Think Tanks
Here's a look at documents from think tanks
Featured Stories
TechFreedom: 'Breaking Down' the FCC's Assembly Line Model for Satellite Licensing
WASHINGTON, April 10 (TNSrpt) -- TechFreedom, a technology policy think tank, issued the following news release on April 9, 2026:
* * *
"Breaking Down" the FCC's Assembly Line Model for Satellite Licensing
Yesterday, TechFreedom published a new paper (https://techfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/TechFreedom-Paper-Assembly-Line-Breaks-Down.pdf) exploring the developing conflict between the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) desire to create an "assembly line" for processing satellite applications and the reality of deploying megaconstellations.
"Creating an efficient assembly line
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 10 (TNSrpt) -- TechFreedom, a technology policy think tank, issued the following news release on April 9, 2026:
* * *
"Breaking Down" the FCC's Assembly Line Model for Satellite Licensing
Yesterday, TechFreedom published a new paper (https://techfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/TechFreedom-Paper-Assembly-Line-Breaks-Down.pdf) exploring the developing conflict between the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) desire to create an "assembly line" for processing satellite applications and the reality of deploying megaconstellations.
"Creating an efficient assembly linefor satellite applications will be challenging," said James E. Dunstan, TechFreedom's Senior Counsel. "Like Henry Ford's assembly line, satellite deployment would require every step--design, manufacturing, licensing, launch--to be meticulously coordinated. But even on a perfect assembly line, the process fails if products start to pile up because of an inability to deliver. Without firm rules requiring deployment, the FCC's assembly line process will be choked by paper applications for hundreds of thousands--or even millions--of satellites that can't possibly be deployed."
"Megaconstellations present a situation that could crush the assembly line," warned Dunstan. "As constellation sizes grow, potentially up to a million satellites, the ability to deploy half of the constellation within the six-year milestone window of the Commission's rules will be impossible. In all likelihood, megaconstellation license holders will have to go back to the FCC to seek a waiver of the interim deployment rule, requiring 50% of the satellites to be launched within six years after license grant."
"There are several solutions the Commission should consider," Dunstan concluded. "The least desirable path would be to maintain the status quo--either freezing constellation sizes to those satellites launched at the end of six years or continuing to grant extensions. The Commission could also consider just scrapping the deployment milestones, but that would completely defeat the purpose of deterring unrealistic applications. Finally, the Commission should study a 'cap and defer' option, whereby licenses are modified to cap the number of satellites at those deployed during the first six years, and deferring all undeployed satellites to a later processing round. But something must be done before the processing line breaks down."
###
Find this paper, "When the Assembly Line Breaks Down: Reassessing FCC Licensing of Next-Generation Satellite Systems" on our website, and share it on Twitter and Bluesky. We can be reached for comment at media@techfreedom.org. Read our related work, including:
* Comments to the Office of Commercial Space (OSC) on its framework to establish a "Mission Authorization" regulatory regime for innovative space activities (Mar. 13, 2026)
* Comments on the NPRM to modernize the FCC's space and earth station licensing process (Jan. 20, 2026)
* Comments to the European Commission regarding the EU's Draft Space Act (Nov. 7, 2025)
* Comments to the Dept of Commerce on the Draft EU Space Act (Aug. 15, 2025)
* We need a National Space Council to chart our future in outer space, SpaceNews (Jan. 23, 2025)
* Comments on the mitigation of orbital debris in the new space age, (June 27, 2024)
* Comments on NASA's Lunar Non-Interference Questionnaire, (June 7, 2024)
* Comments to the FCC on In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) (Apr. 29, 2024)
* Do We Still Have the Right Stuff?, City Journal (Dec. 2023)
* SpaceX Makes Progress on Second Test of Starship, Reason (Nov. 18, 2023)
* Tech Policy Podcast #349: The State of Space Exploration (July 25, 2023)
* Regulating the space economy is vital for America's continued global leadership, Washington Examiner (July 15, 2023)
* Written testimony before the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on U.S. leadership in commercial space (July 13, 2023)
* * *
About TechFreedom: TechFreedom is a nonprofit, nonpartisan technology policy think tank. We work to chart a path forward for policymakers towards a bright future where technology enhances freedom, and freedom enhances technology.
* * *
REPORT: https://techfreedom.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/TechFreedom-Paper-Assembly-Line-Breaks-Down.pdf
* * *
Original text here: https://techfreedom.org/breaking-down-the-fccs-assembly-line-model-for-satellite-licensing/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Jamestown Foundation Posts Commentary: Ukrainian Military Offers Lessons Learned to NATO (Part One)
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary on April 9, 2026, by Taras Kuzio, professor of political science at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy and an associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, in the foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor:
* * *
Ukrainian Military Offers Lessons Learned to NATO (Part One)
Executive Summary:
* In March, a senior North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military delegation led by Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation Admiral Pierre Vandier visited Kyiv, highlighting a new phase of military cooperation
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The Jamestown Foundation posted the following commentary on April 9, 2026, by Taras Kuzio, professor of political science at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy and an associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, in the foundation's Eurasia Daily Monitor:
* * *
Ukrainian Military Offers Lessons Learned to NATO (Part One)
Executive Summary:
* In March, a senior North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military delegation led by Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation Admiral Pierre Vandier visited Kyiv, highlighting a new phase of military cooperationbetween Ukraine and the alliance.
