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☆ US Air Force's F-22 Raptors lost to German Eurofighters in mock dogfights, but the verdict on the superior jet isn't as simple
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-14 | by ( Alex Hollings | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

German Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets fly during a media day. Piroschka van de Wouw/ReutersDespite their generational differences, the F-22 Raptor and Eurofighter Typhoon actually have a number of things in common. A German air force Eurofighter Typhoon taxis toward the runway at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska before departing for a combat-training mission, June 11, 2012. So what's the verdict between the F-22 Raptor and Eurofighter Typhoon? A composite image showing a German air force Eurofighter Typhoon jet and a US Air Force F-22 Raptor.

Persons: …, Valerie R, David Cenciotti's, Piroschka van de Wouw, it's, Randy Gordon, Sam Eckholm, doesn't, Rich Wells, Thomas Wiegold, John P, Michael Holzworth, It's, Marc Gruene, haven't, Gruene, isn't, Jens Stoltenberg, Bernd Wüstneck, Eurofighters, Chris Jung, That's, Eric Wicklund, Erich Hartmann, He's, Alex Muller, Andreas Pfeiffer, who's, Thomas Bergeson, Wade Tolliver, we're, Dirk Smith, Mike, Bertie Simmonds, Micheal Jordan, Chesty Puller Organizations: Service, EA, German Eurofighter Typhoons, Business, Eurofighter, Spangdahlem Air Base, US Air Force, Tactical Air Force, America's Raptors, BFM, Germany's Eurofighter, Farnborough, Air, Germany's, German Air Force Eurofighter, Reuters, Typhoon, MIT, RAF, Breaking Defense, AIM, Air Force, Staff, Raptors, Eielson Air Force Base, Tech, Germany's Air Force, Combat Aircraft, TVC, Raptor, NATO, Tactical Air, Getty, Typhoons, Seoul International Aerospace, Defense, Eurofighters, 4th, US Navy, KC, Red Flag, Navy SEAL, ISIS, Qaeda, Flag, FS, Eurofighter Typhoon Locations: Germany, Alaska, Red, Estonia, Vietnam, Flag Alaska, gun's, American

☆ 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

☆ Don't want Russia to successfully invade your country? Then do this.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-02 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Even though Russia may dwarf a small state, that doesn't guarantee a successful airport seizure. AdvertisementHere's some advice for nations who don't want Russian troops as uninvited guests: Guard your airport. However, other Russian airport takedowns have been largely successful. Stringer points to a special airport defense regiment that Switzerland stationed at Zurich Airport during the Cold War, as a good model. "Understanding and delineating the sequence of events Russia has historically used to initiate a coup and devising countermeasures to thwart these actions may prove critical in defending against the next Russian invasion."

Persons: —, Russia's, Kevin Stringer, Heather Gregg, Stringer, Hafizullah Amin, Amin, playbook, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Guard, Kremlin, West, Institute ., Air, US Army, Russian, Spetznaz, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Rapid, Brigade, National Guard, Antonov, Zurich Airport, United States, 75th Ranger Regiment, Air Force, CIA, Hostomel, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Hostomel, Russia, Kyiv's Hostomel, Ukraine, Institute . Moscow, Prague, Kabul, Sevastopol, Kyiv, Ukrainian, Warsaw, Czechoslovakia, Baltic States, Moldova, Georgia, Russian, Switzerland, Zurich, Europe, Finland, Sweden, Forbes

☆ Ukraine says its sea drones sank another Russian ship, continuing its unlikely kill streak in the Black Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukraine says it sunk another Russian naval ship in the Black Sea. Ukraine's military released video that appears to show sea drones attacking the landing craft. AdvertisementIf confirmed, the sinking would be another notch in Ukraine's impressive score sheet against Russia's Black Sea Fleet. In December, the UK's defense minister, Grant Shapps, said that Ukraine has destroyed some 20% of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. Following this latest claimed attack, Ukraine's armed forces told CNN that it had destroyed a third of Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

