DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Biden’s Next Crisis Might Be North Korea - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( John Delury | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

How do you solve a problem like North Korea? President Biden’s administration has taken a notably more ambivalent approach toward North Korea than his predecessor Donald Trump, who alternately railed at and courted its leader, Kim Jong-un. But we shouldn’t stop trying to come up with bold ways to denuclearize North Korea, improve the lives of its people or lessen the risks of conflict, even if that means making unpalatable choices. It might seem preposterous, even suicidal, for Mr. Kim to seek war. The people of both Koreas certainly don’t need war, and neither does the United States.

Persons: Biden’s, Donald Trump, Kim Jong, Robert Carlin, Siegfried Hecker, Kim, Vladimir Putin of, Mr, Putin Locations: North Korea, United States, Korea, South Korea, Vladimir Putin of Russia, Ukraine, Israel

☆ Opinion: Kim Jong Un wants the world to take his threat seriously
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The world once again is trying to parse the stance of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. After North Korea was defeated, the fighting stopped with a 1953 armistice but a peace agreement was never reached. Kim has certainly been signaling that something fundamental has shifted and he clearly wants the world to take his threats seriously. For decades the Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea or DPRK, has had two explicit goals. The warning about North Korea cannot be ignored, and the US, South Korea and Japan should update their planning.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Kim Jong, Kim, Donald Trump, Kim “, ”, Robert Carlin, Siegfried Hecker, Carlin, Hecker, North, Kim Il Sung, Yoon Suk Yeol, ” Carlin, Kim bluster, Trump, Biden, Vladimir Putin, what’s Kim, It’s, he’s, Putin Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Frida Ghitis CNN, West, Democratic People’s, South, Ukraine, Korean, Politico Locations: Korean, Frida Ghitis CNN North Korea, Ukraine, North Korea, South Korea, North, Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea, DPRK, Seoul, United States, Korea, Russia, East Asia, Japan, China, Moscow, Pyongyang

☆ Roberta Kaplan says Trump threw papers across table at Mar-a-Lago deposition because his legal team agreed to feed her lunch
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Kaanita Iyer | Jamie Gangel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Attorney Roberta Kaplan said former President Donald Trump threw papers across a table and stormed off during a deposition at Mar-a-Lago after learning that his legal team had agreed to provide her lunch. You could really almost see it,” Kaplan told Republican strategist Sarah Longwell and conservative attorney George Conway, a longtime Trump critic. And stormed out of the room,” Kaplan shared, adding that Trump specifically yelled at his lawyer Alina Habba for providing them lunch. He said, ‘I told you, I told them to make you really bad sandwiches, but they can’t help themselves here. E. Jean Carroll and attorney Roberta Kaplan (R) is seen leaving Manhattan Federal Court on January 26, 2024 in New York City.

Persons: Roberta Kaplan, Donald Trump, Kaplan, Jean Carroll, George Conway, Sarah Longwell, ” Roberta Kaplan Kaplan Hecker, Fink “, ” Kaplan, “, ’ ” Kaplan, Trump, Alina Habba, Alina, ”, ’, ‘, I’m, ’ ”, ‘ Robbie, Carroll —, Star Max, — Kaplan, that’s, — Organizations: CNN, Trump, “, Mar, Manhattan Federal Court, GWR, Star, Getty, Defense, eventual Locations: Mar, Lago, Manhattan, New York City

☆ Trump declares he's interviewing law firms for his E. Jean Carroll appeal, and it's giving 'Apprentice' vibes
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Natalie Musumeci | Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewDonald Trump appears to be treating his planned appeal in the second E. Jean Carroll defamation case like his former reality TV show, "The Apprentice." Tacopina withdrew from Trump's legal team shortly before the second trial began. That left Habba in charge of defending Trump for his second trial, which resulted in a considerably higher jury verdict. Trump, Rahmani said, "probably realizes that he lost the second Carroll trial so badly in part due to Alina Habba's limited trial experience and that he needs experienced appellate counsel." The judge, conscious of Trump's intent to appeal the second trial results, told as much to Trump in the courtroom before he testified.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Jean Carroll, Carroll, defaming, Trump, Lewis Kaplan, Alina Habba, Michael Madaio, Joe Tacopina, Habba, Tacopina, Kaplan, — Habba, Matthew Cronin, Mark Bederow, Madaio, Judge Kaplan, Mary Altaffer Habba, Joshua Matz, Kaplan Hecker, Fink, Kaplan's, Neama, Rahmani, Alina Habba's, Bederow Organizations: Service, Business, Hunts, Manhattan, American System of Justice, Trump, Associates, Trump —, Habba, AP, Kaplan, Fink LLP Locations: Carroll's, Manhattan, New York, Washington

