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☆ Ukrainian troops are putting a Vietnam-era US anti-tank weapon into use against Russian armor
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Maya Carlin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ukrianian troops are using US-made TOW missiles against Russian armored vehicles in Ukraine. TOW missiles were first used by US troops in the Vietnam War and have been in service since then. Ukrainian troops are using an array of foreign-made anti-tank missiles against Russian forces. A US Army mockup of the Heavy Antitank Weapon, a project that led to the TOW missile, in 1964. The TOW missile in UkraineOn Monday, Ukraine Weapons Tracker tweeted footage depicting an M41A7 TOW HMMWV-mounted ITAS being fired by a Ukrainian soldier.

☆ German Leopard 2 tanks have reached Ukraine -security source
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, March 27 (Reuters) - The 18 Leopard 2 battle tanks pledged by Germany to support Ukraine in its war against Russia have arrived in Ukraine, a security source said on Monday, confirming a report by Spiegel news magazine. Besides the 18 main battle tanks, 40 German Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and two armoured recovery vehicles had also reached Ukraine, the security source said. The German army trained the Ukrainian tank crews as well as the troops assigned to operate the Marder vehicles for several weeks on training grounds in Muenster and Bergen in northern Germany. Beyond the German vehicles, three Leopard tanks donated by Portugal also reached Ukraine, according to the security source. Reporting by Sabine Siebold and Rachel More, Editing by Friederike Heine and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Returning to frontline, Ukrainian Leopard crews see their 'cat' as game-changer
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

FIGHTING ALONGSIDE THE 'CAT'In Bergen, the German trainers were happy with the Ukrainians' performance over their six-week crash course. Of course, they are not heading for the training ground but directly into battle. One of the Ukrainian gunners rejected any talk of fear but warned the Russians to brace for the arrival of the Leopard. "The Leopard tanks will enable us to make the breakthroughs that we need. And other Ukrainian units will feel safer, too, when they fight alongside the cat."

☆ From pigeon-mounted cameras to dragonfly drones, here's how aerial surveillance has evolved to spy on people over the past 200 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-12 | by ( James Pasley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

A Chinese spy balloon in the US is the latest in a long history of governments spying on each other from the sky. Aerial surveillance dates back to the French Revolution to UFO rumors to the Cuban Missile Crisis. It's gone from hot air balloons to CIA gadgets to sophisticated live-streaming drones. Loading Something is loading. Here's how surveillance from the sky has developed over the years.

☆ Under the radar, Germany trains Ukrainians on advanced air defence weapon
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-03 | by ( Sabine Siebold | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

It is a modern system, whereas they have known the potential of the Leopard tanks for a while," said a German air force officer by way of explanation. Asked about the main differences to older Soviet-built air defences such as the S-300 or Buk, the Ukrainians cited greater effectiveness but also greater complexity. A German trainer said IRIS-T, built by German arms maker Diehl, could not be operated by "turning a switch on and off. It takes only a third of the time to set up its radar compared with the decades-old Patriot system - a critical factor, as any air defence system gives away its position once the radar is turned on. In Ukraine, the air space is closed - if anything flies there, it can be dangerous," said Dmytro.

☆ Hundreds of foreign soldiers to help train Ukrainian troops in Germany, general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Marlow's Special Training Command (STC) is part of a European Union military mission set up in November to train up to 30,000 Ukrainian troops in various skills to help Kyiv fight off Russia's year-old invasion. Courses in various European countries range from basic training to the operation of modern battle tanks such as the Leopard 2, air defence systems, rocket launchers and howitzers. Poland is another major training hub while Spain, France, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Italy are also running courses. Beyond the EU mission, U.S. and British troops are training Ukrainian troops in Europe as well. Marlow said he was impressed by the quick wits, skills and commitment of the Ukrainian troops.

☆ For Ukraine, Western tanks could be a game changer in the conflict
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

For Ukraine, the offer of modern, Western battle tanks was a long-time coming; it has requested Leopard 2 tanks from Germany, and asked Berlin to authorize their re-export from other allies, for months. On Wednesday, Germany offered Ukraine 14 of its Leopard 2A6 tanks and said it would allow allies to export their own German-made tanks to Ukraine. watch nowPoland, the Netherlands, Spain, Norway and Finland are among the other countries that have signaled they will, or are willing, to send tanks to Kyiv. Ukraine is certainly focusing right now on the exact number of tanks it can expect from its Western allies. The speed of training of our military, the speed of supplying tanks to Ukraine and the volume of tank support."

