BAT 2023

2026’s Shadow War Headlines As late February 2026 marked four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the anniversary coverage wasn’t just about trenches, drones, and winter strikes—it was also about the invisible war that runs alongside any shooting war: intelligence, sabotage, and spy networks. In Poland, prosecutors announced the detention of a Belarusian suspect […]

Valentine’s Day is usually framed as the softest square on the calendar—cards, candy, and romantic clichés. But if you zoom out, February 14 has some surprisingly sharp edges. Behind the heart emojis is a timeline that runs through emperors, battlefields, propaganda, and even military codenames. Here are a few of the strangest (and most human) […]

In August 1946, less than a year after the surrender of Japan, the United States Navy mobilized a force that looked less like a scientific expedition and more like a tactical invasion fleet. Comprising 13 ships, 23 aircraft, and over 4,700 personnel, Task Force 68 was destined for the most hostile environment on Earth. Formally […]

The medal group of a World War II-era tank commander photographed with Winston Churchill has been purchased by the Tank Museum, with support from the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund. The eight medals belonged to Lt. Col. Stewart Inglis Howard-Jones of the Royal Tank Regiment, who served in Normandy and commanded a battalion at […]

In the history of American warfare, no single enemy has inflicted more consistent, agonizing, and preventable damage than the weather. While history books focus on the strategic maneuvers of the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, a darker reality is found in the raw numbers: of the nearly 90,000 American casualties recorded during that […]

Modern armies have a simple, brutal problem: how do you punch a safe lane through mines and obstacles without putting people in the kill zone? Recently, the UK tested a remote-controlled robotic mine plough designed to push that danger forward—literally—so soldiers don’t have to ride into a minefield. Photo Credit: Damian Lemanski/ Bloomberg/ Getty Images […]

During World War II, military engineers weren’t afraid to challenge conventional thinking. While fighters like the F6F Hellcat and P-51 Mustang dominated the skies, another aircraft was quietly being tested that looked like it belonged in science fiction: the Vought V-173, better known as the “Flying Pancake.” With its nearly circular wing and squat profile, […]

Mardi Gras has a reputation for being unstoppable. Even people who’ve never set foot in New Orleans know the basics: parades, music, masks, and a city that seems to run on celebration. Photo Credit: Erika Goldring/ Getty Images But history has a way of interrupting even the most “untouchable” traditions. And on one Mardi Gras […]

Modern military power is measured by stealth and precision, but in 1914, Imperial Russia bet its future on a machine that looked like a steampunk nightmare. The Tsar Tank, a massive iron tricycle, promised to end the stalemate of the Great War. Instead, it became one of the most expensive and immobile “toys” in military […]

Two German-built tanks will be attending the world’s biggest display of historic moving armour this coming June. Nicknamed the Nashorn “Phoenix” after restoration was delayed by a devastating fire, a World War II-era German “Tank Hunter” will be running for the first time in the United Kingdom at TANKFEST 2026. Photo Credit: Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-279-0950-09 […]

In 1932, Australia aimed machine guns at “swarms” of emus—and learned a truth that modern drone warfare keeps repeating: cheap, fast, scattered targets can make powerful tools look clumsy. Photo Credit: Wazee Digital/ Wikimedia Commons If you ever wanted proof that war is sometimes less “glory” and more “please make this problem go away,” Australia’s […]

As the Winter Olympics return to screens around the world, viewers marvel at blistering speed, split-second decisions, and tactics that feel almost… military. That’s no coincidence. Many of the strategies and manoeuvres used in modern sports were first refined in war, where coordination, deception, and timing were matters of life and death. Long before they […]