☆ Is Kim Jong-un Really Planning an Attack This Time?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | More About Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Two veteran analysts of North Korea — the former State Department official Robert L. Carlin and the nuclear scientist Siegfried S. Hecker — sounded an alarm this past week in an article for the U.S.-based website 38 North, asserting that Mr. Kim was done with mere threats. “Kim Jong-un has made a strategic decision to go to war,” they wrote. But there is still stark disagreement over where Mr. Kim’s new tack might be leading. “The North Koreans won’t start a war unless they decide to become suicidal; they know too well that they cannot win the war,” said Park Won-gon, a North Korea expert at Ewha Womans University in Seoul. “But they would love their enemies to believe that they could, because that could lead to engagement and possible concessions, like the easing of sanctions.”

Persons: Robert L, Carlin, Siegfried S, Hecker —, Mr, Kim, “ Kim Jong, ”, Donald J, Kim’s Organizations: North, State Department, U.S, Trump, Koreans, Ewha Womans University Locations: North Korea, Korea, Russia, Ukraine, South Korea, United States, Seoul

☆ Why North Korea Is Offering New Reasons to Worry - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Nicholas Kristof | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The globe is already pockmarked with crises, and here may be another: North Korea is acting in highly unusual ways, leading some veteran analysts to fear it is preparing a surprise attack on South Korea and perhaps on Japan and Guam as well. I’ve seen many false alarms since I began covering and visiting North Korea in the 1980s. But one of those experts is Robert Carlin, who has been analyzing North Korea for 50 years for the C.I.A., State Department and other organizations. Carlin and Hecker published their warning in an essay on the 38 North website, which focuses on North Korea. They raised the possibility that North Korea might use its nuclear warheads to strike the region (it’s not clear if its warheads could reach the United States and survive re-entry into the atmosphere).

Persons: Kim Jong, Robert Carlin, Siegfried Hecker, Carlin, Hecker Organizations: State Department, Stanford, North Locations: North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Guam, Korea, United States

☆ If You Can't Beat 'em, Impeach 'em
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Susan Milligan | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +7 min

Republicans want President Joe Biden out of office. And they've taken the clashes to an unprecedented new level: If you can't beat 'em, impeach 'em. "Secretary Mayorkas has brazenly refused to enforce the laws passed by Congress that knowingly made our country less safe. But Justice did not prosecute three other Republicans – White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark and former Trump Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino – whom the panel referred for legal action. "They're struggling to come up with the votes to impeach President Biden.

Persons: Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Biden, Tom Whalen, William Belknap, Ulysses S, Grant, Joshua Matz, Donald Trump, Matz, Kaplan Hecker, Fink, Alejandro Mayorkas –, Mayorkas, Mark Green of, nefariously, Hunter, Nancy Mace, Merrick Garland, James Comer of, Garland, ” Comer, Trump, Steve Bannon, Peter Navarro –, Republicans –, Mark Meadows, Jeffrey Clark, Staff Dan Scavino –, Lloyd Austin, Matt Rosendale, They're, Brad Woodhouse, They'll, Woodhouse, Whalen, Austin, John Kasich, Bill Clinton Organizations: Justice Department, GOP, Boston University, Fink LLP, Homeland, Congress, House Republicans, Republican, Democrat, Department, Republicans, Republicans – White, Trump, Staff, White, Montana Republican, Austin, House, Democratic, Congressional Locations: Washington ,, Mark Green of Tennessee, South Carolina, James Comer of Kentucky, Austin, Montana

"Many people have taken sides,” says Sandrine, who didn't feel comfortable providing her last name given the sensitivity of the topic. Immediately following the Oct. 7 attacks, Macron condemned Hamas and supported Israel’s right to defend itself. “The explicit prohibition of Palestinian demonstrations is something very recent and, in my opinion, a massive political mistake,” Lazar says. The RN, which denounces mass immigration to France from largely Muslim countries, also views Israel as a beacon of democracy in the Arab world. "He needs to defend what [Hamas does] without saying he supports them directly" as part of the Palestinian cause, says Lazar.

