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☆ Opinion: Unable to ‘win’ in Gaza, Israel sets its sights elsewhere
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Opinion Hussein Ibish | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —An eerie relative calm has descended on the Middle East — Gaza obviously excluded — since a highly alarming exchange of missile, rocket and drone attacks by Israel and Iran in recent weeks. Now, the recent exchange of direct military attacks with Iran might have sealed Lebanon’s fate, unless team Biden can restrain Israel. On April 1, Israel struck an Iranian diplomatic facility in Damascus, killing a number of senior Iranian officials including Brig. As Israel’s forces moved south through Gaza, obliterating Hamas brigades with relative ease, its thinking relatively quickly turned north again. If this happens, a primary US goal regarding the Gaza war — conflict containment — would be shattered not by Washington’s adversaries, but ironically by its closest regional partner.

Persons: Hussein Ibish, Read, Biden, Israel, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, Haji Rahimi, Hossein Amirollah, Louai Beshara, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Charbel Mallo, Israel —, Joe Biden Organizations: Gulf States Institute, Israel, CNN, Biden, Hezbollah, Brig, Iran’s, Quds Force, Getty, Iranian, Israeli Locations: Washington, East, Gaza, Israel, Iran, Lebanon, Iranian, Damascus, Brig, Syria, AFP, Tehran, United States, Kafr Kila, Lebanese

☆ A US Navy amphibious warship returned home for repairs just 10 days after deploying
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Rachel Nostrant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

USS Boxer, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, is returning home just 10 days after deploying. "USS Boxer is returning to San Diego to undergo additional maintenance in support of its deployment in the Indo-Pacific region," Lt. Cmdr. "We're seeing some potential delays on [the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp]," Franchetti said. A spokesperson for Surface Force Atlantic told Military.com following the incident that "during the underway, the ship discovered an engineering irregularity" and "returned to port to effect repairs." The amphibious assault ship USS Boxer transits the East Sea during Exercise Ssang Yong 2016 March 8, 2016.

Persons: Boxer, —, Cmdr, Jesus Uranga, Military.com, Uranga, Craig Z, Adm, Lisa Franchetti, Franchetti, Bill Dodge, Yong, Seaman Craig Z, Konstantin Toropin Organizations: US Navy, Service, USNI News, Navy, Marine Corps, Boxer, Marines, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, USNI, Space, Maritime, USS Boxer, USS Boxer U.S . 5th, . Navy, Naval, Surface Force, REUTERS, U.S . Navy, Reuters, USS, Somerset Locations: San Diego, Boxer U.S, USS Boxer U.S, Norfolk, Virginia, Handout, USS Somerset, Somerset, India

☆ Ukraine isn't the only country Russia is trying to topple
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Even as Russian bombs pound Ukraine, Moscow's mercenaries and spies are busy trying to set much of the rest of the world afire. To Russia, the conventional warfare waged in Ukraine, and unconventional "gray zone" warfare waged around the world, are two sides of the same coin. Human intelligence operations are used to attempt elite capture through the offer of assistance to politicians who support Russian interests. "As the war in Ukraine protracts, Russia has an interest in creating crises further afield," said RUSI. "As a lot of Russia's unconventional operations are self-defeating, countering Russian unconventional warfare must be premised on careful, selective, and intelligence- driven targeting," the study emphasized.