* Ukraine is gaining the status of a military innovator as Kyiv heads its own military training, increases success on the frontlines, expands medium and long-range missile attacks against Russia, targets Russian energy infrastructure, and receives urgent demand from Europe and the Gulf states for its military technology.
* Battlefield-tested drone tactics, advanced command-and-control systems, and a rapidly expanding private defense sector have made Ukraine one of the world's leading laboratories for modern warfare, positioning it as a future hub for Western military innovation.
The first visit of a senior North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military team to Kyiv, led by Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation Admiral Pierre Vandier, took place on March 22 (Facebook/Pavlo.Palisa; Ukrainska Pravda, March 22). During the visit, Vandier said that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine proved that Europe cannot sustain industrial-scale war. Ammunition is being consumed faster than it can be produced, and European stockpiles, industry, and planning were built for limited operations, not prolonged, high-intensity conflict. Ukraine is expected to produce nearly 10 million drones this year. NATO must similarly shift to mass drone production at scale, where affordability and the ability to ramp up production matter as much as the technological advancement of systems. Vandier believes there is an urgent need for NATO members to increase their air defenses because large-scale modern warfare, as seen in Russia's war against Ukraine and the conflict in and around Iran, involves strikes on energy infrastructure, data centers, and logistics nodes in addition to conventional military targets.
The visit reflects Ukraine's unique military experience and expertise, and occurred as Ukraine begins to lead its own military training; increases success on the frontlines; expands medium- and long-range missile attacks against Russia; targets Russian energy infrastructure; and receives urgent demand for its military technology from the Gulf states and U.S. investors. The NATO team that visited Kyiv in March discussed Ukraine's increased participation in NATO exercises as a hypothetical enemy, or "Red Team." Operations conducted by the NATO-Ukraine Joint Training Center (JATEC), which opened in 2025, will be expanded.
Ukraine "defeated" NATO forces in the May 2025 "Hedgehog-25" exercise in Estonia (Militarnyy, February 13). Four Ukrainian combat veterans from the Nemesis brigade taught 13 NATO armies how drone warfare works. NATO forces in the exercise parked their armored vehicles "as if on a parking lot," concealed equipment in forests, assuming they would remain concealed--they were not--and did not check roads for mines, which Ukrainian drones had earlier mined. NATO officers sent runners with paper maps to deliver coordinates to the Ukrainians. After the fourth delivery, the Ukrainians refused to accept further paper maps and showed NATO armies how to use the Ukrainian Delta communications system. Over three days, the Ukrainians launched 29 drone flights, which "destroyed" seven armored personnel carriers, one tank, three cars, two command posts, and one bridge (Oboronka, February 28). One NATO commander observing "Hedgehog-25" reportedly reacted with "We are f--ed" (Euromaidan Press, February 13).
Over the course of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, NATO has shifted from training the Ukrainian military to receiving training from Ukrainian forces. NATO members who led sessions for Ukrainian troops primarily have experience with counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. NATO member countries have not fought a full-scale war against a major industrial military since World War II and the Korean and, debatably, Vietnam wars.
Two years ago, then Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said, "Europe does not know how to fight wars" (Kyiv Independent, December 27, 2023). In August 2025, Colonel Markus Reisner, head of the Officer Training Institute at Austria's Theresian Military Academy, said that the European defense industry has produced nothing comparable to Ukraine's FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile since 2022 (Euromaidan Press, August 22, 2025). Former Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhnyy, currently Ukrainian ambassador to the United Kingdom, claims that only three countries are prepared for large-scale modern warfare--pro-Western Ukraine and anti-Western Russia and Iran (Telegraph, March 21).
Western military instructors lack experience in full-scale 21st-century combat against a major military power. Latvia adopted Ukrainian military experience into its training at its annual joint multinational exercises in January, where "For the first time in the history of these exercises, the program was entirely based on presentations" by Ukraine's Azov 12th Special Forces Brigade (Facebook/Azov 12th Special Forces Brigade, February 9; Euromaidan Press, February 10). Ukrainian military specialists also advised Nordic forces in the September 2025 joint "Wings of Defense" counter-drone exercises in Denmark (Kyiv Independent, September 30, 2025).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Poland, NATO's highest military spender as a share of its gross domestic product, could only shoot down four out of 19 drones during Russia's September 2025 incursion (Ukrainska Pravda, September 16, 2025). In the first few days of the current Iran conflict, the United States and its Gulf allies used nearly 1,000 Patriot interceptor missiles, which cost approximately $3-4 million each, against Iranian Shahed drones, which cost $20,000-$50,000 each. In four years of war, Ukraine has received only 600 Patriot interceptor missiles. Ukraine has signed defense contracts with three Gulf states and Jordan to supply Ukrainian anti-drone interceptors, which cost $1,000-3,000 each. Two further contracts are currently being negotiated.