Persons: ”, Sandrine, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Marc Lazar, ” Lazar, Mahmoud Abbas, Israel, Marc Hecker, “ That's, Hecker, David, Goliath, Joe Biden, Jean, Marie Le Pen, Marie Le Pen’s, “, Le, Le Pen, ‘, ’ ”, Yves Camus, Luc Mélenchon, –, Lazar, Mélenchon, they’re Organizations: Hamas, Montaigne Institute, Sciences Po, West Bank, Center for Security Studies, French Institute of International Relations, French Institute of Public, Palestinian Authority, U.S, National, La France, National Assembly, National Front, Israel, FN, Marine, Rassemblement, Institute of International Relations, Strategic Studies, European Jewish Congress, ” Locations: Paris, Israel, France, Gaza, Western Europe, Egypt, Jordan, Syria

☆ Ukraine and the US are mixing weapon systems that weren't built to play together to up Kyiv's defenses, and apparently they work
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

They've seen success in using US missiles with Buk-M1 systems and HARM missiles on Soviet fighter jets. AdvertisementWith its air defenses working overtime to defend against constant Russian strikes, Ukraine is working with the US to create new capabilities by cobbling together Western and Soviet systems that weren't built to play together. Reporting earlier this year indicated Ukraine had found ways to modify the Soviet Buk air defenses to fire the RIM-7. The US and its Western allies have offered Ukraine air defenses like Patriot batteries, IRIS-T, NASAMs, and Gepard anti-aircraft guns, but Ukrainian forces continue to operate a number of Soviet air defenses, the Buk and the S-300 being among the most prominent. AdvertisementThe new capability was promising for Ukraine and indicated future modifications to its Soviet systems could be made, like firing US missiles from Soviet Buk vehicles, which are self-propelled, mid-range surface-to-air missile systems.

Persons: They've, —, Yurii Ihnat, Ihnat, SAMs, Richard, Diana Quinlan, James Hecker, Theodore Roosevelt, Seaman Anthony N, Olaf Scholz, Germany Organizations: Soviet, Service, Ukrainian Air Force, Kyiv Independent, RIM, American AIM, New York Times, IRIS, Amphibious, NATO, Valiant, U.S . Navy, Pentagon, US Air Forces, US, Politico, Marines, Thunderbolts, Marine Fighter Attack, Radiation, Nimitz, Communication, AIM Locations: Ukraine, Soviet, United States, American, Russia, Europe, Taiwan, Russian, Crimea

☆ North Korea halts nuclear reactor, likely to extract bomb fuel, Donga Ilbo reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The operation of the 5 megawatt nuclear reactor at the Yongbyon nuclear complex has been suspended since late September, according to intelligence assessment by U.S. and South Korean authorities, the report said. Reprocessing of spent fuel rods removed from a nuclear reactor is a step taken before plutonium is extracted. The Yongbyon nuclear complex is the North's main source of plutonium that it likely has used to build nuclear weapons. North Korea has also operated uranium enrichment facilities, which is a separate source of material that could be used for nuclear weapons. North Korea claims itself a nuclear state but has kept how many nuclear weapons it may have built or deployed a secret.

Persons: Jeon Ha, Siegfried Hecker, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Hecker, " Hecker, Kim, Jack Kim, Lincoln Organizations: Kyodo ., Donga Ilbo, Russia, North, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Thomson Locations: Korean, Yongbyon, Kyodo . North Korea, SEOUL, North Korea, Korea, Pyongyang, Russia, Korea's

☆ The US Air Force is buying a new missile as it makes plans to blast through enemy air defenses
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia and Ukraine are using their air defenses to deny each other control of the air. The US wants to avoid that, and it's working on a new missile to take down enemy air defenses. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Russian and Ukrainian air forces have played a relatively minor role in the war in Ukraine. Both sides have tended to keep their aircraft over friendly territory rather than risk tangling with sophisticated enemy air defenses, such as Ukraine's US-made Patriot and Russia's S-400. Ukrainian air forceThe US military currently uses the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-radiation Guided Missile, or AARGM, which is an upgraded HARM.

