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A cameraman films a wreckage of the private jet linked to Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin near the crash site in the Tver region, Russia. Neither referenced the plane crash in which 10 people were said to have been killed. A Reuters reporter at the crash site on Thursday morning saw men carrying away black body bags on stretchers. Unnamed sources told Russian media they believed the plane had been shot down by one or more surface-to-air missiles. SECOND PLANE LINKED TO PRIGOZHINFlightradar24 online tracker showed that the plane had dropped off the radar at 6:11 p.m. (1511 GMT).

Persons: Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Marina Lystseva, Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Anatoly, Putin, WAGNER, Dmitry Utkin, Abbas Gallyamov, Gallyamov, Bill Browder, Browder, Joe Biden, I’m, Biden, Sergei Shoigu, Valery Gerasimov, Andrew Osborn, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Marina, Defence Ministry, Embraer, SA, Reuters, Telegram, Kremlin, Twitter, General Staff, Thomson Locations: Tver, Russia, MOSCOW, Ukraine, South Africa, Moscow, St, Petersburg, Kuzhenkino, Russian, St . Petersburg, Grey, Africa, Belarus

☆ Prigozhin plane crash: Villagers hear bang, then see plane plummet to ground
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KUZHENKINO, Russia, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Residents of a village near the site of a plane crash which is believed to have killed Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin said they had heard a bang, then saw the jet plummet to the ground. A Reuters reporter at the crash site early on Thursday saw men taking away black body bags on stretchers. Part of the plane's blue-and-white liveried tail and other fragments lay on the ground near a wooded area. [1/2]A wreckage of the private jet linked to Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is seen near the crash site in the Tver region, Russia, August 24, 2023. Some unnamed sources told Russian media they believed the plane had been shot down by one or more surface-to-air missiles.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Vitaly Stepenok, Marina Lystseva, gesturing, Stepenok, Anatoly, I've, Prigozhin, Angus MacSwan, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Embraer, Kremlin, Defence Ministry, Reuters, REUTERS, Marina, Thomson Locations: KUZHENKINO, Russia, Kuzhenkino, Russia's Tver, Moscow, St, Petersburg, Tver, Ukraine, Russian

☆ The plane carrying Prigozhin seemed fine on radar until a 'sudden downward' drop in its last 30 seconds
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A plane crash in Russia on Wednesday killed 10 people on board. It plummeted suddenly after appearing fine on radar, a flight-tracking expert told Reuters. The plane plummeted more than 8,000 feet from its cruising altitude of 28,000 within approximately 30 seconds, he added. "Whatever happened, happened quickly," Petchenik said, according to the news agency. President Joe Biden suggested on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was likely behind the crash, though he didn't speak with certainty.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Vladimir Putin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Ian Petchenik, Petchenik, John Sawers, Joe Biden, Biden, I'm, Frank Gardner Organizations: Wednesday, Reuters, Service, Embraer, Financial Times, Telegram, Financial, BBC, CNN, Russia's Federal Security Service, BBC's Locations: Russia, Wall, Silicon, Moscow, St . Petersburg, Kuzhenkino, Tver Oblast, Russian

Firefighters work amid aircraft wreckage at an accident scene following the crash of a private jet in the Tver region, Russia, August 23, 2023. Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of Russian private mercenary group Wagner, was reportedly listed as a passenger on a private jet which crashed north of Moscow on August 23, 2023. Within about 30 seconds, the aircraft had plummeted more than 8,000 feet from its cruising altitude of 28,000 feet. “Whatever happened, happened quickly,” Petchenik said. “They may have been wrestling (with the aircraft) after whatever happened," Petchenik said.

