World War III – Wikipedia

Hypothetical future global conflict

World WarIII or the Third World War, often abbreviated as WWIII or WW3, are names given to a hypothetical worldwide large-scale military conflict subsequent to World WarI and World WarII. The term has been in use since at least as early as 1941.[1] Some apply it loosely to limited or more minor conflicts such as the Cold War or the war on terror. In contrast, others assume that such a conflict would surpass prior world wars in both scope and destructive impact.[2]

Due to the development of nuclear weapons in the Manhattan Project, which were used in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki near the end of World WarII, and their subsequent acquisition and deployment by many countries afterward, the potential risk of a nuclear apocalypse causing widespread destruction of Earth's civilization and life is a common theme in speculations about a third world war. Another primary concern is that biological warfare could cause many casualties. It could happen intentionally or inadvertently, by an accidental release of a biological agent, the unexpected mutation of an agent, or its adaptation to other species after use. Large-scale apocalyptic events like these, caused by advanced technology used for destruction, could render most of Earth's surface uninhabitable.

Before the beginning of World WarII in 1939, World WarI (19141918) was believed to have been "the war to end [all] wars". It was popularly believed that never again could there possibly be a global conflict of such magnitude. During the interwar period, World WarI was typically referred to simply as "The Great War". The outbreak of World WarII disproved the hope that humanity might have "outgrown" the need for widespread global wars.[3]

With the advent of the Cold War in 1945 and with the spread of nuclear weapons technology to the Soviet Union, the possibility of a third global conflict increased. During the Cold War years, the possibility of a third world war was anticipated and planned for by military and civil authorities in many countries. Scenarios ranged from conventional warfare to limited or total nuclear warfare. At the height of the Cold War, the doctrine of mutually assured destruction (MAD), which determined that an all-out nuclear confrontation would destroy all of the states involved in the conflict, had been developed. The potential for the absolute destruction of the human species may have contributed to the ability of both American and Soviet leaders to avoid such a scenario.

The various global military conflicts that have occurred since the start of the 21st century, most recently the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, have been hypothesized as potential flashpoints or triggers for a third world war.[4][5]

Time magazine was an early adopter, if not originator, of the term "World WarIII". The first usage appears in its 3 November 1941 issue (preceding the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941) under its "National Affairs" section and entitled "World WarIII?" about Nazi refugee Dr. Hermann Rauschning, who had just arrived in the United States.[1] In its 22 March 1943, issue under its "Foreign News" section, Time reused the same title "World WarIII?" about statements by then-U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace: "We shall decide sometime in 1943 or 1944... whether to plant the seeds of World War III."[6][7] Time continued to entitle with or mention in stories the term "World WarIII" for the rest of the decade and onwards: 1944,[8][9] 1945,[10][11] 1946 ("bacterial warfare"),[12] 1947,[13] and 1948.[14] Time persists in using this term, for example, in a 2015 book review entitled "This Is What World War III Will Look Like".[15]

Military strategists have used war games to prepare for various war scenarios and to determine the most appropriate strategies. War games were utilized for World War I and World War II.[16]

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was concerned that, with the enormous size of Soviet Red Army forces deployed in Central and Eastern Europe at the end of World WarII and the unreliability of the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, there was a serious threat to Western Europe. In AprilMay 1945, the British Armed Forces developed Operation Unthinkable, thought to be the first scenario of the Third World War.[17] Its primary goal was "to impose upon Russia the will of the United States and the British Empire".[18] The plan was rejected by the British Chiefs of Staff Committee as militarily unfeasible.

"Operation Dropshot" was the 1950s United States contingency plan for a possible nuclear and conventional war with the Soviet Union in the Western European and Asian theaters. Although the scenario made use of nuclear weapons, they were not expected to play a decisive role.

At the time the US nuclear arsenal was limited in size, based mostly in the United States, and depended on bombers for delivery. "Dropshot" included mission profiles that would have used 300 nuclear bombs and 29,000 high-explosive bombs on 200 targets in 100 cities and towns to wipe out 85% of the Soviet Union's industrial potential in a single stroke. Between 75 and 100 of the 300 nuclear weapons were targeted to destroy Soviet combat aircraft on the ground.

The scenario was devised before the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles. It was also devised before U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara changed the US Nuclear War plan from the 'city killing' countervalue strike plan to a "counterforce" plan (targeted more at military forces). Nuclear weapons at this time were not accurate enough to hit a naval base without destroying the city adjacent to it, so the aim of using them was to destroy the enemy's industrial capacity to cripple their war economy.

Ireland started planning for a possible nuclear war as fears of World War III began to haunt their Cold War foreign policy. Co-operation between Britain and Ireland would be formed in the event of WWIII, where they would share weather data, control aids to navigation, and coordinate the Wartime Broadcasting Service that would occur after a nuclear attack.[19] Operation Sandstone in Ireland was a top-secret British-Irish military operation.[19] The armed forces from both states began a new coastal survey of Britain and Ireland cooperating from 1948 to 1955. This was a request from the United States to identify suitable landing grounds for the U.S. in the event of a successful Soviet invasion.[19][20] By 1953, the co-operation agreed upon sharing information on wartime weather and the evacuation of civilian refugees from Britain to Ireland.[19] Ireland's Operation Sandstone ended in 1966.[20]

In January 1950, the North Atlantic Council approved NATO's military strategy of containment.[21] NATO military planning took on a renewed urgency following the outbreak of the Korean War in the early 1950s, prompting NATO to establish a "force under a centralized command, adequate to deter aggression and to ensure the defense of Western Europe". Allied Command Europe was established under General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, US Army, on 2 April 1951.[22][23] The Western Union Defence Organization had previously carried out Exercise Verity, a 1949 multilateral exercise involving naval air strikes and submarine attacks.

Exercise Mainbrace brought together 200 ships and over 50,000 personnel to practice the defense of Denmark and Norway from the Soviet attack in 1952. It was the first major NATO exercise. The exercise was jointly commanded by Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic Admiral Lynde D. McCormick, USN, and Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Matthew B. Ridgeway, US Army, during the autumn of 1952.

The United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Netherlands, and Belgium all participated.

Exercises Grand Slam and Longstep were naval exercises held in the Mediterranean Sea during 1952 to practice dislodging an enemy occupying force and amphibious assault. It involved over 170 warships and 700 aircraft under the overall command of Admiral Robert B. Carney. The overall exercise commander, Admiral Carney summarized the accomplishments of Exercise Grand Slam by stating: "We have demonstrated that the senior commanders of all four powers can successfully take charge of a mixed task force and handle it effectively as a working unit."[citation needed]

The Soviet Union called the exercises "war-like acts" by NATO, with particular reference to the participation of Norway and Denmark, and prepared for its military maneuvers in the Soviet Zone.[24][25]

Exercise Strikeback was a major NATO naval exercise held in 1957, simulating a response to an all-out Soviet attack on NATO. The exercise involved over 200 warships, 650 aircraft, and 75,000 personnel from the United States Navy, the United Kingdom's Royal Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, the French Navy, the Royal Netherlands Navy, and the Royal Norwegian Navy. As the largest peacetime naval operation up to that time, Exercise Strikeback was characterized by military analyst Hanson W. Baldwin of The New York Times as "constituting the strongest striking fleet assembled since World WarII".[26]

Exercise Reforger (from the REturn of FORces to GERmany) was an annual exercise conducted during the Cold War by NATO. While troops could easily fly across the Atlantic, the heavy equipment and armor reinforcements would have to come by sea and be delivered to POMCUS (Pre-positioned Overseas Material Configured to Unit Sets) sites.[27] These exercises tested the United States and allied abilities to carry out transcontinental reinforcement.[27] Timely reinforcement was a critical part of the NATO reinforcement exercises. The United States needed to be able to send active-duty army divisions to Europe within ten days of receiving the notification.[27] In addition to assessing the capabilities of the United States, Reforger also monitored the personnel, facilities, and equipment of the European countries playing a significant role in the reinforcement effort.[27] The exercise was intended to ensure that NATO could quickly deploy forces to West Germany in the event of a conflict with the Warsaw Pact.

The Warsaw Pact outnumbered NATO throughout the Cold War in conventional forces, especially armor. Therefore, in the event of a Soviet invasion, in order not to resort to tactical nuclear strikes, NATO forces holding the line against a Warsaw Pact armored spearhead would have to be quickly resupplied and replaced. Most of this support would have come across the Atlantic from North America.

Reforger was not merely a show of forcein the event of a conflict, it would be the actual plan to strengthen the NATO presence in Europe. In that instance, it would have been referred to as Operation Reforger. The political goals of Reforger were to promote extended deterrence and foster NATO cohesion.[27] Important components in Reforger included the Military Airlift Command, the Military Sealift Command, and the Civil Reserve Air Fleet.

Seven Days to the River Rhine was a top-secret military simulation exercise developed in 1979 by the Warsaw Pact. It started with the assumption that NATO would launch a nuclear attack on the Vistula river valley in a first-strike scenario, which would result in as many as two million Polish civilian casualties.[28] In response, a Soviet counter-strike would be carried out against West Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark, with Warsaw Pact forces invading West Germany and aiming to stop at the River Rhine by the seventh day. Other USSR plans stopped only upon reaching the French border on day nine. Individual Warsaw Pact states were only assigned their subpart of the strategic picture; in this case, the Polish forces were only expected to go as far as Germany. The Seven Days to the Rhine plan envisioned that Poland and Germany would be largely destroyed by nuclear exchanges and that large numbers of troops would die of radiation sickness. It was estimated that NATO would fire nuclear weapons behind the advancing Soviet lines to cut off their supply lines and thus blunt their advance. While this plan assumed that NATO would use nuclear weapons to push back any Warsaw Pact invasion, it did not include nuclear strikes on France or the United Kingdom. Newspapers speculated when this plan was declassified, that France and the UK were not to be hit to get them to withhold the use of their nuclear weapons.

Exercise Able Archer was an annual exercise by the U.S. European Command that practiced command and control procedures, with emphasis on the transition from solely conventional operations to chemical, nuclear, and conventional operations during a time of war.

"Able Archer 83" was a five-day North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) command post exercise starting on 7 November 1983, that spanned Western Europe, centered on the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) Headquarters in Casteau, north of the city of Mons. Able Archer's exercises simulated a period of conflict escalation, culminating in a coordinated nuclear attack.[29]

The realistic nature of the 1983 exercise, coupled with deteriorating relations between the United States and the Soviet Union and the anticipated arrival of strategic Pershing II nuclear missiles in Europe, led some members of the Soviet Politburo and military to believe that Able Archer 83 was a ruse of war, obscuring preparations for a genuine nuclear first strike.[29][30][31][32] In response, the Soviets readied their nuclear forces and placed air units in East Germany and Poland on alert.[33][34]This "1983 war scare" is considered by many historians to be the closest the world has come to nuclear war since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.[35] The threat of nuclear war ended with the conclusion of the exercise on 11 November, however.[36][37]

The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on 23 March 1983.[38] In the latter part of his presidency, numerous factors (which included watching the 1983 movie The Day After and hearing through a Soviet defector that Able Archer 83 almost triggered a Russian first strike) had turned Ronald Reagan against the concept of winnable nuclear war, and he began to see nuclear weapons as more of a "wild card" than a strategic deterrent. Although he later believed in disarmament treaties slowly blunting the danger of nuclear weaponry by reducing their number and alert status, he also believed a technological solution might allow incoming ICBMs to be shot down, thus making the US invulnerable to a first strike. However, the USSR saw the SDI concept as a major threat, since a unilateral deployment of the system would allow the US to launch a massive first strike on the Soviet Union without any fear of retaliation.