Persons: —, it's, James Hecker, Hecker, Northrop Grumman, Northrop, Northrop Grumman What's, they've, " Hecker, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Air Forces, Air and Space Forces Association, Ukrainian, Press, Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff, Handout, REUTERS, US Air Force, Radiation, Storm, US, Air and Space Forces Magazine, Joint, Air Force, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Europe, Kharkiv, Vietnam, Iran, North Korea, Forbes

☆ NATO air forces are turning to the alliance's new experts for help training to dodge Russian missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

NATO air forces have been training with Finland, NATO's newest member, to operate from highways. The British and Norwegian air forces are the latest to train with NATO's newest member, sending Typhoon and F-35A fighter jets to participate in Exercise Baana, the Finnish air force's annual exercise, this month. Norwegian Armed Forces/Martin MellquistIn announcements about the milestone, the British and Norwegian air forces cited similar reasons for pursuing it. Maj. Gen. Rolf Folland, chief of the Royal Norwegian Air Force, said that being able to operate from small airfields and motorways "increases our survivability in war." US Defense Department/SRA Glenda PellumLanding on highways is not new — NATO air forces practiced it during the Cold War — but it has gotten more attention from Western air forces seeking to counter threats from long-range weapons fielded by Russia and China.

Persons: —, AS1 Tomas Barnard It's, Jim, Typhoon's, it's, Martin Mellquist, Rolf Folland, Folland, Glenda Pellum, Ole Andreas Vekve, James Hecker Organizations: NATO, Service, British, Royal Air Force, British Typhoons, Squadron, Ministry of Defence, Baana, Royal Auxiliary Air Force, Norwegian Armed Forces, Combat, Royal Norwegian Air Force, US Defense Department, US Air Force, US Air Forces, NATO's Allied Air Command Locations: Finland, Russia, Ukraine, Norwegian, British, West Germany, NATO, China, Eastern Europe, Lithuania, Sweden, Soviet Union, Finnish, Europe

☆ Deep trenches, cheap drones, and a more efficient war machine are just some of the ways Russia has improved since it first invaded Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Russia expected a swift victory against Ukraine when it first invaded the country last February. Russia has since improved its weapons and defense, setting the stage for a long, deadly war. Russia has also adapted to Ukraine's weapons, setting up air defense systems that can shoot down missiles and drones and tools that can jam the other side's GPS signals. While Russia takes down Ukraine's drones, the country has stockpiled cheap drones of its own from China, the Journal reported. Putin has indicated that he was bracing for a long war in Ukraine as the death toll racks up, Reuters reported.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, James Hecker, George Barros, Mark Milley, Putin Organizations: Ukraine, Service, CNN, Street Journal, US Air Forces, Institute for, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Reuters, New York Times Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Moscow, West, Europe, China, Ukrainian

☆ Sam Bankman-Fried's mom encouraged him to skirt donation rules and give millions to the PAC she chaired, lawsuit claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

FTX lawyers are suing Sam Bankman-Fried's parents, saying they were wrongly paid millions. The lawsuit says SBF's mom encouraged him to avoid federal campaign finance disclosure rules. Lawyers handling the crypto exchange's bankruptcy case are suing Bankman-Fried's parents, Joe Bankman and Barbara Fried, accusing them of siphoning millions of dollars from company funds. The lawsuit also accuses Fried of encouraging her son to "avoid (if not violate) federal campaign finance disclosure rules." Singh and Salame have pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations.