Persons: —, RUSI, Vladimir Putin, Jack Watling, Oleksandr Danylyuk, Nick Reynolds, Britain —, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Ramzan Kadyrov, Kadyrov, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, Britain's Royal United Services Institute, Business, Kremlin, Soviet Union, NATO, Directorate, Staff of, Armed Forces, Getty, Russian, Central African, Wagner, GRU Expeditionary Corps, Convoy, Defense, Foreign Policy, Rutgers Univ, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Europe, Africa, Central Asia, Soviet, Montenegro, Moscow, Moldova, Russian, Britain, Ukraine protracts, Balkans, Russia's, Libya, Mali, Sudan, Central African Republic, Chechnya, Forbes

☆ US Marines train for war with China on an island-hopping battlefield, report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-30 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

New US Marine formations are learning to battle adversaries like China on remote islands. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementUS Marines are learning how to battle adversaries like China on remote islands in response to rising tensions in the Pacific, a report says. Pentagon experts expect that US satellites will be jammed or destroyed by China in the event of a potential war, the Post noted. In 2021, The Washington-based think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, conducted war games to imagine how a war between China and the US over Taiwan would play out.

Persons: —, John Aquilino, We've, Col, John Lehane, Lehane, Lewis B, Puller, Sarah Stegall, Mark Cancian Organizations: The Washington Post, Service, US Navy, US Armed Services House, China US, 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment, 3rd, Littoral, Pentagon, Marine, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Marine Corps, US Marine Corps, Marines, Center for Strategic, International Studies, US Air Force Locations: China, Pacific, Beijing, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, Inner Mongolia, Sarah Stegall China, South, The Washington, United States

☆ This US state is not covered by the NATO treaty. Some experts say that needs to change
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Because in a quirk of geography and history, Hawaii is not technically covered by the NATO pact. Mengshin Lin/AP“People tend to assume Hawaii is part of the US and therefore it’s covered by NATO,” he says. The exception is spelled out in the Washington Treaty, the document that established NATO in 1949, a decade before Hawaii became a state. It also says any island territories must be in the North Atlantic, north of the Tropic of Cancer. Hawaii, Guam, Taiwan and North KoreaSome experts say times have changed in the decades since the Washington Treaty was signed – and argue today’s political situation in the Indo-Pacific might require a rethink.

Persons: “, ”, David Santoro, Mengshin Lin, ” Santoro, –, China’s, Xi Jinping, —, Joe Biden, John Hemmings, ” Hemmings, Hemmings, Forum’s Santoro, Amy Picard, Luis Simon, Simon, ” Simon Organizations: CNN, NATO, Hawaii, Pacific Command, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Aloha, Pacific Forum, Sailors, USS Arizona Memorial, USS, 82nd, Treaty Organization, Washington Treaty, Tropic, Cancer, US State Department, United, Argentine, South Atlantic, Communist Party, Taiwan Relations, White, Center, New, New American Security, Foreign, USS Arizona . US Navy, Interim, Andersen Air Force Base, Korean, . Air Force, 23rd Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, Force, . Air Force ‘ Coalition, Research Centre, Security, Brussels School, Governance, NATO Command, Union Locations: Sweden, United States, Hawaii, Pearl, Honolulu, USS Arizona, Pearl Harbor, Honolulu , Hawaii, California , Colorado, Alaska, North America, Washington, Europe, Argentina, Falkland, British, South, Guam, Taiwan, North Korea, New American, China, Beijing, Oahu, USS West Virginia, USS Tennessee, France, Nazi Germany, Japan, Italy, Korean, Soviet Union, Belgium, Ukraine

☆ US Marines don skis in joint NATO exercises in the critical Arctic battleground
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Last month, II MEF attended a 10-day training course in the hills near the Norwegian town of Setermoen. "I think that's one of the things that we see with our marines and sailors in this training," said II MEF commander, Lt. AdvertisementThe II MEF, the US military's rapid response group, was ordered to delay the hypothetical enemy so that "reinforcements" had time to arrive. The Arctic is a key locationThe Arctic itself is already a critical region for Russia and NATO. AdvertisementPutin has snapped back at the West following French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestions that NATO could send troops to Ukraine.