With a shortage of Patriot missiles, Firepoint, Ukraine's producer of Flamingo missiles and drones, is cooperating with European countries to produce a low cost air defense system against missiles to rival the U.S. Patriot system by 2027 (Kyiv Post, April 6). Now-retired U.S. general Christopher G. Cavoli said, "Ukrainians are even better at using the Patriot than the Americans. In my opinion, this is a true success story. Frankly, at first, I was a little skeptical that Ukrainians would be able to master the Patriot quickly. Now we're learning from the Ukrainians" (X/@UkrReview, March 26).
Some analysts have argued that Ukraine has gained the upper hand in the attritional war with Russia since late 2025. Ukraine's success on the battlefield is becoming recognized by NATO and the Gulf states. As of late March, Ukraine had been killing Russian soldiers at a faster rate than the Kremlin's recruitment. Russian President Vladimir Putin is fearful that moving from voluntary recruitment to mobilization would be politically destabilizing (see EDM, November 5, 2025, March 19). Ukraine has increased the volume of its drone attacks and changed to targeting soldiers rather than military equipment. Ukraine's top drone commander, "Madyar" Brovdi, claims that one Ukrainian can kill 400 Russians using unmanned systems for just $878 per kill in materials (Economist, March 22). Throughout the war, Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded at more than twice the rate of Ukrainian soldiers (Ukrainska Pravda, January 28). In March, Ukraine killed or wounded over 6,000 Russian troops in only four days (Ukrainska Pravda, March 23). In March, Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps reported halting Russia's biggest mechanized push, killing 405 Russian troops and destroying a large amount of military equipment (Telegram/@shturmmotherf--er, March 20).
Ukraine's recent battlefield gains have been facilitated by the denial of Starlink access to Russia and Putin's decision to ban the Telegram social media app in Russia (see EDM, February 10, March 19). Both steps have empowered Ukraine's military and security forces and undermined Russian military communications. In August 2024, during Ukraine's military intervention into Russia's Kursk oblast, Kyiv pioneered the combination of electronic warfare to disable Russian drones and the deployment of swarms of drones to target Russian forces, followed by ground forces moving in and securing territory. In the past three months, Ukrainian forces have recaptured most of Dnipropetrovsk oblast from Russia and retaken lost territory in Zaporizhzhia oblast. In Kharkiv oblast, fighting continues without major Russian gains, with the liberation of Kupiansk. Ukrainian forces are preventing significant Russian advances in Donetsk oblast. Russia's 2026 offensive has been slowed along the long front line--this year's Ukrainian counteroffensive has yielded Kyiv its largest territorial gains since 2023.
Since late 2025, Ukraine has expanded medium and long-range drone and missile attacks against Russian forces. Ukraine is targeting Russian staging areas and military bases, repair facilities, military factories and warehouses, air defense (accounting for half the attacks), Black Sea Fleet vessels, aircraft, helicopters, and energy facilities. Ukraine is destroying more Russian air defense than it can build, and their destruction opens the path to subsequent attacks against other military targets. Ukraine is using domestically produced drones BULAVA (built by Doviro) and RAM-2X (built by a consortium including Doviro, CDET, Ukrainian Armor, UDI, and SpetsTechnoEksport) that have smaller payloads and are decimating Russian air defense systems, including Buk, Tor, Strela, and ZU-23. Ukraine's longer-range RUBALKA (its producer is classified) and FP-2 (built by Firepoint) have larger payloads (Doviro, accessed April 9). These strikes have long been conducted by Ukrainian military intelligence (HRU). Now, they are also being directed by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), Special Operation Forces, and Unmanned Systems Forces (Ukrainska Pravda, March 22).
Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure are having a greater impact than Western sanctions, particularly after the United States eased sanctions on Russia following its conflict with Iran. Ukraine is attacking energy facilities thousands of miles inside Russia, along with Russian shadow fleet tankers in the Mediterranean Sea and from bases in Libya (Euromaidan Press, April 3). Russian oil exports through Baltic Sea ports have been completely halted after daily waves of Ukrainian drone strikes on the Leningrad oblast closed the Russian Baltic ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga (The Moscow Times, March 31; Ukrainska Pravda, April 2).
Ukrainian military technology is in high demand on Wall Street and urgently in demand by the Gulf states in the U.S. conflict with Iran (see EDM, April 1). Swarmer, the first Ukrainian defense company to be listed on Wall Street, had an IPO value of $67 million and had a market cap of $670 million after trading was opened, with initially priced shares of $5 closing at $31 (Kyiv Independent, March 21). Deborah Fairlamb, a founding partner of Green Flag VC, a venture fund focused on Ukrainian defense companies and one of Swarmer's earliest investors, said the listing "broke a barrier for the American investor, recognizing and understanding and having access to the talent of Ukrainian defense tech." She added that Ukrainian defense startups "have the capability to take their tech globally, that there is interest, and that this now sort of sets a path for others in the market to emulate" (Kyiv Independent, March 21). Nicolas Owens, a defense sector analyst, said that Swarmer's growth in value is "evidence of investors' strong appetite for stocks or opportunities in this area" (Kyiv Independent, March 21).
