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☆ A man convinced me to leave my career and become a housewife. We split 15 years ago, and I still regret quitting.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Jennifer Stavros | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Years ago, in what feels like another life, I elected to trade my freedoms to be a housewife because my then-husband said it was the right thing to do. I would never wish this experience to be insisted on anyone, especially knowing everything I do now. My ex-husband insisted I didn't need to worry about things because he would care for me. But 15 years after my marriage, I'm still trying to compensate for the time and heart lost in that one decision. If I had a time machine, I would, without hesitation, go back and change my choice of being a housewife in my 20s.

Persons: I'd, Young, didn't, Harrison Butker, I'm Organizations: Kansas Chiefs Locations: Midwest, San Diego

☆ Morgan Stanley is betting on AI to free up advisors' time to 'be more human.' Nearly 100% of advisor teams use it, and here's how.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Now, he can answer those questions mid-call by asking the bank's AI chatbot, which typically takes 15 to 20 seconds. Morgan Stanley plans to expand AI projects firmwide, promoting wealth management tech head, Jeff McMillan, in March to lead the effort. It can only reference the bank's internal content, can't use metaphors or analogies, and only answers questions related to wealth management. When asked if Donald Trump would make a good president, AIMS declined to answer, McMillan demonstrated to Business Insider. AdvertisementBefore AIMS, Morgan Stanley had a product called FAST that could answer about 5,000 questions.

Persons: —, Patrick Biggs, Morgan Stanley, couldn't, Jeff McMillan, Donald Trump, McMillan, doesn't Biggs, Biggs, Morgan Stanley's, Morgan, We're, Morgan Stanley's chatbot, Dr, Seuss, Morgan Stanley McMillan, hasn't, Jed Finn, Patrick Biggs Stavros Panopoulos, Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley's, Biggs isn't Organizations: Service, Business, OpenAI, AIMS, IBM, Morgan Locations: Cayman Islands

☆ Morgan Stanley is betting on AI to free up advisors' time to be 'more human.' Nearly 100% of advisor teams use it, and here's how.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Now he can answer those questions mid-call by asking the bank's AI chatbot, which typically takes 15 to 20 seconds. Morgan Stanley plans to expand AI projects firmwide, promoting Jeff McMillan, the head of wealth-management tech, in March to lead the effort. It can reference only the bank's internal content, can't use metaphors or analogies, and answers questions related only to wealth management. When asked if Donald Trump would make a good president, AIMS declined to answer, McMillan demonstrated to Business Insider. Related storiesBefore AIMS, Morgan Stanley had a product called FAST that could answer about 5,000 questions.

Persons: Patrick Biggs, Morgan Stanley, couldn't, Jeff McMillan, Donald Trump, McMillan, doesn't Biggs, Biggs, Morgan Stanley's, Morgan, OpenAI, We're, Dr, Seuss, ChatGPT, Morgan Stanley McMillan, hasn't, Jed Finn, Patrick Biggs Stavros Panopoulos, Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley's, Biggs isn't Organizations: Business, OpenAI, AIMS, IBM, Morgan Locations: Cayman Islands

☆ With eyes on China, US special operators are back to battling the jungle
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

With the potential for a conflict with China in the Indo-Pacific looming ever larger in the background, the US special operations community is focusing more and more on jungle operations. A Marine Raider with Marine Forces Special Operations Command traverses a river during a jungle mobility course, Aug. 4, 2023. A Marine Raider with Marine Forces Special Operations Command navigates a single rope bridge during a jungle mobility course, Aug. 4, 2023. A history of jungle operationsUS commandos have a long history of conducting jungle operations. AdvertisementToday, as the US attempts to redirect its focus to the Indo-Pacific amid steadily rising tensions between the US and China, it looks like jungle operations are back on the menu for the US special operations community.

