The Iraq war has been big business for US military contractors (AKA mercenaries). But now, as the withdrawal of troops becomes imminent, firms are looking to Africa as the next lucrative source of revenue.
It’s been a bad start to the year for Afghanistan. As reports claim it is heading for failed-state status, the Taliban continues to defy US and Nato-led troops. President Karzai is increasingly frustrated with US and Bri…
The US military has long used a type of camouflage pattern designed according to the type of terrain in which it will be used. Now, a Brooklyn-based company has persuaded it to try a new way of (not) seeing things.
With a pivotal geographic location, a vibrant media culture uniting both Asian and European markets and a flourishing defence sector, Australia is in a prime position to become a new, fresh-faced regional power.
Keeping the wheels of war turning requires well-run businesses. Some of the world’s most recognisable household brand names have pushed ahead in the fields of technology and innovation by supplying new products to the…
It is a tiny Muslim nation in one of the world’s most politically hostile regions. But Djibouti is also in the perfect position to keep tabs on Islamist militants. That’s why the US army is here and, thanks to a hearts- and…
Buoyed by 100 years of heritage, Alenia Aermacchi has engineered a venerable position at the forefront ofcivilian and military aeronautics. Monocle tours the company’s Turin facility for a pre-flight check.
Outsourcing has a bad name – a way of cutting labour costs by employing people in India and China (over three million US jobs will be lost to this trend by 2015). But there’s also a growing move for nations to outsource…
The functional concrete bungalows hastily built after the Second World War to house the US troops are becoming a popular option for young Japanese looking for more living space.
US soldiers in Afghanistan get some new threads for autumn/winter, Indonesia plans to enter the submarine market and why Russian tanks are performing a U-turn.
A defence-themed round-up includes rooms for hire in former forts and citadels everywhere from the West Indies to Portugal, airlines run by the military and the hotels favoured over the years by the world’s most well-tra…
Fifty years ago it was easy for a man to sport head-to-toe ‘Made in the USA’ brands. Today? Well, these stalwarts have survived and while some have moved manufacturing overseas others are busy boosting their production in…
Some say they’re a useful force for good, others say they’re an ungovernable hindrance undermining the good work of government troops. Either way, private security firms are playing an important part in conflicts around the…