DefenceReport

US Drawdown in Germany

Fri, 08 May 2026 02:51:36 GMT

President Trump announced a 5,000 troop drawdown in Germany after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz made disparaging comments about the US and Iran. But it means more than just a drawdown from Europe, it has repercussions globally - as Stewart and Dr. Chris Murray discuss.

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Mali on the Edge...again

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:43:11 GMT

It's been a busy week. Stewart and Chris unpack the history of the Tuareg rebellion since 2011 and offer insight on the direction of where things are going. It was recorded before JNIM announced a blockade of Bamako...once again, but the content is still relevant.

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8th Snap Bulgarian Election:

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Stewart and Chris sit down to talk about something definitely in Chris' wheelhouse - Bulgaria's recent election, which saw the re-emergence of Rumen Radev. Some see him as a potential Kremlin stooge; however, with Bulgaria on Russia's doorstep and a history of corruption, it is not that simple.

Discussed Article:

https://defencereport.com/bulgarias-7th-election-no-solution-but-many-concerns/

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Canadian Defence Procurement: F-35s, Gripens and Submarines - Oh My

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 03:02:16 GMT

Stewart and Chris talk about a requested topic: Canadian Defence Procurement. Now, many wanted a show-off discussion between the F-35 and the Gripen, but we wanted to take the opportunity to touch on that competition, but also the submarine acquisition and more.

Reports discussed:

From the Depths: Getting Victoria Submarine Replacement Right: https://defencereport.com/report-from-the-depths-getting-the-victoria-class-submarine-replacement-right/

The Harry DeWolf Class or the AOPS - Titanic Blunder: https://rideauinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Publications-2013.04-Titanic-Blunder.pdf

Canada’s submarine woes- That Sinking Feeling: https://rideauinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Publications-2013.04-Titanic-Blunder.pdf

The replacement of the Sea Kings to the Cyclone helicopter – The Worst Procurement in the History of Canada: https://rideauinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Publications-2013.02-The-Worst-Procurement-in-the-History-of-Canada.pdf

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Post Orban: Boomer Despots

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:11:24 GMT

With news that Péter Magyar took the Hungarian election, Stewart Webb and Chris Murray take a wider perspective on the legacy politicians - Putin, Xi, Erdogan, (forgot about Modi) and how the West is not prepared to deal with the "boomer void" that will be left behind.

Article by Dr. David Betz, "Civil War Comes to the West" Military Strategy Magazine, Volume 9, Issue 1, Summer 2023, pages 20-26.

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Iran War: Reprecussions on the Western Alliance

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:15:00 GMT

Stewart Webb and Chris Murray take a step back from the Iran War and discuss the broader repercussions for the United States and its European and NATO allies.

NATO Defence Against Terrorism Articles mentioned:

Chris Murray. “The Enemy of My Enemy: Strategies aimed at co-opting irregular forces,” NATO Centre of Excellence Defence Against Terrorism Review, 11(1), 2019: 63-82.

Stewart Webb. “Improvements Required for Operational and Tactical Intelligence Sharing in NATO,” NATO Centre of Excellence Defence Against Terrorism Review, 6(1), Spring/Fall 2014: 47-62.

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Iran's Irregular Warfare

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 05:37:55 GMT

Stewart Webb and Dr. Chris Murray discuss the lopsidedness of the current conflict in Iran. Iran is targeting civilian infrastructure, while the US and Israel are attempting to put pressure on the regime through strikes on their leadership and military assets.

This discussion also highlights Kharg Island and the creation of an Iranian Axis Resistance 2.0 - relevant articles can also be found here:

US-Iran War: Iran has one card to play – al-Qaeda

https://defencereport.com/us-iran-war-iran-has-one-card-to-play-al-qaeda/

Taking Kharg Island will be America’s Mistake

https://defencereport.com/taking-kharg-island-will-be-americas-mistake/

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Iran: Inflection Point for Trump, Iran, and the West

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 03:06:33 GMT

Stewart Webb and Dr. Chris Murray discuss the inflection point occurring in the Middle East. Iran continues to fire missiles and drones at energy infrastructure and has closed the Strait of Hormuz. It may seem that the war is continuing longer than the Trump administration would have hoped.

Will Iran be the strategic failure of the Trump administration?

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Gaming for Peacekeeping

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT

Professor Walter Dorn from the Royal Military College of Canada and the Canadian Forces College joins Stewart Webb to discuss the latest developments in Dorn’s project of creating a peacekeeping training video game. It was a concept that Walter and Stewart put forth on DefenceReport 8 years ago, an academic paper followed, and Professor Dorn continued developing it. The first segment of the peacekeeping training video game is free on https://www.peacekeepingsim.net/

DefenceReport Article: https://defencereport.com/gaming-peace-a-call-for-peacekeeper-role/

International Peacekeeping Journal Article: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13533312.2020.1721287

Where to Find the Peacekeeping Training Video Game: https://www.peacekeepingsim.net/

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Welcome to the DefenceReport Podcast

Sat, 29 Nov 2025 22:04:06 GMT

Welcome to the DefenceReport.com Podcast. We will be bringing you the latest defence, security, and international relations developments each week.

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