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☆ Inside the US Army's 'Stinger Dome,' scoring a kill with the weapons Ukraine got to shoot down Russian helicopters is harder than it looks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Taking out simulated enemy helicopters proved to be surprisingly difficult. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderInside a cubicle for Avenger training. AdvertisementDuring this simulation, I was once again tasked with taking out enemy helicopters. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderOutside the Stinger Dome. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderAfter making this determination and locking on to a target, I engaged the helicopter by squeezing the Stinger's trigger.

Persons: —, Jason Epperson, Jake Epstein, Pierre Crom Organizations: US Army's Air Defense Artillery School, Service, Mobility Multipurpose, NATO, US Army, FIM, Business Locations: Fort Sill, Fort Sill , Oklahoma, Crete, cubicles, Iraq, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

☆ I shot at hostile helicopters in a US Army trainer with weapons Ukraine was given to do the same, and scoring a kill is harder than it looks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Taking out simulated enemy helicopters proved to be surprisingly difficult. Avenger training involves a simulator called the Institutional Conduct of Fire Trainer. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderInside a cubicle for Avenger training. AdvertisementDuring this simulation, I was once again tasked with taking out enemy helicopters. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderAfter making this determination and locking on to a target, I engaged the helicopter by squeezing the Stinger's trigger.

☆ I witnessed the full power of an M777 howitzer, and the piercing 'boom' of the artillery cannon shook me to my core
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Business Insider recently traveled to Fort Sill, Oklahoma and saw US Army soldiers training on artillery. Our reporter witnessed soldiers firing the M777, a powerful howitzer that's been used in Ukraine, among other wars. AdvertisementA 155mm shell is loaded into the massive, almost 10,000-pound gun. AdvertisementUS Army soldiers fire the M777 howitzer at Fort Sill. Troy Mack, an artillery instructor at Fort Sill, said it's a "fun and exhilarating experience" to be able to shoot live rounds on the range.

Persons: —, Jake Epstein, Troy Mack, it's, Steven Downey Organizations: US Army, Service, Russia, Army, US, Business, Staff Locations: Fort Sill , Oklahoma, Ukraine, British, Afghanistan, Russia, Fort Sill

☆ US Army instructors say Ukrainian soldiers were 'amazing' at mastering the Patriots they've used to shoot down Putin's overhyped missiles
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian soldiers spent 10 weeks learning to use the US military's Patriot air-defense system. Business Insider recently visited Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where Patriot training took place last year, and spoke with two US Army instructors who were involved in the program. They described the Ukrainian soldiers as "awesome" students and "amazing" learners with a lot of drive to learn how to operate the system. AdvertisementFILE - Patriot missile launchers acquired from the U.S. last year are seen deployed in Warsaw, Poland, on Feb. 6, 2023. AdvertisementA Patriot missile is fired during a training exercise at the Black Sea training range in Capu Midia, Constanta, Romania, on Nov. 15, 2023.

Persons: —, Michal Dyjuk, Kevin McConkey, Ukraine —, McConkey, Sean Gallup, Austin Christie, Christie, George Calin Still, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Zemlianichenko, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy Organizations: US, Patriot, US Army, Fort Sill, Service, Business, Army, U.S, AP, Getty, Ukrainian, Russian Air Force, Pentagon Locations: Ukraine, Fort Sill , Oklahoma, Fort Sill, Warsaw, Poland, Rzeszow Jasionska, Midia, Constanta, Romania, Moscow, Alexander Zemlianichenko Russia, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Germany, Netherlands

☆ Watching soldiers 'at all times,' the drone threat shows just how 'scary' future wars may be, says a US Army officer training troops to defeat them
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It's a developing problem that underscores how "scary" future wars may be, a US Army officer said. Business Insider recently traveled to Fort Sill, where American troops are learning how to defeat this threat. A small drone drops explosives on soldiers below or slams into an armored vehicle and blows up. "You have to assume you're being watched at all times," Lt. Col. Moseph Sauda, a US Army officer training American service members to defeat enemy drone systems, told Business Insider in an interview. AdvertisementA Ukrainian soldier directs a drone during attacks on Russian military positions near Bakhmut on June 28, 2023.