The SDI concept was to use ground-based and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. The initiative focused on strategic defense rather than the prior strategic offense doctrine of mutually assured destruction (MAD). The Strategic Defense Initiative Organization (SDIO) was set up in 1984 within the United States Department of Defense to oversee the Strategic Defense Initiative.

NATO operational plans for a Third World War have involved NATO allies who do not have their nuclear weapons, using nuclear weapons supplied by the United States as part of a general NATO war plan, under the direction of NATO's Supreme Allied Commander.

Of the three nuclear powers in NATO (France, the United Kingdom, and the United States) only the United States has provided weapons for nuclear sharing. As of November2009[update], Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey are still hosting US nuclear weapons as part of NATO's nuclear sharing policy.[39][40] Canada hosted weapons until 1984,[41] and Greece until 2001.[39][42] The United Kingdom also received US tactical nuclear weapons such as nuclear artillery and Lance missiles until 1992, despite the UK being a nuclear weapons state in its own right; these were mainly deployed in Germany.

In peacetime, the nuclear weapons stored in non-nuclear countries are guarded by US airmen though previously some artillery and missile systems were guarded by US Army soldiers; the codes required for detonating them are under American control. In case of war, the weapons are to be mounted on the participating countries' warplanes. The weapons are under custody and control of USAF Munitions Support Squadrons co-located on NATO main operating bases that work together with the host nation forces.[39]

As of 2005[update], 180 tactical B61 nuclear bombs of the 480 US nuclear weapons believed to be deployed in Europe fall under the nuclear sharing arrangement.[43] The weapons are stored within a vault in hardened aircraft shelters, using the USAF WS3 Weapon Storage and Security System. The delivery warplanes used are F-16 Fighting Falcons and Panavia Tornados.[44]

With the initiation of the Cold War arms race in the 1950s, an apocalyptic war between the United States and the Soviet Union became a real possibility. During the Cold War era (19471991), several military events have been described as having come close to potentially triggering World WarIII.

The Korean War was a war between two coalitions fighting for control over the Korean Peninsula: a communist coalition including North Korea, China and the Soviet Union, and a capitalist coalition including South Korea, the United States and the United Nations Command. Many then believed that the conflict was likely to soon escalate into a full-scale war between the three countries, the US, the USSR, and China. CBS News war correspondent Bill Downs wrote in 1951, "To my mind, the answer is: Yes, Korea is the beginning of World WarIII. The brilliant landings at Inchon and the cooperative efforts of the American armed forces with the United Nations Allies have won us a victory in Korea. But this is only the first battle in a major international struggle which now is engulfing the Far East and the entire world."[45] Downs afterwards repeated this belief on ABC Evening News while reporting on the USS Pueblo incident in 1968.[46] Secretary of State Dean Acheson later acknowledged that the Truman administration was concerned about the escalation of the conflict and that General Douglas MacArthur warned him that a U.S.-led intervention risked a Soviet response.[47]

The Berlin Crisis of 1961 was a political-military confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union at Checkpoint Charlie with both several American and Soviet/East German tanks and troops at the stand-off at each other only 100 yards on either side of the checkpoint. The reason behind the confrontation was about the occupational status of the German capital city, Berlin, and of postWorld War II Germany. The Berlin Crisis started when the USSR launched an ultimatum demanding the withdrawal of all armed forces from Berlin, including the Western armed forces in West Berlin. The crisis culminated in the city's de facto partition with the East German erection of the Berlin Wall. This stand-off ended peacefully on 28 October following a USSoviet understanding to withdraw tanks and reduce tensions.

The Cuban Missile Crisis, a confrontation on the stationing of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba in response to the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, is considered as having been the closest to a nuclear exchange, which could have precipitated a third World War.[48] The crisis peaked on 27 October, with three separate major incidents occurring on the same day:

Despite what many believe to be the closest the world has come to a nuclear conflict, throughout the entire standoff, the Doomsday Clock, which is run by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to estimate how close the end of the world, or doomsday, is, with midnight being the apocalypse, stayed at a relatively stable seven minutes to midnight. This has been explained as being due to the brevity of the crisis since the clock monitored more long-term factors such as the leadership of countries, conflicts, wars, and political upheavals, as well as societies' reactions to said factors.

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists now credits the political developments resulting from the Cuban Missile Crisis with having enhanced global stability. The Bulletin posits that future crises and occasions that might otherwise escalate, were rendered more stable due to two major factors:

The Sino-Soviet border conflict was a seven-month undeclared military border war between the Soviet Union and China at the height of the Sino-Soviet split in 1969. The most serious of these border clashes, which brought the world's two largest communist states to the brink of war, occurred in March 1969 in the vicinity of Zhenbao (Damansky) Island on the Ussuri (Wusuli) River, near Manchuria.

The conflict resulted in a ceasefire, with a return to the status quo. Critics point out that the Chinese attack on Zhenbao was to deter any potential future Soviet invasions; that by killing some Soviets, China demonstrated that it could not be 'bullied'; and that Mao wanted to teach them 'a bitter lesson'.

China's relations with the USSR remained sour after the conflict, despite the border talks, which began in 1969 and continued inconclusively for a decade. Domestically, the threat of war caused by the border clashes inaugurated a new stage in the Cultural Revolution; that of China's thorough militarization. The 9th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, held in the aftermath of the Zhenbao Island incident, confirmed Defense Minister Lin Biao as Mao Zedong's heir apparent.

Following the events of 1969, the Soviet Union further increased its forces along the Sino-Soviet border, and in the Mongolian People's Republic.

The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, or October War, began with Arab victories. Israel successfully counterattacked. Tensions grew between the US (which supported Israel) and the Soviet Union (which sided with the Arab states). American and Soviet naval forces came close to firing upon each other in Mediterranean Sea. Admiral Daniel J. Murphy of the US Sixth Fleet reckoned the chances of the Soviet squadron attempting a first strike against his fleet at 40 percent. The Pentagon moved Defcon status from 4to3.[50] The superpowers had been pushed to the brink of war, but tensions eased with the ceasefire brought in under UNSC 339.[51][52]

The United States made emergency retaliation preparations after NORAD saw on-screen indications that a full-scale Soviet attack had been launched.[53] No attempt was made to use the "red telephone" hotline to clarify the situation with the USSR and it was not until early-warning radar systems confirmed no such launch had taken place that NORAD realized that a computer system test had caused the display errors. A senator inside the NORAD facility at the time described an atmosphere of absolute panic. A GAO investigation led to the construction of an off-site test facility to prevent similar mistakes.[54]

A false alarm occurred on the Soviet nuclear early warning system, showing the launch of American LGM-30 Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles from bases in the United States. A retaliatory attack was prevented by Stanislav Petrov, a Soviet Air Defence Forces officer, who realised the system had simply malfunctioned (which was borne out by later investigations).[55][56]

During Able Archer 83, a ten-day NATO exercise simulating a period of conflict escalation that culminated in a DEFCON 1 nuclear strike, some members of the Soviet Politburo and armed forces treated the events as a ruse of war concealing a genuine first strike. In response, the military prepared for a coordinated counter-attack by readying nuclear forces and placing air units stationed in the Warsaw Pact states of East Germany and Poland under high alert. However, the state of Soviet preparation for retaliation ceased upon completion of the Able Archer exercises.[29]

The Norwegian rocket incident was the first World WarIII close call to occur outside the Cold War. This incident occurred when Russia's Olenegorsk early warning station accidentally mistook the radar signature from a Black Brant XII research rocket (being jointly launched by Norwegian and US scientists from Andya Rocket Range), as appearing to be the radar signature of the launch of a Trident SLBM missile. In response, Russian President Boris Yeltsin was summoned and the Cheget nuclear briefcase was activated for the first and only time. However, the high command was soon able to determine that the rocket was not entering Russian airspace, and promptly aborted plans for combat readiness and retaliation. It was retrospectively determined that, while the rocket scientists had informed thirty states including Russia about the test launch, the information had not reached Russian radar technicians.[57][58]

On 12 June 1999, the day following the end of the Kosovo War, some 250 Russian peacekeepers occupied the Pristina International Airport ahead of the arrival of NATO troops and were to secure the arrival of reinforcements by air. American NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Wesley Clark ordered the use of force against the Russians.[59] Mike Jackson, a British Army general who contacted the Russians during the incident, refused to enforce Clark's orders, famously telling him "I'm not going to start the Third World War for you".[60] Captain James Blunt, the lead officer at the front of the NATO column in the direct armed stand-off against the Russians, received the "Destroy!" orders from Clark over the radio, but he followed Jackson's orders to encircle the airfield instead and later said in an interview that even without Jackson's intervention he would have refused to follow Clark's order.[61]

On 24 February 2022, Russia's president Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, marking a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has been described as the largest military conflict in Europe since World WarII.[62] The invasion received widespread international condemnation, including new sanctions imposed on Russia, which notably included Russia's ban from SWIFT and the closing of most Western airspace to Russian planes.[63] Moreover, both prior to and during the invasion, some of the 30 member states of NATO have been providing Ukraine with arms and other materiel support.[64][65] Throughout the invasion, several senior Russian politicians, including president Putin and foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, have made a number of statements widely seen as threatening the use of nuclear weapons,[66][67][68] while several officials from the United States and NATO, including US president Joe Biden and NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg, have made statements reaffirming NATO's response in the event that Russia attacks any NATO member state or uses nuclear weapons, while also reiterating the need to prevent the crisis from escalating into a potential third World War.[69][70][71][72] On 15 November, a missile struck the Polish village of Przewodw near the border with Ukraine, killing two people.[73][74][75] It was the first incident of a missile landing and exploding within NATO territory during the invasion.[76][77] Despite initial statements regarding a close call to a conflict between Russia and NATO,[78] the United States found that the missile was likely to have been an air defense missile fired by Ukrainian forces at an incoming Russian missile.[79]

Various experts, analysts, and others have described the crisis as a close call to a third World War,[80][81][82][83] while others have suggested the contrary.[84][85][86]

As Soviet-American relations grew tenser in the post-World WarII period, the fear that it could escalate into World WarIII was ever-present. A Gallup poll in December 1950 found that more than half of Americans considered World WarIII to have already started.[87]

In 2004, commentator Norman Podhoretz proposed that the Cold War, lasting from the surrender of the Axis Powers until the fall of the Berlin Wall, might rightly be called World WarIII. By Podhoretz's reckoning, "World WarIV" would be the global campaign against Islamofascism.[88][89]

Still, the majority of historians would seem to hold that World WarIII would necessarily have to be a worldwide "war in which large forces from many countries fought"[90] and a war that "involves most of the principal nations of the world".[91] The Cold War received its name from the lack of action taken from both sides. The lack of action was out of fear that a nuclear war would possibly destroy humanity.[92] In his book Secret Weapons of the Cold War, Bill Yenne explains that the military standoff that occurred between the two 'Superpowers', namely the United States and the Soviet Union, from the 1940s through to 1991, was only the Cold War, which ultimately helped to enable mankind to avert the possibility of an all-out nuclear confrontation, and that it certainly was not World WarIII.[93]

The "war on terror" that began with the September 11 attacks has been claimed by some to be World WarIII[94] or sometimes as World WarIV.[88] Others have disparaged such claims as "distorting American history". While there is general agreement amongst historians regarding the definitions and extent of the first two world wars, namely due to the unmistakable global scale of aggression and self-destruction of these two wars, a few have claimed that a "World War" might now no longer require such worldwide and large scale aggression and carnage. Still, such claims of a new "lower threshold of aggression", that might now be sufficient to qualify a war as a "World War" have not gained such widespread acceptance and support as the definitions of the first two world wars have received amongst historians.[95]

On 1 February 2015, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari declared that the war against the Islamic State was effectively "World WarIII", due to the Islamic State's aims for a worldwide caliphate, and its success in spreading the conflict to multiple countries outside of the Levant region.[96] In response to the November 2015 Paris attacks, King of Jordan Abdullah II stated "We are facing a Third World War [within Islam]".[97]