Persons: Caesar Kunikov, —, Caesar, That's, Vladimir Putin, Grant Shapps Organizations: Service, The Defense Intelligence, Russia's Ministry of Defence, Defense Intelligence, Ukrainian Armed Forces, CNN, Jet, Russian Black Fleet Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Soviet Union, Crimea, Alupka, Olivye, Moskva, Russia

☆ Mojave Desert killings: 5 arrested after authorities find 6 people shot and killed in drug dispute
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Christina Maxouris | Taylor Romine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Authorities in southern California have arrested five men in connection to the grisly killings of six people discovered shot – and some of whom were also burned – last week in a remote area of the Mojave Desert. The killings appear to be connected to illegal marijuana, authorities said, though they did not release many details, as the case is being reviewed by the district attorney’s office. Warrick said the man told them in Spanish he had been shot but did not know where he was. Authorities served multiple search warrants throughout the investigation and recovered several firearms and other evidence, the news release said. “We are confident that this appears to be a dispute over marijuana, which resulted in the murders,” Warrick said.

Persons: –, Michael Warrick, Warrick, ” Warrick, Adelanto, ”, Franklin Noel Bonilla, Kevin Dariel Bonilla, Toniel Baez, Duarte, Mateo Baez, Jose Nicolas Hernandez Sarabia, Jose Gregorio Hernandez Sarabia, Jose Manuel Burgos Parra, “, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon D, Dicus, ” CNN’s Cheri Mossburg Organizations: CNN, Authorities, Deputies, California, Patrol, Baldemar Mondragon, San, San Bernardino County, Attorney’s Office, San Bernardino County Sheriff Locations: California, San Bernardino County, Spanish, Adelanto, Los Angeles, Albarran, San Bernardino

☆ Fox News ran a conspiratorial segment saying the Pentagon wanted to use Taylor Swift as a psy-op
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Jesse Watters floated a theory the Pentagon wanted to make Taylor Swift a pro-Biden "asset." Speaking on "Jesse Watters Primetime," Watters started out with the conundrum of why Swift has so many fans. AdvertisementHe said: "Around four years ago, the Pentagon's psychological operations unit floated turning Taylor Swift into an asset during a NATO meeting," he said. AdvertisementIs Taylor Swift a Pentagon PsyOp asset? I include Taylor Swift in here because she's a fairly influential online person."

Persons: Jesse Watters, Taylor Swift, Biden, Swift, —, Joe Biden, Watters, she's, Alicia Marie Bargar —, yHp8WywKh8 — Jesse Watters, Bargar, NATO StratCom's, Johns Hopkins Organizations: Pentagon, Fox News, Service, Fox, NATO, 11th, NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence, of Excellence, White Locations: Tallinn, Estonia

Many countries are working on them — and neither China, Russia, Iran, India or Pakistan have signed a U.S.-initiated pledge to use military AI responsibly. Another AI project at Space Force analyzes radar data to detect imminent adversary missile launches, he said. One urgent challenge, says Jane Pinelis, chief AI engineer at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Lab and former chief of AI assurance in Martell’s office, is recruiting and retaining the talent needed to test AI tech. Testing and evaluation standards are also immature, a recent National Academy of Sciences report on Air Force AI highlighted. Might that mean the U.S. one day fielding under duress autonomous weapons that don’t fully pass muster?

Persons: —, Replicator —, Kathleen Hicks, ”, Gregory Allen, we’ve, Missy Cummings, George Mason, Lisa Costa, Wallace ‘ Rhet ’ Turnbull, Tom Siebel, Matt Visser, Palantir, Jack Shanahan, Maven, Mark Milley, Christian Brose, Paul Scharre, ” Anduril, Nathan Michael, Michael, Shanahan, Craig Martell, Martell, Jane Pinelis, “ Organizations: U.S ., Russia, Air Force, China, Pentagon, Department of Defense, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Navy, ” U.S . Space Force, Space Force, Space Systems Command, Blackhawk, ., U.S . Missile Defense Agency, Defense Counterintelligence, Security Agency, Third Infantry Division, NATO, Maven, National Geospatial - Intelligence Agency, U.S . Special Operations, ISIS, Command, Control, Chiefs, Armed Services Committee, U.S, Marines, Special Forces, Industry, BAT, Marine Expeditionary, Pentagon AI, LinkedIn, Johns Hopkins, Lab, National Academy of Sciences Locations: Md, Ukraine, U.S, China, Russia, Iran, India, Pakistan, ” U.S, Silicon Valley