Persons: Sam Bankman, Bankman, Joe Bankman, Barbara Fried, Fried, —, Nishad Singh, Ryan Salame, Singh, Salame, Caroline, Sean Hecker, Michael Tremonte, Tremonte Organizations: Service, Lawyers, Democratic, Bankman, Forbes Locations: Wall, Silicon, Bahamas, Delaware

[1/4] Joseph Bankman, father of Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX, leaves the courthouse, after U.S judge revoked Bankman-Fried's bail, in New York, U.S., August 11, 2023. FTX, now being led by turnaround specialist John Ray, said that company founder Sam Bankman-Fried ran FTX as a "family business" and misappropriated billions in customer funds for the benefit of a small circle of insiders, including his parents. Sam Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to charges that he defrauded FTX customers by using their funds to prop up his own risky investments. Bankman and Fried also pushed FTX to make tens of millions of dollars in charitable contributions, including to Stanford University, FTX said. FTX has recovered more than $7 billion in assets to repay customers, and it is pursuing additional recoveries through lawsuits against FTX insiders and other defendants that received money from FTX before it went bankrupt.

Persons: Joseph Bankman, Sam Bankman, Eduardo Munoz, Stanford, Barbara Fried, John Ray, Fried, Sean Hecker, Michael Tremonte, Joe, Barbara, " Hecker, Tremonte, Bankman, FTX, Dietrich Knauth, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, Monday, Stanford University, Stanford Law School, Thomson Locations: New York, U.S, Bahamas, FTX

☆ Ukraine's air force has gotten good at fighting on the run, and Russia's military can't catch up, top US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukraine's air force has been able to keep operating by spreading out its jets among different bases. Russia has struggled to catch up to that dispersal, the top US Air Force general in Europe says. That success underscores the US Air Force's need to be able to distribute its jets and crews. Russia began the war with a larger and more advanced air force, including better radars and longer-range missiles. US Air Force crew chiefs perform a "communications out" launch of an F-16 during an exercise in Lithuania in August.

Persons: James Hecker, they've, Hecker, Danil, " Hecker, OLEKSII FILIPPOV, Justin Bronk, Bronk, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Stephanie Longoria Organizations: US Air Force, Service, US Air Forces, Air and Space Forces Association, Washington DC, Getty, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Ukraine, Carnegie Endowment, International, Russian BDA, Air Force, Tech Locations: Russia, Europe, Wall, Silicon, Washington, Ukraine, Kyiv, Russian, Lviv, AFP, Moscow, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon said Thursday that it has not restarted counterterrorism operations in Niger, a day after the head of U.S. airpower for Europe and Africa said those flights had resumed. Gen. James Hecker, responding to a question from The Associated Press at a security conference Wednesday, said the U.S. military has been able to resume some manned aircraft and drone counterterrorism operations in Niger. In the weeks since, the approximately 1,100 U.S. forces deployed there have been confined inside their military bases. And we’re able to do some of our surveillance operations primarily for force protection in the area. The bases are a critical part of America’s overall counterterrorism efforts in West Africa.

Persons: James Hecker, Sabrina Singh, “, ”, Robert Firman, Hecker, ” Hecker Organizations: WASHINGTON, Pentagon, Associated Press, U.S ., Nigerien, Department, Atlantic Council, State Department Locations: Niger, Europe, Africa, U.S, Niamey, Niger’s, West Africa

☆ Ukraine says it could have a small group of trained combat pilots ready to fly F-16s by the winter
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ukrainian pilots could be ready to fly F-16 fighter jets by early February, The Wall Street Journal reported. Officials in Kyiv said the initial group of F-16 pilots would likely number fewer than 10. Ukrainian pilots began their F-16 training just last month. Get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in business, from Wall Street to Silicon Valley — delivered daily. Indeed, Ukraine expects its first graduating class of F-16 pilots to contain "fewer than" 10 people, the Journal reported.

Persons: Biden, that's, James Hecker, cdavis@insider.com Organizations: Street Journal, Service, Street, US Air Forces, Ukrainian, Kyiv, US Defense Department, Pentagon Locations: Wall, Silicon, Europe, Ukraine, Kyiv, Arizona

It wasn’t until 2018 that the Archdiocese of New Orleans publicly identified Hecker as a suspected predator when it released its list of “credibly accused” priests. He is accused of choking the teen unconscious under the guise of performing a wrestling move and sexually assaulting him. The current archbishop, 73-year-old Gregory Aymond, has rebuffed calls by clergy abuse survivors to step down, saying he would not do so until canonically required to when he turns 75. “In my opinion, the Archdiocese of New Orleans is morally bankrupt, not financially bankrupt.”A New Orleans native, Hecker was ordained as an archdiocesan priest in 1958. Like the other secret church records, those emails remain under lock and key today.

