Michael Peck
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Michael Peck
@michaelpeck.bsky.social
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Defense writer. Contributor to Business Insider and the Center for European Policy Analysis. Email: mikedefense1@gmail.com
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What can the U.S. Army contribute to a Pacific war? It can launch hypersonic missiles at Chinese ports vital to Chinese trade. But would this also damage the U.S. economy as well? My latest for Defense News.

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In a war, the US Army could destroy China’s ports. Should it?
If America were to go to war with China, damaging Chinese ports or seizing economic facilities would be a strategic blunder, one officer argues.
www.armytimes.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:48 PM
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To survive drone attacks, U.S. Army logistics units will have to learn to operate like combat units, including the use of air defense systems and camouflage. My latest for Defense News.

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Why Army logistics need to think like combat units to survive drones
On a drone battlefield, supply units must train for survivability and move like maneuver formations, an Army officer argues.
www.armytimes.com
October 30, 2025 at 8:15 PM
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The Chinese military suffers from rigid command and control -- or so America hopes. But what if China adopts the U.S. military's mission command doctrine? My latest for Defense News.

www.defensenews.com/global/asia-...
China’s military may discard its rigid command structure, report warns
A new Rand report explores the prospect of China embracing the more flexible Western concept of mission command and what that means for U.S. strategy.
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October 30, 2025 at 2:49 PM
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Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) call in airstrikes. But with space-based weapons coming that can bombard targets on Earth, does America need Space JTACs? My latest for Defense News.

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To coordinate strikes from space, US needs space JTACs, experts argue
Soon after planes were first used in war, there were specialists on the ground coordinating strikes. Space-based weapons could one day yield new observers.
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October 28, 2025 at 8:25 PM
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Drone battalions could replace U.S. Army brigades in Europe, says one expert. My latest for Defense News.

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Drones could replace large US Army units in Europe, expert suggests
What do you with an Army designed for Europe when Europe isn’t the focus anymore? The answer is drones, says one U.S. expert.
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October 27, 2025 at 6:47 PM
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U.S. early warning radars on Greenland are vital to defending North America from ballistic missiles. But those radars have no defenses to protect themselves against missile attack. My latest for Defense News.

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Greenland radars vulnerable to hypersonic missiles, critics warn
The early warning radars on Greenland are key to defending the U.S. against nuclear attack, but they're vulnerable to hypersonic missiles, critics warn.
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October 24, 2025 at 1:33 PM
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If the U.S. Army were to develop a specialized tank for urban warfare, what would it look like? My latest for Defense News.

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How the Army could customize tanks for future urban warfare
Is it time for the U.S. Army to develop a specialized tank for urban warfare?
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October 23, 2025 at 9:48 PM
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The U.S. and Europe fly many of the same jets, including the F-35 and F-16. So why can't these nations repair each other's planes? My latest for Defense News.

www.defensenews.com/air/2025/10/...
US, Europe fly the same jets, but can’t always fix each other’s: Rand
Variants within the same plane model, incompatible support equipment and a lack of shared data create barriers to interoperability, a Rand report warns.
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October 23, 2025 at 3:32 PM
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The Pentomic Division was the U.S. Army's solution for atomic warfare. The concept didn't work in the 1950s, but would it work today against drones? My latest for Defense News.

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Should the Army bring back the Pentomic Division?
Decades after the Army abandoned the Pentomic concept, a defense expert argues such a concept may provide a solution to the battlefield problems of today.
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October 22, 2025 at 6:36 PM
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India is creating a tactical missile force. But critics worry that Indian missiles are outmatched by long-range Chinese rockets that can strike deep into India. My latest for Defense News.

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India fears its ballistic missiles are outmatched by China’s
The mismatch poses a dilemma in case of war: either endure Chinese missile strikes deep inside India without the ability to retaliate, or go nuclear.
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October 17, 2025 at 9:14 PM
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By some strange quirk of history, the U.S. Army is responsible for air defense of U.S. Air Force airbases. Is it time for the Air Force to defend its own bases? My latest for Defense News.

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Is it time for the Army to stop defending Air Force air bases?
An Air Force officer argues the Air Force can no longer rely on the Army for base protection.
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October 13, 2025 at 6:17 PM
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China and Russia just conducted their first joint submarine patrol. But why did that use diesel-electric boats, and not their most advanced nuclear subs? My latest for Defense News.

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China and Russia conduct joint sub patrols — should America worry?
While the exercise only involved two subs, the warning was clear: America should contemplate the prospect of confronting a China-Russia alliance.
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September 22, 2025 at 11:34 PM
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When Mother Nature blessed the Baltic States, she wasn't thinking of Russian tanks. My latest for the Center for European Policy Analysis.

