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☆ Ukraine's fighter jet fleet is slowly growing, but its weapons to bring down Russian jets are dwindling, leaked US document shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The jets will bolster Ukraine's fighter fleet, which is still under fire from Russia's larger air force. But air-defense ammunition is a more urgent need, one underscored in recently leaked US documents. Berlin approved Warsaw's request to send jets to Ukraine on Thursday, the same day it was received. Both air forces have shifted tactics and now operate farther from the front line, playing to the advantage of the Russian aircraft, which have an edge at longer ranges. Without the threat posed by those interceptor missiles, Russian aircraft would have greater freedom to attack Ukrainian aircraft and bomb Ukrainian targets, including in support of Russian front-line troops, the leaked document says.

☆ A fighter plane designed for the US Navy during World War II was still taking down jet fighters over Vietnam 20 years later
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was designed for the US Navy in the final years of World War II. The US Air Force and its South Vietnamese counterpart also began operating the plane that year. Navy Skyraider pilots even managed to down MiG-17 fighter jets on two occasions. By the end of the war, Air Force Skyraiders conducted more than 90,000 combat sorties, including more than 1,000 a month during the peak of the fighting. The last Air Force Skyraider mission was on November 7, 1972, and all of the service's remaining Skyraiders were transferred to the South Vietnamese air force in 1973.

April 16 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin met Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu in Moscow on Sunday and both men hailed military cooperation between the two nations, which have declared a "no limits" partnership. Chinese President Xi Jinping met Putin in Moscow last month. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu was also present. "We are working actively through our military departments, regularly exchange useful information, work together in the field of military-technical cooperation, and hold joint exercises," Putin said. Beijing had announced Li's visit to Moscow last week, saying he would meet defence officials, but made no mention of a meeting with Putin.

☆ Russian jamming may have hamstrung a US-made bomb kit being used in Ukraine, leaked documents say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Leaked Pentagon documents highlighted concerns about the Joint Direct Attack Munition weapon. The American-made bomb kit used by Ukraine may have been hamstrung by Russian jammers. One document in particular highlights concerns about US-made bomb kits which have been sent to Ukraine in recent months. One factor is the bomb fuses aren't arming at their release, which Ukraine's air force has worked to fix. Photo by Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesThe Pentagon documents first became public last week and circulated through social media platforms like Discord, Twitter, and Telegram.

☆ The Russian air force's struggles in Ukraine reveal glaring problems in now Moscow trains its pilots
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Alex Hollings | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +35 min

Despite being bigger and more advanced than its enemy, Russia's air force has struggled in Ukraine. It's commonly said that Russian fighter pilots are not as well trained as their Western counterparts, particularly those from the United States. But however ineffective you may think Russian pilot training is compared to the West, the truth seems to be … much worse. A Russian air force pilot prepares to take off in an Su-35 fighter jet at Hemeimeem air base in Syria in September 2019. Put simply, the Gulf War air campaign creates a damning juxtaposition when compared directly to Russia's air campaign over Ukraine.

☆ China sends carrier group off Taiwan coast ahead of US meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

China, which claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, has warned of unspecified retaliation if the meeting goes ahead. China staged war games around Taiwan last August following the visit to Taipei of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. "The Chinese communists continue to send aircraft and ships to encroach in the seas and airspace around Taiwan," the ministry said. China has yet to comment on the carrier group, whose appearance also coincided with the arrival in Beijing of French President Emmanuel Macron. Taiwan's defence ministry, in its statement about the Shandong's latest mission near the island, said that "external pressure will not hinder our determination to go into the world".

☆ Factbox: What can Finland's armed forces and arsenal offer NATO?
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Anne Kauranen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HELSINKI, April 4 (Reuters) - Finland joined NATO on Tuesday, bringing the Western defence alliance significant military capabilities developed over the years. Finland's ground, naval and air forces are all trained and equipped with one primary aim - to repel any Russian invasion. Its most important anti-aircraft system is the NATO-compatible Norwegian-American NASAMS 2. AIR FORCEThe Finnish Air Force has a fleet of 61 McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets, which are being replaced by 64 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II jets, the delivery of which will begin in 2026. In addition to the jet fleet, the Air Force has dozens of training aircraft and surveillance radars, including ones that have a range of almost 500 km (300 miles).