In his State of the Union Address on 12 January 2016, U.S. President Barack Obama warned that news reports granting ISIL the supposed ability to foment a third World War might be excessive and irresponsible, stating that "as we focus on destroying ISIL, over-the-top claims that this is World WarIII just play into their hands. Masses of fighters on the back of pickup trucks and twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages pose an enormous danger to civilians and must be stopped. But they do not threaten our national existence."[98]

In multiple recorded interviews under somewhat casual circumstances, comparing the conflagrations of World WarI andII to the ongoing lower-intensity wars of the 21st century, Pope Francis has said, "The world is at war because it has lost the peace", and "perhaps one can speak of a third war, one fought piecemeal".[99][100]

In 1949, after the unleashing of nuclear weaponry at the end of World WarII, physicist Albert Einstein suggested that any outcome of a possible World WarIII would be so dire as to revert mankind to the Stone Age. When asked by journalist Alfred Werner what types of weapons Einstein believed World WarIII might be fought with, Einstein warned, "I know not with what weapons World WarIII will be fought, but World WarIV will be fought with sticks and stones".[2][101]

A 1998 New England Journal of Medicine overview found that "Although many people believe that the threat of a nuclear attack largely disappeared with the end of the Cold War, there is considerable evidence to the contrary".[102] In particular, the United States Russia mutual detargeting agreement in 1994 was largely symbolic, and did not change the amount of time required to launch an attack. The most likely "accidental-attack" scenario was believed to be a retaliatory launch due to a false warning.[102] Historically, World WarI happened through an escalating crisis; World WarII happened through deliberate action. Both sides often assume their side will win a "short" fight; according to a 2014 poll, 3/4 of the public in China believes their military would win in a war with the U.S. Hypothesized flashpoints in the 2010s and the 2020s include the Russo-Ukrainian War, Chinese expansion into adjacent islands and seas,[4] and foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war. Other hypothesized risks are that a war involving or between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Israel and Iran, India and Pakistan, Ukraine and Russia, South Korea/United States and North Korea, or Taiwan and China could escalate via alliances or intervention into a war between "great powers" such as the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, China, India, and Japan; or that a "rogue commander" under any nuclear power might launch an unauthorized strike that escalates into full war.[103]

According to a peer-reviewed study published in the journal Nature Food in August 2022, a full-scale nuclear war between the United States and Russia, releasing over 150 Tg of stratospheric soot, could kill more than 5 billion indirectly by starvation during a nuclear winter. More than 2 billion people could die of starvation from a smaller-scale (547Tg) nuclear war between India and Pakistan.[104][105]

Some scenarios involve risks due to upcoming changes from the known status quo. In the 1980s the Strategic Defense Initiative made an effort at nullifying the USSR's nuclear arsenal; some analysts believe the initiative was "destabilizing".[106][107] In his book Destined for War, Graham Allison views the global rivalry between the established power, the US, and the rising power, China, as an example of the Thucydides Trap. Allison states that historically, "12 of 16 past cases where a rising power has confronted a ruling power" have led to fighting.[108] In the first book devoted to the subject of military globalization, historian Max Ostrovsky argues that World War III is precluded due to unipolar distribution of power and unipolar alliance configuration, unless the Second American Civil War erupts and goes global. If we ever have World War III, he says, it would be USNORTHCOM fighting USPACOM and USEUCOM.[109] In January 2020, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists advanced its Doomsday Clock, citing among other factors a predicted destabilizing effect from upcoming hypersonic weapons.[110]

Emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, could hypothetically generate risk in the decades ahead. A 2018 RAND Corporation report has argued that AI and associated information technology "will have a large effect on nuclear-security issues in the next quarter century". A hypothetical future AI could provide a destabilizing ability to track "second-launch" launchers. Incorporating AI into decision support systems used to decide whether to launch, could also generate new risks, including the risk of an adversarial exploitation of such an AI's algorithms by a third party to trigger a launch recommendation.[111][112] A perception that some sort of emerging technology would lead to "world domination" might also be destabilizing, for example by leading to fear of a pre-emptive strike.[113]

Cyber warfare is the exploitation of technology by a nation-state or international organization to attack and destroy the opposing nation's information networks and computers. The damage can be caused by computer viruses or denial-of-service attacks (DoS). Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly common, threatening cybersecurity and making it a global priority.[114][115] There has been a proliferation of state-sponsored attacks. The trends of these attacks suggest the potential of a cyber World War III.[115] The world's leading militaries are developing cyber strategies, including ways to alter the enemy's command and control systems, early warning systems, logistics, and transportation.[115] The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has sparked concerns about a large-scale cyber attack, with Russia having previously launched cyberattacks to compromise organizations across Ukraine. Nearly 40 discrete attacks were launched by Russia which permanently destroyed files in hundreds of systems across dozens of organizations, with 40% aimed at critical infrastructure sectors in Ukraine.[116] Russia's use of cyberwarfare has turned the war into a large-scale "hybrid" war in Ukraine.[116]

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Nostradamus predicted WW3 in 2023 after correctly … – The US Sun

ASTROLOGOIST Nostradamus, who is said to have correctly foreseen the Ukraine war, apparently predicted a doomsday World War Three scenario for 2023.

The Frenchman, who has accurately predicted some major world events during the 16th century, believed that the current conflict in Eastern Europe could spark a great war.

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According to the interpretation of his prophesies, he suggested the prospect of a third war world war.

Nostradamus wrote: "Seven months of the Great War, people dead of evil-doing. Rouen, Evreux shall not fall to the King."

Many of his followers believed that it could be refer to a global conflict following Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

But detailing the French city of Rouen, that sits 125 miles from the Calais, it would appear that not all places would be directly affected.

He also wrote of a "Celestial fire on the Royal edifice" with many interpreters believing it could refer to the "end of times" or the start of a new world order.

The theory comes amid a string of prophecies by the Frenchman, including when, where and how the world could dramatically end.

This year, he reportedly predicted a war in Europe despite it directly concerning the French capital of Paris, according to interpretations.

The section referring to this read: All around the great City / Will be soldiers lodged by fields and cities.

The astrologer died well over 450 years ago, but his prophecies have continued to amaze those who follow his work.

According to Yearly-Horoscope, more than 70 per cent of his 6,338prophecies have been fulfilled so far.

Many of his predictions, such as the rise to power of Adolf Hitler, World War II, the September 11 terrorist attack, the French Revolution and the development of the atomic bomb have been interpreted as being accurate.

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Nostradamus also appeared to have predicted the start of the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, according to believers.

And three months into 2022, it is believed that Nostradamus predictions for the rest of the year could come to pass.

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Nostradamus predicted WW3 in 2023 after correctly ... - The US Sun

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NATO map: The three countries that could attack Russia first in WW3 – Express

Newly minted German Chancellor Olaf Scholz succeeded Angela Merkel in late 2021, after a campaign where he was conspicuously silent on NATO nuclear deterrent plans.

Germany is not a nuclear-capable nation, despite having the facilities to produce warheads, but is included in NATO's weapon sharing agreements.

Under the Scholz administration, the country has ramped up defence spending amid the crisis in Ukraine.

He pledged to raise defence spending to two percent of Germany's GDP and increased the annual defence budget from 50.3 billion to nearly 70 million.

As part of this push, German defence minister Christine Lambrecht announced the government would replace its Tornado bomber jets with US-made F-35A Lightning II aircraft.

While she didn't mention nuclear production, Ms Lambrecht said these planes could deliver nuclear warheads.

The German Chancellor has demonstrated a readiness to defend his country from potential aggression, meaning his forces would be well equipped to respond to active warmongering in Western Europe and beyond.

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NATO map: The three countries that could attack Russia first in WW3 - Express

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WW3 threat as Putin’s mouthpiece warns of ‘no mercy’ in war ‘against Europe and world’ – Express

Vladimir Solovyov, known as Putin's "mouthpiece", has threatened Europe and NATO countries of an impending war as he said Russia's war is entering "a new stage".

The prominent Russian state TV presenter said there "will be no mercy" during his ranting speech.

Solovyov questioned whether NATO countries will have enough weapons left to defend themselves once Russia's invasion of Ukraine ends.

The ranting propagandist, who was sanctioned by the EU for his close ties to the Russian leader, warned that Moscow will be "grinding up NATO's war machine as well as its citizens".

On the state-owned Russian television channel Russia 1, Solovyov said: "I believe the special military operation is entering a new stage.

"Ukrainians alone are no longer enough. Now they're talking about NATO countries supplying de-facto their own weapons. We'll see not only NATO's weapons being drawn into this but also their operators.

"De-facto, we're starting to wage war against NATO countries. We'll be grinding up NATO's war machine as well as citizens of NATO countries."

He added: "When this operation concludes, NATO will have to ask itself: Do we have what we need to defend ourselves? Do we have the people to defend ourselves?

"And there will be no mercy. There will be no mercy. Not only Ukraine will have been denazified, the war against Europe and the world is developing a more specific outline which means we'll have to act differently and to act much more harshly."

READ MORE:Rublev discloses Wimbledon phone call with Russian players after ban

The presenter's troubling comments come just weeks after arsonists targetted his villa in Lake Como, and activists poured red paint into his swimming pool at another of his luxury properties and scrawled "killer" on the wall.

Russia recently announced its plans to take over the south of Ukraine and the whole of the Donbas region.

Rustam Minnekayev, the deputy commander of Russia's military, said Putin's army plans to forge a corridor between Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula which Russia annexed in 2014, and the Donbas in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian fighters left in Mariupol, that Russia claims to have seized, are holed up at Azovstal industrial facility which Putin has ordered to be blockaded, condemning the soldiers and civilians inside to their deaths.

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Mr Minnekayev said should Russia's forces seize southern Ukraine, it would improve the army's access to Moldova's pro-Russian breakaway region of Transdniestria.

Transdniestria borders Ukraine, causing Kyiv to fear the area could be used as a launching pad for new attacks from Russian troops.

Ukraine's Defence Ministry has denounced Russia's plans to seize full control of Donbas and southern Ukraine, calling it "imperialism".

The ministry wrote on Twitter that Russia had "acknowledged that the goal of the 'second phase' of the war is not victory over the mythical Nazis, but simply the occupation of eastern and southern Ukraine. Imperialism as it is".

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WW3 threat as Putin's mouthpiece warns of 'no mercy' in war 'against Europe and world' - Express

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Russia sparks WW3 fears after vowing to attack Ukraine unless Nato agrees to BAN Kiev from alliance… – The Sun

RUSSIA will attack Ukraine unless Nato gives a cast-iron guarantee it will never let Kiev join the US-led alliance, a senior Putin aide warned.

The threat from a top Kremlin adviser is the starkest so far and stoked fresh fears an invasion could drag Western allies into World War Three.

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It comes after Russia massed 100,000 of troops on the border and Ukraine spy chiefs said they believe a full-scale invasion is planned in the New Year.

And today Ukraine confirmed it fired US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles at Russia-backed rebels during fresh skirmishes in the breakaway Donbas region.

Amid heightened tensions, Putin ally Fyodor Lukyanov warned of a new conflict if Nato expanded further east in an article published last night.

Mr Lukyanov - chairman of the Russian Foreign Affairs Council, which advises the Kremlin - also made it clear that Moscow would be seeking more than verbal reassurances from Nato.

He wrote: This recent round of escalation in Eastern Europe showed that the old principles of security on the continent are no longer working.

Russia will have to change the system and draw new red lines'.

He made pointed reference to a post-WW2 deal between the Soviet Union and Finland, under which Moscow recognised Finlands independence in return for its neutrality in the Cold War.