Ukraine has sent 201 military experts to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait to assist in countering Iranian attacks, with another 34 experts available for deployment (The Tribune, March 18). Zelenskyy said Ukraine produces 2,000 interceptors per day and only requires half of them to counter Russia's daily drone attacks. Ukraine's production could be increased if funding is made available (Radio Svoboda, April 6).
Ukrainian drone interceptors cost between $1,000 and $3,000 and are more economical than Patriot interceptors, which cost $3-4 million each. Ten Ukrainian companies produce drone interceptors which include the STRILA (produced by WIY), STING (Wild Hornets), OCTOPUS (Ukrspetsystems), P1-SUN (SkyFall) and BAYONET (Tenebris) with a range of up to 30 miles, carrying 0.5-1 kilogram (1.1-2.2 pounds) payloads, using artificial intelligence (AI)--which means they cannot be jammed as they do not use GPS--and flying at speeds of up to 250 miles per hour (Euromaidan Press, November 14, 2025). The new JEDI interceptor (Wild Hornets) is also AI-guided to targets but carries a heavier 4-kilogram (8.8-pound) payload and flies at a similar speed of 200 miles per hour.
Ukraine has reached this stage because of the legacy of its Soviet military-industrial complex, a large number of technology specialists, and its development in a fundamentally different way from Russia since its independence in 1991. For example, the first computer in Europe was invented in Kyiv in 1951. The Institute of Cybernetics within the Soviet Ukrainian Academy of Sciences was launched in 1957. The first Encyclopedia of Cybernetics (Encyklopediyi kibernetyky) in the world was published in Kyiv in 1973 (Istorychna Pravda, February 7, 2011). The Ukrainian information technology sector is valued at over $7.8 billion (Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, April 7).
The war is being fought between Ukraine--whose democratic society is constructed horizontally, allowing for the flourishing of a competitive private defense sector, volunteer groups, and amicable society-business-government relations--and Russia, whose regime is built vertically and where the defense sector remains, as in the Soviet Union, state-controlled. Putin is fearful of losing control, as seen in his banning of social media. The Telegram ban has negatively affected the already low level of volunteer recruitment for the Russian army (see EDM, March 19, April 2).
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has mobilized within the country and abroad an army of hundreds of thousands of software developers and engineers who assist the development of military technology and undertake cyber warfare. Competing ideas developed by programmers are sent to tech labs, incorporated into prototypes for the Ministry of Defense, and then tested on the battlefield in a rapid turnaround, which NATO planners are closely studying.
Ukraine's Delta communication system has been praised by NATO (Ukrainska Pravda, July 14, 2024). NATO armies have no equivalent and are plagued by secrecy between branches of the armed forces and between member states' commands. As seen in the "Hedgehog-25" exercise in Estonia, Delta provides Ukrainian armed forces with a real-time display of air, land, and sea conditions on digital maps. Ukrainian forces can communicate with one another securely through Delta's messenger, which allows for the sharing of intelligence within and outside brigades.
Zelenskyy's goal is for Ukraine to become a hub for the development of military technology in the West. Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin said he was "focusing on making Ukraine the arsenal of the free world" (Ministry of Strategic Industries, July 28, 2023). The investments of many European countries in Ukraine's defense sector and the proliferation of joint military ventures are assisting Kamyshyn's goal.
Ukraine's new defense sector no longer resembles the Soviet military-industrial complex. It is dominated by the private sector with small defense start-ups brought together in the Brave 1 platform, which Kyiv founded in April 2023 to promote competition and innovation. In March, NATO and Brave 1 launched the first joint innovation program between Ukraine and NATO to bring together defense companies to build solutions tested in war, such as countering drones, strengthening SIGINT and electronic warfare, and autonomous targeting systems (Brave 1 Unite-Brave NATO, March 26). Joint ventures that bring together Western and Ukrainian defense companies are proliferating. In contrast, Russia retains its Soviet era state-controlled military industrial complex, with joint ventures only established with authoritarian Iran, the People's Republic of China, and North Korea.
* * *
Taras Kuzio is a professor of political science at the National University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy and an associate research fellow at the London-based think tank, the Henry Jackson Society.
* * *
Original text here: https://jamestown.org/ukrainian-military-offers-lessons-learned-to-nato-part-one/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Jamestown Foundation Issues Commentary: Weapons Systems Failures May Have Led to Personnel Removals
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on April 9, 2026, by China Brief Deputy Editor Shijie Wang:
* * *
Weapons Systems Failures May Have Led to Personnel Removals
Executive Summary:
* The Iran war has exposed a widening gap between Beijing's claims of military-technological superiority and the apparent battlefield performance of air defense and counter-drone warfare systems linked to the People's Republic of China (PRC).
* PRC state media has amplified Iranian disinformation and shifted attention to supposed U.S. strategic weaknesses, rather than
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The Jamestown Foundation issued the following commentary on April 9, 2026, by China Brief Deputy Editor Shijie Wang:
* * *
Weapons Systems Failures May Have Led to Personnel Removals
Executive Summary:
* The Iran war has exposed a widening gap between Beijing's claims of military-technological superiority and the apparent battlefield performance of air defense and counter-drone warfare systems linked to the People's Republic of China (PRC).
