SYDNEY — China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging submarine warfare against the United States and its allies.In one example, the Dong Fang Hong 3, a research vessel operated by Ocean University of China, spent 2024 and 2025 sailing back and forth in the seas near Taiwan and the U.S. stronghold of Guam, and around strategic stretches of the Indian Ocean, ship-tracking data reviewed by Reuters shows. In October 2024, it checked on a set…
Author: Tommy Grant
We reported last July how a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld an earlier preliminary injunction against the section of the California Business & Professional Code that prohibits advertising of any “firearm-related product in a manner that is designed, intended, or reasonably appears to be attractive to minors.” In Junior Sports Magazine v. Bonta, Junior Sports Magazine argued that the law infringed its First Amendment right to free speech and joined with the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) to challenge it. Fast forward about eight months, and on March 17, the United States District Court for the…
This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The Economic Collapse Blog. After this week is over, there may be no turning back. President Trump is literally threatening to “obliterate” Iran’s power grid, and the Iranians cannot do a thing to prevent that from happening. But in response, the Iranians are threatening to destroy oil and gas infrastructure all over the Persian Gulf. The Iranians have already destroyed 17 percent of Qatar’s Ras Laffan natural gas complex, and if they destroy the remaining 83 percent of that facility, it will immediately plunge us into the greatest natural gas crisis…
A few months ago, I decided to try buying a nonstick pan to make eggs. I thought I’d give it a try for convenience. I chose a well-rated, mid-priced pan. Today, after using it for a few months, I noticed pits on the surface, even though I had been careful to use only safe utensils while cooking in the pan. Having scratches and pits means the pan is already unsafe to use, as the coating can spread unwanted chemicals into your food. I ended up throwing away the pan and have decided to go back to my trusty cast-iron skillet.…
PARIS — U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday called NATO allies “cowards” for their unwillingness to help secure maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which he said would be a “simple military maneuver” with little risk.Analysts studying military matters and geopolitics disagree.While countries including the U.K. and France have said they’re ready to “contribute to appropriate efforts” to ensure safe passage through the Strait, those plans remain in the preparatory stage for now. Western navies operating in the narrow waterway would be well within range of Iranian missiles, cheap drones and even artillery, defense analysts say.“No, it isn’t easy,”…
When it comes to home defense training, you have to train like you intend to fight.In 2013, I hunted with some American war fighters on the U.S. Army’s base in Hohenfels, Germany. That was an interesting experience—a story for another time—and it has nothing to do with home defense. However, while I was in Germany, I went to a Pond Training Academy. At that time, Pond was conducting some of the security at the gates to the Hohenfels Army base, and in the Pond Academy, they had a unique shooting range.That shooting range does have something to do with home…
Growing older does not mean giving up independence. In fact, many people who have spent decades raising families and fixing things with their own hands tend to handle difficult situations better than those who have never faced real inconvenience before. You surely know experience counts for a lot. But the rhythm of daily life could be disrupted by sudden emergencies. Even if you are in good health, a long blackout, a water shortage, or a disruption could keep you inside for days or even weeks. Cooking, moving safely through the house, managing medication, or dealing with minor health issues suddenly…
There’s a conversation that happens more and more often on the range, usually right after someone tries to squeeze their newly suppressed rifle into a gun case that no longer fits. It goes something like this: “I love this thing. I just wish it wasn’t so long.” It’s a real problem. Screwing a traditional suppressor onto the muzzle of a rifle adds substantial length. A 24-inch hunting rifle barrel with a 6-inch suppressor attached is now effectively a 30-inch rifle, before you account for the stock. Try stuffing that into a typical case, maneuvering it through a brushy fence crossing,…
A measure in the Florida legislature that would allow college and university professors and staff who volunteer to carry concealed sidearms on campus has been overwhelmingly approved by the state House of Representatives. Earlier, the Florida Senate passed HB 757 by a 26-to-10 margin. And recently, the House approved the measure by a vote of 88 to 20. Florida law already stipulates that sheriffs assist district school boards and charter school governing boards in accessing guardian programs and in instituting them. The new bill extends that stipulation to include post-secondary institutions. “A sheriff must also assist public postsecondary educational institutions, as described…
U.S. Navy counter-mine ships that replaced minesweepers last year in Bahrain have yet to demonstrate their reliability and effectiveness in the face of potential naval mine warfare, according to the Defense Department’s testing office and military experts.The Pentagon was unable to determine the operational effectiveness or suitability of Independence-class littoral combat ships equipped with the mine countermeasures mission package due to insufficient data on its mine-hunting and mine-destroying technology, according to the Office of the Director, Operational Test & Evaluation’s fiscal 2025 annual report.Several retired U.S. Navy captains who deployed on minesweepers and defense analysts also told Military Times that…