Persons: —, Moseph, Sauda, Ercin, Wojciech Grzedzinski, that's, Adam Schultz, Schultz, Jake Epstein Organizations: US Army, Business, Service, Aircraft System, University, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Ukraine, Kyiv, Mechanized Brigade, Army, BI, Ukraine's 60th Mechanized Brigade, Smart, Wisconsin National Guardsmen, Wisconsin National, Pentagon Locations: Fort Sill, Ukraine, Oklahoma, Bakhmut, State, Moscow, Ukrainian, Donetsk Oblast, Russia, Wisconsin

☆ US troops are shooting at balloons to figure out how to beat one of the Ukraine war's most 'dangerous' and unpredictable weapons
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Small drones have emerged as a serious problem on the modern battlefield, especially in Ukraine. Jake Epstein/Business InsiderThe Smart Shooter system is the kinetic follow to the electronic warfare component. In other words, the Smart Shooter is a much-needed asset that even a great marksman would likely find helpful. The Drone Buster and Smart Shooter don't necessarily need to be used together, but they work best if they are, Cameron said. The drones were unarmed, but they were meant to replicate a terrifying aspect of the evolving drone threat.

Persons: —, Jake Epstein, Moseph Sauda, Sauda, Jacob Cameron, Smart, Cameron Organizations: Service, National Guardsmen, Aircraft System, University, US Army, Wisconsin National Guardsmen, Islamic, Business, Smart, Wisconsin National Guardsman, Wisconsin National, The Guardsmen, Guardsmen Locations: Ukraine, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Islamic State, Wisconsin

☆ 900 US troops have deployed or are deploying to Middle East amid heightened tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Roughly 900 US troops have been deployed or are deploying to the Middle East amid heightened tensions in the region after a series of attacks on coalition bases that resulted in minor injuries for almost two dozen troops. “These include forces that have been on prepare to deploy orders, and which are deploying from the continental United States,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Of those, 19 — 15 at Al Assad Air Base in Syria, and four at Al-Tanf Garrison in Iraq — have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI), Ryder said. That is in addition to US troops already in Iraq and Syria – roughly 2,500 and 900, respectively – and Navy assets that were announced to be heading to the region. The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group has been directed to the Middle East, and the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group is currently in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Persons: Pat Ryder, Fort Bliss Texas, Fort, ” Ryder, Ryder, “, Tanf Garrison, Iraq —, ”, Sabrina Singh, Dwight D, Gerald R Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, “, Defense, Patriot, Hamas, Israel, Al Assad Air Base, Al, Erbil Airbase, Eisenhower Carrier Strike, Ford Carrier Strike Locations: United States, Fort Bliss, Fort Sill , Oklahoma, Fort Liberty , North Carolina, Cavazos , Texas, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Erbil

The U.S. strikes reflect the Biden administration's determination to maintain a delicate balance. According to the Pentagon, there have been at least 12 attacks on U.S. bases and personnel in Iraq and four in Syria since Oct. 17. According to the Pentagon, all the U.S. personnel hurt in the militant attacks received minor injuries and all returned to duty. Such retaliation and strikes against Iranian targets in Syria after similar attacks on U.S. bases are routine. In March, for example, the U.S. struck sites in Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard after an Iranian-linked attack killed a U.S. contractor and wounded seven other Americans in northeast Syria.

Persons: Pat Ryder, Asad, Tanf Garrison, Lloyd Austin, Joe Biden, Austin, won’t, Ryder, ”, Israel Organizations: WASHINGTON, Revolutionary Guard Corps, Pentagon, U.S, Hamas, Air Force, Hamasa, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Udeid, Base, Islamic, Patriot, Area Defense, Fort Liberty, Patriots Locations: Syria, U.S, Iraq, Asad Airbase, Iranian, United States, Gaza, Israel, Ahli, Tel Aviv, America, American, Qatar, Deir el, ., Fort Bliss , Texas, Fort, North Carolina, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, East

But two months after President Joe Biden announced US support for training Ukrainian pilots on F-16s, there remain a number of critical details to work out. It is also still unclear which countries will commit F-16s to the training program – and to Ukraine itself once the program is finished. The training program will be for Ukraine and “also for other countries who are transitioning to the fourth generation fighter jets,” she said. The number of Ukrainian pilots set to be trained is also still being determined, but the Air Force memo recommended a pool of 10-12 participants. “The United States will not be the holdup in ensuring that this F-16 training can get under way.”

