Ten major global military and defence events in 2025

Thursday, January 08, 2026, 20:54 (GMT+7)
In 2025, the world continued to witness intense strategic competition among major powers, an increasing tendency to address issues through escalation and the use of force, along with prolonged and expanding military conflicts in many regions. Nevertheless, peace, cooperation, and development remain the major trends and shared goals. To provide a comprehensive overview, the National Defence Journal compiles and presents ten major military and defence events worldwide in 2025

Scenarios for the end of the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Monday, August 25, 2025, 16:35 (GMT+7)
According to world political and military researchers, there is still no certain scenario for ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, the world understands that the end of the above conflict will not only shape the future of these two countries but also test the resilience of international legal principles, and will also contribute to reshaping the regional security structure and possibly the world order for decades to come.

BRICS expansion: opportunities and challenges for ASEAN

Monday, March 24, 2025, 13:05 (GMT+7)
Since being founded by Brazil, Russia, India, and China in the early 21st century, BRICS has increasingly strengthened its role as a key driver of global economic growth. The group has garnered attention and aroused desire for membership from the international community, including ASEAN countries

Shaping the defence and security policy of the US President Donald Trump's administration

Monday, March 10, 2025, 15:19 (GMT+7)
Although things are still unclear, the decisions that President Donald Trump will make in his new term, especially in the field of defence and security, will certainly have a great impact on the regional and world security structure.

Trends in the development and use of tactical missiles in recent wars

Monday, July 22, 2024, 20:30 (GMT+7)
Using tactical missiles to attack targets deep inside the enemy's line has been continuously used in recent wars and military conflicts. As gaining air superiority is increasingly difficult because air defence systems are also adjusted to counter, using tactical ballistic missiles with a maximum range of 500km is an indispensable "firepower punch" for army units.

Suwalki Gap - a strategic area in the Russia-NATO confrontation

Monday, January 22, 2024, 14:22 (GMT+7)
According to military experts, Suwalki is considered the “Achilles’ heel” in NATO’s eastern defence system because it is in a “vulnerable, difficult-to-defend” position. If conflict were to arise between Russia and NATO, Russia could easily control this corridor through a pincer attack, with one thrust from the northwest (Kaliningrad) and another from the southeast (Belarus, a Russian ally). In such a scenario, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia would be encircled and isolated.

NATO expansion and its repercussions on global security

Sunday, July 17, 2022, 06:40 (GMT+7)
In the face of NATO’s intention, Moscow assumes that the organisation and the West have treated Russia unfairly as they have not placed Russia in an important position in the European security architecture and people from NATO’s member countries always flaunt hostility toward Russia. Besides, Russia infers that NATO is the factor that instigates the “Colour revolution” in the post-Soviet space to restrain, block Russia in all respects and break the strategic balance between Russia and NATO. Tit-for-tat actions have led to the escalation of tension between the two sides.

Global security viewed from the Munich Security Conference of 2022

Tuesday, April 12, 2022, 22:47 (GMT+7)
The Munich Security Conference is one of the world’s leading security forums debating international political issues on the balance of power in international relations and the consolidation of the global legal system and the world order. This year’s Conference welcomed the participation of more than 30 heads of states or governments, about 100 ministers and senior officials, and many experts in foreign, security, defence, and economic policies, including highest-ranking officials of important international organisations

10 notable military-defence events of the world in 2021

Thursday, January 06, 2022, 10:19 (GMT+7)
In 2021, the world situation continued to witness both negative and positive developments. COVID-19 pandemic, strategic competition, trade war, conflicts, subversion, and disputes over sovereignty and territories were extremely intense and negatively impacted on the world’s economy and social life. The following are 10 notable military-defence events selected and introduced by National Defence Journal

The world's major military and political shifts in 2021

Monday, December 27, 2021, 10:08 (GMT+7)
U.S military policy under Biden’s administration is shaped and implemented basing on the “Interim National Security Strategic Guidance” released on 3 March, 2021 which predicted that US is confronting changes in world power balance with growing competition from China and Russia who are pursuing their influences on regional and international scales