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☆ Russia's hunted A-50 command planes are its eyes over Ukraine. Here's how it compares to the Boeing E-3 Sentry.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Ukraine's most significant aircraft kills in 2024 are two Russian A-50 command planes. AP PhotoThe MainstayAEW&C aircraft are aerial radar stations meant to detect and track enemy weapon systems — namely aircraft, missiles, and naval ships. An E-3 Sentry takes off at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada in January 2024. Last November, the Russians threatened to destroy a French Air Force E-3 that was operating over the Black Sea in what a French military spokesman described as "a particularly aggressive radio exchange." AdvertisementLast year, the US Air Force announced that it had selected the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail as the E-3's intended replacement.

Persons: —, Tupolev, William R, Park Chung, hee, Anwar Sadat, Joseph Barron, hasn't, Benjamin Brimelow Organizations: Service, Russian Aerospace Forces, Soviet Union, Machulishchy, State TV, Radio Company, AP, Western Allies, Beriev, Ilyushin, NATO, Nellis Air Force Base, US Air Force, System, Boeing, Air, Air Force, North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, Saudi, Royal Air Force, Control Force, NATO Air Base, U.S . Air Force KC, US Air Force Ukraine, Ukrainian Air Force, Allied, French Air Force, Global Affairs, Fletcher School of Law, Diplomacy, Business, Modern, Institute Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Soviet, Minsk, Belarus, Ukrainian, USSR, China, India, Turkey, Chechnya, Georgia, Syria, Syrian, Nevada, American, Latin America, South Korea, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, France, Chile, NATO, Germany, Europe, Azov, Russia, Poland, Romania, Australia, West

☆ The US military doesn't have the icebreakers to compete in the Arctic and is 'severely outnumbered' by Russia, commander warns
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewThe US does not have enough icebreaker ships to compete in the Arctic the way Russia can with its much larger fleet, a US military commander warned. Russia has deployed nuclear-powered icebreakers called Arktika and Sibir, which have been characterized as the largest and strongest icebreaker ships in the world. "We need to make sure that we are trying to close a very very significant icebreaker gap, Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan said at the time. For more than 20 years, the Coast Guard has been asking for funds for the Arctic, but those requests have been deferred, US Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter W. Gautier said last year. AdvertisementWith growing threats in this region, the US military has been increasingly looking at Arctic training.

Persons: —, Gregory M, Guillot, Maine Sen, Angus King, Alaska Sen, Dan Sullivan, Peter W, Gautier Organizations: Service, US Air Force, Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Business, Coast Guard, Services, USCGC Polar Star, US Coast Guard, US Navy, Army Locations: Russia, Maine, Sibir, Alaska, China

☆ Fishermen delivering possible spy balloon to FBI in Alaska
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Evan Perez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Commercial fishermen off the coast of Alaska have found what officials are concerned could be another spy balloon and are bringing it to shore with them, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN. The existence of high-altitude surveillance balloons burst into US consciousness last year, when a Chinese spy balloon appeared to blow off course and transited across the continental US. The US assessed that the spy balloon was part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, as CNN reported at the time. There were three additional shootdowns of unidentified high-altitude objects in the weeks following the Chinese balloon incident. NORAD later said in a statement that the balloon was “likely a hobby balloon” that posed no threat.

Persons: Biden, Trump, Glen VanHerck, CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz Organizations: CNN —, CNN, FBI, Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, Pentagon Locations: Alaska, Quantico , Virginia, China, Taiwan, Beijing, United, American

CNN —China appears to have suspended its surveillance balloon program following a major diplomatic incident earlier this year, when one of the country’s high-altitude spy balloons transited the United States, multiple sources familiar with US intelligence assessments told CNN. The apparent suspension of the program comes as both the US and China have sought to stabilize an increasingly tense relationship. The US assessed at the time that the spy balloon was part of an extensive surveillance program run by the Chinese military, CNN has previously reported. “We believe that (the balloon) did not collect while it was transiting the United States or flying over the United States, and certainly the efforts that we made contributed,” Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. The more sensitive radar systems led the US military to spot more unidentified objects in US airspace, however, leading to three additional shootdowns of unidentified high-altitude objects in the weeks following the Chinese balloon incident.