HELSINKI/BRUSSELS, April 4 (Reuters) - Finland will become a member of NATO on Tuesday, completing a historic security policy shift triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while neighbour Sweden is kept in the waiting room. "It will be a good day for Finland's security, for Nordic security and for NATO as a whole," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Monday. Sweden underwent a similar transformation in defence thinking and Stockholm and Helsinki applied together last year to join NATO. Moscow said on Monday it would strengthen its military capacity in its western and northwestern regions in response to Finland joining NATO. Stoltenberg said he was "absolutely confident" that Sweden will become a NATO member.

☆ US F-35 fighter jets sent to NATO's front line as Russia invaded Ukraine were out looking for missiles able to threaten planes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

As Russia invaded Ukraine, the US Air Force sent F-35 fighter jets to NATO's front line — the alliance's eastern edge. "The jet is always sensing, gathering information," a wing commander told Air Force Times. "We are facing a dynamic environment, and the deployment of F-35s to NATO's eastern flank enhances our defensive posture and amplifies the Alliance's interoperability," the commander of US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa said at the time. We're not shooting anything or dropping anything," 388th Fighter Wing Commander Col. Craig Andrle told Air Force Times in a recent interview. Andrle told Air Force Times that one example of this involved Russia's S-300, which are long-range surface-to-air missiles systems.

☆ Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Denmark struck a deal to run their 200+ advanced fighter jets as a single fleet, creating a new headache for Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Air force commanders of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark said Friday that they have signed a letter of intent to establish a unified Nordic air defense, Reuters reported. "Our combined fleet can be compared to a large European country," commander of the Danish air force, Major General Jan Dam, told Reuters. Norway, Denmark, and Finland have all committed to the F-35 jets which are the most advanced Western fighter planes. NATO Air Command chief General James Hecker was also present at the signing of the letter at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO in May 2022, jolted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine into ending decades of their position of "non-alignment."

☆ Nordic countries plan joint air defence to counter Russian threat
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

COPENHAGEN, March 24 (Reuters) - Air force commanders from Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark said on Friday they have signed a letter of intent to create a unified Nordic air defence aimed at countering the rising threat from Russia. The move to integrate the air forces was triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February last year, commander of the Danish air force, Major General Jan Dam, told Reuters. Finland has 62 F/A-18 Hornet jets and 64 F-35s on order, while Denmark has 58 F-16s and 27 F-35s on order. The signing at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany last week was attended by NATO Air Command chief General James Hecker, who also oversees the U.S. Air Force in the region. The Nordic air force commanders first discussed the closer cooperation at a meeting in November in Sweden.

☆ Top US general predicts that much of the world's armies, navies, and air forces 'will be robotic' in 15 years, if not sooner
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

He said that robots will play a huge role in the world's armies, navies, and air forces within the next decade or so. Gen. Mark Milley also highlighted the role of artificial intelligence as a military application. Within the next 15 years, if not sooner, Milley said, "you're going to see significant portions of armies and navies and air forces that will be robotic." Some examples of robotic or unmanned systems already exist within the US military, such as drones, but more systems are in the works. Just last month, the Air Force announced that it successfully let AI pilot a fighter jet, building off past testing involving simulated dogfights.

☆ Poland says it will send MiG fighter jets to Ukraine 'in the next few days'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Poland will be the first NATO member to supply about a dozen fighter jets to Ukraine. This makes Poland the first NATO member to supply fighter jets to Ukraine. This plea for fighter jets has been a longstanding request from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. But Poland's decision to supply military jets to Ukraine may not push other allies to do the same. A White House representative said President Joe Biden has not changed his mind on not giving Ukraine fighter jets.

☆ Russia's new offensive in Ukraine has likely fizzled out after only a month, Western intel says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

UK intelligence suggests Russia's new offensive is on its last legs, just a month after it began. Russian forces have depleted their "combat power," the assessment said. "Even local offensive actions are not currently sustainable," it added. The British Defense Ministry said this is likely because Russian forces have depleted their "combat power" to such a degree that "even local offensive actions are not currently sustainable." There's been an evolving debate between Kyiv and its Western partners over Ukraine's insistence on continuing to defend Bakhmut, which analysts have suggested could fall to Russian forces in the coming days.

☆ Fighter jets are 'worthless' over Ukraine, and it's a sign of what US pilots and troops may face in future battles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

As a result, neither side is able to provide close air support to its troops on the front line. US pilots and ground troops may face a similar situation in future wars, US Air Force leaders say. They're not doing a whole lot because they can't go over and do close air support," Hecker said. "Close air support in a contested environment, that's not what we do, no matter who you are," Brown added. William GreerSince taking over as the top Air Force officer in August 2020, Brown has stressed that future battlefields will be more complex and deadly for the Air Force.