Persons: —, Cpl, Henry Rodriguez, skillsets, Cody Carroll, I've Organizations: Service, Pacific, Marine Raiders, Business, Tactical Tracking, Raider, Marine Forces Special Operations Command, . Marine Corps, Marine Forces Special, Command, Alamo Scouts, Military Assistance Command Vietnam, MACV, SOG, North, Vietcong, White, Pentagon, Green Berets, Navy, Force Recon, Air Commandos Locations: East, China, Oahu, Hawaii, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Vietnam, Asia, Laos, Cambodia, South Vietnam

☆ Rupert Murdoch's new Russian fiancée ties him to a sprawling web of money — with some surprising connections
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

His fiancée, Elena Zhukova, was once married to Alexander Radkin Zhukov, a Russian oligarch. Her daughter, Dasha Zhukova, was married to Roman Abramovich from 2008 to 2017. Daniele Venturelli/WireImage via Getty ImagesZhukova shares a daughter with Zhukov, Dasha Zhukova. Dasha Zhukova is now married to Stavros Niarchos, the grandson of a Greek shipping tycoon. AdvertisementDasha Zhukova married Stavros Niarchos in January 2020.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch, Elena Zhukova, Alexander Radkin Zhukov, Dasha Zhukova, Roman Abramovich, —, Murdoch, Vladimir Putin, Zhukova, Wendi Deng, Zhukov, hasn't, Daniele Venturelli, Dasha, Abramovich, Putin, backchannel, Vladimir Putin's backchannel, Mikhail Svetlov, Stavros Niarchos, Lexie Moreland, Murdoch didn't Organizations: Service, The Daily Mail, Guardian, Times, Getty, Premier League soccer, Chelsea Football Club, European Union, Penske Media, News Corp, Business Insider Locations: Russian, Italy, London, Russia, Ukraine, New York, Switzerland

☆ What Walmart’s new focus on employee stock could mean for the wealth of the average American household
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Cheryl Winokur Munk | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Walmart is offering its store managers stock grants, which based on a manager's store format, can range between $10,000 and $20,000. It's not only managers that Walmart wants to encourage to buy into stock ownership. 1 employer, Walmart's decisions are likely to have significant ripple effects and could even lead to broader equity ownership among rank-and-file employees. Already companies such as Ingersoll Rand and Harley-Davidson have taken steps to broaden stock ownership to employees. "Stock ownership is a pillar of worker financial wellness."

Persons: John David Rainey, Chris Taylor, It's, John Furner, Doug McMillon, Biden, Marc Roloson, Aalap Shah, Pearl Meyer, Shah, Brian J, Albert H, Gordon, Stacey Kole, Ed Rataj, Michael Kestenbaum, Gallagher, Peter Follows, Kole, Ingersoll Rand, Davidson, Martin Whitman, Whitman, Pete Stavros's, Walmart's, Harvard's, WTW's Roloson Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, Walmart, International, NYSE, LinkedIn, Companies, Business Administration, Harvard Business School, The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, CBIZ, Carpedia, Harley, Just Locations: U.S

☆ SOCOM is after new tech to help special operations forces spot, track, and take out urban threats without being seen
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US special operations forces on the island join their Taiwanese comrades in major urban centers, getting ready for intense urban combat. Looking toward potential future fights like this, US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) is after new tech that would help its special operators survive and thrive in urban warfare. Modern Urban WarfareThe ongoing conflict in Ukraine has shown that urban warfare remains as deadly as ever. Advertisement"When I hear the words 'urban warfare' I think of buildings, close ranges, challenges in fires support, CAS [close air support], or MEDAVACs [medical evacuations]. During the industrial counterterrorism campaign against al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Iraqi insurgency, US special operations forces got a good taste of urban warfare and its complexities.

Persons: —, SOCOM, Justin Moeller, isn't Organizations: Service, Business, Operations Command, 5th Special Forces Group, US, Staff, Urban, Wagner Group, Delta Force, Green Berets, Islamic Locations: China, Taiwan, Pacific, Beijing, Ukraine, Bakhmut, Afghanistan, Qaeda, Iraq, Islamic State, Syria, Mosul

☆ US special operations forces are searching for a new extreme long-range rifle for their next big fight as Ukraine shows the damage that snipers can do
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A New Sniper RifleIn December, US Special Operations Command, or SOCOM, released a solicitation for offers for a new sniper rifle. SOCOM also wants its new sniper rifle to be significantly lighter than the ones it will be replacing. The MK-22 Precision Sniper Rifle sights view a target on the range at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, Oct. 22, 2023. As for its durability, SOCOM wants the new sniper rifle to have a barrel life of between 1,200 and 1,500 rounds. A view from the viewfinder of a Ukrainian sniper rifle at a shooting range amid Russia and Ukraine war in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on August 09, 2023.