Persons: Liu Pengyu, majeure, ” Liu, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi “, Xi, ”, Biden, Antony Blinken, Nancy Pelosi, enraging Xi, Christopher Johnson, Johnson, ’ ” Johnson, Pat Ryder Ryder, Trump, Glen VanHerck Organizations: CNN, Communist Party, US, Economic Cooperation, CIA, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Foreign Ministry, FBI, Pentagon, Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command Locations: China, United States, American, Beijing, Taiwan, Hainan, Alaska, Canada, Idaho, Montana, Asia, San Francisco, United

NORAD scrambled 2 fighter jets after an aircraft flew too close to President Joe Biden's vacation spot. The jets fired flares near the civilian pilot to get their attention. No information about the civilian aircraft or its pilot was released. AdvertisementAdvertisementF-16 intercepts of civilian aircraft that venture too close to where the president is are not uncommon. For instance, NORAD sortied F-16 fighter aircraft to intercept a Cessna, popping flares in the process, after it entered the temporary restricted airspace while Biden was delivering a speech in California last October.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Anthony Guglielmi, Olivia Dalton, Biden, John Kirby, Noble, NORAD's Organizations: NORAD, Service, Aerospace Defense Command, Coast Guard, US, Cessna, UN, White, National Security Locations: Wall, Silicon, Lake Tahoe, Washington, Canada, Virginia, California, New York City, Arizona, DC

☆ Seen by the US military as a threat for years, Russia's Yasen-class submarines are now on track to get hypersonic missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Russia's Yasen-class submarines have long been seen as a tough challenge for the US Navy. A Russian shipbuilding official said that work is underway to arm them with Zircon hypersonic missiles. Russia's Yasen-class nuclear-powered cruise-missile submarines are quiet, difficult to track, heavily armed, and able to conduct attacks against land- and sea-based targets. The Russian Yasen-class submarines "are designed to deploy undetected within cruise-missile range of our coastlines to threaten critical infrastructure during an escalating crisis," the commander said a year later in congressional testimony. It may still be some time before Russia's Yasen-class submarines deploy with hypersonic weapons, but the Admiral Gorshkov set sail earlier this year on a deployment that took it into the Atlantic Ocean armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles.

Persons: Russia's, Alexei Rakhmanov, Dave Johnson, Lev Fedoseyev, Glen VanHerck, Gorshkov, Vladimir Putin, Gorshkov —, Putin, Zumwalt Organizations: US Navy, Service, United Shipbuilding Corporation, US, Naval, Systems, Getty, US Air Force, US Northern Command, North American Aerospace Defense Command, NATO, Russian Navy, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, AP, Army, Navy, Ingalls Shipbuilding Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Severomorsk, Russia, Barents, China, Virginia, San Diego, Pascagoula , Mississippi, Ingalls

☆ US military responded to Chinese and Russian vessels near Alaska
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A Russian and Chinese naval patrol consisting of several vessels operated off the coast of Alaska last week, defense officials and lawmakers said over the weekend – a show of force that prompted a US military response but did not pose a threat to the US or Canada, a US Northern Command spokesperson told CNN. NORTHCOM and the North American Aerospace Defense Command deployed planes and ships to monitor the Russian and Chinese patrol, which stayed in international waters, the spokesperson said. Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski said in a statement Saturday that a total of 11 Russian and Chinese vessels had been operating near the Aleutian Islands, and were met in response by four US Navy destroyers. “For that reason, I was heartened to see that this latest incursion was met with four U.S. Navy destroyers, which sends a strong message to (Chinese President) Xi Jinping and (Russian President Vladimir) Putin that the United States will not hesitate to protect and defend our vital national interests in Alaska,” Sullivan said. Russia and China have intensified their defense and economic partnership considerably since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, according to a July US intelligence report, and the countries have repeatedly pledged to strengthen their military ties.