Chillingly, Mr Lukyanov added that the gambit that led to the 2008 war between Russia and Georgia - when Moscow invaded after claiming to have been provoked - could well be replicated in Ukraine.

Yesterday Moscow accused the US of secretly staging a mock nuclear attack 12 miles from the border "putting Russian forces on alert".

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu also said American strategic bombers had carried out 30 flights close toRussiathis month in a significant escalation.

Ukrainian intelligence chiefs have warned Russia is planning to invade on ten fronts in January.

Brigadier General Budanov saidthe invasionwould begin with air strikes and shelling following by an attack from the air involving up to 3,500 paratroopers and special forces, reportsThe Military Times.

It would then be followed by a mass assault across the border, amphibious landings in Odessa and Mariupol, and a smaller invasion from neighbouring Belarus.

Russia has always denied any aggressive intentions towards its neighbour - branding the latest reports as "hysteria".

President Putin described the troop build-up as a deterrent against a renewed Ukrainian government offensive.

Several ceasefire breaches have been reported in the eastern areas of the country held by Moscow-backed separatists.

Kiev confirmed for the first time it has deployed the US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles in the ongoing conflict.

General Budanov claimed they have also been used against Russian forces, who are suspected of making incursions across the border in support of the rebels.

He said the rockets have a "significant psychological deterrent value making Russians think twice about attacking."

Nato said it is prepared to help its allies.

Brigadier General Simon Doran, of the US Marine Corps, said of a potential Russian invasion: We exist to be ready at all times.

He told The Daily Telegraph: Hopefully, were not only deterring potential adversaries, were also reassuring all of our partners and allies that if called upon, we will be here.

We are absolutely ready to combat any aggression from anybody globally.

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Russia sparks WW3 fears after vowing to attack Ukraine unless Nato agrees to BAN Kiev from alliance... - The Sun

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WW3 fears as Russia accuses US of staging nuclear strike with TEN BOMBERS and puts nuke forces on co… – The Sun

MOSCOW has accused the US of secretly staging a mock nuclear attack on TEN bomber planes 20km from their border "putting Russian forces on alert."

Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said the Kremlin had noticed a significant increase in activity by American strategic bombers, which he said had carried out 30 flights close to Russia this month.

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He claims that is 2.5 times more than the same period last year.

Shoigu complained of what he said was a simulated US nuclear strike against Russia earlier this month.

He said: "The defence minister underlined that during the US military exercises 'Global Thunder', 10 American strategic bombers rehearsed launching nuclear weapons against Russia from the western and eastern directions.

"The minimum proximity to our state border was 20km."

Shoigu said Russian air defence units had spotted and tracked the US strategic bombers and taken unspecified measures to avoid any incidents.

His ministrys TV channel Zvezda interpreted his comments as him saying: NATO activity dictates the need to maintain nuclear forces on combat readiness.

The Pentagon has hit back insisting its drills were announced publicly at the time and adhered to international protocols.

This comes at a time of high tension with Washington over Ukraine, with US officials voicing concerns about a possible Russian attack on its southern neighbour - a suggestion Russia has denied.

Moscow has in turn accused the United States, NATO and Ukraine of provocative behaviour, pointing to US arms supplies to Ukraine, Kiev's use of Turkish drones against Russian-backed separatists and NATO exercises close to its borders.

Pentagon spokesperson Anton Semelroth said: "These missions were announced publicly at the time, and closely planned with Strategic Command, European Command, allies and partners to ensure maximum training and integration opportunities as well as compliance with all national and international requirements and protocols."

Top Russian and US military officers, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley, spoke by telephone but neither side disclosed the contents of the conversation.

Global Thunder, which this year put US nuclear-capable B-52 bombers through their paces, is the US Strategic Command's annual nuclear and command exercise designed to test and demonstrate the readiness of America's nuclear capabilities.

President Vladimir Putin referenced the apparent episode last week, complaining of Western strategic bombers carrying "very serious weapons" close to Russia.

He said the West was taking Moscow's warnings not to cross its "red lines" too lightly.

Shoigu made the comments in a video conference with Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe. He said that US bomber flights close to Russia's eastern borders were also a threat to China.

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"Against this backdrop, Russo-Chinese coordination is becoming a stabilising factor in world affairs," said Shoigu.

Russia and China agreed at their meeting to step up cooperation between their armed forces when it came to strategic military exercises and joint patrols, the defence ministry said.

Earlier this month, Russia warned relations with the West are almost at boiling point as tensions mount over migrants at the Poland-Belarus border.

With Nato and Russian forces playing cat and mouse games, Putin has said he would simply destroy any country that encroached on his countrys territory.

Recent days have seen US officials warnRussiamay beplotting an imminent invasionofUkraine, with the Kremlin massing100,000 troops on their border.

And Putin's regime has been accused of stoking the unfolding migrant crisis between Belarus and Poland andeven sent their own nuclear bombers into the area.

Belarus - dubbed Europe's last dictatorship - has been accused of "weaponising" migration against the EU sparking atense stand-off along their border with Polandwith troops on both sides.

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WW3 fears as Russia accuses US of staging nuclear strike with TEN BOMBERS and puts nuke forces on co... - The Sun

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World War 3 Closed Beta Test begins on November 25 – Future Game Releases

World War 3 is an online multiplayer tactical FPS set in a modern, global conflict. An exciting WW3 themed game set in the near future. The game is developed by The Farm 51 and published by My.Games, which has recently announced Closed Beta Test for the same. Smooth but ravaging combat, exciting weapons and gadgets, and most importantly, compelling tactics are needed to overcome any pesky scenarios in this all-out warfare experience.

World War 3 Closed Beta Starts on November 25 at 13.00 UTC / 14.00 CET / 05:00 PST, while its preload option should become active later today, November 24.

The Closed Beta Test is just around the corner, and as a celebration of the upcoming event, the developer has posted a new trailer showcasing WW3s excellence. You can find the trailer below:

World War 3 is an online multiplayer tactical FPS set against the backdrop of a modern global conflict. Team up to outgun and outflank the enemy in thrilling tactical skirmishes waged across real-world locations like Warsaw, Berlin, and Moscow. Customize your perfect loadout from a huge weapons arsenal, then deploy vehicles, gadgets, and drones, and call in strikes to seize the advantage.

Some of the games features:

TEAM-BASED ONLINE MULTIPLAYER ACTION

Hit the battlefield with up to 40 players in two core game modes. Unleash your arsenal in Tactical Ops, where two teams of 20 must attack or defend capture points in fast-paced skirmishes. Team Deathmatch is a classic FPS mode thats an action-packed, 10 versus 10 race to victorywork together to plan tactical strikes and full-scale assaults to score the highest kill count!

ALL-OUT WARFARE

Use every tool at your disposal to win the fight. Get your boots on the ground as an infantry soldier, drive around in tanks and vehicles, utilize drones to survey the battlefield, and call in tactical strikes for maximum damage.

PLAY YOUR WAY

A huge arsenal of weapons, vehicles, gadgets, drones, artillery, and airstrikes are at your disposal. Create your perfect loadout, and choose from hundreds of combinations of unique weapon components and cosmetic customizations to make it personal. Your vehicles, tactical gear, and uniforms are all fully customizable, so you can really make your mark on the battlefield.

WORLD AT WAR

Fight under the flag of real-world countries as you battle through stunning maps, featuring realistic geography and incredible levels of detail. Take the fight from the streets of Warsaw, Berlin, Moscow, and Polyarny, to the outskirts of Smolensk and beyond.

PLAYABLE REALISM

Every shot counts. Discover realistic gameplay features that enhance immersion without impacting combat, including an advanced ballistics system, full-body awareness, vehicle physics, and extensive customization.

Read more:

World War 3 Closed Beta Test begins on November 25 - Future Game Releases

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World War 3 MAPPED: The SIX places where WW3 could break out in 2021 – MSN UK

WW3: Expert reveals details of hidden' submarine

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World War 3 concerns were triggered around the globe following the death of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani in a US airstrike in January 2020. Now as a killer infection spreads across the globe and protests regarding the military coup in Myanmar have sparked across the world, leading to World War 3 concerns again. Given the tense relations between countries around the world, Express.co.uk has compiled a guide for the flashpoints where World War 3 is most likely to erupt in 2020.

On Friday, January 3, the USA undertook a drone airstrike following a series of "orchestrated" attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the past few months and attacks on the US Embassy in Baghdad, all of which was done on the orders of General Soleimani.

US President Donald Trump approved of the assault on General Soleimani claiming the action was undertaken to make "the world a safer place".

In a statement, the Pentagon said: "At the direction of the President, the US military has taken decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing Qassem Soleimani."

It added: "This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans.

"The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world."

Now Iran has sworn "harsh revenge" and promised to "turn day into night".

This assassination has been dubbed by many high-ranking Iranians a "declaration of war".

Donald Trump has warned the US could act "disproportionately" if Iran targets any American "person or target" in revenge for the killing of Major General Qassem Soleimani.

Since that time, Iran "unintentionally" shot down a Ukranian passenger jet which saw 176 people killed.

This week an Iranian prosecutor has issued an arrest warrant against Mr Trump and has asked for Interpol's support, however, the policing authority has refused to back the arrest warrant.

READ MORE: Iran attack: Ukranian plane shot down 'accidentally', says US

Tensions between Iran and Israel have been frustrated for a while with low-intensity warfare raging across the Middle East as a result.

The former nation supports anti-Israel groups in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon in particular, while Israel often strikes at Iranian forces across the region.

Overall, Israel has endeavoured to create an anti-Iran coalition at a diplomatic level, while Iran has invested in cultivating ties with militias and non-state actors.

While it may be difficult to claim these nations will launch into a wider war if Iran is determined to restart its nuclear program, Israel may choose to engage in wider strikes hitting the Iranian homeland directly.

This type of assault could have wider implications as it could prove to be a threat to global oil supplies which would inevitably cause more nations to intercede.

Tensions between the US and Turkey has heightened over the past year, initially as a result of the US providing authorisation to Turkey to clear the Syrian border of US-supported Kurds.

However, immediately afterwards, the US threatened Ankara with sanctions, causing tensions to rise.

Additionally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested he has aspirations for Turkey which could involve nuclear weapons.

As a result, the state of the US-Turkey relationship has worsened, causing fear about the subsequent impact on the NATO alliance.

President Erdogan is known for being passionate about his plan which could force Washington and Ankara to the very edge and have a result on Russia who is a neighbouring nation.

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In the past 10 years, the relationship between India and Pakistan has worsened, bringing the countries to the brink of war.

Since the partition of British India in 1947 and the subsequent creation of India and Pakistan, the two countries have been involved in a number of wars, conflicts and military stand-offs interspersed with periods of harmony and peace.

In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attempted to reduce the autonomy of Kashmir and to change citizenship policies within the rest of India.

These steps have caused some unrest within India and highlighted the long-standing tensions between Delhi and Islamabad.

Further domestic disturbances in India and Pakistan could lead to World War 3.

While this is unlikely, it could lead to terrorist attacks internationally or in Kashmir.

Prime Minister Modi might then feel forced to bring on a more serious conflict and given China's vicinity, and the growing relationship between Delhi and Washington could lead to more disastrous international implications.

Fundamental tensions at the heart of the US-North Korea relationship could result in combative action.

Tensions between the two countries now stand as high as at any time since 2017, and the impending US election could imperil relations further.

President Trump's administration appears to hold out hope a deal with North Korea could improve its electoral prospects in November.

But North Korea has little to no interest in Mr Trump's offering.

Recently, North Korea promised a "Christmas present" that many in the United States worried would be a nuclear or ballistic missile test.

However, this was not the case, but if the country did undertake a nuclear test, the US might be forced to intervene.

