South africa’s navy, like much of the country, is dilapidated. Its fleet spends less than half the time on the seas than it did a decade ago. It has few working ships, a result of budget cuts by the ruling African National Congress (anc). So it makes sense that the …

A YEAR AGO, Vladimir Putin launched the first full-scale invasion of a sovereign European country since the second world war. Badly planned with badly led, badly equipped and badly motivated soldiers, Russia’s offensive stalled against Ukraine’s courageous resistance. The defenders were inspired by Volodymyr Zelensky, led with military flair, and …

The outcome of the conflict will determine the West’s authority THE OFFICES of Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), NATO’s command centre near Mons in Belgium, are the opposite of imposing. Instead of granite and marble, the low-ceilinged corridors are decked out with plasterboard and tiled carpeting. Four-star generals prefer …