☆ 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

TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNov 16 (Reuters) - TikTok will prohibit content that promotes Osama bin Laden's 2002 letter detailing the former al Qaeda leader's justifications for attacks against Americans, the short-form video app said on Thursday. "Content promoting this letter clearly violates our rules on supporting any form of terrorism," TikTok said in a statement, adding that reports that it was "trending" on the platform were inaccurate. A search for "Letter to America" on TikTok surfaced no results on Thursday, with a notice that said the phrase may be associated with "content that violates our guidelines." On Wednesday, The Guardian removed the full text of bin Laden's letter, which it had published in 2002.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Osama bin, al, Laden, TikTok, Josh Gottheimer, Andrew Bates, Renee DiResta, Sheila Dang, David Shepardson, Rosalba O'Brien, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, Democratic, Guardian, Stanford Internet Observatory, Thomson Locations: al Qaeda, Israel, United States, Pakistan, America, Austin, Washington

☆ Bezos' Blue Origin sees third executive departure amid restructuring
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Joey Roulette | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Eilola's departure follows plans announced last month by Bezos to replace Smith, who has been Blue Origin's CEO since 2017, with longtime Amazon executive Dave Limp by the end of the year. Blue Origin did not respond to a request for comment. Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000 with the vision of having millions of people living and working in space. In the past several months, Blue Origin's corporate structure has changed substantially as its leadership gets a revamp. Blue Origin this year also spun its moon lander program into a new independent business unit.

Persons: Jeff Bezos's, Ivan Pierre Aguirre, Origin's, Jeff Bezos, Bob Smith, Mike Eilola, Bezos, Smith, Dave Limp, Brent Sherwood, Shepard, Limp, Joey Roulette, Will Dunham Organizations: Shepard, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Elon, SpaceX, Blue, Amazon, Honeywell Aerospace, Glenn, NASA, Space Systems, Thomson Locations: Van Horn , Texas, U.S, United States

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Russia says it's 'extremely concerned' about Middle East crisis — but has no plans to call Israel
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Kyiv said Russia is planning to launch a disinformation campaign to discredit Ukraine in the Middle East, claiming Moscow was planning to allege that Ukraine had supplied Western-supplied weapons to Hamas militants. "The special operations units of Russia are conducting a campaign to discredit Ukraine in the Middle East," Ukraine's main intelligence department said on Telegram Monday. It said Russia was looking to exploit the Palestinian militant group Hamas' attack against Israel in order to undermine Ukraine. "The next step, according to the plan of the Russians, should be fake accusations [involving] the Ukrainian military in the alleged sale of Western weapons to terrorists on a regular basis." Ukraine said Russia "aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces of Ukraine and [encouraging] the complete cessation of military aid to our country from Western partners."

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Benjamin Netanyahu, Holly Ellyatt Organizations: Hamas, USA, Ukrainian, CNBC, Armed Forces of, Sunday Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Israel, EU, Armed Forces of Ukraine

☆ US military is to start randomly testing Navy SEALs and special forces for performance-enhancing steroids
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Navy will begin testing its special operations forces for doping from November this year. It's the first time any military special operations unit has initiated force-wide regular testing. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe US Navy will begin randomly testing its special operations forces for steroids annd performance-enhancing drugs from November this year, the Naval Special Warfare Command said Friday. It is the first time any military special operations unit has initiated force-wide regular drug testing, according to The New York Times. The US Army and Navy's famed special operations forces include the Navy SEALs and Army's Delta Force, Green Berets, and Ranger Regiment.