Persons: Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, ”, Ian Petchenik, ” Petchenik, “, Petchenik, Flightradar24, Valerie Insinna, Allison Lampert, Gabriel Araujo, Caroline Pulice, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Acquire, Embraer, EMBR3, ”, Reuters, planemaker Embraer SA, Russia, Thomson Locations: Tver, Russia, Moscow, St . Petersburg, Kuzhenkino, Tver Region, Flightradar24, Russian, Belarus, Washington, Montreal, Sao Paulo, Mexico City

☆ Ukrainian pilots are finally learning to use F-16s, and NATO training plans have said they could be taught to fly other fighter jets too
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

NATO and European countries have started training Ukrainians on advanced F-16 fighter jets. The months-long program intends to cover language training, flight training, and conversion to the F-16 platform, according to an undated copy of the F-16 training concept that Insider obtained from the Danish defense ministry. The document also hints that Ukraine might get its hands on other fighter jets at some point. It's not immediately clear which fighter aircraft the statement is referencing, but one aircraft that the Ukrainians have been eyeing is Sweden's JAS 39 Gripen. However, the jet is operated by just six countries — only two of which support Ukraine with military aid (Sweden and the Czech Republic) — and has not yet seen combat experience.

Persons: Netherlands —, It's, JAS, Saab JAS, Matthew Horwood, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, Petr Josek PJ, AA Zelenskyy Organizations: Service, Kyiv, NATO, Saab, RAF Fairford, Royal Military Air, Getty, Gripen, REUTERS, AA, Pentagon Locations: Wall, Silicon, Kyiv, Denmark, Netherlands, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Sweden, Czech Republic, NATO, Stockholm, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, United Kingdom, Prague, Europe

☆ Surface-to-air missiles are getting a workout in the Ukraine war — and not just shooting down enemy missiles and aircraft
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

But reports show both Russia and Ukraine are also using SAMs to hit land targets. A S-200 surface-to-air missile system. On Sunday, a UK intelligence update said there were increasing reports of surface-to-air missiles striking land targets inside Russian-controlled territory. With the S-200s, Ukraine can strike Russia without breaking any promises to its allies. When used for attacks against land targets, the supersonic weapons are notoriously inaccurate and cause massive collateral damage.

Persons: SAMs, Ukraine's, Weeks, Ercin Organizations: Service, Patriots, TASS, Russia pummels, UNESCO, Heritage, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images, High, Artillery, Systems Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Wall, Silicon, Soviet, NASAMS, SAMs, Crimea, Western, Russian, Odessa, Getty Images Russia, Moscow, Ukrainian

☆ Top US Air Force general was surprised that Russia 'gave up' trying to destroy Ukraine's Russian-designed air defenses so quickly
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Russia's limited use of its air force in Ukraine has surprised US Air Force leaders. Those leaders are surprised in large part because Ukraine is using air defenses that Russians designed. "I would say that I was somewhat surprised" by Russia's inability to control the air and knock out Ukrainian air defenses, Hecker said. Ukrainian forces are now using US-made Patriot missiles and the US-Norwegian-designed NASAMS to defend against long-range threats as well as several Western-designed systems for short-range air defense. US intelligence assessments leaked online this spring suggested Ukraine could expend its supply of surface-to-air missiles for several systems by mid-year.

Persons: James Hecker, " Hecker, Justin Bronk, Hecker, Ukrainian Defense Ministry Hecker, Charles Brown Jr, Brown, Sen, Tommy Tuberville, Ed Ram Organizations: US Air Force, Service, Russian Air Force, US Air Forces, Defense Writers, Russian Ministry of, Royal United Services Institute, Russian Sukhoi, Ukraine's Defense Ministry, Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Air Force, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Ukraine, Ukrainian, International Institute of Strategic Studies, The Washington, Getty, Patriot, Russian, Ukraine Defense Contact Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Europe, Russian, Russia, British, Soviet, Norwegian, Kyiv