Persons: —, Barret, MK15, SOCOM, Michael Schwenk, Norma Mangum, Ignacio Marin, wasn't, Vyacheslav Kovalskiy Organizations: Service, Army Rangers, Navy, Marine Raiders, Green Berets, Operations Command, Base McGuire, Dix, U.S . Army National Guard, Spc, Command, Department of Defense, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Army Green Beret, National Guard, Special Forces, British, South, Democratic Locations: Ukraine, Lakehurst , New Jersey, Ukrainian, Russia, Donetsk Oblast, Canadian, Iraq, Afghanistan, South African, Democratic Republic of Congo, China

☆ Private Equity Is Starting to Share With Workers, Without Taking a Financial Hit
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Lydia Depillis | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2018, Anna-Lisa Miller was working with agricultural cooperatives in Hawaii, helping them reinvest in their communities through shared ownership. Then she came across an investor presentation from a different universe: KKR, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. In it, a KKR executive, Pete Stavros, discussed a model he had been developing to provide employees with an equity stake in companies it purchased, so the workers would reap some benefits if it was flipped for a profit. By that time, Mr. Stavros had decided to start an organization to promote his model more broadly, hoping to reach the 12 million people who work for companies that private equity firms own. Ms. Miller saw it as a way to move much faster.

Persons: Anna, Lisa Miller, Miller, Pete Stavros, Stavros Organizations: Project Equity, KKR, KKR doesn’t Locations: Hawaii

☆ With crises brewing around the world, the US's diplomatic 'special agents' are sharpening old skills and learning some new ones
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The State Department relies on its Diplomatic Security Service to protect diplomats around the world. To protect those diplomats, the State Department relies on a little-known but highly capable agency — the Diplomatic Security Service. US State DepartmentAs the State Department's law-enforcement and security arm, the Diplomatic Security Service has been protecting US diplomats at home and abroad since 1916. "Through the council, the State Department can exchange information in real-time with hundreds of private businesses, faith-based organizations, and other US entities," a State Department spokesperson told Insider. Diplomatic Security ServiceFollowing a string of high-profile cyberattacks against government agencies and private businesses, US national-security officials are increasingly focused on cybersecurity.

Persons: —, Anatolii Organizations: Diplomatic Security Service, DSS, Service, UN, Assembly, US State Department As, State, State Department, Mobile Security, Mobile, Foreign Affairs Security Training Center, US Department of State Regional, US, Overseas Security Advisory Council, Publishing, Getty, Operations Command, Foreign Affairs Counter, APEC, Diplomatic Security, State Department's, Department of Homeland Security, Management, Budget Locations: Ukraine, China, Taiwan, State, Virginia, Kyiv, Russia, San Francisco

☆ With job cuts and drug tests, the Pentagon hopes to prepare its special-ops forces for a new era of warfare
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US Navy/MCS 1st Class Anthony W. WalkerNaval Special Warfare Command announced in September that it would start testing its personnel, including Navy SEALs and Naval Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen, for performance-enhancing drugs. The initiative comes after several drug-related incidents in the Naval Special Warfare community and is designed to protect the force's health and readiness. Special Forces Assessment and Selection candidates carry a telephone pole during a ruck march at Camp Mackall in North Carolina in March 2020. The Navy Special Warfare Community has swelled to about 4,000 SEALS — 10 times as many as at the height of the Cold War. A US Special Forces soldier free falls over a drop zone in Germany in March 2015.