Persons: —, Ted Driscoll, David A, JONATHAN NACKSTRAND, Grant Schapps, Pål Jonson, Mark Stephens, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Emmanuel Macron's, Sergei Naryshkin, General Carl, Johan Edstrom, it's Organizations: Service, US Marines, Marine Expeditionary Force, NATO, Marines, Business, NBC News, Nato Nordic, Getty, Reuters, NBC, Norwegian Communication Authority, Brookings Institution, Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service, BBC Locations: Alaska, Norway, Norwegian, Setermoen, Iraq, Afghanistan, AFP, Russia, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, North America, Europe, Russian

There, at a yet-to-be-announced location along the Gaza shore, they will build and begin to operate a floating dock to receive the aid. Off shore, the Army will build a large floating platform where ships can unload large containers of aid. The brigade’s commander, Army Col. Sam Miller, said about 500 of his soldiers will participate in the mission. The last time the 7th Transportation Brigade did a similar mission to construct a large pier was in Haiti in 2010. Miller said a larger Maritime Sealift Command ship will also be leaving Virginia in the coming days, and will be carrying some of the bigger equipment and more of the steel pier segments.

Persons: James, Joe Biden, Sam Miller, Miller, “, ” Miller, Frank S, Besson, — Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . Army, Base, Gaza Health Ministry, U.S, Army, Pentagon, Officials, 7th Transportation Brigade, Defense, Biden, Maritime Sealift Command Locations: Virginia, Gaza, U.S, Eustis, Israel, Matamoros, USAV Monterrey, Haiti, Saturday

☆ U.S. Military Ship Has Set Sail to Help Build Pier Off Gaza for Aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Cassandra Vinograd | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

The U.S. military said on Sunday that a ship had set sail carrying equipment to build a floating pier on Gaza’s coast, part of a Biden administration effort to deliver aid to the enclave by sea and help ease its hunger crisis. The administration’s plan for a pier and causeway, announced last week, could eventually help deliver as many as two million meals a day for residents of Gaza. On Sunday, the U.S. military said that an Army ship, the General Frank S. Besson, had set sail from a base near Norfolk, Va., a day earlier. The Israeli military will help coordinate the installation of the pier, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said on Saturday. They are trying to deliver the first sea shipment of food and humanitarian supplies to Gaza.

Persons: Biden, Frank S, Besson, “ Besson, Daniel Hagari, José Andrés, Helene Cooper, Gaya Gupta, Aaron Boxerman Organizations: U.S, Pentagon, Army, Seventh Transportation Brigade, United Nations, Aid, European Union, United Arab, United Locations: Gaza, Norfolk, Va, U.S, Israel, Britain, United Arab Emirates, Spanish, Cyprus, Larnaca

☆ Israel Hamas War: Latest Updates
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-09 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Distribution of humanitarian aid from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, in Rafah, Gaza, earlier this week. But aid workers say that the maritime project is not ambitious enough to alleviate the humanitarian disaster unfolding as Israel continues to bombard the Gaza Strip. The floating pier, General Ryder said, would be built and assembled alongside an Army ship off the Gaza coast. Israeli officials have denied they are hampering the flow of aid, saying the United Nations and aid groups are responsible for any backlogs. “We want to see the amount of aid going via land increase significantly,” General Ryder said.

Persons: Biden, Biden’s, Pat Ryder, General Ryder, Sigrid Kaag, “, Israel, ” General Ryder, “ We’re, ” Organizations: United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Pentagon, U.S ., 7th Transportation Brigade, Base, Army, Defense, U.S . Army, . Security Council, Israel ., United Nations, ” Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Eustis, Va, Norfolk, Egypt, Kerem, Israel, United, U.S, ”

Ryder also said the construction of the pier and causeway will likely require as many as 1,000 US military personnel to complete. The initiative will aim to augment a maritime corridor that the US, the European Commission, the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, and the UK, have been working to open to deliver assistance directly. The pier will allow ships to offload aid, which will then be transported across a causeway into Gaza that will also be constructed by the US military, officials said. “We are committed to supporting the maritime corridor which is planned by Fogbow,” the official said. The US president and vice president each said Israel had “no excuses” not to ramp up the aid allowed into Gaza.