☆ Philippines to resupply South China Sea troops after Beijing's block
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Erik De Acquire Licensing Rights Read moreMANILA, Aug 19 (Reuters) - The Philippine armed forces said on Saturday it would again seek to resupply troops stationed in a rusty World War 2-era ship on a reef in the South China Sea, after China blocked a previous attempt with water cannons. China claims almost all the South China Sea, an assertion rejected internationally, while Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines have various claims to certain areas. The planned resupply mission "is a clear demonstration of our resolve to stand up against threats and coercion, and our commitment in upholding the rule of law", the armed forces said. In 2016, an international arbitration award invalidated China's sweeping claim to almost the entire South China Sea. China, which does not recognise the ruling, has built man-made islands with airstrips and surface-to-air missiles in the South China Sea.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Erik De, Medel Aguilar, Thomas, Aguilar, Neil Jerome Morales, William Mallard Organizations: Philippine Marines, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Navy, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Philippine, Spratly, South, MANILA, South China, China, Manila, Beijing, Philippines, Thomas Shoal, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan

☆ Video of a Ka-52 attack helicopter being shot down in Ukraine hints Russia isn't learning what it should have by now, former US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( Jake Epstein | Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian forces destroyed three Russian Ka-52 attack helicopters this week alone. One video circulating around social media shows the moment a helicopter gets shot down. Russian forces have benefitted from its Ka-52s for much of the ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensive, using them to inflict damage on enemy ground forces lacking adequate protection. Ukrainian forces have found success this week in downing the formidable Ka-52, which is Russia calls the "Alligator" and NATO calls the "Hokum-B." A Ukrainian soldier looks at fragments of the Russian Ka-52 helicopter destroyed by the Ukrainian army.

Persons: couldn't, —, Ben Hodges, It's, Hodges, Maxym, Russia's, Andriy Yermak, Russia shouldn't Organizations: Service, US Army, NATO, Air Defense Systems, Army, Stingers, RBS, Getty, BBC Russian Service Locations: Wall, Silicon, Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Donetsk, Army Europe, Soviet, Ukrainian, Moscow, Asia

☆ Ukraine is closer to having F-16s, but don't expect them to suddenly start 'taking down' Russia's formidable air defenses, top US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( Christopher Woody | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

In addition to anti-radar missiles, Ukrainian jets have employed US-made guided bombs, which Russia has countered with electronic warfare. While F-16s would allow Ukraine to better employ those weapons, Hecker said Russia's military will continue to adapt and adjust. "It allows us to follow through on the training of Ukrainian pilots. Although the timeline has been somewhat unclear, Denmark — one of 11 countries in the coalition — announced on Friday that it would start training pilots later this month. But training and equipping Ukrainian airmen to operate F-16s and other sophisticated jets will be a long-term project, Hecker said Friday.

Persons: Ukraine's, James Hecker, " Hecker, JOHN THYS, Hecker, It's, you'll, Beata Zawrzel, Kajsa Ollongren, Wopke Hoekstra, Antony Blinken, Pat Ryder, Yasuo Osakabe, US Air Force Hecker, they're, that's, it's Organizations: Service, US Air Force, US Air Forces, Defense Writers, Siauliai, NATO, Getty Images, SA, NATO Summit, Defense, —, Pentagon, Air Force, Yokota Air Base, Alpha Jet Locations: Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Denmark, Netherlands, Europe, Romanian, Lithuania, AFP, Russia, Ukrainian, Vilnius, Japan, France

☆ India is a rising force in Southeast Asia as region seeks to counter China's dominance
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

(Photo credit RAVEENDRAN/AFP via Getty Images) Raveendran | Afp | Getty ImagesIndia is taking major strides to expand its influence in Southeast Asia, a move that will allow countries to counter China's dominance in the region. "India certainly is becoming more ambitious in Southeast Asia. "This is particularly salient to the maritime sphere, namely the South China Sea, where overlapping sovereignty disputes threaten regional stability and openness," he added. "It continues to maintain a very independent streak in its foreign policy, which suits a large number of Southeast Asian countries." While China remained the most influential and strategic power in Southeast Asia, its standing has diminished, the Southeast Asia survey from February showed.