* PRC state media has amplified Iranian disinformation and shifted attention to supposed U.S. strategic weaknesses, rather thanconfront failures in Iran's air-defense response to U.S. and Israeli strikes.
* The unexplained removal of multiple defense-linked academicians from the rosters of top scientific institutions has fueled suspicion that failures in overseas battlefield performance may be intersecting with deeper problems of accountability and effectiveness in the PRC defense-industrial system.
On April 5-6, state media in the People's Republic of China (PRC) reported that the second crew member from a U.S. F-15E shot down over Iran had been rescued, but only after what Xinhua described as a U.S. mission that nearly suffered "catastrophic losses" (Xinhua, April 6). The story allowed Beijing to imply that Iran's air defenses were still capable of exacting a price, continuing a tendency in official discourse to amplify isolated Iranian successes rather than confront what the broader collapse of Iran's air-defense network may reveal about the battlefield credibility of PRC-linked military technology./[1]
State Media Amplifies Iranian Disinformation
At the start of the war in early March, PRC outlets did not report at all on Iranian losses of air-defense radars, choosing instead to cite content from Iranian official and pro-regime information channels. This included social-media-amplified claims stating that U.S. radar sites in Gulf states had been devastated by Iranian missiles and Shahed drones (CCTV, March 2, March 9; Xinhua, March 10, March 24)./[2] A typical example came on February 28. Citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Xinhua claimed that a U.S. radar in Qatar, used to track ballistic missiles and with a detection range of 5,000 kilometers, had been "completely destroyed" (Xinhua, February 28). But the accompanying images were plainly AI-generated (see Figure 1).
* * *
Figure 1: Example of AI-Generated Disinformation Spread by Pro-Islamic Republic Social Media Accounts
* * *
As the war progressed, Beijing repeatedly cited claims from Tehran that U.S. aircraft had been shot down or damaged--most of them disinformation--as if Iran's air-defense network were still exerting a meaningful deterrent effect on U.S. airpower (Xinhua, March 28, April 3). Even when Iran did genuinely bring down an F-15E aircraft, some influential civilian military and political commentators with ties to Beijing even circulated exaggerated footage from video game Arma 3 as if it were real video of a U.S. aircraft being shot down (Weibo/@Simapingbang, April 4).
As U.S. and Israeli tactical successes belied Iran's claimed battlefield achievements, Beijing shifted attention to what it portrayed as America's looming strategic failure in the face of a possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz. In a series of reports, Beijing emphasized that the United States had failed to achieve its war aims and was instead facing a dilemma of being eager to extricate itself from the conflict but unwilling to escalate. Xinhua cited PRC scholars as saying that "not a single U.S. war objective has been achieved", arguing that Washington's simultaneous push for a ceasefire and continued troop deployments suggested it "has not made the strategic decision" (Xinhua, March 27). Reporting repeatedly magnified the strategic pressure posed by the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the United States could once again "sink into a war quagmire" if it attempted coastal assaults or limited ground operations to reopen the waterway (Xinhua, March 27; Qilu Evening News, March 28).
Weapons Experts Removed From Academy Websites
Apparent personnel changes at leading defense research institutions suggest that Beijing's public information strategy is in part an attempt to deflect from the tactical success of U.S. and Israeli strikes carried out by weapons platforms it regards as outdated. Such an admission would cast doubt on its self-image of a pioneer of cutting-edge technology and the broad narrative of "the East is rising, the West is declining" (Xinhua, June 30, 2023).
The website of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) recently removed three names from its "List of Academicians". Although the individual profile pages of Wu Manqing, Wei Yiyin, and Zhao Xiangeng remain accessible, their names no longer appear among the 988 members on the public roster (CAE, accessed March 23). Earlier reporting on Wu described him as an "expert with outstanding contributions to the national defense science and technology industry sector", noting that he had "independently developed digital array technology and driven continuous innovation in radar system design" (Global Times, June 13, 2022). The other two are likewise specialists from the defense-industrial sector.
According to the CAE's charter, academician status is a lifetime honor and may be revoked only under three circumstances: serious academic misconduct, conviction for a criminal offense, or voluntary relinquishment at the individual's request (CAE, accessed March 23). Authorities have not explained why the qualifications of these three academicians were withdrawn, but public speculation has increasingly linked the change to the overseas battlefield performance of PRC platforms (Mnews, March 19).
The Chinese Academy of Sciences similarly removed two academicians from its roster, again without any official explanation (Zaobao, March 20). Liu Guozhi, an expert in high-power microwave technology, and Liu Wei, chief designer of the J-20 fighter, were both defense experts. Of the two, Liu Guozhi's field is more directly relevant to the export of the advanced weapons Beijing claims to possess. At last year's September 3 military parade, Beijing prominently declared that weapons based on high-power microwave technology constituted one of the "powerful three iron pillars" of counter-drone warfare, alongside counter-drone gun-and-missile systems and high-energy laser weapons (Xinhua, September 3, 2025).