Persons: —, Seaman Kyle Mullen, Navy's, Keith Davids, Davids Organizations: Navy, Service, US Navy, Warfare Command, The New York Times, New York Times, NSW, Army Special, Command, AP, US Army, Army's Delta Force, Green Berets, Ranger Regiment, Department of Defense, Special Warfare Command, Associated Press Locations: NSW

☆ 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

☆ Vasari Corridor: Tourists arrested for spraying soccer graffiti on 460-year-old Italian landmark
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Barbie Latza Nadeau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

This time it was the turn of the 460-year-old Vasari Corridor, a beautiful riverside passageway connected to the famous Uffizi Galleries in Florence, which was sprayed with Munich soccer-related graffiti in the early hours of August 23. Airbnb raidHow the Vasari Corridor looked before the graffiti incident. The one-kilometer-long Vasari Corridor was built by Italian Renaissance painter and architect Giorgio Vasari in less than nine months in 1565. Tourists behaving badlyThe graffiti reference a Munich soccer club. “I would like to express my thanks to the Carabinieri for promptly identifying the alleged perpetrators of the Vasari Corridor in Florence.

Persons: Rome, Rome CNN —, Airbnb, Tim Clayton, Corbis, Giorgio Vasari, Cosimo I de’Medici, Medici, Dan Brown, Florence Mayor Dario Nardella, It’s, Eike Schmidt, Schmidt, Gennaro Sangiuliano, ” Organizations: Rome CNN, Galleries, Carabinieri, Operations Unit, CNN, Culture Ministry, Authorities, Uffizi, UNESCO, TSV, Vasari Locations: Florence, Munich, “, Uffizi, Italian, Ponte, Santa Felicita, Italy, Rome, Venice, German

☆ Ukraine says its special forces pulled off a daring amphibious raid into occupied Crimea, hit Russian troops, and raised the flag on the peninsula
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian special forces made a surprise amphibious raid into occupied Crimea on Thursday. Kyiv's military intelligence agency said its troops engaged with Russians and raised a flag there. It is the latest in a string of engagements around Crimea, which Ukraine has vowed to liberate from Russia. The amphibious raid — and symbolic flag raising — also comes as Ukraine observes its 32nd Independence Day. Indeed, many of Kyiv's Western military backers sent messages to mark Ukrainian Independence Day, renewing commitments to keep supporting the country with economic and security assistance.

Persons: HUR, —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, General Budanov, Zelenskyy, Kyrylo Budanov, Putin, Budanov, Sophia, Lloyd Austin Organizations: Service, Directorate of Intelligence, Ukraine's Defense Forces, Ukrainian, REUTERS, NATO, US Locations: Crimea, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Crimean, Russian, Russia, Ukraine's, Olenivka, Moscow, Kyiv, Kerch, Ukrainian, REUTERS Ukraine, Kyiv's St, United States

☆ Exclusive: Islamists wield hidden hand in Sudan conflict, military sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Khalid Abdelaziz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Yet the three military sources and an intelligence source said thousands of Islamists were battling alongside the army. Reuters spoke to 10 sources for this article, including military and intelligence sources and several Islamists. The army accused the RSF of promoting Islamists and former regime loyalists in their top ranks, a charge the RSF denied. Nowadays, former NISS officers also help the military by collecting intelligence on its enemies in the latest conflict. The NISS was replaced by the General Intelligence Service (GIS) after Bashir was toppled, and stripped of its armed "operations" unit, according to a constitutional agreement.

Persons: General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, Umit, Bashir, Omar al, Osama bin Laden, Mohammed al, Fadl, Ali Karti, Abdel Fattah Burhan, Burhan, Reuters Graphics BASHIR, Hemedti, Bashir loyalists, Michael Georgy, Aidan Lewis, William Maclean Organizations: Rapid Support Forces, REUTERS, Army, DUBAI, West, Reuters, Sudanese, National Intelligence and Security Service, National, Party, United Arab Emirates, General Intelligence Service, Reuters Graphics, Central Reserve Police, Publicly, Thomson Locations: Aprag, Khartoum, Sudan, Darfur, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahri

5 miles from the front line Russian defensive line Anti-tank trap Trenches Beyond natural obstacles, miles of Russian defenses — trenches, tank traps and mines — only allow Ukraine’s troops to make incremental progress at best. 10 miles from the front line Russian defensive line If Ukraine can get 15 miles from the front line, to the city of Tokmak, urban warfare will pose its own challenges. 5 miles from the front line Russian defensive line Anti-tank trap Trenches Beyond natural obstacles, miles of Russian defenses — trenches, tank traps and mines — only allow Ukraine’s troops to make incremental progress, at best. 10 miles from the front line Russian defensive line If Ukraine can get 15 miles from the front line, to the city of Tokmak, urban warfare will pose its own challenges. 5 miles from the front line Russian defensive line Anti-tank trap Trenches Beyond natural obstacles, miles of Russian defenses — trenches, tank traps and mines — only allow Ukraine’s troops to make incremental progress, at best.

Persons: Wagner, hasn’t, it’s, Volodymyr Zelensky Organizations: Infantry, Vehicle, ORIKHIV, Tanks, Supplies Tank, Ukrainian Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Territory, Tokmak, Ukrainian, Ukraine’s, Russian, Crimea

☆ How a dysfunctional mission in the Caribbean became 'the pivotal point' for the creation of US Special Operations Command
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Those problems helped spur the creation of US Special Operations Command several years later. According to Maj. Gen. Richard Scholtes, the first commander of Joint Special Operations Command, US military officers involved in the planning soon butted heads. A task force of Delta Force operators, Rangers, and helicopters from the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment also attacked Fort Rupert and Richmond Hill Prison. Bettmann/Getty Images"The Pentagon was waging a frontal and rear assault in opposition to the creation of a special operations command," William Cohen said in the mid-2000s, according to Kukielski's article. Stavros Atlamazoglou is a defense journalist specializing in special operations, a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ), and a Johns Hopkins University graduate.

Persons: —, Peter Carrette, Eagle, JSOC, Reagan, Richard Scholtes, butted, jean, Louis Atlan, Scholtes, Philip Kukielski, frogmen, Fort, Paul Scoon, Bettmann, Formally, William Cohen, Cohen, Nunn, Eric BOUVET, SOCOM, Chance, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Operations Command, Service, Fury, Pentagon, Delta Force, Soviet Union, Getty, US Atlantic Command, Atlantic Command, US Marine Corps, CIA, State Department, Team, Air Commando, US Defense, Rangers, 2nd Ranger, Porto Salines, Marines, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, Radio Free, US, Dover Air Force Base, Special Warfare, Craft, 160th, American, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: Grenada, Caribbean, Tehran, Cuba, Soviet, Richmond, Porto, Fort Rupert, Rupert, Radio Free Grenada, Grenada's, Point Salinas, Scholtes, Beirut, Grenada —, Persian, Johns

☆ US special operators are tinkering with a low-tech kind of aircraft to overcome high-tech threats in future wars
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For US special operators, who may have to operate far from friendly forces in those wars, one new effort is the use of a low-tech kind of aircraft to overcome high-tech threats. A special-operations gliderUS Army special operations soldiers load a GD-2000 glider into a C-27J airplane at Yuma Proving Grounds in February. Thoman JohnsonIn February, a US Army Special Forces team tested a prototype aircraft that could ease the logistical challenges faced by special-operations units in contested areas. That long glide distance is equal to what special operators can cover during a High Altitude, High Opening free-fall jump. David Bathgate/Corbis via Getty ImagesDuring the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, the US military's resupply operations have been largely uncontested.

Persons: —, Thoman Johnson, Yates Electrospace, David Bathgate, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: Special Forces, Service, US Army, US Army Special Forces, Troops, Green Beret, Getty, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: China, Ukraine, Russian, Yuma, Arizona, Afghanistan, Corbis, Iraq, Syria, Russia, Johns

☆ The US Air Force is finally retiring the aging A-10. Now it plans to get rid of some the specially trained airmen who guide the Warthog to its targets.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US Air Force has begun retiring the A-10, an aircraft famed for its role in close air support. Indeed, the US Air Force is finally retiring the aging A-10 Warthog ground-attack aircraft, which a top official has said "doesn't scare" China. According to Pentagon's budget request for 2024, the Air Force is looking to cut its TACP force by more than 40% over the next three years. If the plan goes ahead, the Air Force TACP community will have a little over 2,100 positions for officers, enlisted troops, and civilian personnel in 2025, down from the 3,700 slots it has currently, a spokesman told Air Force Times. "I think the military is getting ready for a war where we won't have air dominance," a former Air Force Combat Controller told Insider.