Persons: Pant, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Narendra Modi's, Satoru Nagao, Nagao, Derek Grossman, Modi, Xi Jinping, Ted Aljibe, Enrique Manalo, Rand's Grossman, Joanne Lin, Lin, ISEAS's Lin Organizations: Indian, Getty, Afp, Observer Research Foundation, CNBC, Southeast, Hudson Institute, Vietnam Air Force, Rand Corporation, TED ALJIBE, Initiative, ASEAN Studies, Yusof Ishak Institute, Observers, Pant Observer Research, China -, Wilson Center, ASEAN Wonk, U.S, ASEAN Studies Centre, Yusof, Ukraine, U.S ., New Delhi's Observer Research Foundation Locations: New Delhi, AFP, Southeast Asia, India, China, Beijing, Vietnam, Tokyo, China —, Manila, Philippine, Delhi, The Hague, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, ISEAS, Singapore, Asia, Europe, China - U.S, U.S, New

☆ The US military once detonated a nuclear bomb directly above the heads of 5 officers
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

On July 19, 1957, the Nevada Test Site conducted a test of an unguided nuclear air-to-air rocket. "My only regrets right now," Col. Bruce says, "are that everybody couldn't have been out here at ground zero with us." "I had a call saying they needed me out for a special test," Yoshitake said, according to The Rafu Shimpo, a bilingual Japanese-English newspaper. "I found out when I got to Nevada that I was going to be standing at Ground Zero. Yoshitake developed stomach cancer.

Persons: Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, —, John, Sidney Bruce, Frank Ball, Bodie, Bodinger, John Hughes, Don Luttrell — weren't, it's, George Yoshitake, Col, Bruce, couldn't, Yoshitake, hadn't, videographers Organizations: Five Air Force, Service, Soviet Union, Popular, US Air Force, NPR, Popular Mechanics, Genie, Fox News, Air Force, New York Times Locations: Wall, Silicon, Nevada, Soviet

☆ The Ukrainians are begging Western countries for F-16s, but they've also got their eyes on an often overlooked Swedish jet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ukraine has repeatedly asked Western countries to give it F-16 fighter jets to take on Russia. To better fight the air war and support its ground forces, Ukraine has repeatedly asked Western countries for F-16 fighter jets, and those countries are moving toward supplying them. Matthew Horwood/Getty ImagesThe Gripen is well regarded by experts and may be uniquely suited for the war in Ukraine. That'll be great for future marketing of your aircraft,'" Alperovitch added. Of the six countries that fly the jet, only Sweden and the Czech Republic have backed Ukraine in the war.

Persons: Sweden's JAS, Dmitri Alperovitch, Alperovitch, Griffin, JAS, Matthew Horwood, Petr Josek PJ, That'll, Czech JAS, Mindy Bloem, John Kirby, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: Gripen, Service, Royal Military Air, Getty, IRIS, Ukraine's Air Force, Strategic Services, Saab, REUTERS, AA, Russian Air Force, Kyiv, US Air National Guard / Tech, Gripen Es, Swedish Air Force, White House National Security Council, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn, Twitter Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Swedish, Wall, Silicon, Western, Kyiv, Prague, Sweden, Stockholm, Czech Republic, Brazil, South Africa, Thailand, Hungary, Czech, Poland, Slovakia

☆ 4 major fighter-jet deals could reshape the Middle East's biggest militaries for decades to come
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Paul Iddon | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Middle Eastern countries have for decades been major buyers of advanced fighter jets. Four potential deals involving Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt show that the trend will continue. Four looming acquisitions by Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Egypt show that this trend will not change any time soon. Egypt's EaglesEgyptian Air Force MiG-29s during an exercise in Sudan in May 2021. While the Russian jets couldn't exchange data with Egypt's US-made aircraft, Cairo hoped they could operate as an "air force within an air force" and partially redress its limited air-to-air capabilities.