Last Thursday, the Hai Yang Di Zhi 8 left the port of Sanya, on China's Hainan Island and was joined by the CCG vessels this week.

These vessels were 92 nautical miles off the coast of Vietnam's Binh Dinh province as of yesterday morning, deep into the 200-nautical mile EEZ, and were further accompanied two Chinese maritime militia ships, the Dongtongxiao00235 and the Min Xia Yu 00013, Radio Free Asia reported.

Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative in Washington, told the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines in an online news conference: "What is pretty obvious is China's not going to stop.

"If a global pandemic doesn't cause China to calm things down in the South China Sea, there's not much that will.

"The number one thing that we should think to look into is international economic sanctions.

"We have never had a discussion about sanctioning the actors behind the Chinese maritime militia."

"China admits it has a maritime militia, and it's a clear violation of international law.

"They are operating on the same policy framework which is to go out, assert rights, harass neighbours, do whatever you want."

The US-China relationship has been particularly tense in recent years.

A trade deal between the two countries would seem to alleviate some tensions but implementation remains in question.

Currently, the world's two largest economies are locked in a bitter trade battle.

The dispute, which has simmered for nearly 18 months, has seen the US and China impose tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of one another's goods.

President Trump has long accused China of unfair trading practices and intellectual property theft, while in China, there is a perception that the US is endeavouring to curb its rise as a global economic power.

At the same time, China has worked defiantly to assure its relations with Russia, while the US has sparked controversies with both South Korea and Japan, its two closest allies in the region.

Donald Trump and President Xi have staked much of their political reputations on the trade situations in each country and therefore both have incentives for diplomatic and economic escalation.

If the situation were to escalate, it could lead to military confrontation in areas such as the South or East China Seas.

The tension has escalated amid the coronavirus pandemic, with Mr Trump accusing the country of engineering the fatal infection in a laboratory.

He claims to have seen evidence corroborating the development of coronavirus from a Chinese lab.

Mr Trump announced on Tuesday that the United States was devising a strict response to China's proposed national security legislation for Hong Kong and that the plans would be revealed by the end of the week.

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World War 3 MAPPED: The SIX places where WW3 could break out in 2021 - MSN UK

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Call of Duty: 2021 leak suggests the game will link to World War II – PC Invasion

It has been just over four months since Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War released. Already, rumors are circulating about what the next Call of Duty title will be. It is currently thought that Sledgehammer Games is developing the next game in the Call of Duty franchise. The last time fans saw the first person shooter made by Sledgehammer Games was in 2017. This was when Call of Duty: WWII launched. Allegedly, the developers will be taking players back to this era in Call of Duty: 2021, according to a leak.

A Call of Duty leaker who has proven to be reliable in the past shared a hint of what they heard about the new game. Victor_Z posted an image on Twitter of the Call of Duty: WWII cover art. The image is captioned with the hammer emoji. The assumption is that the hammer emoji is a direct reference to Sledgehammer Games. However, the purpose of the image is not fully clear.

A fan responded to the tweet by the leaker, questioning if the next title would be WW3. Victor_Z simply stated WW2. Perhaps fans could expect a direct sequel to Call of Duty: WWII or just another game set in this time period. Understandably, the response to the rumor has been mixed among the Call of Duty community. Although many players enjoyed WWII, the game was not to everybodys taste. In addition, this time period has been covered many times over the years.

Currently, the accuracy of these rumors is unknown. Players can only know for certain what to expect from Call of Duty: 2021 when Activision provides confirmation. It is still unknown why Sledgehammer Games didnt release a title in 2020, causing Treyarch to step in. As it has been four years since this teams last title, hopefully the extra time allows Sledgehammer Games to create a game that players enjoy.

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Call of Duty: 2021 leak suggests the game will link to World War II - PC Invasion

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World War 3 MAP: The SIX places where WW3 could break out …

World War 3 concerns were triggered around the globe following the death of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani in a US airstrike in January 2020. Now as a killer infection spreads across the globe and riots over police brutality have sparked across the world, leading to World War 3 concerns again. Given the tense relations between countries around the world, Express.co.uk has compiled a guide for the flashpoints where World War 3 is most likely to erupt in 2020.

On Friday, January 3, the USA undertook a drone airstrike following a series of orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the past few months and attacks on the US Embassy in Baghdad, all of which was done on the orders of General Soleimani.

US President Donald Trump approved of the assault on General Soleimani claiming the action was undertaken to make the world a safer place.

In a statement, the Pentagon said: At the direction of the President, the US military has taken decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing Qassem Soleimani.

It added: This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans.

The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world.

Now Iran has sworn harsh revenge and promised to turn day into night.

This assassination has been dubbed by many high-ranking Iranians a declaration of war.

Donald Trump has warned the US could act disproportionately if Iran targets any American person or target in revenge for the killing of Major General Qassem Soleimani.

Since that time, Iran "unintentionally" shot down a Ukranian passenger jet which saw 176 people killed.

This week an Iranian prosecutor has issued an arrest warrant against Mr Trump and has asked for Interpol's support, however, the policing authority has refused to back the arrest warrant.

READ MORE:Iran attack: Ukranian plane shot down accidentally, says US

Tensions between the US and Turkey has heightened over the past year, initially as a result of the US providing authorisation to Turkey to clear the Syrian border of US-supported Kurds.

However, immediately afterwards, the US threatened Ankara with sanctions, causing tensions to rise.

Additionally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested he has aspirations for Turkey which could involve nuclear weapons.

As a result, the state of the US-Turkey relationship has worsened, causing fear about the subsequent impact on the NATO alliance.

President Erdogan is known for being passionate about his plan which could force Washington and Ankara to the very edge and have a result on Russia who is a neighbouring nation.

DON'T MISSIran on the brink: Ex-Trump aide exposes exactly why US[INSIGHT]World War 3: Missile strike kills eight pro-Iranian militia members[EXPLAINER]World War 3 outbreak: BBC expert stuns Newsnight in Iran crash claim[ANALYSIS]

Fundamental tensions at the heart of the US-North Korea relationship could result in combative action.

Tensions between the two countries now stand as high as at any time since 2017, and the impending US election could imperil relations further.

President Trumps administration appears to hold out hope a deal with North Korea could improve its electoral prospects in November.

But North Korea has little to no interest in Mr Trumps offering.

Recently, North Korea promised a Christmas present that many in the United States worried would be a nuclear or ballistic missile test.

However, this was not the case, but if the country did undertake a nuclear test, the US might be forced to intervene.

Last Thursday, the Hai Yang Di Zhi 8 left the port of Sanya, on China's Hainan Island and was joined by the CCG vessels this week.

These vessels were 92 nautical miles off the coast of Vietnams Binh Dinh province as of yesterday morning, deep into the 200-nautical mile EEZ, and were further accompanied two Chinese maritime militia ships, the Dongtongxiao00235 and the Min Xia Yu 00013, Radio Free Asia reported.

Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative in Washington, told the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines in an online news conference: What is pretty obvious is Chinas not going to stop.

"If a global pandemic doesnt cause China to calm things down in the South China Sea, theres not much that will.

The number one thing that we should think to look into is international economic sanctions.

We have never had a discussion about sanctioning the actors behind the Chinese maritime militia."

"China admits it has a maritime militia, and its a clear violation of international law.

They are operating on the same policy framework which is to go out, assert rights, harass neighbours, do whatever you want."

The US-China relationship has been particularly tense in recent years.

A trade deal between the two countries would seem to alleviate some tensions but implementation remains in question.

Currently, the worlds two largest economies are locked in a bitter trade battle.

The dispute, which has simmered for nearly 18 months, has seen the US and China impose tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of one anothers goods.

President Trump has long accused China of unfair trading practices and intellectual property theft, while in China, there is a perception that the US is endeavouring to curb its rise as a global economic power.

At the same time, China has worked defiantly to assure its relations with Russia, while the US has sparked controversies with both South Korea and Japan, its two closest allies in the region.

Donald Trump and President Xi have staked much of their political reputations on the trade situations in each country and therefore both have incentives for diplomatic and economic escalation.

If the situation were to escalate, it could lead to military confrontation in areas such as the South or East China Seas.

The tension has escalated amid the coronavirus pandemic, with Mr Trump accusing the country of engineering the fatal infection in a laboratory.

He claims to have seen evidence corroborating the development of coronavirus from a Chinese lab.

Mr Trumpannounced on Tuesday that the United States was devising a strict response to China's proposed national security legislation for Hong Kong and that the plans would be revealed by the end of the week.

Read the rest here:

World War 3 MAP: The SIX places where WW3 could break out ...

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World War III (Another WW3) | Future | Fandom

In the early 21st century, territorial tensions were rising between many countries, particularly in the Middle East and other parts of Asia. Also, for many parts of the world, economic collapse was imminent.

Islamic conservative countries such as Iran began breaking off diplomatic ties with more Westernized counterparts such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Syria was undergoing a deadly civil war between the government and democratic forces and asks help from Russia and China, but the USA says that if Russia and its allies openly support Syria, theUSA will take actions.

During the 2000s, China, Russia and other countries with particular anti-West ideologies found a new military economic block called Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Its main purpose was to confront and compete with NATO.

In response, NATO friendly states of Southeast Asia launch campaigns to improve its military. In North America, Mexico receives support from SCO in Mexican Drug War and this effort makes Mexico a SCO-friendly state. Meanwhile, Turkey is undergoing border clashes against Syria.

All these tensions and disputes between pro-West and anti-West forces leads to a great expansion of SCO, which many anti-West nations joining the block. By the late 2020s, SCO becomes extensively hostile against NATO and a global conflict becomes imminent.

Although peace efforts have been made, economic and military strength of SCO have managed to divide the world again in "first" and "second" worlds, this time in a dispute between two coalitions.

On September 1, 2029, North Korea, a SCO member, invades South Korea in an attempt to unify the two Koreas again. The United States declares war on North Korea hours later. And all of NATO declares war on North Korea 2 weeks later. China stays neutral at first, but is eventually forced to assist North Korea, or else all of the Korean peninsula, a common launching point for invasions into China, will fall under Western control. Because of this, SCO and NATO treaties are activated against each other. North Korea launches a blitzkrieg against South Korea and captures key points quickly. A few days pass and war breaks out in the Middle East when Iran declares war on Saudi Arabia, hoping to bolster its failing economy through the capture of oil reserves. Turkey begins the invasion of Syria supported by Iraq. Iran invades Iraq as a gateway to help Syria. Israel declares war on Iran to prevent a possible attack on their borders through Iraq and Syria, but in the confusion, Palestine is able to secede.

In Asia, economic ties between China and it's regional neighbors (ASEAN, Japan, India, Taiwan, and the Stans) prevent war between any of them. Heavy industry that once developed in China is in the process of moving away to India and Indochina, increasing living standards in China and its neighbors. China, despite economic troubles, is able to rehabilitate its economy in the great Xin Zhong Guo Di Chiu movement. As a result, war is not prominent in East Asia. Peaceful reforms forced by economic and environmental impetuses in China cause the government, although still communist and authoritarian, to allow small political parties to form and provincial democracies to spring up, greatly improving China's regional stability. Overall, the Oriental area of influence is relatively well off in the war.

Because of Venezuela's collapse, Chile and Argentina invaded Peru, Bolivia, Brazil in a hope to reestablish a Venezuelan state, but led to a continent-wide guerrilla war that has not shown signs of stopping. Iran has successfully invaded southern Saudi Arabia but failed to conquer Iraq successfully because of Turkish intervention. Russia and its allies are invading the northern part of the Middle East to gain access to Iran and to invade Europe from 2 directions. In eastern Europe heavy fighting occurs between NATO and the SCO. In South East Asia, India had invaded eastern Myanmar so Myanmar surrendered, but then Thailand was losing fast so Indonesia, Malaysian, Chinese, and Singaporean troops came in to help. The Philippines is quickly becoming a key player in West Pacific Stability, and in Korea a stalemate occurred and a ceasefire is declared. In North America, a naval battle occurred between Russia and United States but because the US navy is stretched thin and is nearly wiped out by China, Russia wins. China has invaded and conquer Hawaii and is planning to distract American troops to the west coast so Russia can invade Alaska. China's regional partners are angered by this but can do nothing to stop it.