Persons: Lawrence Hecker, Hecker, “ credibly, ”, Eugene Redmann, Gregory Aymond, Aymond, ” “ Lawrence Hecker, Richard Trahant, Soren Gisleson, John Denenea, Francis Xavier, “, Aaron Hebert, Hebert, Hecker groped, ” Hebert, Father Hecker, Hecker’s, George F, Brignac, Mike McDonnell, Kevin McGill Organizations: ORLEANS, Roman Catholic, FBI, Guardian, Archdiocese, Francis Xavier Catholic Church, archdiocesan, New Orleans Saints, Survivors Network, Press Locations: New Orleans, St, ”, Catholic New Orleans, Louisiana

☆ As Ukraine's air force dodges Russian missiles, the US and its allies are practicing to keep their jets flying while under attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Ukraine's air force has remained operational in the face of ongoing Russian attacks. US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Albert MorelLike other Air Force commands, US Air Forces Europe regularly conducts ACE exercises. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Air Force's concern is driven by the proliferation of precision weapons that could allow an adversary to pick off valuable targets. US airmen and Finnish Air Force pilots at Rovaniemi Air Base during Astral Knight 23 Part 6 on August 23. The Pentagon's EDI budget request for 2024 includes nearly $500 million for the Air Force to improve base infrastructure and pre-positioned equipment.

Persons: James Hecker, " Hecker, Albert Morel, they've, haven't, Hecker, John Lamontagne, Albert Morel Running, Capt, Quincy Watts, Watts, we're Organizations: Air, Service, Russian, US Air, US Air Forces Europe, Defense Writers, Astral, US Air Force, Air Force, Rovaniemi Air Base, NATO, US Air Force KC, Kallax Air Base, Finnish Air Force, Air Base Locations: Wall, Silicon, Ukrainian, Russian, Ukraine, Rovaniemi, Finland, Europe, Lithuania, Sweden, Baltic, Latvia, Italy, Aviano, China, Estonia

Col. Yurii Ihnat, Ukraine’s air force spokesman, believes that two squadrons, each of 12 planes, would begin to turn the tables. Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/ReutersBut the F-16 has never gone up against Russian air defenses in the real world. “Russian air defenses are very formidable.”Rapid trainingTraining programs are getting underway for the first batches of Ukrainian pilots – in Denmark, Romania and the United States. Ihnat says about 30 Ukrainian air force pilots have adequate English, the absolute minimum required to stand up two squadrons. The Ukrainian Air Force has long been working on improving and protecting airfields that would accommodate the F-16s.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Piroschka van de Wouw, Yurii, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mette Frederiksen, Mads Claus Rasmussen, Ritzau Scanpix, ”, Mark Cancian, ” Ihnat, Oleksii Reznikov, Ihnat, Cancian, ” Cancian, James B, Hecker, ” Hecker, Frank Kendall, it’s, Mykola Oleshchuk, Su, Kendall, Biden Organizations: CNN, Air Force, Reuters, Denmark's, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Rapid, Reuters Ukrainian Defense, Ukrainian, Air Missiles, Radiation, CSIS, NATO, US, Accounting, US Air Force, US Air Forces Europe, SA, Ukrainian Air Force Locations: Danish, Russian, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Ukraine, Romania, United States, Greece, Israeli, Russia

☆ The White House 180 on F-16s for Ukraine is complete
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Biden administration on Thursday announced plans to begin F-16 pilot training for Ukrainian troops. The offering is a marked shift from Biden's original position of not providing F-16s or training. In February, he ruled out providing F-16s; by May, he supported allies supplying jets. Russia's superior air power has been challenging for Ukrainian troops to overcome. Representatives for the White House and Ukraine Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Persons: Biden, Pat Ryder, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Joe Biden, It's, James Hecker Organizations: Ukrainian, Service, Morris Air National Guard Base, Pentagon Press, Air Force, ABC News, White, Ukraine Ministry of Defense, SA, US Air Forces Locations: Wall, Silicon, Tuscon , Arizona, Ukraine, Russia, Hiroshima, Netherlands, Denmark, Europe