Persons: —, Tyler, Mercedee Wilds, Ryan Conroy, Michael Holzworth, Col, Nathan Colunga, Colunga, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: US Air Force, Tactical Air Control Party, Service, China, US Air National Guard, Staff, Tyler Woodward Tactical Air Control Party, US Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Air Force Times, Air, National Guard, Air Combat Command, Air Force Combat, Combat, Air Commando, 321st Special Tactics Squadron, Navy, Army Green Berets, Marine Raiders, Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Force Special, Squadron, Tech, Warfare, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: China, Estonian, Kansas, Fort Irwin, California, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Estonia, Nevada, Johns

☆ Reddit to lay off about 5% of its workforce
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 6 (Reuters) - Reddit said on Tuesday it is laying off about 5% of its workforce, or 90 employees, joining a list of technology companies that have been cutting jobs across corporate America. Tech companies including Meta Platforms (META.O) have been slashing jobs after aggressively hiring during the pandemic, as the industry braces for an economic downturn. The Wall Street Journal first reported Reddit's move on Tuesday, citing an email sent to employees from Chief Executive Steve Huffman. In December 2021, Reddit had confidentially filed for an initial public offering with the U.S. securities regulator after the company's message boards became the go-to destination for day traders during a meme stock frenzy. Reporting by Bhanvi Satija and Samrhitha Arunasalam in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Reddit, Conde Nast, Steve Huffman, Huffman, Bhanvi Satija, Maju Samuel Organizations: America . Tech, Meta, Facebook, Street Journal, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ After a year of fighting in Ukraine, the brutal logic behind Russia's 'human wave' attacks is becoming clear
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

At the bottom of the hierarchy is what RUSI terms "disposable infantry." According to the RUSI report, the term "human wave attacks" has been misleadingly applied to the way Russia has employed these infantry forces. The assault troops attack in larger company-size formations, backed by tanks and artillery as they attempt to outflank Ukrainian defenses. Once their mission is complete, assault forces are replaced by line and disposable infantry, who begin preparing for the next attack. Disposable troops are fed into the meat-grinder and killed or wounded before they can gain enough experience to survive.

Persons: —, Wagner Group's, Arkady Budnitsky, Wagner, They're, Diego Herrera Carcedo, demographically, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Royal United Services Institute, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Wagner Group, Donetsk People's Republics, Russian, Soviet, —, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Russian, British, Rostov, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kharkiv, Forbes

☆ Ukrainian special operators are learning to fight Russia without the 'tethers' other militaries have gotten used to
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian special operators in particular have been learning to fight without those "tethers." When Russia launched its attack early on February 24, 2022, Ukraine's government was caught off guard — but the Ukrainian military wasn't. Fortunately for Ukrainian special operators, their supply lines are short — they are fighting on their home turf, after all. Insider understands that the Ukrainian special operators often resort to unconventional methods to overcome logistics challenges on the ground. As the war drags on and the Ukrainian forces advance, Ukrainian special operators will continue to face logistical difficulties.

☆ Russia's brash invasion plan for Ukraine wasted special-operations units on missions they weren't meant to do
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-23 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Russia's invasion also struggled because of flaws in its planning for the operation. "The lack of effective line infantry units caused Spetsnaz units to be deployed mostly as light infantry, which also led to a high level of casualties among these units. It details not only structural flaws but also the tactical misuse of Russian special forces during the invasion itself. When the airborne assault on Kyiv failed and the tank columns stalled, the special forces were left adrift. Russian commanders then sent Spetsnaz units in to operate like light infantry, which increased their casualties and left fewer Spetsnaz units available for their designated missions.

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