Russia had invaded Alaska and is advancing deeper into North America. Egypt had invaded and conquered Libya and Sudan, setting up puppet governments in their place and establishing a North African Egyptian Empire. Iran had been advancing deeper into Saudi Arabia but was soon blocked by Saudi Arabian and Israeli troops and is undergoing heavy fighting against Iraq at its borders. North Korea and South Korea merged into a single political unit after much insistence from both the SCO and NATO, who wish to redirect energy elsewhere.

A stalemate occurred in the fight in western Russia. Saudi Arabia has regained its original borders and is preparing the invasion of southern Iran. The Russian advancement in North America is halted and a stalemate is declared. Australia and NATO friendly states in southeast Asia is halting Pakistani-Chinese advance in the Indian Ocean, where they have been preparing an assault on US-led South Africa.Russian and other SCO forces were advancing slowly in the Middle East. The SCO economy was running down and riots were becoming more common and harder to control.

Iraq and Saudi Arabia invaded Iran and is making progresses fast. After heavy battles and a lots of casualties, the USA had finally retaken Alaska with the help from Canada and is now preparing an invasion of eastern Russia, NATO forcesare now advancingeven deeper into Russia from the west. The Russian-dependent portion of the SCO was then on the brink of defeat and Russia was retreating from the Middle East. The capital of Russia was moved from Moscow to an unknown location. NATO friendly states invaded China from southeast Asia but was met with heavy resistance, as China employed Sun Tzu Art of war and Guerrilla tactics to tremendous effect, like in the Vietnam War. Russia causes

With help India had gotten back to its original territories and Pakistan immediately surrendered, causing a seismic shift in priorities within the Oriental-Chinese bloc of the SCO. Saudi Arabia and Iraq had almost captured Iran but Iran has sworn that they will never surrender, deploying its nuclear arsenal across much of the Middle East and obliterating millions of lives and cities, and turning the Middle East into a giant fallout zone. Central Asia is invaded by NATO friendly states, but is halted when it reaches the Western Chinese border by the "Second Great Wall of China," a giant Maginot-Line of heavy artillery and military resistance. Meanwhile, the USA and Canada invades eastern Russia, and Russia is about to collapse. In fact, it's near-death imminence is becoming a hot-topic within the SCO, as Chinese and other Asian states are quickly cutting ties with Russia. NATO was getting ever deeper into western Russia and had captured Moscow. The Turkish government invaded Russia from the South and penetrated deep. The turning point comes in December 1st of 2035, as Chinese troops cut a tactical betrayal and invade Russia as well, seizing its Siberian mineral and oil-rich fields. They also send a simultaneous message to NATO stating that after Russia is divided up, they are willing to discuss peace.

Russia fights a desperate war until June. As all historians know, it is impossible to conquer Russia in the winter, and this was proven as Russian forces reclaimed ALL of their territories during the Winter, causing the NATO and Chinese-led SCO to suffer immensely heavy losses. However, despite the casualties, when Spring came, a renewed assault was led on Russia, spearheaded by the Chinese and Indians because of their massive population advantage, but with weapons and money of NATO. Despite this cooperative anti-Russian war, NATO-Oriental war is still ongoing, and China loses its western territories after the second Great Wall is overwhelmed by European forces. Four clear blocs have developed: The Oriental Bloc (of the Chinese-dependent SCO that split from Russia when it was obvious Russia would lose, and betrayed them), the Russian Bloc (of the Russian-dependent portion of the SCO), the European Bloc (Of the EU, who suffered extremely heavy losses in the war and is becoming angry at the US for "using them" as nothing more than a military deployment point) and the US Bloc (which also consists of Britain and US key allies). By August, Russia finally surrenders, and is divided up between American, Chinese, and European territories. From then on, the Oriental - NATO war commences. However, it is half-hearted: public support is at almost 0% in the West and riots are increasing across East Asia: in China, to stop the war and form better government, and in its neighbors, to break ties with China and declare war on them (the leaders of those nations don't want this because it would spell national disaster in terms of economy and military: even all joined together, their military barely matches China's). By December 25th, the Christmas Pact establishes peace between the two sides.

After the war was over, NATO nations had installed democratic governments in all of the conquered territories, and global peace had finally been achieved. China succumbs to revolution for the next year and a half, but a partnership between the disillusioned people and the nation's tired military forms a new Aristarchy of China quickly: a Singaporean-type, forward-looking, and powerful economically and militarily nation which its regional allies and neighbors have nothing to complain against. NATO intervention has given India back Pakistan, in which the Muslims and Hindus live mostly peacefully side-by-side, and China's more backward allies are eventually developed following the same guidelines as China: economic industrialization, political reform, and peace.Afterwards United Nations was reinstated and the world entered a great era of rebuild, peace and democracy.

The regions of the world generally consist of, after the war:

The Oriental Order, a massive, technologically advanced, democratic union of East Asian and Central Asian states with the sole purpose of creating a self-sufficient, powerful, and democratic union in East Asia to serve all of its citizens faithfully,

The American Order, a similarly massive order of US-eccentric or dependent states that help maintain order in the post WW3 world.

The European Order, which split from the American Order due to populism and growing disillusionment. Europe wishes to reconstruct the colonial world of Eurocentrism through peaceful means, but obstacles such as massive casualties in the last three world wars, failing and aging infrastructure, and a US-dependent military prevents this from happening.

The Non-aligned Order, which consists of various African, Pacific, and other nations that normally tend to align with one alliance or another, but never definitively or formally (such as South America's postwar integration with America, or Africa's postwar integration with the Orient).

The Fallout Zone, which consists of large swathes of Middle Eastern territory irradiated by Iran's nuclear strikes, and which are uninhabitable except by insurgencies and small organizations to this day. This is the only place where nuclear weapons have been used to such deadly effect, and serves as a grim warning to humanity of the dangers of war.

On Top: Allies and Political Factions after the War

WIKIA FUTURE WWIII 2029 & 2030 1

On Bottom: Allies and Political Factions before the War.

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Mystic who predicted Donald Trump’s presidency claims …

A MYSTIC who says he foresaw Donald Trump's presidency has now predicted the EXACT date World War 3 will start.

The self-proclaimed "messenger of God",Horacio Villegas, thinks nuclear warfare will erupt later this year - on the 100th anniversary of thevisitation of Our Lady of Fatima.

2

Catholic Horacio, from Texas, USA, predicted Trump's election win as far back as 2015, he told the Daily Star.

He also labelled the US President the "Illuminati king" who would "bring the world into WW3".

Chillingly, one of his prophecies - that Trump would attack Syria - has already come true.

The billionaire businessman launched a huge air strike on an airbase in Homs earlier this year.

The clairvoyant said that this move would bring Russia, North Korea and China into the conflict.

His latest vision came to him in the form of a dream, in April, in which Horacio says he "saw balls of fire falling from the sky and hitting the Earth".

2

People everywhere were running around trying to hide from this destruction, he added.

Horacio claims D-Day will fall on the 100th anniversary of the visitation of Our Lady of Fatima, the Virgin Mary, which started on May 13, 1917.

It was on that day, according to Catholic belief, Jesus' mother visited a village in Portugal and warned that if they did not convert Russia to the faith, God would wreak havoc on the world.

Her sixth and final visit was said to be on October 13, 1917 - and the 100th anniversary of this date is approaching in just two months time.

Horacio told the Daily Star:The main message that people need to know in order be prepared is that between May 13 and October 13 2017, this war will occur and be over with much devastation, shock and death.

The warning comes after Trump reportedlylaunched supersonic B-1B bombers from Guam airbase and warned America would respond to threats with fire and fury as North Korea warned of plans to attack the US naval outpost.

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WW3 fears: Xi vows he will never renounce use of force over Taiwan jets just a warning – Daily Express

After Mr Bidens administration reaffirmed its defence of Taiwan, close to 30 Chinese jets entered into its airspace on Saturday and Sunday. The Chinese government has now accused Taiwan forces of deliberately provoking China to seek secession. Speaking this week, Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, Zhu Fenglian said: We will not renounce the use of force and reserve all options.

This will never change at any time.

Despite the Chinese military conducting drills often in the Taiwan Strait, it has maintained any actions are required to maintain peace in the region.

The Communist Party has also issued stern warnings to any state, namely the US, which has allegedly interfered in the South and East China Seas.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt was deployed to the South China Sea just days after Mr Bidens inauguration.

It was this deployment which caused China to dispatch a raft of military aircraft across the strait.

State Department spokesman, Ned Price said the US would continue to maintain its ties with Taiwan.

He said: The United States notes with concern the pattern of ongoing PRC attempts to intimidate its neighbours, including Taiwan.

"We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan's democratically elected representatives."

JUST IN:World War 3: Israel orders plan to attack Iran Biden given ultimatum

Although the administrations have switched in Washington, new Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken voiced his approval over Donald Trumps handling of China.

Speaking to a Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he said: Let me just say that I also believe that President Trump was right in taking a tougher approach to China.

"I disagree very much with the way that he went about it in a number of areas, but the basic principle was the right one, and I think that's actually helpful to our foreign policy.

Mr Blinken, who served as a deputy National Security Advisor and Deputy Secretary of State under Mr Obama, has also revealed the US must return as a global leader to the world and called for a unified approach to tackling Beijing.

He told staff today: Americas leadership is needed around the world, and we will provide it, because the world is far more likely to solve problems and meet challenges when the United States is there.

America at its best still has a greater capacity than any other country on earth to mobilise others for the greater good.

The US has already increased its naval presence in the region and has even strengthened ties with Australia, India and Japan.

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WW3 fears: Xi vows he will never renounce use of force over Taiwan jets just a warning - Daily Express

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The best Men of War: Assault Squad 2 mods – PCGamesN

Men of War: Assault Squad 2 was released in 2014 but it still stands as an excellent tactical RTS game and war game, offering a layer of depththatsmore granular than its common rival Company of Heroes. Its not that the damage system is more realistic, but the games design is a bit more open-ended. You can summon in pre-set squads, or individual units to make and match your own fireteams.

There are also no bases you earn points at a steady rate throughout a match, and simply summon the units you want from a list. These new recruits will then appear at your friendly edge of the map. If youre looking for a more frantic and in depth WW2 tactical war game, there are few better and its inspired a great mod community around it.

From Star Wars and 40k, WW1 to modern warfare, theres a creative and diverse selection of Men of War: Assault Squad 2 mods to give you something new to play around with. Many of them are focused on multiplayer, but theres a surprising amount of decent single-player or skirmish content around now as well.

These are the best Men of War: Assault Squad 2 mods:

Games focusing so much on conflict can often be good candidates for realism mods, and Assault Squad 2 is no different. Robz Realism mod is actually a balance of more realistic mechanics and balancing, and is best played in multiplayer using 1944-45 units and settings.

The changes it implements are quite spread, and cover everything from a brand new accuracy and bullet drop model, to changing how units take damage. Instead of it being based on weapon power, its instead based on where a unit gets hit, and what they get hit by. There are also new maps, a new tank damage system, and weapon jamming.

Inspired by Robzs mod above, the Great War Realism mod shifts the action to the first world war that attempts to provide the same attention to detail and realistic gameplay as its WW2 cousin. It currently has 11 fleshed out nations from the period, although the basic mod is aimed at multiplayer.