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A Baltic Maginot Line Won’t Stop Russia
When Mother Nature blessed the Baltic states, she wasn’t thinking of Russian tanks. How will a Baltic Defense Line deter a Russian assault?
cepa.org
September 22, 2025 at 3:55 PM
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Ordering the U.S. military to sink suspected drug boats risks turning the oceans into the infamous free fire zones of Vietnam. My latest for Defense News.

www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi...
Ocean isn’t free-fire zone for US military drug interdiction: Analysis
A Center for International and Strategic Studies analysis warns that the Trump administration's use of strikes on alleged drug vessels poses serious risks.
www.militarytimes.com
September 16, 2025 at 11:59 PM
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What would happen if Russia invaded the Baltic region? "Littoral Commander: Baltic" is a new tabletop game that explores that question -- and shows how the modern kill chain works. My latest for Defense News.

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What if Russia invades the Baltic? A tabletop game offers answers
“Littoral Commander: The Baltic” depicts a Russian invasion of the Baltic region around 2030.
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September 15, 2025 at 10:14 PM
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The U.S. Army failed to realize that equipment stored in a shipping container in the desert, needs more maintenance than items in an air-conditioned warehouse, according to a Department of Defense audit. My latest for Defense News.

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Army mismanaged CENTCOM stockpiles of troop supplies modules: Audit
The Army failed to properly maintain Force Provider modules, or containerized support facilities for troops, the Pentagon's IG found.
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September 14, 2025 at 7:10 PM
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Destroying 8 targets could cripple Russia's war machine. My latest for Defense News.

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Attacking these targets could cripple Russia’s war machine: Experts
Striking eight targets across Russia could enable Ukraine to break the current stalemate and affect the course of the war, some U.S. experts argue.
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September 9, 2025 at 9:52 PM
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U.S. Army Special Forces have a new manual with a special mission: to convince the U.S. military that the days of cowboy special operators are over. And that the Green Berets can contribute to conventional warfare and joint ops My latest for Military Times. www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi...
Why Green Berets want to join conventional combat discussion
A new U.S. Army manual has a mission: to convince the regular Army that the Green Berets have value for conventional combat operations.
www.militarytimes.com
August 22, 2025 at 10:50 PM
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Americans like to play offense, not defense. But as China grows stronger, the U.S. military needs to relearn how to conduct a retreat in the Pacific. My latest for Defense News.

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Should America’s military plan for a retreat from the Pacific?
In the face of growing Chinese military power, America needs to relearn how to conduct a fighting retreat in the Pacific, a U.S. Army officer warns.
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August 20, 2025 at 11:13 PM
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Beware the wrong lesson from the Ukraine war. Drones are not going to replace tanks. My latest for Defense News.

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NATO beware: Drones can’t replace tanks, experts warn
Rather than exploiting Russia’s weaknesses, a drone-centric NATO could be playing to Russia’s strengths, some experts warn.
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August 20, 2025 at 1:28 AM
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China fears its submarines are vulnerable to America's undersea sensor network. Some Chinese experts want to destroy those sensors, using sabotage, explosives and cyber. My latest for Defense News.

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China’s military wants to target US undersea sensor network: Analysis
Chinese experts believe that “the U.S. undersea surveillance system suffers from a number of vulnerabilities," according to a U.S. Naval College professor.
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August 13, 2025 at 9:57 PM
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Why did Chinese bombers fly near Alaska in 2024? A new report suggests the real reason was that China was training bomber crews -- and warning the U.S. not to station nuclear weapons in Korea and Japan. My latest for Defense News.

www.defensenews.com/air/2025/08/...
Report unlocks mystery of why Chinese bombers flew near Alaska in 2024
A new report reveals China's joint patrols with Russia near Alaska may have had motives beyond a political message.
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August 12, 2025 at 11:18 PM
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A Chinese blockade could cripple Taiwan's electricity, warns a new U.S. wargame. My latest for Defense News.

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A Chinese blockade could cripple Taiwan’s electricity, war game warns
“Energy is the weakest element in Taiwan’s resilience against coercion,” warns a report by the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies.
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August 1, 2025 at 2:22 PM
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U.S. government wargames explored how to defend military bases in the United States from drone attack. One lesson: no one really knows who has the authority to shoot down drones. My latest article for Defense News.

www.defensenews.com/unmanned/202...
These wargames explored drone attacks on US military bases
Many of the details of these wargames are classified, but one key finding is that protecting domestic U.S. bases can’t be just the military’s job.
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July 25, 2025 at 8:41 PM
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Why the U.S. Air Force's cancellation of the E-7 airborne early warning aircraft will leave NATO scrambling for a replacement. My latest for the Center for European Policy Analysis.

cepa.org/article/us-a...

@cepa.org
US AWACS Cancellation Leaves NATO Scrambling
For 50 years, an airplane with a giant mushroom on top has been the crux of aerial warfare. As that era ends, it’s unclear what comes next.
cepa.org
July 15, 2025 at 8:26 PM