Tag Archives: AFM

AFM Aircraft Investment and Sustainability Challenges

This commentary looks at Malta’s new €50 million aircraft investment and asks the harder question behind the headlines.
While the upgrades are welcome, the article digs into the long‑standing pressures on the AFM’s air wing, from small‑fleet fragility to post‑warranty costs and the loss of the Italian Mission’s backup helicopter.
It explains why new platforms alone don’t solve the deeper sustainability and resilience issues that shape Malta’s real operational capability.
The piece invites readers to think about what it takes to keep these aircraft flying reliably over the long run, not just the day they arrive.
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Malta’s Drone Blindspot: Neutrality Is Not a Defence Strategy

Malta is still treating drones as if they’re a future problem, when the rest of Europe has already moved on. Airports abroad are being disrupted, energy sites probed, borders tested — and the EU has responded with detection grids, counter‑UAV doctrine, and rapid‑response layers. Meanwhile, we’re still arguing about neutrality as if a hostile drone will stop mid‑air to read our Constitution.

We have one airport, one main port, one power station, a few desalination plants, and a handful of subsea cables. A single drone incident in any of these would hit the whole country. That’s not drama; it’s maths.

Neutrality never meant refusing sensors, refusing training, or refusing the ability to detect a threat before it’s overhead. It meant staying out of alliances — not staying blind.

Europe adapted. The threat arrived. We’re the only ones still standing still.
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Pressure Points in the Central Mediterranean

A Russian submarine off Sicily, U.S. defense tariffs, rising oil prices and shifting migration routes are squeezing the central Mediterranean—and Malta sits right in the squeeze. We unpack those pressures and outline practical steps the Islands can take to stay ahead of the curve. Continue reading

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Gaps at Sea: Why Malta Needs a Unified Naval Strategy

We trace two decades of stopgap naval decisions in Malta—from the lone P61 to the belated P71—and shows how reactive procurement, heavy reliance on EU funding, and shifting military roles have left gaps in maritime defense. We argue for a unified, long-term strategy driven by stable budgeting and clear leadership so that Malta can replace one-off fixes with a fleet built for future security challenges. Continue reading

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Reactive to Proactive: Building Malta’s Long-Term Maritime Defense

Tracing two decades of stopgap naval decisions in Malta—from the lone P61 to the belated P71—and shows how reactive procurement, heavy reliance on EU funding, and shifting military roles have left gaps in maritime defense. We argue for a unified, long-term strategy driven by stable budgeting and clear leadership so that Malta can replace one-off fixes with a fleet built for future security challenges. Continue reading

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Malta’s Quiet Watch: Reading the Ukraine Conflict from the Central Mediterranean

Malta’s unique position between Europe, North Africa and the Levant reveals early signals from the Ukraine conflict. Watching energy prices, bond yields and maritime traffic, Malta’s diplomats need to transform subtle shifts into practical insights for regional stability. Continue reading

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Malta’s defence force needs to get back to basics

Investing in defence is essential, but what truly makes a difference is how efficiently Malta allocates and strategically focuses its military resources. Continue reading

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Call for enlistment of volunteer reserves in the Armed Forces

Call for enlistment of volunteer reserves in the Armed Forces    The Armed Forces of Malta invite applications for the enlistment of reservists to serve in the Volunteer Reserve Force of the AFM.    In line with a recent Act … Continue reading

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Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of the Royal Artillery.

On the 26th May 2016 the Royal Artillery will celebrate its 300th Anniversary. As part of the celebration of this significant milestone, the Royal Artillery will conduct a west to east circumnavigation of the globe, which commenced at their birth … Continue reading

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GC anniversary commemoration at Siege Bell Monument, Valletta

The annual George Cross award to the nation of Malta during World War 2 will once again be held this year by the George Cross Island Association (GCIA) at the Siege Bell Monument in Valletta, next Wednesday 15th April, 2015 … Continue reading

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