Persons: Alaska’s Republican Sens, Dan Sullivan, Lisa Murkowski, Murkowski, Sullivan, Liu Pengyu, ” Sullivan, Xi Jinping, Vladimir, Putin Organizations: CNN, Northern Command, NORTHCOM, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Alaska’s Republican, US Navy, Alaska Command, US Coast Guard, U.S . Navy Locations: Alaska, Canada, U.S, Aleutians, Russian, United States, Russia, China, Ukraine

☆ Kevin Mitnick: Legendary computer hacker Kevin Mitnick dies at 59
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Andy Rose | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“I was an old-school hacker, doing it for intellectual curiosity,” Mitnick told Wired magazine in a 2008 interview. Mitnick and federal prosecutors agreed to a plea deal in 1999 to seven criminal counts, including wire fraud and causing damage to computers. Mitnick published a memoir on his hacking career, “Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World’s Most Wanted Hacker,” in 2011. Following his prison term, Mitnick became a white-hat hacker, using his expertise to legally help businesses track people trying to break into their systems. “I made some really stupid mistakes in the past as a younger man that I regret,” Mitnick told CNN in a 2005 interview.

Persons: Kevin Mitnick, Matthew Broderick, Mitnick, “, ” Mitnick, ”, Stu Sjouwerman, ” “ Kevin, ” Sjouwerman, Kevin, Kimberley Organizations: CNN, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Digital Equipment Corporation, Wired Locations: KnowBe4, Las Vegas

☆ Analysis: Canada pressured by allies to up military spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The 2022 average spending for all of NATO was 2.58% of GDP. "We say nice things but do not invest," said the former defense official, and allies now say: "Show us the money." And you don’t get elected in Canada by promising to increase defense spending." The move is allies telling Canada: "We don't want to hear the words anymore. David Perry, President of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, also said it was time for Canada to step up.

Persons: Justin Trudeau, Jens Stoltenberg, Adam Scotti, I'd, Daniel Minden, Anita Anand, Roland Paris, Trudeau, don’t, Christyn, David Perry, Steve Scherer, Denny Thomas, Grant McCool Organizations: Canada's, NATO, Canadian Forces CF, Minister's, REUTERS, Canada, OTTAWA, Canadian, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Forces, University of Ottawa, Trudeau's Liberal, Lockheed Martin Corp, North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, Washington Post, HIGH, Canadian Association of Defence, Security Industries, Canadian Global Affairs Institute, Thomson Locations: CFB Cold Lake, Cold Lake , Alberta, Canada, China, Russia, Ukraine, NATO, Lithuania, Pacific, Australia

CNN —The recovery of wreckage from a private plane that crashed Sunday in Virginia, killing all four people onboard, after its pilot became unresponsive is expected to begin Tuesday. The unresponsive aircraft prompted the deployment of six fighter jets as it flew near Washington, DC, officials said. Six F-16s were launched from three bases and raced to intercept the private plane, White House National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said Monday. Investigators are now examining the private plane’s autopilot function in the Virginia crash, a source familiar with the investigation said. Correction: An earlier version of this story gave the wrong source for information about the course taken by the private plane.

Persons: there’s, ” Adam Gerhardt, Gerhardt, John Rumpel, Barbara, Adina Azarian, Aria Azarian, Adina Azarian's, Facebook Rumpel, Rumpel, Jeff Hefner, Strategic Communications John Kirby, Randall K, Payne Stewart, Stewart, ”, Keller Williams, Lakhinder, Azarian, ” “ Adina, ” Keller Williams, Dan Newlin Hefner, Hefner, “, Dan Newlin, ” Hefner, Newlin Organizations: CNN, National Transportation Safety, Cessna, NTSB, Encore Motors, Washington Post, FAA, MacArthur, NORAD, National Security, Strategic Communications, Authorities, Washington, Southwest Airlines, Network, Continental, American Aerospace Defense Command, US Capitol Police Locations: Virginia, Washington, DC, Waynesboro , Virginia, Delaware, East Hampton , New York, Tennessee, Elizabethton , Tennessee, Aberdeen , South Dakota, Florida, Texas, NYC, ” Keller Williams ’, York, Continental US

☆ Unclear when pilot became unresponsive before crash that sparked Washington DC security scare
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"That will absolutely be part of this investigation of looking at when exactly did the pilot become unresponsive and why did the airplane fly the flight track that it did fly? We don't know the information yet," NTSB investigator Adam Gerhardt told reporters near the crash site. The plane was carrying four including the pilot, a source told Reuters Sunday when it crashed near the George Washington National Forest. Encore owner John Rumpel told the Washington Post his daughter, a grandchild and her nanny were on board. The U.S. military attempted to contact the pilot, who was unresponsive, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said in a statement.