☆ Germany U-turns over battle tanks, saying it will send Leopard 2s to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced on Wednesday that Germany will provide Ukraine with 14 Leopard 2 tanks out of its own Bundeswehr (German armed forces) stocks. Germany said its goal was to "quickly assemble two tank battalions with Leopard 2 tanks for Ukraine. As a first step, Germany will supply a company with 14 Leopard 2 A6 tanks from Bundeswehr stocks. Reports emerged late Tuesday that Chancellor Scholz was ready to agree to send 14 Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, while the Biden administration was potentially prepared to provide a couple dozen M1 Abrams tanks. Warsaw on Tuesday sent a request to Berlin, asking permission to re-export 14 of its own Leopard tanks to Kyiv.

Still, many Germans feel Scholz is not doing a very good job of explaining his thinking. Scholz has so far neither said he would give the green light nor if he would send tanks from Germany. A main reason given is that Russia could see the deliveries of tanks as tantamount to Germany becoming a party to conflict. The Kremlin would be less inclined to retaliate if another nuclear power such as the United States also sent tanks. Already, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has forced Germany to overcome taboos such as exporting arms to war zones.

☆ The 3 best tanks on earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Brent M. Eastwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The three best tanks on Earth, let the debate begin: Are tanks still useful in the 21st century? I can offer three tanks that deserve clear recognition as the three best tanks on Earth, although I will admit, there is room for debate. Here are all of the reasons why:3 best tanks on earth: Meet the M1 AbramsAn M1A2 Abrams fires a sabot round. 3 best tanks on earth: Meet the K2 Black PantherA South Korean K-2 tank in June 2012. 3 best tanks on earth: the German LeopardGerman army Leopard 2 tanks in Munster in October 2015.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s 95 years of life started in a small Bavarian village in Germany and saw him rise to the pinnacle of the Catholic Church. Along the way, Benedict, who died Saturday in the Vatican, would become many things: a conscript into the German army in World War II, a war deserter, the longest-living Pope, and the first Pope to step down in more than six centuries. This timeline shows the milestones in Benedict’s life.

☆ Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI dies at 95
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Corky Siemaszko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"With sorrow I inform you that the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, passed away today at 9:34 in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican," the statement said. Benedict was the longest-living pope, having surpassed Pope Leo XIII in September 2020. "We must think about what Pope Benedict said — 'It's the epoch of sin against God the Creator,'" Francis said at a gathering of Polish bishops. Unlike most priests, Benedict logged little time in parishes. In 2005, his first year as pope, he was accused in a lawsuit of having personally covered up a priest's abuse of three boys in Texas.

MAINZ, Germany — Authorities in Germany arrested 25 people on Wednesday who are suspected of planning to violently overthrow the government in a far-right extremist plot. It is centered on the so-called Reichsbürger, or Reich Citizens, movement which is motivated by conspiracy theories about the role and legitimacy of the modern German state. The homes of a further 27 people suspected of being members or supporters of the group have been searched. The German armed forces have been beset by a series of scandals involving personnel belonging to far-right groups. German prosecutors note, however, that there is no evidence Russian officials reacted positively to the request.

☆ Swiss again reject German request to re-export Swiss ammunition to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ZURICH, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Switzerland has again rejected an appeal from Germany to allow it to re-export Swiss-made ammunition to Ukraine, the government said on Thursday, saying such a move would violate Swiss neutrality. But Swiss Economy Minister Guy Parmelin gave the same response the Swiss government had given in June when it rejected an earlier request. "As the legal situation remains unchanged, approval of a transfer of Swiss war materiel by Germany to Ukraine is still not possible," it added. The 35mm shells were originally supplied by Swiss companies to the German army decades ago on the condition that it could not re-export the munitions without Swiss approval. Reporting by John Revill; Editing by Noele Illien and Michael ShieldsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ German weapons are flowing to Ukraine, but Kyiv says Berlin's 'abstract fears and excuses' are getting in the way
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Germany's seeming reluctance to give heavy weapons to Ukraine has drawn criticism in Kyiv and Berlin. Despite Berlin promising to supply a variety of arms to help Ukraine repel Russia, many of those weapons still have not arrived. "Disappointing signals from Germany while Ukraine needs Leopards and Marders now — to liberate people and save them from genocide," Dmytro Kuleba wrote on Twitter in mid-September. "Not a single rational argument on why these weapons cannot be supplied, only abstract fears and excuses. Many Germans would rather not think about the last time German tanks clanked through Ukraine.

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