tactic to hide a nuclear heist from the American people.Story SnapshotThe Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) built the Hughes Glomar Explorer as a fake mining ship to hide a mission to grab a Soviet nuclear submarine from three miles down.Recovered items likely included nuclear torpedoes and the bodies...

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claims to have shut the Strait of Hormuz, but U.S. commanders say the lifeline for global oil is still open.Story SnapshotIran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the strait “closed,” threatening ships that attempt passage .U.S. Central Command says commercial vessels can still transit to and from non-Iranian ports and vows to protect navigation .Reports cite unverified Iranian claims of strikes on vessels and recent ship attacks in the region .Analysts say...

A top Trump defense move just put NATO on notice: Europe must finally defend itself or risk losing America’s military shield.Story SnapshotDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth launched a six-month review of all U.S. forces based in Europe, branded “NATO 3.0.”The review’s goal is to shift NATO toward Europe taking primary responsibility for its own conventional defense, not relying on U.S. taxpayers.Some U.S. air and naval assets for NATO crises are already being cut, signaling that...

America’s top Pacific warfighter just warned Congress that China’s hidden missile and space weapons are racing ahead while Washington still argues over budgets.Story SnapshotAdm. Samuel Paparo says China is outproducing the U.S. in ships, planes, missiles, and space systems.He points to secret and newly disclosed missile and space programs that demand urgent U.S. investment.He is asking Congress for over $120 billion in new long‑range missiles, drones, and space warning systems.Classified gaps mean Congress and...