Persons: Patrick Ryder, Ryder, Biden, Joe Biden, Sigrid Kaag, “ We’re, ” Ryder, Fogbow, “ I’m, ” Biden, “, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel, ” Kaag, ” Organizations: CNN, Pentagon, European Commission, United Arab, US, United Nations, United States Air Force, UN, Navy, Army, military’s, 7th Transportation Brigade Expeditionary, Base Langley, USAID, CIA, Blue, Qatari, European Union, Administration, “ Locations: Gaza, United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, United, Base Langley Eustis, Virginia, American, Qatar, Israel

☆ AI could influence 'the whole future of war,' starting with gaming out the next fight, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Ella Sherman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

It's something that has appeared in fiction writing on imagined future wars but is also being looked at right now. AI "can shape the wargames and actually the whole future of war," Yasir Atalan, an associate data fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Business Insider. In February 2023, for instance, the US military let AI successfully pilot a fighter jet and engage in simulated air-to-air combat. Wargaming expert Ivanka Barzashka has also raised concerns that AI may obscure explanations for actions, potentially leading to faulty conclusions. "When people are using these LLMs in their approach, they need to be transparent, they need to show their prompting," Atalan said.

Persons: —, Yasir Atalan, Thomas Mort, CSIS's Benjamin Jensen, Dan Tadross, Atalan, Cpl, Yvonna, Alan Turing, Barzashka, Javier Chagoya, it's Organizations: Service, Business, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Naval Postgraduate School, Mobile Education Team, US, CSIS, US Marine Corps, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, RAND, The, Atomic Scientists Locations: Wiesbaden, Germany, London, warfighting

☆ US expected to reduce forces near to Middle East by removing Marine rapid response force from Mediterranean Sea
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Oren Liebermann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A Marine rapid response force is expected to leave the eastern Mediterranean Sea in the coming weeks and return to the United States, according to two defense officials, in a significant reduction of US forces in the region. The Marine rapid response force first deployed in July and was sent to the region in October. It had previously been extended to remain in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, as CNN reported. The US has maintained an aircraft carrier or amphibious assault ship in the eastern Mediterranean Sea since shortly after the October 7 attacks in Israel. The Ford carrier strike group, which had been extended several times, left the eastern Mediterranean Sea in early-January, replaced by the Bataan amphibious ready group and the Marine rapid response force.

Persons: “, hasn’t, ”, Sabrina Singh, Dwight D, Lloyd Austin, Gerald R Organizations: CNN, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Pentagon, Marines, MEU, Eisenhower, Red Sea, Navy, Ford, US, Bataan Locations: United States, Bataan, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Red, Yemen, Gulf, Oman, Lebanese

☆ NASA will pay 4 health-conscious 'astronaut-like' people to live inside a Mars simulation for 378 days. See if you qualify.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Read previewNASA is hiring four people to spend 378 days living inside a simulated Mars habitat in Houston. NASA is looking for people who are "as astronaut-like as possible," said Bell, who also leads NASA's Behavioral Health and Performance Lab. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio with tomatoes growing on the International Space Station. NASA/Lacey YoungIn the Mars simulation, for 378 days, you can't go for a walk outside. JPL/NASAIt's not just experience and stress tolerance that makes a Mars astronaut.

Persons: —, Suzanne Bell, Bell, Ross Brockwell, Mars, CHAPEA, Frank Rubio, Koichi Wakata, Lacey Young, Bill Stafford, Go Nakamura, It's, There's, NASA It's, there's, that's Organizations: Service, Crew Health, NASA, Behavioral, Business, Space, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, REUTERS, JPL, Getty Locations: Houston

☆ Take a look at the tanker-like warship the US has used as a floating Navy SEAL base
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Lauren Frias | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The first US ship commissioned outside AmericaCapt. David Skarosi salutes the flight deck officer after landing on the expeditionary sea base USS Lewis B. Puller. Frederick PoirierIn 2017, the Puller was converted to a naval warship in a ceremony in Bahrain, making it the first US ship to be commissioned outside America. The Puller, for example, can operate within a few dozen miles of adversaries and may regularly encounter combat aircraft, drones, and surface vessels. "Commissioning this expeditionary sea base, the USS Lewis B. Puller, will allow the Navy and Marine Corps team to meet the threats in the region head on."