There is however a collection of mods you can check out that provide missions, as well as tailor gameplay to specific theatres during specific years, which will limit the types of units you can use.

Previously known as the Ultimate Mod Warhammer 40K, this is a complete reskin of Assault Squad 2 for the Warhammer 40K universe. It features most factions, although notable missing ones include the Necrons and the Tyranids. Theres no timetable for when theyll be included at the moment.

Still, thats a lot of 40K goodness to mess around with, and theres content for solo and co-op missions as well. About the only truly weird thing is that, despite teleporting you to the grim darkness of the far future, youre still battling in mid 20th century Europe. Still, itll do!

Despite its title, Born in Fire: America actually covers warfare across the 18th and 19th centuries, in both American and Europe. The American War of Independence is a main inspiration, but British colonial conquests also seem to feature.

This mod has over 50 multiplayer factions, with 1000+ land units, accurate city maps and historical battles. Theres three core missions for the American continental army, as well as bonus missions covering everything from the Alamo, to the Zulu War. You can find the Moddb linkhere.

No strategy game mod list would be complete without the obligatory Star Wars mod, and Men of Wars community doesnt disappoint. Galaxy at War aims to offer an experience that covers material from the Clone Wars right through to the end of Return of the Jedi.

There are only a handful of missions, and there is some limited multiplayer support but it only includes infantry units and speeders for the moment. Four factions are currently supported, namely the CIS, the Empire, Rebels and then Republic forces split across a number of sub-factions.

The cold war, and a future WW3 style setting are excellent fodder for a game like Men of War. I dont think Id ever have predicted that someone would actually port the missions from the popular Call of Duty games into a real-time tactical game like this, though.

Call of Duty WW3 takes the mission dialogue from games like Modern Warfare 1 & 2, and recreates the missions they are from but as Assault Squad 2 maps. There are 15 missions, with co-op support for up to eight players, as well as an impressive set of additional changes associated with this mod. You should check it out.

Mods that cover other eras or offer gameplay tweaks arent the only options though. The Men of War series is a bit fragmented, but theres been some semi-decent solo content released across various standalone spin-offs that have come out over the years.

Various modders havedone some great work porting those missions into Assault Squad 2, so you have all of the narrative content in one place:

There is also a mod that attempts to recreate the WW2 Call of Duty games missions in Men of War, using dialogue from original two games.

Thankfully, Assault Squad 2 has had Steam Workshop integration for a long while now, which makes intalling mods easy.Many of the major mods seem to maintain Steam versions as the primary one. That said, there are mods on ModDB that arent on Steam, and one or two mods that use the repository as the main source.

More like this:The best WW2 games on PC

If you do grab a mod via Moddb, make sure you follow the instructions specific to the mod you want. As a general rule, youll be unzipping the mod files to your mod folder, which you may need to create in themain install directory if one doesnt exist already. You then activate them via the in-game menu.

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World War 3 MAPPED: The SIX places where WW3 could break out in 2021 – Express.co.uk

World War 3 concerns were triggered around the globe following the death of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani in a US airstrike in January 2020. Now as a killer infection spreads across the globe and riots over police brutality have sparked across the world, leading to World War 3 concerns again. Given the tense relations between countries around the world, Express.co.uk has compiled a guide for the flashpoints where World War 3 is most likely to erupt in 2020.

On Friday, January 3, the USA undertook a drone airstrike following a series of orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the past few months and attacks on the US Embassy in Baghdad, all of which was done on the orders of General Soleimani.

US President Donald Trump approved of the assault on General Soleimani claiming the action was undertaken to make the world a safer place.

In a statement, the Pentagon said: At the direction of the President, the US military has taken decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing Qassem Soleimani.

It added: This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans.

The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world.

Now Iran has sworn harsh revenge and promised to turn day into night.

This assassination has been dubbed by many high-ranking Iranians a declaration of war.

Donald Trump has warned the US could act disproportionately if Iran targets any American person or target in revenge for the killing of Major General Qassem Soleimani.

Since that time, Iran "unintentionally" shot down a Ukranian passenger jet which saw 176 people killed.

This week an Iranian prosecutor has issued an arrest warrant against Mr Trump and has asked for Interpol's support, however, the policing authority has refused to back the arrest warrant.

READ MORE:Iran attack: Ukranian plane shot down accidentally, says US

Tensions between the US and Turkey has heightened over the past year, initially as a result of the US providing authorisation to Turkey to clear the Syrian border of US-supported Kurds.

However, immediately afterwards, the US threatened Ankara with sanctions, causing tensions to rise.

Additionally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested he has aspirations for Turkey which could involve nuclear weapons.

As a result, the state of the US-Turkey relationship has worsened, causing fear about the subsequent impact on the NATO alliance.

President Erdogan is known for being passionate about his plan which could force Washington and Ankara to the very edge and have a result on Russia who is a neighbouring nation.

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Fundamental tensions at the heart of the US-North Korea relationship could result in combative action.

Tensions between the two countries now stand as high as at any time since 2017, and the impending US election could imperil relations further.

President Trumps administration appears to hold out hope a deal with North Korea could improve its electoral prospects in November.

But North Korea has little to no interest in Mr Trumps offering.

Recently, North Korea promised a Christmas present that many in the United States worried would be a nuclear or ballistic missile test.

However, this was not the case, but if the country did undertake a nuclear test, the US might be forced to intervene.

Last Thursday, the Hai Yang Di Zhi 8 left the port of Sanya, on China's Hainan Island and was joined by the CCG vessels this week.

These vessels were 92 nautical miles off the coast of Vietnams Binh Dinh province as of yesterday morning, deep into the 200-nautical mile EEZ, and were further accompanied two Chinese maritime militia ships, the Dongtongxiao00235 and the Min Xia Yu 00013, Radio Free Asia reported.

Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative in Washington, told the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines in an online news conference: What is pretty obvious is Chinas not going to stop.

"If a global pandemic doesnt cause China to calm things down in the South China Sea, theres not much that will.

The number one thing that we should think to look into is international economic sanctions.

We have never had a discussion about sanctioning the actors behind the Chinese maritime militia."

"China admits it has a maritime militia, and its a clear violation of international law.

They are operating on the same policy framework which is to go out, assert rights, harass neighbours, do whatever you want."

The US-China relationship has been particularly tense in recent years.

A trade deal between the two countries would seem to alleviate some tensions but implementation remains in question.

Currently, the worlds two largest economies are locked in a bitter trade battle.

The dispute, which has simmered for nearly 18 months, has seen the US and China impose tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of one anothers goods.

President Trump has long accused China of unfair trading practices and intellectual property theft, while in China, there is a perception that the US is endeavouring to curb its rise as a global economic power.

At the same time, China has worked defiantly to assure its relations with Russia, while the US has sparked controversies with both South Korea and Japan, its two closest allies in the region.

Donald Trump and President Xi have staked much of their political reputations on the trade situations in each country and therefore both have incentives for diplomatic and economic escalation.

If the situation were to escalate, it could lead to military confrontation in areas such as the South or East China Seas.

The tension has escalated amid the coronavirus pandemic, with Mr Trump accusing the country of engineering the fatal infection in a laboratory.

He claims to have seen evidence corroborating the development of coronavirus from a Chinese lab.

Mr Trumpannounced on Tuesday that the United States was devising a strict response to China's proposed national security legislation for Hong Kong and that the plans would be revealed by the end of the week.

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World War 3 MAPPED: The SIX places where WW3 could break out in 2021 - Express.co.uk

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WW3 fears: Putin ramps up war chest with worlds best tanks and heavy strike drones – Daily Express

Putin doesnt care about condemnation from West says expert

The hi-tech corporation Rostec said it would make deliveries to troops in 2021. On Monday, Sergei Chemezov, the head of Russian defence manufacturer Rostec said: "Serial deliveries of the T-14 tank based on the Armata platform will begin in 2021. This is, undoubtedly, the worlds best tank today.

"In the future, this vehicle will become the main battle tank in the Russian Army."

He added: "We are advertising this tank to foreign customers.

"This year, it was demonstrated live at the Army forum.

"Visitors could come up to it, take a picture of it and touch it.

"It is a pity it has been impossible to demonstrate it abroad yet due to the absence of foreign exhibitions."

The company has said there will be an autonomous version of the tank.

Mr Chemezov said: "A number of our other enterprises are working on developing such systems.

"Even the Armata was tested as an unmanned tank.

READ MORE:WW3 fears: Russia launches fire-spouting 'flying tank' in weapons test

"Of course, this will not be a serial-produced vehicle."We are testing unmanned technologies on it."

He also stated how the crewed version of the tank will also have many autonomous functions ultilising artificial intelligence.

He said: "The Armata crew does not need to aim accurately.

"It only has to aim the gun roughly.

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"Electronics will do all the rest.

"It will accurately determine the distance to the target and aim the gun at it.

"That is, the vehicle uses artificial intelligence elements that help the crew deliver fire."

The company has also developed a new fleet of heavy strike drones for the Russian military.

The head of Rostec Mr Chemezov announced: "We already have the carriers and the work in this area is being carried out not only by Rostec enterprises but also by the Urals Civil Aviation Plant and Kronshtadt Company."

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World War 3 warning: UK, France and Germany deeply concerned about Iran nuclear programme – Daily Express

Iran: MPs chant in Parliament after passing nuclear bill

The Iranian Parliament recently passed a law which if implement would expand Tehrans nuclear programme and limit the monitoring access of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This comes amid growing tensions across the globe.

The three powers said in a joint statement: "If Iran is serious about preserving a space for diplomacy, it must not implement these steps."

This comes after Iran told the United Nations nuclear watchdog it plans to install three more clusters of advanced IR-2m centrifuges at its underground uranium enrichment plant at Natanz.

The agency wrote: Iran informed the Agency that the operator of the Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) at Natanz intends to start the installation of three cascades of IR-2m centrifuge machines at FEP.

They added these were in addition to one of IR-2m machines already used for enrichment there.

But under Irans nuclear deal with major powers, Tehran can only use first-generation IR-1 centrifuges at the underground plant.

These are also the only machines Iran can accumulate enriched uranium with.

This latest move comes as Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said his country will not agree to renegotiate elements of the international accord limiting its nuclear programme.

He said: It will never be renegotiated. Period.

READ MORE:World War 3 MAPPED: The SIX places where WW3 could break out in 2020

The Minister also admitted Tehran will not agree to any curbs on its missile programme unless Western countries stop their malign behaviour in the Middle East.

He added: As long as theyre not able to out up, they have to shut up.

Under the Trump administration, the US imposed crippling sanctions on Iran after Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement in 2018.

Iran began publicly exceeding enrichment limits set by the agreement saying it would return to compliance if the US did the same.

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Mr Zarif continued: The US has been in grave breach of that resolution because the Trump administration has been a rogue regime.

Now if President-elect [Joe] Biden wants to continue to be a rogue regime, then he can continue to be asking for negotiations to implement its commitments.

The United States must stop, the United States must cease its violations of international law.

It doesnt require any negotiations.

Mr Biden - who beat Mr Trump in the US election last month - has hinted the US will return to the deal.

He told the New York Times if Iran returned to compliance, the US would rejoin and he would seek to tighten Tehrans nuclear constraints.

But this was met with criticism by Mr Zarif who argued they will not renegotiate a deal which they have already negotiated.

He said: Last year, the West sold to the Persian Gulf more weapons than it sold to any other part of the world.

Over $100billion worth of weapons were sold to this region.

Is the West ready to stop this malign behaviour?

When they are ready to deal with those problems of their own malign behaviour in the region then they can start talking about other things.

The two countries were on the brink of war back in January after US forces killed Iranian major general Qassem Soleimani during a missile strike in Iraq.