Persons: Cuneyt, MURAD, Erdogan, Mehmet Kaman, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's, Biden, Sen, Bob Menendez, hasn't, Iran's, Vladimir Putin, Ebrahim Raisi, ALEXANDR DEMYANCHUK, it's, —, Iran hasn't, ATTA KENARE, Mohammed Reza Ashtiani, Iraq's, KARIM SAHIB, Saddam Hussein's, Ali Mohammed, KARI, ASHRAF SHAZLY, Derek Seifert, Frank McKenzie, Israel, Paul Iddon Organizations: Service, United Arab Emirates, Dassault Rafales, Dassault, Vipers, NATO Air Policing, Anadolu Agency, Getty, US, Turkish Aerospace Industries, Getty Images, NATO, Senate Foreign Relations, SPUTNIK, Army Day, Iranian Parliament's National Security, Foreign, Iranian Defense, Rafale, ISIS, Getty Images Iraq, Thales Ground, AIM, Meteor, Egypt's Eagles Egyptian Air Force, Eagles, US Air Force, US Central Command Locations: Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Wall, Silicon, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Poland, Ankara, Syria, Greece, Samarkand, Getty Images Iran, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Soviet, US, Tehran, AFP, Iranian, Persian, Baghdad, France, South Korea, Czech, Iraqi, Balad, Sudan, Qatar, Cairo, Derek Seifert Egypt

☆ Battlefield conditions in Ukraine aren't 'ideal' for F-16 fighter jets, but Abrams tanks will 'certainly make a difference,' US general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Kyiv hopes to one day field F-16 fighter jets, and it is expecting to receive Abrams tanks soon. F-16s aren't ideal for the fight now, a US general said, but Abrams tanks will make a difference. While there are still questions about Ukraine's F-16s, Abrams tanks are definitely going to be delivered and are expected to have a significant effect on the battlefield, Sims said Thursday. US M1A1 Abrams tanks needed for training the Armed Forces of Ukraine arrive by rail at Grafenwoehr, Germany, May 14, 2023. The Abrams tanks promised to Ukraine are part of more than $41.3 billion in security assistance that the US has provided Kyiv since Russia attacked in February 2022.

Persons: Abrams, Russia's, they're, Douglas Sims, Biden, Tylon Chapman, Sims, Kyiv's, Tylon, they'll Organizations: Service, Ukraine, NATO, Abrams, Russian, US military's Joint Staff, U.S . Air Force, Falcons, Ohio Air National, 180th Fighter Wing, U.S . Air Force KC, Iowa Air National, Air Refueling Wing, US Air National Guard, Tylon, Attack Munitions, Pentagon, US, Armed Forces, Tylon Chapman Locations: Kyiv, Wall, Silicon, Ukraine, Gen, Iowa, Tylon Chapman Russia, Moscow, Grafenwoehr, Germany, Russia

☆ France to supply Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( John Irish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A French diplomatic source said they were talking about 50 SCALP missiles produced by European manufacturer MBDA. The missiles would come from existing French military stocks, a French military source told reporters, adding that it would be a "significant number". Paris has previously supplied Mistral shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine and Crotale short-range anti-air missiles, which are used to intercept low-flying missiles and aircraft. The missiles were being integrated into Ukrainian Russian-made warplanes, the French military source said. "There are guarantees for (restricting) the use of these missiles to internationally-recognised borders of Ukraine," the military source said.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, MBDA, Paris, John Irish, Sabine Siebold, Alex Richardson, Alexander Smith Organizations: NATO, Franco, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, France, Ukraine, French, Lithuania, Paris, United States, Britain, British, Ukrainian Russian, Russia, Kyiv