Persons: David Skarosi, Lewis B, Puller, Frederick Poirier, John Glenn, Adm, Donegan, USS Lewis B Organizations: US, Spc, Navy, Naval Forces Central Command, USS, Marine Corps Locations: America, Bahrain

☆ Iran-backed groups in the Middle East and major US military deployments
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | Abbas Allawati | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The US has attacked Iranian-backed groups in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, while Iran-linked groups have targeted American personnel in Iraq and Syria. The US, having been trying to pivot away from the Middle East for years, finds itself drawn back into the region. And in some places, including Iraq and Syria, the US military presence overlaps that of Iran and its allies. The US has around 13,500 US forces in Kuwait, the largest American military presence in the region. The US this month quietly reached an agreement that extends its military presence for another 10 years at the base.

Persons: Yemen’s, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Harakat, Sayyid, Al, Haq, Asad, Bashar al, Assad, Israel, Ali, Dalton Williams Organizations: UAE CNN, Hamas, Islamic, Navy, Marine Expeditionary Unit, Institute for National Security, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, National Intelligence, Badr Organization, Asad Air Base, Erbil AB, Al, Force, Fatemiyoun, ISIS, Syria Security, Syrian Democratic Forces, Syrian Free Army, CNN, Gaza, US Air Force, Battalion, 163rd Cavalry Regiment, Ali Al Salem Air Base, U.S . Air Force, Washington, United Arab, US, Udeid, Base, Forward Headquarters, Combined Air Operations Centre, Prince Sultan Air Base, UAE, Al Dhafra, Al Dhafra Air Base, Gulf Air Warfare Center, US Naval Forces Central Command Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Iran, US, Iranian, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Tehran, Pakistan, Islamic Republic, Washington, Lebanon Lebanon, East, Lebanon, Gaza, Tel Aviv, Iraq Tehran, Baghdad, Al, Erbil, Syria Iran, Syrian, Pakistani, ”, Red, Saudi, Yemen’s, Kuwait, U.S, Palestinian, Arab, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Doha, Al Dhafra Air, Bahrain, Jordan, Incirlik

☆ Pentagon says it created more hoops to jump through on AI weapons to calm fears it was 'building killer robots in the basement'
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The update was partially to assure people that DoD wasn't "building killer robots in the basement," a senior official said. The US and some of its adversaries are making rapid progress on AI weapons, with lots of controversy in the mix. Last year, DoD updated its directive on autonomy in weapons systems, which was originally published back in 2012. AdvertisementThe move reflects the US' growing interest and progress in developing AI weapons systems. Other nations, however, had hoped to use the UN as a platform to propose restrictions and limit how autonomous weapons operate.

Persons: —, Kathleen Kicks, Dominic Garcia, William Pugh, Michael C, Horowitz, isn't, Henry M, Jackson, Devin M, Langer, Tiffany Price, Khalil Hashmi, Hicks Organizations: Defense Department, DoD, Service, Pentagon, of Defense, Air Force, Barksdale Air Force Base, Defense for Force Development, Center for Strategic, International Studies, AI, Technologies, Strategic, Joint Chiefs, Staff, Tyndall Air Force Base, United Nations, New York Times, UN, The Times Locations: China, La, Ukraine, Fla, United, Russia, Australia, Israel, Pakistan