Persons: Adam Gerhardt, Gerhardt, John Rumpel, Rumpel, David Shepardson, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: Washington , D.C, National Transportation Safety Board, Pentagon, Cessna, NTSB, U.S, Reuters, George Washington National, Virginia State Police, Encore Motors, Washington Post, FAA, North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, Elizabethton Municipal, MacArthur, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Virginia, Delaware, Melbourne , Florida, U.S, Elizabethton , Tennessee, New York, Manhattan

☆ NORAD scrambled an F-16 to intercept an apparently wayward civilian business jet that flew over DC and later crashed
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The military jet caused a sonic boom while pursuing the small plane, which later crashed. It was not immediately clear why the plane was nonresponsive, why it crashed, or who was on board. The fighter jet caused a loud sonic boom across the capital region. A US official confirmed to The Associated Press the military jet had scrambled to respond to the small plane, which later crashed. The North American Aerospace Defense Command later said the F-16 was authorized to travel at supersonic speeds, which caused a sonic boom.

Persons: —, Long, Barbara Rumpel, Joe Biden, Joint Base Andrews, Anthony Guglielmi, Biden Organizations: Encore Motors, Melbourne Inc, Service, Federal Aviation Administration, Cessna, Long Island's MacArthur, Associated Press, North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD, Joint Base, US, White, DOD, Pentagon, DC Air National Guard Locations: Virginia, Elizabethtown , Tennessee, New, Long, Montebello , Virginia, St, Mary's, Melbourne , Florida, Maryland

☆ Virginia plane crash: First responders say aircraft left 'crater' with few recognizable pieces of wreckage
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Elizabeth Wolfe Natasha Bertrand Haley Britzky Pete Muntean Brian Todd Lauren Koenig Lauren Mascarenhas Cnn | Elizabeth Wolfe | Natasha Bertrand | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Four first responders who arrived at the scene of Sunday’s fatal private plane crash near Raphine, Virginia, told CNN the plane left a “crater,” and they believe it impacted the ground at a very steep angle. First responders said the crash site is amid steep, mountainous terrain that is difficult to reach on foot. We were obviously freaked out a little bit,” Chuck Martin, who felt the boom in Fairfax County, Virginia, told CNN affiliate WJLA. No survivors found in the wreckageSearch and rescue teams assemble before going to the site of Sunday's plane crash near Montebello, Virginia. John Rumpel, whose wife Barbara is listed as the president of the company, told CNN they own Encore.

Persons: ”, “, Chuck Martin, ‘, Sandy Abuarja, Ahreum Kindess, WBAL, Randall K, Wolf, Corinne Geller, John Rumpel, Barbara, Barbara Rumpel, John Rumpel’s, Rumpel, ” Barbara Rumpel, Joe Biden, Andrews, Biden Organizations: CNN, National Transportation Safety, New, MacArthur, Federal Aviation Administration, Virginia State Police, US Capitol Police, Cessna, Continental US, American Aerospace Defense Command, WJLA, DOD, WBAL, DC, George Washington National, “ NORAD, FAA, AP, Encore Motors, Inc, New York Times, National Capital, The U.S, Capitol, Andrews Air Force Base, Service, White Locations: Raphine , Virginia, ”, Virginia, Elizabethton , Tennessee, Washington, DC, Fairfax County , Virginia, Maryland, Gambrills , Maryland, “, George Washington National Forest , Virginia, State, Staunton, Montebello , Virginia, Melbourne, Florida, East Hampton , New York, North Carolina, The, Maryland’s

☆ The family of a Florida GOP megadonor was on board the private plane that sparked NORAD to scramble fighter jets before crashing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Kelly Mclaughlin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Millionaire John Rumpel said his family was aboard the plane that crashed in Virginia. The private jet flew over Washington DC — causing the military to scramble fighter jets — before crashing. Florida Today reported that Rumpel's wife, Barbara Rumpel, spoke about the plane crash on a Facebook post about a National Rifle Association-related event. The New York Post reported that Barbara and John Rumpel are longtime GOP supporters and made a $250,000 donation to the Trump Victory PAC in 2020. Barbara Rumpel is also an executive committee member of the NRA Women's Leadership Forum, the New York Post reported.