Persons: —, Anthony W, Keith Davids, Jason Johnston, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Pentagon, Service, US Navy, Walker, Warfare Command, Navy, Warfare, Craft, Navy SEAL, Special Forces, US Army, Special, Command, Army, 75th Ranger, Operations Command, US Special Forces, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins School, International Studies, Boston College Law School Locations: Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, Beijing, Asia, Pacific, Russia, China, Coronado , California, Mackall, North Carolina, Germany

☆ US commandos showed off their little-known underwater skills in Army Special Operations Commands' best combat diver competition
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-11 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In September, US commandos showed off their skills during the US Army Special Operations Command Best Combat Diver Competition — and Army Special Forces divers flexed their little-known underwater muscles to triumph over their Navy brethren. AdvertisementAdvertisementCompetitors in the Army Special Operations Command Best Dive Team Competition at Naval Air Station Key West on September 25. AdvertisementAdvertisementCompetitors begin a dive event during the Army Special Operations Command Best Combat Diver Competition in Key West in September. AdvertisementAdvertisementCombat diving revivalThe 5th Special Forces Group team takes title of best combat dive team during the Army Special Operations Command Best Combat Diver Competition in late September. Competitors in a pool event during the Army Special Operations Command Best Combat Diver Competition in late September.

Persons: —, US Army John F, Maj, Brandon Schwartz, Emely Opio, Wright, Lino Miani, aren't Organizations: Special Operations Command, Commandos, US Army, Navy, Service, US Army Special, Army Special Forces, Naval Air Station Key, Army, Army Special, Naval Air Station, West, Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, Green Berets, Special Forces Group, Warfare Training Group, 5th Special Forces Group, Special Forces Underwater Operations, Green, Beret, Special Forces, Key West, 1st Special Forces Command, National Guard, Green Beret, Special Forces Command, Combat, Foundation, Pacific, Command, National Guard Green Locations: Russia, China, Key, Iraq, Afghanistan

☆ Ukraine has taken 17,000 Russians off the battlefield without firing a shot, US Army special-ops general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia has taken hundreds of thousands of casualties since attacking Ukraine last year. Thanks to its information operations, Kyiv has helped take 17,000 Russians off the battlefield without even firing a shot, according to the head of US Army Special Operations Command. "Messaging has played a huge role just in the tactical and operational sense" in Ukraine, Braga said at the Association of the US Army's annual conference in October. During the Cold War, the KGB used information operations as part of a larger "active measures" campaign to subvert the West and undermine NATO. In the US special-operations community, the Army's Psychological Operations Groups and the Civil Affairs Brigade do most of the work when it comes to information operations and shaping the narrative.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Valya, Jonathan Braga, Braga, We've, You've, Arkady Budnitsky, " Braga, it's, Kyiv's Organizations: Service, Russian, US Army Special Operations Command, Navy, Getty, Association of, Anadolu Agency, Kremlin, NATO, Keyboard, US Army, Psychological, Groups, Civil Affairs Brigade, Army Special Forces Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Europe, Kyiv, St . Petersburg, Rostov, Mackall, North Carolina, China

☆ Russia's electronic warriors are switching to 'much more subtle' operations around the frontlines in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Electronic warfare has played an important if less visible role in the war in Ukraine. As the war has evolved, EW troops on both sides have had to adapt and innovate to remain effective. After nearly 300,000 casualties and many humiliating defeats, the Russian military is still struggling to adjust to Ukraine's willingness and ability to fight. Electronic warfare — the use of electronic signals to find, intercept, and jam enemy forces — has been an important element of daily combat. Russian EW has been a major area of investment" and its EW troops "tend to be technically competent," the RUSI report says.

Persons: —, Storm, Denis Abramov, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, Royal United Services Institute, REUTERS, GPS, EG, Rockets, Russian Defense Ministry, Russian, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins School, International Studies, Boston College Law School Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, British, Donetsk, Russian, Moscow, Kyiv

☆ Cheap drones and expensive missiles mean there's no more 'safe rear areas' in wartime, top NATO general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia and Ukraine have made prolific use of cheap drones and pricier cruise and ballistic missiles. One such insight has been how the proliferation of drones and long-range missiles is changing the battlefield. AP Photo/Roman Hrytsyna, FileUkraine and Russia are both using drones in a variety of roles, including surveillance and strikes. AdvertisementAdvertisementRussia has also leaned heavily on long-range missiles and drones to target Ukrainian logistical nodes, command-and-control hubs, and civilian infrastructure, often far from the frontlines. For its part, Ukraine is using Western-made long-range missiles to hit Russian military targets and using drones, some of them possibly deployed on Russian territory, to hit targets deep inside Russia.