☆ US identifies 2 Navy SEALs declared dead after operation off Somali coast
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The two Navy SEALs who the US Navy declared dead after they went missing while conducting an operation on January 11 off the coast of Somalia have been identified as Navy Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Christopher Chambers who was 37 and Navy Special Warfare Operator 2nd Class Nathan Gage Ingram who was 27, the US Navy announced Monday. Blake Chaney, commander of Naval Special Warfare Group 1, said in a statement that Chambers and Ingram “were exceptional warriors, cherished teammates, and dear friends to many.”“Chris and Gage selflessly served their country with unwavering professionalism and exceptional capabilities,” Chaney said. According to biographies provided by Naval Special Warfare Command, Chambers, from Maryland, enlisted in the Navy in May 2012 and had served with SEAL units on the West Coast since 2014. Ingram, from Texas, enlisted in September 2019, immediately going into pre-special warfare training after completing boot camp at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Illinois. “During this expansive search operation, airborne and naval platforms from the US, Japan, and Spain continuously searched more than 21,000 square miles to locate our missing teammates.

Persons: Christopher Chambers, Nathan Gage Ingram, Capt, Blake Chaney, Chambers, Ingram “, ” “ Chris, Gage selflessly, ” Chaney, Ingram, CENTCOM, ” CNN’s Natasha Bertrand Organizations: CNN, Navy, US Navy, Special Warfare, NSW, Warfare, Central Command, US, Special Warfare Command, Marine, Recruit Training Command, Terrorism, Medal, National Defense Service, Numerical Meteorology, Oceanography Center, U.S . Coast Guard Atlantic Area Command, University of San, Oceanography, Naval Research Locations: Somalia, West Coast, Iran, Yemen, Maryland, Texas, Lakes , Illinois, Japan, Spain, University of San Diego

☆ An Israeli airstrike on the Syrian capital killed at least 4 Iranian advisers, state media say
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

An Israeli strike on the Syrian capital on Saturday destroyed a building used by the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, killing at least four Iranians, Syrian and Iranian state media reported. Iranian state television said four advisers from the Revolutionary Guard had been killed in the strike in Damascus, without identifying them, adding that Israel was behind the strike. Last month, an Israeli airstrike on a suburb of Damascus killed Iranian general Seyed Razi Mousavi, a longtime adviser of the Iranian paramilitary Revolutionary Guard in Syria. Iranian and Syrian officials have long acknowledged Iran has advisers and military experts in Syria, but denied there were any ground troops. Earlier this month, a strike said to be carried out by Israel killed top Hamas commander Saleh Arouri in Beirut.

Persons: Israel, Nour, Sadegh Omidzadeh, Hajj Gholam, Rami Abdurrahman, Khaled Mawed, Seyed Razi Mousavi, Bashar Assad, Bashar Assad's, Saleh Arouri Organizations: Iranian, Revolutionary Guard, Quds Force, Hajj, Syrian, Human Rights, Security, Windows, Associated Press Locations: Wafideen, Damascus, Syria, Israeli, Syrian, Iran, Mazzeh, Venezuela, South Africa, Israel, Gaza, Beirut, Golan, Lebanon, Red

ON BOARD THE USS BATAAN (AP) — When attacks with missiles and drones surged in the Red Sea late last year, crewmembers of the USS Bataan worked round the clock to make sure they were shot down before reaching passing merchant vessels. Weeks later, they are still perfecting that operation in training and simulations, along with a dozen other scenarios, despite moving north to the Mediterranean where commercial marine traffic is at little risk. The U.S. Navy is reshuffling its warship deployment in the Middle East to maintain dominance in the region – now eyeing the longer haul as concerns mount that Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza could set off a regional conflict. The Bataan was sailing toward the eastern Mediterranean Friday after taking part in live-fire exercises with NATO-member Greece on the country’s mainland. “I would say, the difference (after coming to Greece) is that the food is a little bit better.”