Persons: Millionaire John Rumpel, —, John Rumpel, Barbara Rumpel, Barbara Organizations: Washington DC, Service, GOP, North American Aerospace Defense Command, Encore Motors, Washington Post, New York Times, Cessna, Times, Florida Today, National Rifle Association, The New York Post, Trump Victory PAC, NRA, Leadership, New York Post, Federal Aviation Administration, Associated Press, National Transportation Safety Locations: Virginia, Florida, Washington, DC, Melbourne, East Hampton , New York, North Carolina, Brevard County , Florida

CNN —US F-16 fighter jets caused a sonic boom across the Washington, DC, region Sunday as they scrambled to reach an unresponsive aircraft that ultimately crashed in Virginia, officials said. The civilian aircraft, a Cessna 560 Citation V, was intercepted by the NORAD jets around 3:20 p.m. and ultimately crashed near the George Washington National Forest in Virginia. “The pilot was unresponsive and the Cessna subsequently crashed near the George Washington National Forest, Virginia,” the release said. The aircraft crashed into a mountainous terrain in a “sparsely populated area”, according to FAA. “This afternoon, our officials were working closely with our federal partners to monitor an unresponsive pilot who was flying an airplane near the National Capital Region.

Persons: “, Joe Biden, Biden, Anthony Guglielmi Organizations: CNN, Federal Aviation Administration, Continental US, American Aerospace Defense Command, Cessna, NORAD, George Washington National Forest, George Washington National, “ NORAD, Virginia State Police, State, National Transportation Safety, Twitter, National Capital, DC Homeland Security, Emergency Management, FAA, Elizabethton Municipal, MacArthur, Capitol Hill, US Capitol Police, The U.S, Capitol, Service, Andrews Air Force Base, Andrews, White Locations: Washington, DC, Virginia, George Washington National Forest , Virginia, Staunton, Blue, Virginia Sunday, Elizabethton , Tennessee, New York, The, Maryland

☆ U.S. fighter jets intercept Russian planes near Alaska
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 14 (Reuters) - U.S. fighter jets intercepted six Russian aircraft operating in international airspace near Alaska, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said on Sunday. The Russian planes included TU-95 bombers, IL-78 tankers and SU-35 fighter jets, NORAD said in a written statement. NORAD described the interception as "routine" and said they happen roughly six or seven times per year in the so-called Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone. "This Russian activity in the North American ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat," NORAD aid in the statement. The U.S. aircraft involved in the incident included F-16 and F-22 fighter jets, KC-135 stratotankers and E-3 AWACS, according to the statement.

☆ Biden, Trudeau Meeting to Focus on Ukraine, Canadian Defense Strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Ken Thomas | Paul Vieira | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden will make his first official trip to Canada since his time as vice president at the end of the Obama administration. OTTAWA—President Biden will make his first visit to Canada as president Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that are expected to focus on the war in Ukraine and a U.S. push for Canada to bolster its northern defenses and spend more on its military. Mr. Biden’s first trip north of the U.S. border, typically an early stop for a new president, was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. White House officials said Mr. Biden is eager to discuss with Mr. Trudeau ways to strengthen the two nations’ joint defense of North American airspace through the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or Norad. U.S. and Canadian senior officials said the agenda would also include climate-change policies, the supply of critical minerals, and migration across their shared border.

☆ PHOTO: A U-2 pilot took a selfie with the Chinese spy balloon the day before the Air Force shot it down
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Jake Epstein | Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A US Air Force pilot took a selfie with the Chinese spy balloon before it was shot down. The pilot, flying a U-2 spy aircraft, took the image a day before the balloon was downed by an F-22. A US Air Force pilot looked down at the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovered over the Central Continental United States February 3, 2023. Photo courtesy of the Department of DefenseThe U-2's involvement in gathering intelligence on the spy balloon was first reported by The Drive on February 6. Just days later, US Air Force fighter jets downed three unidentified aerial objects flying in North American airspace in three separate engagements on February 10, 11, and 12.