Persons: —, Johnny Stringer, you've, Stringer, Phil Speck, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: NATO, Service, AP, Royal United Services Institute's, Air, Allied Air Command, US Air National Guard, US Air Force, Combat, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins School, International Studies, Boston College Law School Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Kyiv, Russian, Wyoming

☆ Australia's new submarines are still 2 decades away from delivery, but the Aussies are already looking out for spies
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Australia is working with the US and UK to build nuclear-powered subs and other military technology. It can be intentional — for example, a foreign intelligence service spreading election conspiracies on social media — or unintentional, as when someone unwittingly shares the foreign intelligence service's social-media posts. Australian officials look at the Collins-class submarine HMAS Collins in September 2021. Those Australian intelligence officials echoed worries that US officials have about foreign efforts to compromise AUKUS. US intelligence officials estimate that Chinese espionage steals US economic secrets worth between $200 billion and $600 billion a year.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Rishi Sunak, Anthony Albanese, Tayfun, Andrew Shearer, Mike Burgess, Burgess, CPOIS Damian Pawlenko, Azorian, PETER, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: US, Service, Australia, British, Australian, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Australian National Intelligence, of National Intelligence, US Navy, Australian Security Intelligence, ASIO, FBI, Collins, Royal Australian Navy, intel, China Aviation, of State Security, Western, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins School, International Studies, Boston College Law School Locations: Australia, France, China, Canberra, San Diego, Virginia, North Dakota, Canada , New Zealand, AUKUS, Soviet, Beijing

☆ The US Air Force is using satellites and dirt runways to prepare its drones for a different kind of war
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The war in Ukraine has highlighted how hard air operations are in a large conventional conflict. The US Air Force is already training to keep its drones flying by spreading out and using new tech. In response to that challenge, the Air Force is training to disperse its forces and make targeting harder for enemies. For the US Air Force, fighter pilots have long been that dominant influence. Of 22 Air Force chiefs of staff, the service's highest-ranking uniformed officer, 17 have come from the fighter/attack communities.

Persons: —, Phil Speck, Doniell, Antonio Salfran, Christa Anderson, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: US Air Force, Service, US Air National Guard, Air Force, Cannon Air Force Base, Holloman Air Force Base, Combat Employment, Andersen Air Force Base, Pentagon, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins School, International Studies, Boston College Law School Locations: Ukraine, China, Russia, Wyoming, New Mexico, Europe, Guam, East, Africa

☆ British commandos have trained hundreds of Ukrainian marines in the 'art' of amphibious raids
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

For six months, British Royal Marines have been training hundreds of Ukrainian marines in "the art" of conducting commando raids and complicated amphibious operations. The British Royal Marines Commandos are one of the best amphibious-warfare units in the world. Ukrainian marines training with British Royal Marines in March 2023. Ukrainian marines training in the UK in February 2023. Ukrainian marines could also join the shadowy fight taking place in the marshes and inlets of the Dnipro River Delta.

Persons: Mark Johnson, Ben Wallace, Wallace, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: British Royal Marines, Ministry of Defence, British Royal Marine Commandos, British Royal Navy, Royal Navy, British Commandos, UK Royal Marines, British Royal Marines Commandos, Commandos, Royal Marines, Argentine, British Marines, Naval Center of Special, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins School, International Studies, Boston College Law School Locations: Ukrainian, Ukraine, Crimean, Crimea, British, Argentina, East Falkland, Dnipro, Russian, Delta

☆ In a US showdown with China, there are some missions with no special-operations 'easy button'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Special-operations forces have been a centerpiece of US military operations for two decades. US leaders should remember that special operators aren't suited for some tasks, one expert says. But in an era of strategic competition with China, there are some missions with no special-ops "easy button," according to David Ucko, a professor and expert on irregular warfare. First, the US special-operations community should consolidate its core strengths, particularly irregular warfare, which is "highly relevant" to strategic competition with China. US Navy SEALs train with Philippine Navy special-operations and Australian army special-operations troops in Palawan in April 2022.