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World War 3 MAPPED: The SIX places where WW3 could break out in 2020 – Express.co.uk

World War 3 concerns were triggered around the globe following the death of Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani in a US airstrike in January. Now as a killer infection spreads across the globe and riots over police brutality have sparked across the world, leading to World War 3 concerns again. Given the tense relations between countries around the world, Express.co.uk has compiled a guide for the flashpoints where World War 3 is most likely to erupt in 2020.

On Friday, January 3, the USA undertook a drone airstrike following a series of orchestrated attacks on coalition bases in Iraq over the past few months and attacks on the US Embassy in Baghdad, all of which was done on the orders of General Soleimani.

US President Donald Trump approved of the assault on General Soleimani claiming the action was undertaken to make the world a safer place.

In a statement, the Pentagon said: At the direction of the President, the US military has taken decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad by killing Qassem Soleimani.

It added: This strike was aimed at deterring future Iranian attack plans.

The United States will continue to take all necessary action to protect our people and our interests wherever they are around the world.

Now Iran has sworn harsh revenge and promised to turn day into night.

This assassination has been dubbed by many high-ranking Iranians a declaration of war.

Donald Trump has warned the US could act disproportionately if Iran targets any American person or target in revenge for the killing of Major General Qassem Soleimani.

Since that time, Iran "unintentionally" shot down a Ukranian passenger jet which saw 176 people killed.

This week an Iranian prosecutor has issued an arrest warrant against Mr Trump and has asked for Interpol's support, however, the policing authority has refused to back the arrest warrant.

READ MORE:Iran attack: Ukranian plane shot down accidentally, says US

Tensions between Iran and Israel have been frustrated for a while with low-intensity warfare raging across the Middle East as a result.

The former nation supports anti-Israel groups in Gaza, Syria and Lebanon in particular, while Israel often strikes at Iranian forces across the region.

Overall, Israel has endeavoured to create an anti-Iran coalition at a diplomatic level, while Iran has invested in cultivating ties with militias and non-state actors.

While it may be difficult to claim these nations will launch into a wider war if Iran is determined to restart its nuclear program, Israel may choose to engage in wider strikes hitting the Iranian homeland directly.

This type of assault could have wider implications as it could prove to be a threat to global oil supplies which would inevitably cause more nations to intercede.

Tensions between the US and Turkey has heightened over the past year, initially as a result of the US providing authorisation to Turkey to clear the Syrian border of US-supported Kurds.

However, immediately afterwards, the US threatened Ankara with sanctions, causing tensions to rise.

Additionally, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested he has aspirations for Turkey which could involve nuclear weapons.

As a result, the state of the US-Turkey relationship has worsened, causing fear about the subsequent impact on the NATO alliance.

President Erdogan is known for being passionate about his plan which could force Washington and Ankara to the very edge and have a result on Russia who is a neighbouring nation.

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In the past 10 years, the relationship between India and Pakistan has worsened, bringing the countries to the brink of war.

Since the partition of British India in 1947 and the subsequent creation of India and Pakistan, the two countries have been involved in a number of wars, conflicts and military stand-offs interspersed with periods of harmony and peace.

In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attempted to reduce the autonomy of Kashmir and to change citizenship policies within the rest of India.

These steps have caused some unrest within India and highlighted the long-standing tensions between Delhi and Islamabad.

Further domestic disturbances in India and Pakistan could lead to World War 3.

While this is unlikely, it could lead to terrorist attacks internationally or in Kashmir.

Prime Minister Modi might then feel forced to bring on a more serious conflict and given Chinas vicinity, and the growing relationship between Delhi and Washington could lead to more disastrous international implications.

Fundamental tensions at the heart of the US-North Korea relationship could result in combative action.

Tensions between the two countries now stand as high as at any time since 2017, and the impending US election could imperil relations further.

President Trumps administration appears to hold out hope a deal with North Korea could improve its electoral prospects in November.

But North Korea has little to no interest in Mr Trumps offering.

Recently, North Korea promised a Christmas present that many in the United States worried would be a nuclear or ballistic missile test.

However, this was not the case, but if the country did undertake a nuclear test, the US might be forced to intervene.

Last Thursday, the Hai Yang Di Zhi 8 left the port of Sanya, on China's Hainan Island and was joined by the CCG vessels this week.

These vessels were 92 nautical miles off the coast of Vietnams Binh Dinh province as of yesterday morning, deep into the 200-nautical mile EEZ, and were further accompanied two Chinese maritime militia ships, the Dongtongxiao00235 and the Min Xia Yu 00013, Radio Free Asia reported.

Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative in Washington, told the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines in an online news conference: What is pretty obvious is Chinas not going to stop.

"If a global pandemic doesnt cause China to calm things down in the South China Sea, theres not much that will.

The number one thing that we should think to look into is international economic sanctions.

We have never had a discussion about sanctioning the actors behind the Chinese maritime militia."

"China admits it has a maritime militia, and its a clear violation of international law.

They are operating on the same policy framework which is to go out, assert rights, harass neighbours, do whatever you want."

The US-China relationship has been particularly tense in recent years.

A trade deal between the two countries would seem to alleviate some tensions but implementation remains in question.

Currently, the worlds two largest economies are locked in a bitter trade battle.

The dispute, which has simmered for nearly 18 months, has seen the US and China impose tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars worth of one anothers goods.

President Trump has long accused China of unfair trading practices and intellectual property theft, while in China, there is a perception that the US is endeavouring to curb its rise as a global economic power.

At the same time, China has worked defiantly to assure its relations with Russia, while the US has sparked controversies with both South Korea and Japan, its two closest allies in the region.

Donald Trump and President Xi have staked much of their political reputations on the trade situations in each country and therefore both have incentives for diplomatic and economic escalation.

If the situation were to escalate, it could lead to military confrontation in areas such as the South or East China Seas.

The tension has escalated amid the coronavirus pandemic, with Mr Trump accusing the country of engineering the fatal infection in a laboratory.

He claims to have seen evidence corroborating the development of coronavirus from a Chinese lab.

Mr Trumpannounced on Tuesday that the United States was devising a strict response to China's proposed national security legislation for Hong Kong and that the plans would be revealed by the end of the week.

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World War 3 MAPPED: The SIX places where WW3 could break out in 2020 - Express.co.uk

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China accuses UK and France of huddling with US ahead of joint military drills – Daily Express

South China Sea: Military exercises must continue says expert

Chinese state media outlet The Global Times lashed out against the western military drills scheduled for next year. Both the British and French navy will set course for Japanese waters to show force in the region. Japan and China have seen escalating tensions over competing territory claims in the East China Sea, but have attempted to remain diplomatic. It also comes as Beijing and Washington have escalated their deployment of maritime forces in Chinese-claimed waters this year, as tensions in the South China Sea continue to grow.

The Global Times blasted the European nations for joining in with Japan and the US military endeavours in Chinese-claimed waters.

It said in a report: The UK and France are actually trying to huddle together with the US for warmth. The two European countries clearly know that their military strength is not enough for their global ambitions.

So they want to expand their influence by borrowing plumes from Washington. From this perspective, their move to send warships to the Asia-Pacific region is more symbolic than substantive.

Zhang Junshe, author of the Global Times report, added their involvement came after Japan internationally accused China of violating territory claims, which Beijing disputes.

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Japans joint military efforts were also rubbished by Mr Zhang in the report, and claimed the UK and France have their own aims in joining the drills.

The report said the European countries don't necessarily really support Japan's claims and claimed China has sufficient evidence to prove Japanese-claimed islands are rightfully owned by Beijing.

Mr Zhang also added in his report Britain and Frances involvement in the East China Sea is more to appease the incoming US President Joe Biden.

He said: Both London and Paris want to show their loyalty to Washington. Their support for Tokyo is nothing but a gesture. They know how much they can actually do.

France is set to join in with Japan and the US for land and sea drills in May.

Japanese media outlet Sankei said the exercises will be conducted on one of the countrys uninhabited islands with a focus on relief efforts against a natural disaster.

But the paper added the joint drills can form the basis for a defence against attacks from Beijing on Japanese-controlled islands.

Admiral Pierre Vandier, chief of staff of the French navy said in a separate interview with Sankei: We want to demonstrate our presence to the region and send a message about Japan-France cooperation.

This is a message aimed at China. This is a message about multi-lateral partnerships and the freedom of passage.

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The British Navy is also set to send an aircraft carrier strike group to Japanese waters in spring next year, also according to Sankei.

Britains involvement with Japan is separate to the French drills, but is also meant to show its presence in the Asian-Pacific region.

HMS Queen Elizabeth is set to lead the strike forces drills with the American and Japanese forces in its stay off the coast of the Nansei Islands, according to Asian news outlet Nikkei.

Both France and Britains naval involvement in the Asian territory is rare, and comes after Chinas increasing aggression to neighbouring states.

The simmering military row comes after China and the US, under President Donald Trump, have traded sanctions and competing military drills throughout the year in the South China Sea.

Beijing recently launched its second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, into the South China Sea for routine pathing and deterrence against attackers.

Washington has in turn held joint naval drills in the disputed waters with Tokyo, New Delhi and Canberra in an effort to counter Chinese aggression.

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China accuses UK and France of huddling with US ahead of joint military drills - Daily Express

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‘You have NO authority!’ US hits back at UK as Joe Biden charm offensive fails – Daily Express

UK-US trade: Eustice says UK will set own food safety standards

Donald Trumps trade office warned Britain it had "no authority from the World Trade Organisation (WTO)" to impose tariffs on its own after it finally unshackles itself from the EU. The move comes after International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said tariffs would be scrapped as soon as the UK is out of the EU transition period on January 1 in a bid to help incentivise incoming US President Joe Biden.

The UK announced on Tuesday it would suspend tariffs on aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co jets and other US goods on January 1, describing the move as an attempt to de-escalate a long-running conflict over aircraft subsidies that has dragged the US and Europe into a tit-for-tat tariff war.

In a statement from United States Trade Representative, officials welcomed the move for a negotiated solution, but warned: The United States does not agree, however, that the UK would have any authority to impose tariffs.

Only the EU sued the United States at the WTO; the UK did not bring a case in its individual capacity.

Therefore, the UK has no authority from the WTO to participate in any such action after it is no longer part of the EU.

The decision comes amid wider trade talks between Britain and the US and ends a united front on tariffs among Airbus's political backers Britain, France, Germany and Spain.

Diplomats say US and EU trade chiefs are in "serious" negotiations to end the 16-year-old aircraft trade dispute.Last year the EU placed tariffs worth 3billion on American products.

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The measures were imposed after the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled the US had unlawfully subsidised Boeing, to the detriment of the UK and EU aerospace industry.

The subsidy dispute is the largest case ever handled by the WTO and comes to a head just as Britain is leaving the EU, forcing it to seek new trade deals.

Britain is hoping to secure a free trade deal with the US as early as possible in Mr Biden's presidency.

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However, Mr Biden opposes Brexit and has reservations about Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who he once likened to a "physical and emotional clone" of Mr Trump.

The tariff decision has now spawned a technical row between London and Brussels about whether Britain can in any case legally impose tariffs inherited from the EU after January 1 - expanding a list of jurisdictional issues arising from Britain's EU exit.

The EU said it alone could act in the transatlantic dispute.

But Britain has insisted it could revive the tariffs if needed but said their suspension would help resolve the subsidy spat, which has spread to hit other industries.

A UK spokesman said: We are serious about de-escalation. This suspension of tariffs demonstrates the seriousness we place on reaching a negotiated settlement.

Several sources said an aircraft agreement could be reached before Mr Trump leaves office next month.

A US source said: It is not clear how you resolve the UK part without addressing the rest of Europe.

The entire discussion has been structured around finding a whole solution".

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'You have NO authority!' US hits back at UK as Joe Biden charm offensive fails - Daily Express

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