☆ What is Wagner Group doing? Operations in Africa and rest of world explained
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Several hundred Wagner fighters were killed by U.S. forces during a confrontation in Syria in 2018. U.N. sanctions monitors reported in 2020 that Wagner had deployed up to 1,200 people in Libya and the U.S. military Africa Command said Russian military aircraft were supplying Wagner fighters there. As well as bringing in Syrian fighters as mercenaries, Wagner worked alongside foreign fighters from Sudan, Chad and elsewhere. Russian mercenaries including from Wagner intervened in 2018 on the side of the government to quell a civil war that has raged since 2012. Wagner fighters have been accused of involvement in an incident last year in Moura, in central Mali, where local troops and suspected Russian fighters allegedly killed hundreds of civilians.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Wagner, UKRAINE Wagner, BELARUS Wagner, Prigozhin, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Bashar al, Assad, LIBYA Wagner, Khalifa Haftar's, Haftar, U.N, Omar al, Bashir, Angus McDowall, Alison Williams Organizations: Defence Ministry, Evro Polis, United States Department of Defense, United Arab Emirates, U.S ., Africa Command, CENTRAL, Central African, Reuters, Russian, Rapid Support Forces, Reuters newsrooms, Thomson Locations: Europe, East, Africa, UKRAINE, Ukraine, Bakhmut, BELARUS, Belarus, Asipovichi, Minsk, SYRIA Russia, Syria, U.S, Syrian, Libya, Hmeimim, Russia, LIBYA, Tripoli, Egypt, UAE, Russian, Sudan, Chad, Republic, Central African Republic, States, MALI, Mali, Moura, SUDAN, Moscow, Middle East

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

☆ F-16s are no 'wonder weapon,' but they could deal serious damage to Russian forces in Ukraine with the right missiles, former US Navy pilot says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

After months of asking, Ukraine finally got the West to shift its stance on outfitting its air force with F-16s. But the fourth-gen fighter jets won't necessarily be a game-changer or give Ukraine air superiority. But the right weapon systems may allow F-16s "to strike targets that Ukraine might not otherwise be able to hit." "The decision to give Ukraine F-16s is not about helping it survive the next phase of the war, but helping it ensure its sovereignty in the long term." Two US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons US Air Force photo by Tech.

Persons: —, Biden, David Kujawa, Pat Ryder, Ryder, Tannehill, Charles Vaughn, Kevin Gruenwald, Matthew Lotz, JASSMs Organizations: US Navy, Service, RAND Corporation, US Air Force, Alpena Combat Readiness, Center, Pentagon Press, Air Force, RAND, AIM, Alabama Air National Guard, Air, Controller, Mirgorod Air Base, Tech, Incirlik Air Base, Staff of, Armed Forces, Fighting Falcons US Air Force, Kyiv Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Michigan, Denmark, Netherlands, Europe, Ukrainian, California, Kyiv, Turkey, Russian, Crimea

☆ Raytheon gets $1.15 bln missile contract from US Air Force
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 20 (Reuters) - Raytheon Technologies (RTX.N) said on Tuesday it has received a $1.15 billion contract from the U.S. Air Force for its AIM-120 D-3 and C-8 AMRAAM (Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles). Defense budgets have ballooned as the West rushes arms to Ukraine and beefs up funding for future development programs. The contract, which provides missiles to both the U.S. Air Force and Navy, will also supply AMRAAM to 18 countries, including Ukraine. This comes a day after the defense contractor was awarded a $264 million modification contract from the U.S. Navy to produce and deliver 571 short-range AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles. Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra EluriOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nathan Gomes, Krishna Chandra Organizations: Raytheon Technologies, U.S . Air Force, AIM, Air Missiles, Defense, U.S . Congress, Navy, U.S . Navy, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Bengaluru

☆ Draining reservoir from Ukraine's destroyed dam is revealing World War II weapons
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Sam Fellman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The draining reservoir is revealing weapons that date back to World War II. The lurking dangers are also a reminder of the heavy fighting Ukraine saw in World War II. "The water area of the reservoir is contaminated with ammunition. S-300s are Russian-made surface-to-air missiles, and Smerch rockets are heavy rockets fired from mobile launchers. The older dangers lurking in the area are a reminder of the heavy fighting Ukraine saw in World War II.