Persons: David Ucko, David Devich, Ucko, US Army John F, Mario A, Ramirez, Jared N, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, US Special Forces, US Army, Royal United Services Institute, China, Air Force, RAF Mildenhall, US Air Force, Tech, Westin Warburton, Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, State, Justice, Treasury, US Navy, Philippine Navy, US Marine Corps, Army Green Beret, Philippine National Police, Coast Guard, British SAS, Commonwealth, Group, SAS, Allies, Army Delta Force, Delta Force, US Army Rangers, US Army Green Berets, Psychological Operations, Boat Service, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, SOF, Afghanistan's Ghazni, British, Russia, North Carolina, Palawan, Ukraine, Taiwan, North Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, Johns

☆ A possible future mission for the US's secretive Phoenix Ghost and Switchblade drones? Hunting Russian nukes
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The tense environment has been punctuated by Russian threats of nuclear strikes against the West in response to NATO's military support for Ukraine. In a future war, the secretive drones the US has supplied to Ukraine — the Phoenix Ghost and Switchblade — could get a new mission: hunting Russian nukes in Kaliningrad. NATO forces could use loitering munitions — drones designed to linger near a target before crashing into and destroying it — for such a mission in Kaliningrad. "A focus should also be on the training of these forces with the Phoenix Ghost and Switchblade drones to assist them in their search and destroy efforts," DiRubbio writes. The US has provided a few hundred of those two drones to Ukraine, including both version of the Switchblade.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, nukes, Vitaly Nevar, William DiRubbio, DiRubbio, Sarah Pysher, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, NATO, Russian, Ukraine, Baltic Fleet, REUTERS, US Air Force, Royal United Services Institute, Russian Defense Ministry, US Army's Delta Force, Special Air Service, Phoenix, Delta Force, Lejeune, US Marine Corps, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kaliningrad, Europe, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, Russia's, Baltic, Vitaly Nevar Kaliningrad, Lithuania, Poland, British, Russian, North Carolina, Johns

☆ After nearly 60 years in flight, US Air Force special operators took their AC-130 gunship to Australia for the first time
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

US Air Force special operators took their AC-130J to Australia for an exercise in July. As part of Exercise Teak Action, held in southeastern Australia in early July, US Air Force special operators flew their AC-130 gunship in Australia for the first time since it entered service in 1960s. Australian Air Force/Corporal Cameron PeggWhile in Australia, Air Commandos from US Air Force Special Operations Command's 23rd Special Tactics Squadron and their AC-130Js took part in dry-fire rehearsals in coordination with US and Australian Combat Control teams on the ground. AdvertisementAdvertisementA beloved aircraftA US Air Force weapon systems operator gives a tour of an AC-130J to Australian Air Force cadets at Royal Australian Air Force Base Richmond during Talisman Sabre in July. A US Air Force crew chief marshals an AC-130J at Royal Australian Air Force Base Richmond during Talisman Sabre in July.

Persons: It's, Corporal Cameron Pegg, 130Js, Steven Duffy, We've, Duffy, —, Talisman Sabre, Alexcia Givens, Griffin, Tylir Meyer Organizations: US Air Force, Air Force, Service, Australian Army, Australian Air Force, Air Commandos, Squadron, Australian Combat Control, Australian Forward, Control, New, Royal Australian Air Force Base Richmond, Talisman, Army Green Beret, Air Force Special, Command Locations: Australia, Wall, Silicon, New South Wales, Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, Japan, Romania, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Russia, Southeast Asia

☆ Rupert Murdoch's new girlfriend always had a touch of glamour even as a research scientist in the 2000s, former colleague says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A former colleague told Insider he was aware she had a glamorous lifestyle. Rupert Murdoch's new flame, 66-year-old former scientist Elena Zhukova, always had a touch of glamor about her, but didn't flaunt it when she worked in the lab, a former colleague told Insider. Lee Slice, who shared an office with Zhukova in UCLA in the 2000s, told Insider he "wasn't really surprised" to see the retired molecular biologist on Murdoch's arm. "That was sort of a circle she interacted with, as well as the scientific community," Slice told Insider. Zhukova took her work as a scientist seriouslySlice said that at work, Zhukova was a fairly private person and that her lifestyle was not really visible in the office.