The only PRC-exported counter-drone system publicly confirmed to have reached Iran is the Shen Nong Shield 3000 high-energy laser weapon, though the country may also have acquired a high-power microwave counter-drone weapon. A leaked product brochure by defense giant Norinco at the 2024 Zhuhai Airshow stated that such a system had been approved for export (see Figure 2) (TWZ, October 7, 2024). The buyer was not disclosed, but some within PRC military enthusiast communities have speculated that if high-energy laser weapons were exported to Iran to counter Israeli drones, then this high-power microwave weapon was highly likely to have been exported to Iran too (Sohu Blog/@Dizhang Tanbing, October 15, 2024)./[3] The IRGC, with its penchant for exaggeration, is unlikely to have remained quiet if it had successfully deployed PRC-exported counter-drone systems. The fact that it did not claim to have downed U.S. and Israeli drones until April 5 could indicate deficiencies in the equipment at its disposal (Reuters, April 5). In that context, Liu Guozhi's apparent removal has likewise fueled suspicion about the effectiveness of PRC counter-drone platforms.
* * *
Figure 2. Leaked Page of Product Brochure for a High-Power Microwave Counter-Drone Weapon
* * *
Conclusion
The Iran war has revealed a widening gap between Beijing's rhetoric and the apparent battlefield performance of PRC-linked military technology. Official silence, reliance on Iranian claims, and unusual personnel changes in the PRC's defense-scientific establishment all undermine the credibility of Beijing's carefully cultivated claims to military-technological superiority.
[1] U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that the aircraft had been shot down by a shoulder-fired missile (Times of Israel, April 6).
[2] This followed a pattern observed after last year's Operation Midnight Hammer, in which state media largely confined itself to relaying messages from Tehran, some of them obviously false (China Brief Notes, June 27, 2025).
[3] Based on a review of past PRC arms-export records, when the buyer has been a Middle Eastern political entity not hostile to the United States, such as the UAE or Egypt, the purchaser's identity has usually been disclosed openly. By contrast, when the buyer is more politically sensitive, as in the case of Iran, information about the end user has often been left deliberately vague.
* * *
Shijie Wang is a Deputy Editor for China Brief. He is a graduate of the Master of Public Policy Program at Georgetown University.
* * *
Original text here: https://jamestown.org/weapons-systems-failures-may-have-led-to-personnel-removals/
[Category: ThinkTank]
Ifo Institute: Germany's Travel Industry Under Severe Strain Due to Iran Conflict
MUNICH, Germany, April 10 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release:
* * *
Germany's Travel Industry Under Severe Strain Due to Iran Conflict
The business climate for travel agencies and tour operators cooled significantly in March. The ifo Institute index fell to minus 41.7 points, down from minus 14.8 points in February. Companies were considerably more reserved in the assessment of their current situation than in February, and their business expectations also deteriorated significantly. "The geopolitical situation is leading to a high level of uncertainty among travelers and travel
... Show Full Article
MUNICH, Germany, April 10 -- ifo Institute issued the following news release:
* * *
Germany's Travel Industry Under Severe Strain Due to Iran Conflict
The business climate for travel agencies and tour operators cooled significantly in March. The ifo Institute index fell to minus 41.7 points, down from minus 14.8 points in February. Companies were considerably more reserved in the assessment of their current situation than in February, and their business expectations also deteriorated significantly. "The geopolitical situation is leading to a high level of uncertainty among travelers and travelcompanies, especially for trips via the Gulf states in the Middle East," says industry expert Patrick Hoppner.
Since the escalation of the conflict at the end of February, travel warnings were issued for key transit countries with hub airports in the Gulf region: Many air travelers with destinations in Asia change planes there. According to the air traffic statistics of the German Federal Statistical Office, around 2.7 million air passengers flying from a major airport in Germany first flew to Qatar or the United Arab Emirates in 2025. That was about 5.9 percent of all departing passengers with an initial destination outside the European Union.
Turkey and Egypt are two further travel destinations that border on the conflict region: In 2025, around 20.3 percent of air travelers traveling from Germany to a destination outside the European Union flew to Turkey. The corresponding figure from Egypt was around 4.8 percent. January and February are traditionally the peak booking months for vacation trips. "Many travel agencies and tour operators had to rebook or cancel trips already booked to or via countries in the Middle East," explains Hoppner.
The percentage of travel agencies and tour operators expecting rising prices for travel services for the coming months in the ifo Business Surveys rose in March: One of the reasons is the increase in fuel costs in recent weeks, which may make arrival and departure flights more expensive in the future. "An increase in the inflation rate is likely to strain the travel budgets of many vacationers as the year goes on," says Hoppner.