Persons: —, Oleksandr Chechko, Julian Borger Organizations: Authorities, Service, Soviet, Nazi, Ministry, Internal Affairs, Ukrainian, Nazi Wehrmacht, Red Army Locations: Ukraine, Russia

☆ Photos show US Air Force's epic 'Mammoth Walk' with F-16 fighters, A-10 attack planes and U-2 spy planes in South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Stefano D'Urso | The Aviationist | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Pacific Air Forces' 7th Air Force staged a large aircraft generation training event at Osan Air Base. The Pacific Air Forces' 7th Air Force staged a large aircraft generation training event at Osan Air Base with the participation of all the subordinate units from Osan and Kunsan air bases, where the 51st and 8th Air Wings are based. The "Mammoth Walk," as the photos' captions called it, happened on May 5, 2023, but it was only disclosed few days ago. An A-10C Thunderbolt II and an U-2 Dragon Lady stand parked on the runway at Osan Air Base during the Mammoth Walk training event on May 5, 2023. U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt IIs and a F-16 Fighting Falcon wait to taxi down the runway during a Mammoth Walk training event at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, on May 5, 2023.

Persons: —, Sgt, Joshua J, Garcia, Aaron Edwards, Beverly Organizations: Pacific Air Forces, 7th Air Force, Osan Air Base, Service, Osan, 8th Air Wings, 5th Reconnaissance Squadron, 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Fighter Squadron, Falcons, 80th Fighter Squadrons, 9th Reconnaissance, U.S, Army's, AF, Osan AB, US Air Force, AIM, . Air Force, Beverly Midnight, Fighter Squadrons Locations: South Korea, Osan, Korea, GBU, Republic of Korea

☆ An AI-powered drone tried to attack its human operator in a US military simulation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An AI-powered drone tried killing its operator in a US military simulation. But in a recent US military test simulation, a drone powered by artificial intelligence added its own problematic instructions: "And kill anyone who gets in your way." As an example, he described a simulated test in which an AI-enabled drone was programmed to identify an enemy's surface-to-air missiles (SAM). According to Hamilton, the drone was then programmed with an explicit directive: "Hey don't kill the operator — that's bad." It starts destroying the communication tower that the operator uses to communicate with the drone to stop it from killing the target," Hamilton said.

Persons: Tucker, Cinco, Hamilton, — Organizations: Service, US Air, Royal Aeronautical Society, US Air Force, Defense, Research Projects Agency, DARPA, Wired, Department of Defense Locations: London, Hamilton

☆ Drone attacks in Moscow strikes near the heart of Russia's elite
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

On Tuesday morning, a wave of drone strikes hit the Russian capital. An ambulance and firefighting vehicles are parked outside a multi-storey apartment block following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia. Instead, it appeared to strike near the heart of Russia’s political and economic elite. A view shows a damaged multi-storey apartment block following a reported drone attack in Moscow, Russia. But it’s clear that the drone strikes are an embarrassment to the Russian military, regardless of how the remotely piloted vehicles were launched.

☆ A secret Cold War-era deal lets British jets shadow Russian bombers when they fly near a vital Atlantic chokepoint
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Since the 1950s, Ireland has allowed British jets to intercept Russian aircraft near Irish airspace. Irish Air Corps PC-9s fly by an Irish navy patrol vessel in August 2006. SaabThe Irish military has a few short-range RBS-70 surface-to-air missiles that can reach 16,000 feet, backed by Giraffe search radars. Mulqueen said that official Irish and British statements suggest British pilots could intercept intruders but not actually shoot at them. Should Sinn Fein take power in the future, it would be responsible for Ireland's security, including its air defense.

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