Persons: Elena Zhukova, Ruper, Rupert Murdoch's, Lee Slice, wasn't, Zhukova, Rupert Murdoch, Ann Lesley Smith, Westwood, Alexander Zhukova, Slice, It's, Dasha, Roman Abramovich, Stavros Niarchos II, Stavros Niarchos Organizations: Morning, Zhukova, UCLA, Fox Corp, Guardian, National Institutes of Health, Playboy, Yorker, Baylor College of Medicine, University of California, Financial Times, Tatler, Chelsea FC, Dasha Locations: Bethesda, Westwood, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Moscow, Soviet Union, Houston, British, Russian

☆ The life of Rupert Murdoch's new girlfriend Elena Zhukova — a scientist who used to be mother-in-law to oligarch Roman Abramovich
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Tom Porter | Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

She is the mother of Dasha Zhukova, the ex-wife of the oligarch Roman Abramovich. The pair had a daughter, Dasha Zhukhova. Per the Financial Times, Zhukova left the Soviet Union in 1990, when she was in her thirties. Elena also has twins, a boy and a girl, from another relationship, according to a Guardian profile of Dasha Zhukhova. Murdoch has been married five times, divorcing Jerry Hall, ex wife of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, in 2022.

Persons: Rupert Murdoch, Elena Zhukova, Dasha Zhukova, Roman Abramovich, Ann Leslie Smith, Murdoch, Zhukova, Wendi Deng, Alexander Zhukhov, Dasha Zhukhova, Alexander, Elena, Abramovich, Dasha, Stavros Niarchos II, Stavros Niarchos, Deng, Jerry Hall, Mick Jagger Organizations: Daily Mail, Guardian, British, Yorker, Soviet, Financial Times, Baylor College of Medicine, University of California, Chelsea FC, The New Locations: Russian, Moscow, Soviet Union, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City

☆ US Special Operations Command is working on a new mini-sub to carry SEALs to their targets in style
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Dry Combat Submersible would shield SEALs from the sea, unlike other delivery vehicles. US Navy/Chief Photographer's Mate Andrew McKaskleThe battery-powered Dry Combat Submersible is about 40 feet long and weighs a little over 28 tons. But perhaps the biggest difference is that the Dry Combat Submersible keeps frogmen dry, unlike the SEALs' other submersibles, which are open to the sea. US Navy/Chief Journalist Dave FliesenUS special-operations leaders have big ambitions for the Dry Combat Submersible and their other mini-subs. The Mark 11 is meant to carry small teams of Navy SEALs into an enemy harbors and shores without detection.

Persons: Lockheed Martin, SOCOM, Photographer's, Andrew McKaskle, Gregg Bauer, John Parker, Bauer, Dave Fliesen, Christopher Perez The, Mark, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Operations Command, Lockheed, Service, US Navy SEALs, Special Operations Command, US Navy, Navy, DCS, Naval, Warfare Command, Navy SEALs, Warfare, Special Boat Service, US State Department, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russia, China, Ukraine, Philadelphia, Georgia, Naples, Italy, Sutton, Dallas, Norfolk, Pearl, Christopher Perez The British, British, Johns

☆ China's sprawling spy agencies are designed to root out the 'five poisons' at home and abroad, British intelligence says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Yin Gang/Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/Xinhua via Getty ImagesIn a recent report to parliament, the British intelligence services detailed the operations and goals of the Chinese intelligence services. The Chinese intelligence services are also collecting information on the Chinese democracy movement at home and abroad — including in the US — in an attempt to subvert it. According to the British intelligence report, Xi has sought to make Chinese intelligence activity more professional through reform and investment. "In more ways than one, the broad remit of the Chinese Intelligence Services poses a significant challenge to Western attempts to counter their activity," the report said, citing assessments by British intelligence officers. "To compound the problem, it is not just the Chinese Intelligence Services: the Chinese Communist Party co-opts every state institution, company and citizen.

Persons: Yin, Ma Ying, Xi Jinping, Chuang, Gong, Dalai Lama, Murad Sezer, Xi, Xie Huanchi, hoover, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Chinese Communist Party, intel, Beijing, Service, Ministry of Public Security, Yin Gang, Getty, Xinhua, of State Security, of Public Security, Force, NSA, REUTERS, CCP, of, People, US National Counterintelligence and Security Center, Chinese Intelligence Services, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: China, Wall, Silicon, Beijing, Xinhua, Taipei, Singapore, Xinjiang, Taiwan, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Istanbul, Johns

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