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Joe Biden, Biden, ”, Kajsa Ollongren, “, Strategic Communications John Kirby, ’ skillset, Jake Sullivan Organizations: Washington CNN, CNN, Denmark’s Ministry of Defense, Skrydstrup Fighter Base, Dutch Ministry of Defense, Dutch Defense, NATO, National Security, Strategic Communications, Vasco Cotovio, US Air Force, The Air Force, Morris Air National Guard Base, Force, Yahoo, an Air Force, Air Force, Ukraine’s Air Force, American, Russian, National Locations: Ukraine, Denmark, Romania, American, Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Europe, Tucson , Arizona, Soviet, United States

☆ Ukraine awaits US missile system after latest Russian strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The entrance to the Recknitztal barracks, home of the anti-aircraft missile group 24, on the left a mobile launch pad of the Patriot air defense system. The delivery of the Patriot air defense system promised by the U.S. was expected in Ukraine sometime after Easter, Ukrainian air force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat said. Germany and the Netherlands also have pledged to provide a Patriot system each to Ukraine. Separately, a 48-year-old woman and her 28-year-old daughter died Saturday after Russian forces shelled a neighborhood of the city of Kherson, the regional administration said on Telegram. The southern port city was occupied by Russian forces in the early months of the war, but Ukrainian forces regained control of it in November, one of the most notable battlefield defeats for Moscow.

☆ At a key moment in the war, the US is rushing to get powerful Abrams tanks to Ukraine faster
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Chris Panella | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The US is rushing to get Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine ahead of schedule, US officials say. But Kirby also acknowledged that their troops need modern, powerful Abrams tanks as soon as possible — a weapon that can help them shatter Russian lines when they launch a counter-offensive. Washington's original plan was to provide Ukraine with 31 of the M1A2 Abrams, a newer variant, which would have taken "over a year or so" to reach Ukraine, Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Nicolas Armer/Getty ImagesThe M1 Abrams tanks have a history tracing back to the Gulf War. Meanwhile, US announcements on the Abrams tanks come at a critical time for Ukraine and its tank force.

☆ The Russian missile that wiped out an apartment block was designed to sink aircraft carriers and can't be shot down by Ukraine, says its airforce
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

At least 23 people were killed in a Russian missile strike on an apartment block in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. The apartments were hit by a Russian Kh-22 missile which is called an "aircraft carrier killer," said Ukraine. The building was hit by a Russian Kh-22 missile, a Soviet-era anti-ship missile, which Ukraine has described as an "aircraft carrier killer." "This missile with a 950 kg (2,000-pound) warhead, which is called an 'aircraft carrier killer,' is designed to destroy aircraft carrier groups at sea. The Russian missile that Ukraine can't shoot downEmergency personnel work at the site where an apartment block was heavily damaged by a Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Dnipro, Ukraine January 15, 2023.

☆ U.S. to Train Ukrainian Troops on Patriot Missile at Oklahoma Base
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Nancy A. Youssef | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Ukrainian troops will train on the Patriot system at Fort Sill in Oklahoma. WASHINGTON—Roughly 100 Ukrainian troops will begin training to use the Patriot missile defense system at a U.S. military base as early as next week, the Pentagon said Tuesday. The Ukrainian troops, who specialize in air defense, will travel to Fort Sill, Okla., for the training, Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Tuesday.

The U.S. is planning to begin training Ukrainian troops on the Patriot air defense system at Fort Sill, Okla., later this month, according to three defense officials. The first group will consist of just under 100 Ukrainian service members with some experience in air defense systems. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Patriot systems, which use surface-to-air missiles to destroy cruise missiles and other fast-moving airborne targets, are outdated. Biden said, “We’re working on it.”Earlier this month, Germany said it would provide a Patriot missile battery to Ukraine. Russian and Ukrainian officials did not immediately respond to requests to comment on the news.

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