The Wire - March 21, 2025

//The Wire//2300Z March 21, 2025//
//ROUTINE//
//BLUF: MAJOR FIRE SHUTS DOWN HEATHROW AIRPORT, ALL AIRCRAFT DIVERTED FOR SOME TIME. UKRAINE AID FLIGHTS CONTINUE.//

 -----BEGIN TEARLINE-----

-International Events-

United Kingdom: This morning a fire broke out at an electrical substation providing power to Heathrow Airport, prompting mass cancelations of all flights. The airport's backup generators were also affected by the fire, leading to a total electrical outage at the airport. All aircraft at the airport were grounded during the crisis, and all incoming aircraft were diverted to other airports or returned to their point of origin.

AC: So far, no cause of the substation fire has been released, however British media is reporting that counterterrorism police are leading the investigation into the incident.

Ukraine: American military and financial aid to Ukraine has continued, with multiple shipments of arms arriving over the past few days. Several logistics flights have been noted by aircraft watchers since the resumption of aid was announced by the White House two weeks ago. Zelenskyy himself confirmed that a fresh shipment of F-16 fighter aircraft had arrived on Wednesday, however he did not specific their point of origin.

-HomeFront-

Washington D.C. - Executive actions continue as before. President Trump has expressed interest in the United States joining the British Commonwealth of Nations, which has resulted in many questions regarding what this means. President Trump also signed an Executive Order closing the Department of Education, and returning educational authority to the States.

AC: This order is not an outright closure, but phrased in a manner that effectively removes the Department of Education from having any power or responsibilities. As the removal of a cabinet position is a large undertaking, time will tell how this order is put into place.

Texas: One Amazon freight transport was looted by locals after suffering a mechanical breakdown on the interstate in Dallas yesterday.

-----END TEARLINE-----

Analyst Comments: The looting of various logistical means of transportation is by no means a new development, but certainly something to be aware of due to warmer weather increasing the potential for the arrival of looting season. This will probably be a factor that plays into the already complicated (and increasingly expensive) world of logistics. From trade tariffs to missiles in the Red Sea, the costs of moving cargo around the world have become much more volatile over the past year, with wide swings in the costs of moving freight being observed on the Freightos Baltic Index over the past few months especially. Volatility has been a common theme among all markets since the US Presidential election, however now that the last-mile of logistics is becoming increasingly more susceptible to looting, this is yet another factor that will drive up the costs for consumers.

Analyst: S2A1
Research: https://publish.obsidian.md/s2underground
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