Persons: Weeks, Gerald Ford, Jeremy Hawkins, “ We’re, ”, Gregory Aftandilian, Sam Peters, we’re, “ Organizations: BATAAN, U.S . Navy, United, Carter, School of International Service, American University in, American University in Washington DC, NATO, U.S, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Navy Locations: Red, Bataan, Gaza, United States, Mesa Verde, America, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, American University in Washington, Israel, Greece, North Carolina, Valdosta, U.S, Georgia

☆ Missions like the nighttime sea raid that saw 2 Navy SEALs go missing are 'dangerous' and 'complex,' former Special Forces soldier says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Two Navy SEALs went missing at sea during a raid to interdict smuggled Iranian weapons last week. Western forces have carried out numerous visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) missions in recent years. These operations can be "dangerous" and "complex," a former US Special Forces soldier said. A former US Special Forces soldier said these missions are particularly "dangerous" and "complex" for a number of reasons, including the difficulty of successfully mounting a moving target and the potential to encounter hostiles once on board. AdvertisementUS forces seized this dhow during a nighttime mission on Jan. 11, 2024, and maintained custody of it the following day.

Persons: —, hostiles, Lino Miani, USS Lewis B, CENTCOM, Michael Kurilla, Melissa Parrish, there's, Miani, Jason Dunham, Kyle McNally CENTCOM, Kurilla Organizations: Navy, US Special Forces, Service, Operations, Green Beret, Insider, USS, Puller, Central Command, US, Command Public, US Navy, US Army Green Berets, Combat, Foundation, US Navy SEAL, Royal Jordanian Naval Base, US Army, Troops, Pentagon, 1st, Special Operations, US Marine Corps, UN Locations: Somalia, Iran, Yemen, Aqaba, Camp Pendleton , California, Iranian

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Navy ships and aircraft combed areas of the Gulf of Aden for two missing U.S. Navy SEALs on Monday as details emerged about their mission to board and take over a vessel carrying components for medium-range Iranian ballistic missiles headed for Somalia, a U.S. defense official said Monday. The crew members, who were taken into custody, had no paperwork, which allowed a search of the vessel. U.S. officials have said that the waters in the Gulf of Aden are warm, and Navy SEALs are trained for such emergencies. On Monday, Navy ships, helicopters and drones were involved in the ongoing search. Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesThe U.S. Navy has conducted regular interdiction missions in the region, also intercepting weapons on ships that were bound for Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Persons: USS Lewis B, Puller Organizations: WASHINGTON, — U.S . Navy, U.S . Navy, Navy, USS, Prosperity Guardian Locations: Gulf, Aden, Somalia, U.S, Iran, Iranian, Yemen, Red, United States, United Kingdom

☆ Remains of five crew found after US Osprey aircraft crashes off Japan
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A floating object believed to belong to the U.S. military aircraft V-22 Osprey that crashed into the sea is seen off Yakushima Island, Kagoshima prefecture, western Japan November 30, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON/TOKYO, Dec 4 (Reuters) - U.S. and Japanese dive teams found the remains of five more crew members from a V-22 Osprey aircraft that crashed off western Japan last week, the Pentagon said on Monday. Two crew members remain unaccounted for. "There is an ongoing combined effort to recover the remaining crew members from the wreckage," Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said. Following the crash, the U.S. military unit that the V-22 Osprey aircraft belonged to suspended flight operations.

Persons: Sabrina Singh, Phil Stewart, Satoshi Sugiyama, Bernadette Baum, Alison Williams Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, WASHINGTON, Osprey, Pentagon, U.S ., ., U.S, Pacifist Japan, U.S . Marine Corps, Thomson Locations: Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, TOKYO, Yakushima, Tokyo, U.S, Washington

Japan, a key U.S. ally, had sought the suspension of all non-emergency V-22 Osprey flights over its territory after one fell into the sea on Wednesday in western Japan. Japan's Coast Guard has said one person was found and confirmed dead, and the search for the remaining seven aboard continues. The Pentagon said on Thursday that it was still flying Ospreys for now, and that it was not aware of any official request for their grounding. "We are concerned that despite our repeated requests, and in the absence of sufficient explanation (from the U.S. military), the Osprey continues to fly," he told a news conference. The Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF), which also operates Ospreys, has said it would suspend flights of the transport aircraft.