* * *
Further information
Survey (https://www.ifo.de/en/facts/2026-04-10/germanys-travel-industry-under-severe-strain-due-to-iran-conflict)
* * *
Original text here: https://www.ifo.de/en/press-release/2026-04-10/germanys-travel-industry-under-severe-strain-due-iran-conflict
[Category: ThinkTank]
Center for American Progress: For American Families, the Costs of Trump's War Aren't Over
WASHINGTON, April 10 (TNSrep) -- The Center for American Progress issued the following news release on April 9, 2026:
* * *
For American Families, the Costs of Trump's War Aren't Over
Even with the provisional two-week ceasefire, American families will continue to pay the price for President Donald Trump's war in Iran through higher costs for gas, housing, and everyday goods, according to a new analysis (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/trumps-war-may-be-over-but-the-economic-damage-is-not/) from the Center for American Progress.
The conflict disrupted global energy markets and supply
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 10 (TNSrep) -- The Center for American Progress issued the following news release on April 9, 2026:
* * *
For American Families, the Costs of Trump's War Aren't Over
Even with the provisional two-week ceasefire, American families will continue to pay the price for President Donald Trump's war in Iran through higher costs for gas, housing, and everyday goods, according to a new analysis (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/trumps-war-may-be-over-but-the-economic-damage-is-not/) from the Center for American Progress.
The conflict disrupted global energy markets and supplychains, pushing up prices for fuel, transportation, and key inputs across the economy. Even as oil production begins to recover, elevated risks in the region and lingering supply chain disruptions are expected to keep costs higher than pre-war levels.
"American families are paying for Trump's war," said Emily Gee, senior vice president for Economic Policy at the Center for American Progress and co-author of the analysis. "Even if the fighting has stopped, higher prices, supply chain disruptions, and increased economic uncertainty will continue to weigh on household budgets and business investment. The economic damage from this conflict is already baked in."
CAP's analysis finds:
* Higher fuel costs are already hitting families. Gas prices have surged above $4 per gallon nationally, with households spending an estimated $8.4 billion more on gasoline in March alone compared with pre-war levels.
* Inflation pressures are rising. Analysts expect the March consumer price index to come in nearly 1 percentage point higher than February's rate, contributing to a projected 3.3 percent year-over-year increase.
* Lower-income households are hardest hit. Families in the lowest income quintile spend more than 30 percent of their income on transportation, making them especially vulnerable to rising fuel costs.
* Businesses face higher input and shipping costs. Fuel, liquified natural gas, and aluminum prices have risen sharply, while supply chain disruptions have congested 60 to 70 percent of major global ports.
* Farmers are under increased financial strain. Fertilizer and diesel prices rose to roughly 50 percent above pre-war levels, exacerbating already rising farm debt and bankruptcy risks.
* Housing affordability is worsening. Rising inflation expectations have pushed up mortgage rates, costing homebuyers tens of thousands of dollars over the life of a loan.
Read the analysis: "Trump's War May Be Over But the Economic Damage is Not (https://www.americanprogress.org/article/trumps-war-may-be-over-but-the-economic-damage-is-not/)," by Emily Gee, Kyle Ross, Akshay Thyagarajan, and Leo Banks.
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Christian Unkenholz at cunkenholz@americanprogress.org.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.americanprogress.org/press/release-for-american-families-the-costs-of-trumps-war-arent-over/
[Category: ThinkTank]
America First Policy Institute: Education Freedom Tax Credit: Kansas' Time Has Come
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following news release on April 9, 2026:
* * *
Education Freedom Tax Credit: Kansas' Time Has Come
Kansas has achieved a veto override allowing Senate Bill 361 to become law and opting the state in to the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC). The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) celebrates yet another state bringing education freedom to their families.
The EFTC created by the Working Families Tax Cut Act gives states a tremendous opportunity to expand educational freedom. The law allows taxpayers to claim up to
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following news release on April 9, 2026:
* * *
Education Freedom Tax Credit: Kansas' Time Has Come
Kansas has achieved a veto override allowing Senate Bill 361 to become law and opting the state in to the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit (EFTC). The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) celebrates yet another state bringing education freedom to their families.
The EFTC created by the Working Families Tax Cut Act gives states a tremendous opportunity to expand educational freedom. The law allows taxpayers to claim up to$1,700 in dollar-for-dollar federal tax credits for contributions to nonprofit Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs).
"Now Kansas families will benefit from critical scholarships to support the education their kids need," said Erika Donalds, chair for Education Opportunity at AFPI. "This action by the legislature ensured that Kansans did not watch hundreds of millions of dollars in scholarships walk right out the door. Thankfully those dollars will now stay in Kansas and work for Kansas families."
According to AFPI's recently released scholarship calculator, Kansas families could have lost up to $420 million in scholarship funds in just three years, a total of 75,000 student scholarships. Kansans' charitable contributions will now remain in-state, supporting local students. These funds will expand educational opportunities for K-12 students through scholarships for private school tuition, tutoring, homeschooling, special education services, books, supplies, and more.
Because scholarships will be funded by private donations, participation in the credit would not cost state governments a single penny. This is the first time the federal government has established a tax credit incentivizing K-12 scholarships and is a historic step toward school choice for every student in every state.
Kansas has more than a decade of experience operating a similar state level tax credit program--and has already certified a dozen SGOs--which makes opting in to the federal initiative a natural next step.