☆ The mystery objects shot down by US fighter jets were 'most likely' harmless civilian objects, Biden says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Three mysterious objects were shot down by the US military in North American airspace last weekend. The three unidentified objects are "most likely" just civilian objects, he said on Thursday. Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. Biden on Thursday also said he's directed his team to create "sharper rules" for dealing with unidentified objects moving forward, distinguishing between those that pose a security risk and those that don't. In total, four objects — one Chinese surveillance balloon and the three smaller objects that remain unidentified — have been shot down over North American airspace since early February.

☆ An F-16 fighter jet missed on its first try to shoot down a mysterious object over Lake Huron, top US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An F-16 fired an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile to take down a flying object over Lake Huron on Sunday. "On the fourth one, over Lake Huron, the first shot missed, the second shot hit," Milley said in response to a reporter's question, confirming earlier reports. "And in this case, the missile landed harmlessly in the water of Lake Huron. Sunday's operation marked the fourth instance in about a week in which a US Air Force fighter jet shot down a flying object over North American airspace. The general leading North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command offered an explanation on Sunday for why there has been a seemingly sudden increase in flying objects appearing over North American airspace.

☆ The newest Sidewinders have become 'the weapons of choice' against unidentified objects over the US, top general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

To shoot them down, the jets have used the newest version of the Sidewinder missile, the AIM-9X. The high-tech AIM-9X is the best suited to take down the low-tech objects, a top US general says. But the US Air Force F-22 and F-16 fighters that destroyed a Chinese spy balloon and three other unidentified objects didn't use their 20 mm cannon. Instead, they used heat-seeking AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. US airmen move an AIM-9X missile to an F-22 at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in September 2021.

☆ Why Norad Didn’t Spot Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Doug Cameron | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Norad chief Gen. Glen VanHerck said there is a ‘domain awareness gap’ in the system. The officers staffing North America’s first line of defense against hostile intrusions admit it has gaps: the Cold War-era command hadn’t been watching for balloons. The system of radars, sensors and other intelligence tools overseen by the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or Norad, didn’t detect the suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down off South Carolina on Feb. 4, but it has been busy ever since.

Feb 13 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday that the four aerial objects shot down in recent days, including one over Yukon territory on Saturday, are connected in some way, without elaborating. U.S. military fighter jets on Sunday downed an octagonal object over Lake Huron, the Pentagon said. Trudeau said search and recovery efforts were underway for the aerial object shot down over Yukon, adding that winter weather was posing challenges. Trudeau also said he would discuss the issue of aerial objects with U.S. President Joe Biden when they meet in March. The presence of those aerial objects in North American airspace was a "very serious situation," Trudeau said.

WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force general overseeing North American airspace said on Sunday after a series of shoot-downs of unidentified objects that he would not rule out aliens or any other explanation yet, deferring to U.S. intelligence experts. It was the third unidentified flying object to be knocked out of the sky by U.S. warplanes since Friday, following the Feb. 4 downing of a suspected Chinese weather balloon that put North American air defenses on high alert. "We're calling them objects, not balloons, for a reason, said VanHerck, who is head of the joint U.S.-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the U.S. Air Force Northern Command. However, the government's effort to investigate anomalous, unidentified objects — whether they are in space, the skies or even underwater — has led to hundreds of reports that are being investigated, senior military leaders have said. But so far, the Pentagon has not found evidence to indicate Earthly visits from intelligent alien life, those officials have said.

☆ Here's why mysterious flying objects are suddenly popping up all over the place, according to the military command that's been shooting them down
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Jake Epstein | Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Four suspicious flying objects have been shot down over North American skies in recent days. NORAD changed its radar filters to help spot smaller, slower objects after a Chinese spy balloon drifted over the US. The command has changed the way it looks for them and is now finding more of these objects. Since the US Air Force shot down the Chinese balloon in early February, fighter jets have downed three additional airborne objects. US officials said this object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet and posed a threat to civilian aircraft.

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