Persons: Hirokazu Matsuno, Yoko Kamikawa, Rahm Emanuel, Robert Dujarric, Dujarric, Mariko Katsumura, John Geddie, Chang, Ran Kim, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Japan's Coast Guard, Pentagon, Ospreys, U.S ., Japan Self - Defense Forces, U.S, Pacifist Japan, U.S . Marine Corps, Tokyo's Temple University, Thomson Locations: Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, U.S, Tokyo

☆ Japan asks US military to ground Osprey aircraft after fatal crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Kantaro Komiya | Thomson Reuters | Kantaro Writes About Everything Japan'S Economic Indicators To North Korea'S Missiles To Global Regulation On Ai Companies. His Previous Stories Have Been Published In The Associated Press | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A Japan Coast Guard vessel and a helicopter conduct a search and rescue operation at the site where a U.S. military aircraft V-22 Osprey crashed into the sea off Yakushima Island, Kagoshima prefecture, Japan November 30, 2023, in this photo taken by Kyodo. The Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF), which also operates Ospreys, will suspend flights of the transport aircraft until the circumstances of the incident are clarified, another senior defence ministry official said in parliament. A spokesperson for U.S. military forces in Japan did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The deployment of the aircraft in Japan has been controversial, with critics of the U.S. military presence in the southwest islands saying it is prone to accidents. The last fatal U.S. military aircraft crash in Japan was 2018, when a mid-air collision during a training exercise killed six people, according to the defence ministry.

Persons: Minoru Kihara, Witnesses, Chang, Ran Kim, Kantaro Komiya, Tim Kelly, John Geddie, Kim Coghill, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Japan Coast Guard, Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, U.S . Air Force, U.S, Ospreys, Japan Self - Defense Forces, Boeing, Bell Helicopter, Marines, Navy, U.S . Marine Corps, Osprey, Thomson Locations: Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, U.S, Australia, Okinawa

☆ Satellite photos show how the US Air Force is reclaiming a WWII-era airfield from the jungle to prepare to dodge Chinese missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-30 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The US Air Force is developing more dispersed bases to counter the threat posed by China's missiles. US engineers quickly began building what became the biggest and busiest air base of the war. "Air Force engineers are scheduled to remove the vegetation that have penetrated through the cracks and joints of the old pavement surfaces," Peden added. Money is allotted for work at Tindal air base — including $93 million to build a parking apron for six B-52 bombers — and Darwin air base, both of which are in Australia's Northern Territory. The Air Force is working with the rest of the military to address those challenges, Thomas Lawhead, acting deputy chief of staff for Air Force Futures, said at an event this month.

Persons: —, Gen, Kenneth Wilsbach, Wilsbach, Lance Cpl, J, Gage, Capt, Gerald Peden, Peden, Jason Robertson, Cesar Basa, Michael S, Murphy, Frank Kendall, Kendall, Sgt, JT May III, Thomas Lawhead, Joseph P, Lawhead Organizations: US Air Force, China's, Service, Airport, US Pacific Air Forces, an Air and Space Forces Association, Field, International Airport, Commonwealth of, Marines, Air Force, Google, Air, Tinian's, US Marine Corps, KC, Pacific Air Forces, Tech, Northwest Field, Tindal, Pentagon, Air Force Futures, Army Locations: Tinian, SkyFi, Japan, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, West, Commonwealth, Northern Mariana Islands, Pacific, —, Guam, Northern Territory, Philippines, Manila, Philippine, China, North Korea, Northern Mariana

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