The 28 states that have already committed to participate are sending a clear signal to families, school leaders, and investors that a major expansion of education freedom policies are coming in 2027. Kansas lawmakers have passed a straightforward statutory modification that will have an enormous and lasting positive effect on Kansas students.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/education-freedom-tax-credit-kansas-time-has-come
[Category: ThinkTank]
AFPI Files Federal Complaints Against Sandia, Stanford and University of Maryland Over DEI Violations
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following news release on April 9, 2026:
* * *
AFPI Files Federal Complaints Against Sandia, Stanford and University of Maryland Over DEI Violations
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) filed formal complaints this week calling for federal investigation of Sandia National Laboratories, Stanford University and the University of Maryland, alleging the institutions have failed to bring their programs into compliance with federal nondiscrimination law despite months of advance notice.
AFPI filed its complaint against Sandia
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- The America First Policy Institute issued the following news release on April 9, 2026:
* * *
AFPI Files Federal Complaints Against Sandia, Stanford and University of Maryland Over DEI Violations
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) filed formal complaints this week calling for federal investigation of Sandia National Laboratories, Stanford University and the University of Maryland, alleging the institutions have failed to bring their programs into compliance with federal nondiscrimination law despite months of advance notice.
AFPI filed its complaint against Sandiawith the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Inspector General on March 26. Complaints against Stanford and the University of Maryland were filed with the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights on March 26 and March 27, respectively.
The filings follow letters AFPI sent to all three institutions in December 2025, identifying programs and practices that may violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Department of Justice's July 29, 2025, guidance to recipients of federal funding, and related federal nondiscrimination requirements.
"The federal government's position on this couldn't be more explicit," said Leigh Ann O'Neill, AFPI's chief legal affairs officer. "You cannot accept hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funding and then ignore the law to pursue your own agenda. The government gave each institution the opportunity to come into compliance, and it is time they demonstrate that they are."
Sandia National Laboratories
AFPI's complaint to the DOE Inspector General identifies three areas of potential noncompliance at Sandia, a federally funded national laboratory operating under a DOE contract:
* A summer STEM program described in the laboratory's own communications as targeting "Black middle and high school students"
* Employee Resource Groups organized around race, ethnicity and sexual orientation--including the Black Leadership Committee, Hispanic Leadership Committee and Sandia Pride Alliance--which Sandia's website indicates participate directly in recruiting employment candidates
* An employee benefits partnership providing LGBTQ+-specific legal coverage described as supporting "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion"
Sandia's January 2026 response to AFPI's December inquiry pledged future compliance with current administration policies but provided no specifics about corrective action taken. As of the complaint filing date, all identified materials remained publicly posted.
Stanford University
AFPI's complaint to the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights identifies five areas of potential noncompliance at Stanford, which receives billions in federal research funding annually. These include:
* A governance application process requiring applicants for Board of Trustees committee positions to demonstrate commitment to "diversity, equity, and inclusion"
* An Office of the Vice Provost for Institutional Equity whose stated mission may influence hiring, admissions and program participation based on race-conscious criteria
* Eight identity-based cultural centers that reportedly prioritize facility access based on identity affiliation
* Diversity pipeline programs in Stanford's School of Medicine -- including the DRIVE Pathway and CVI Summer Research programs -- that directed recruitment toward minority candidates
* A Stanford Graduate School of Business executive education program titled "Leverage Diversity and Inclusion for Organizational Excellence." Stanford removed some identified language from program websites following AFPI's December inquiry but did not address the substance of the concerns Stanford's January 2026 response acknowledged some modifications made following the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard but did not address the full scope of AFPI's complaint.
University of Maryland
AFPI's complaint against the University of Maryland (UMD), filed with the Department of Education Office for Civil Rights, extends the scope of the Institute's enforcement concerns beyond identity-based scholarship programs and DEI institutional policies that may violate Title VI and Title IX, to additionally raise immigration-related allegations.
AFPI's complaint identifies LGBTQ+-restricted scholarship programs including:
* The Rodler-Wood Endowed Scholarship and Fearless Terp Scholarship Fund
* Locker room and restroom policies requiring students to use facilities corresponding to their gender identity rather than biological sex
* UMD also allegedly provides services that may constitute unlawful inducement for illegal aliens to enter or remain in the United States, including a campus hotline connected to an organization that alerts illegal aliens to ICE enforcement activity and provides campus materials that may be used by faculty and staff to avoid cooperating with immigration enforcement agents.
UMD's December 2025 response broadly denied wrongdoing and asserted compliance with applicable federal and state law. AFPI contends the response did not address the specific practices identified in its inquiry.
"Federal nondiscrimination requirements exist, and federal funding is not a blank check," O'Neill said. "When an institution goes beyond ignoring civil rights law and obstructs federal immigration enforcement, it raises concerns that go well beyond our initial inquiry. We expect the relevant agencies will treat these complaints with the seriousness they deserve."
* * *
Original text here: https://www.americafirstpolicy.com/issues/afpi-files-federal-complaints-against-sandia-stanford-and-university-of-maryland-over-dei-violations
[Category: ThinkTank]
