Ryan McBeth

The official Ryan McBeth Substack Podcast Intelligence Analysis and Author Updates Intelligence Analysis and Author Updates

America’s Nuclear Triad Is No Longer Enough For most of the Cold War, American nuclear strategy had one primary problem: the Soviet Union. Today, the United States has to deter Russia, China, and North Korea at the same time. Iran continues hovering near the nuclear threshold. Hypersonic missiles, cyberattacks, anti-satellite weapons, and artificial intel…

According to the flurry of news stories published this morning, Ukraine’s “tech-savvy” defense minister, a 35-year-old, who has only served six months in the position, is out. The reason: Fedorov kept clashing with Ukraine’s old-school generals over military procurement and conscription reforms. The official Ryan McBeth Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

The official Ryan McBeth Substack Podcast Intelligence Analysis and Author Updates Intelligence Analysis and Author Updates

Intelligence product for paid subscribers at the bottom of the page. This will unlock for free members on Sunday. In this episode: Muslims are crying foul over China’s new ethnic unity law. Samsung sees huge profits for its chipmaking business. China’s South China Sea claims are refuted. Russia’s tanks are evolving—what could that mean for Ukraine? And, finally, maritime security in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden is becoming a nightmare—again.

Begin, Reagan, Palestine, terror on the airline Ayatollahs in Iran, Russians in Afghanistan —Billy Joel, “We Didn’t Start the Fire” (1989) On Saturday, January 26, 2008, a controversial figure in terrorism’s history died of a heart attack in Amman, Jordan. The figure in question was George “al-Hakim” Habash. For those unfamiliar with terrorism from the 1960s and 1970s, George Habash might seem like an odd name, one that doesn’t fit our notions of a modern terrorist from the Middle East.

Ukraine may have just carried out one of the most destructive attacks on shipping in modern history. Support mt work for only $5. Free members can watch on YouTube below: In a single operation, Ukrainian drones reportedly struck 27 or 28 Russian vessels in the Sea of Azov—including 21 oil tankers. “Struck” does not necessarily mean “sunk,” but if most of these vessels were destroyed or disabled, the historical comparison is extraordinary.

The official Ryan McBeth Substack Podcast Intelligence Analysis and Author Updates Intelligence Analysis and Author Updates

The Marine Corps is giving infantry Marines a new kind of firepower: low-cost FPV one-way attack drones. In this video, I visit Camp Lejeune to see the Neros Archer drone system in action — a $2,000 drone paired with a $3,000 modular payload that can turn it into a precision strike weapon, a flying claymore, or an anti-armor system. My paid Substack subscribes helped may for my travel costs to make this video. Please consider joining for only $5 so I can continue doing original work.

Intelligence product for paid subscribers at the bottom of the page. This will unlock for free members on Sunday. In this episode: Türkiye is a NATO star and the EU hates it. NATO’s cash flow problem is improving, but what about its manufacturing problem? Ukraine and Russia’s war drags on in the periphery, far from Kyiv and Moscow. A look at how the Great Firewall Works in China. And, finally, the coming AI backlash that is brewing in America.