☆ Take a look at the $63 million F-16 fighter jet the West has pledged to help Ukraine win the war with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-26 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Denmark and the Netherlands are sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, with US approval. Ukraine has long coveted the US-made jet as it seeks to bolster its air capabilities in its war with Russia, which has a more advanced air force. Mads Claus Rasmussen/AFP/Getty ImagesSpecificationsThe F-16 is a multi-role fighter built by Lockheed Martin for the US Air Force. A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe US will also begin training Ukrainian pilots to fly and maintain F-16s in Arizona in October, the Pentagon said Thursday.

Persons: Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mette Frederiksen, Mads Claus Rasmussen, Lockheed Martin, Justin Bronk, Ethan Miller, James Hecker, It's, Stringer, John Kirby, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Al Jazeera, Kajsa Ollongren, Oleksii Reznikov, Pat Ryder Organizations: Service, Getty, Lockheed, US Air Force, Falcon, AIM, Royal United Services Institute, U.S . Air Force, Nevada, US Air Forces, Israeli Air Force, US National Security, Pentagon, Pentagon Press, Air Force Locations: Denmark, Netherlands, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Indian Springs , Nevada, Europe, Romania, Athens, Al, Kyiv, Arizona

☆ Why some are calling the German economy 'the sick man of Europe'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

London CNN —It’s been nearly two decades since Germany shrugged off its “sick man of Europe” label with a series of labor market reforms that ushered in years of economic outperformance. Sticky inflation and three straight quarters of falling or stagnating output have put Europe’s biggest economy in the doldrums. “Sticky” inflation is eroding Germans’ purchasing power, fueling “pessimism among households,” according to Thomas Obst, senior economist at the Cologne Institute for Economic Research. “[German] industrial order books have emptied over the last 12 months,” Carsten Brzeski, global head of macroeconomic research at ING, told CNN. “Germany is in a very singular position.”Bright spotsHolger Schmieding, the economist who first called Germany the “sick man of Europe” in 1998, thinks the “current wave of pessimism” over its economy is overdone.

Persons: London CNN — It’s, Stefan Kooths, Europe ”, Kooths, Thomas Obst, Obst, ”, Klaus Wohlrabe, Frank Soellner, ” Carsten Brzeski, Sam Reeves, Brzeski, David Hecker, Holger Schmieding, Schmieding, “ Organizations: London CNN, International Monetary Fund, Kiehl Institute, Cologne Institute, Economic Research, CNN, European Central Bank, ifo, Volkswagen, Siemens, Global, ING, Getty, China Locations: Germany, Europe, Berlin, ifo, Bad, China, Duisburg, AFP, Ukraine, Australia, France

☆ Top US Air Force general was surprised that Russia 'gave up' trying to destroy Ukraine's Russian-designed air defenses so quickly
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's limited use of its air force in Ukraine has surprised US Air Force leaders. Those leaders are surprised in large part because Ukraine is using air defenses that Russians designed. "I would say that I was somewhat surprised" by Russia's inability to control the air and knock out Ukrainian air defenses, Hecker said. Ukrainian forces are now using US-made Patriot missiles and the US-Norwegian-designed NASAMS to defend against long-range threats as well as several Western-designed systems for short-range air defense. US intelligence assessments leaked online this spring suggested Ukraine could expend its supply of surface-to-air missiles for several systems by mid-year.

Persons: James Hecker, " Hecker, Justin Bronk, Hecker, Ukrainian Defense Ministry Hecker, Charles Brown Jr, Brown, Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Ed Ram Organizations: US Air Force, Service, Russian Air Force, US Air Forces, Defense Writers, Russian Ministry of, Royal United Services Institute, Russian Sukhoi, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ukraine, Ukrainian, International Institute of Strategic Studies, The Washington, Getty, Patriot, Russian, Ukraine Defense Contact Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Europe, Russian, Russia, British, Soviet, Norwegian, Kyiv

Search resuls for: "Hecker"

25 mentions found