Alex Hollings

Alex Hollings

USMC
Alex Hollings writes on a breadth of subjects with an emphasis on defense technology, foreign policy, and information warfare. He holds a master's degree in communications from Southern New Hampshire University, as well as a bachelor's degree in Corporate and Organizational Communications from Framingham State University.

China’s F-22 rip off is still plagued by engine troubles

China’s long-touted Chengdu J-20, claimed to be the nation’s first fully functional fifth generation fighter platform, is neither fully functional nor is it technically a fifth-generation fighter — despite already being entered into service in China’s People’s Liberation Army. Fighter generations are not determined by a formal committee; generational labels are more like industry shorthand […]

Marine Corps pilots grounded for drawing a penis in the sky over California

Last month, the United States Marine Corps became the latest branch of the United States Armed Forces to make headlines for a pilot drawing what appeared to be a penis in the sky during routine operations. While previous entries into the apparent branch-wide measuring contest were drawn in the skies by Air Force and Navy […]

6 arrested in plot to kill French President Emmanual Macron

Six people were arrested in different corners of France on Tuesday as a part of an investigation into an alleged plot to assassinate French President Emmanuel Macron. According to reports from officials within France’s DGSI intelligence agency, the arrests took place in three different regions of the country: Isère, Moselle, and Ille-et-Vilaine. While the identities […]

China’s newest drone appears to be just another copy of American tech

China’s aviation advancements are on full display this week at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition and Airshow in Zhuhai, but for those who are well versed in U.S. military aircraft, the event may feel eerily familiar… almost as though you’ve seen all this before. China’s J-20 and J-31 programs, both considered fifth-generation fighters […]

Watch: Russian fighter hits its afterburners right in front of US Navy recon plane

Tensions between the United States and Russia further escalated on Monday after a Russian fighter jet intercepted a U.S. Navy reconnaissance aircraft flying over the international waters of the Black Sea. With both a large scale NATO deterrence exercise ongoing and Russian ballistic missile tests expected any day in the region, the Russian fighter executed […]

Russia’s influence campaign has set its sights on US troops and no one is sure how to address it

Americans have seen a dramatic increase in awareness regarding ongoing Russian information operations taking place within the United States since news first broke about the Kremlin’s efforts to manipulate the results of the 2016 presidential election. While America’s partisan politics dictated the coverage of Russia’s influence campaign, portraying Moscow as an ally to the GOP, […]

Russian spy plane shows up uninvited during massive NATO war games in the Arctic

NATO training exercise Trident Juncture, a massive two-week show of force being held in the North and Baltic Seas off the coast of Norway, is set to be the largest of its kind since the heyday of the Cold War — and with good reason. As Russia’s surface fleet suffers setback after setback, the redirection […]

US carrier strike group joins Japanese and Canadian vessels for massive Pacific war games

Over the past few weeks, the United States military has been participating in the NATO training operation, Trident Juncture. With 50,000 troops from 30 different nations involved, Trident Juncture is meant to demonstrate a high level of interoperability and cooperation among NATO allies and other friendly nations in the Arctic, where Russia’s military has enjoyed […]

Opinion: Foreign influence campaigns work because Americans refuse to believe they’re susceptible

The most successful element of Russia’s 2016 influence campaign pertaining to the presidential election was not getting Donald Trump elected — it was convincing the American people that Russian influence efforts are a partisan issue. Ever since then, analysts attempting to make objective assertions about the ways Russian influence efforts can affect the American public […]