☆ Moscow was likely trying to send a message by harassing a US drone, but officials say the Russian pilot ran into it because they're bad at flying
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A Russian fighter jet harassed a US military MQ-9 Reaper drone over the Black Sea this week. But US officials said the fighter pilot demonstrated a "lack of competence" by clipping the drone. On Tuesday, two Russian Su-27 fighter jets intercepted a US military MQ-9 Reaper drone that was flying in international airspace above the Black Sea. A composite image showing the rear of a US MQ-9 Reaper drone before and after the US military says a Russian Su-27 fighter jet collided with it. The report consists of empirical research completed in 2020 that analyzes years of Russian military activity like intercepts and other engagements.

☆ The White House is 'not sure' the US can recover the drone a Russian warplane ran into over the Black Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian fighter jet hit a US military drone on Tuesday, forcing it to crash into the Black Sea. It's unclear if the US will be able to recover the aircraft, a White House official said Wednesday. I mean, where it fell into the Black Sea, very, very deep water. During the Tuesday incident, two Russian Su-27 jets conducted what US European Command described was an "unsafe and unprofessional intercept" of the Reaper drone as it flew in international airspace over the Black Sea. It was also the latest in a string of provocative and aggressive Russian actions against NATO militaries around the Black Sea, where intercepts, including unsafe intercepts, are fairly common.

☆ Factbox: What happened to the U.S. drone downed near Ukraine?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MOSCOW, March 15 (Reuters) - Russia and the United States have offered different accounts of the downing of a U.S. intelligence drone in the Black Sea. The United States said the drone was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by the Russian aircraft. WHAT RUSSIA SAID:Russia said the MQ-9 drone was flying near Crimea - which Russia annexed in 2014 - and heading towards territories which Russia considers its own. "The unacceptable actions of the United States military in the close proximity to our borders are cause for concern," Antonov said. "If, for example, a Russian strike drone appeared near New York or San Francisco, how would the US Air Force and Navy react?"

☆ A Russian fighter jet clipped a US drone over the Black Sea, causing a crash and the 'complete loss' of the American aircraft, US military says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Russian fighter jet clipped a US military drone operating over the Black Sea on Tuesday. It's the latest aggressive maneuver by Russian forces against NATO members in eastern Europe. When the Russian plane clipped the drone, the US military was forced to bring the aircraft down in international waters. EUCOM criticized the incident as "reckless, environmentally unsound, and unprofessional" and said it demonstrates a "lack of competence" from Russian forces. Over the years, Russian aircraft have also repeatedly buzzed NATO warships in the Black Sea, and Russian jets have on a number of occasions conducted "unsafe" maneuvers around American planes.

☆ Russian jet downs U.S. Reaper drone over Black Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Amanda Macias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

General Atomics' Guardian drone, which is the maritime version of the company's Predator B or MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle. WASHINGTON — A Russian fighter jet downed a U.S. drone operating over the Black Sea on Tuesday, U.S. European Command said in a statement. "Our MQ-9 aircraft was conducting routine operations in international airspace when it was intercepted and hit by a Russian aircraft, resulting in a crash and complete loss of the MQ-9," said U.S. Air Force Gen. James Hecker, commander of U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa. Prior to the collision, two Russian aircraft harassed the drone, he said. "Several times before the collision, the Su-27s dumped fuel on and flew in front of the MQ-9 in a reckless, environmentally unsound and unprofessional manner," the statement added.

☆ Ukrainian pilots are calling the US Air Force for tips on using US-made missiles and bombs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Members of the US Air National Guard have been providing advice for using US-made weaponry. Despite US support, Ukraine's air force is still at a disadvantage against Russia's larger force. Ukraine's air force still faces a tough operating environment. A California Air National Guard officer discusses exercise Safe Skies with his Ukrainian counterparts in July 2011. Ukrainian Air Force via Twitter"We've just got them some precision munitions that have some extended range and go a little bit further than a gravity-dropped bomb," Hecker added.

☆ A new Pentagon map shows how China is beefing up what a top US general calls its 'dangerous position' in the South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

China and several of its neighbors have claimed parts of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. The map also gives rough locations for seven Chinese outposts, including three airfields, and 63 other outposts in the Spratlys. China's outposts "are capable of supporting military operations" and "have supported non-combat aircraft," the Pentagon report says. Recent action by those forces around Taiwan, as well as ongoing Chinese activity in the South China Sea, have worried US commanders. The Spratly IslandsFilipino fishermen sail by a Chinese coast guard ship near Scarborough Shoal on February 5.

☆ Putin's war in Ukraine is endangering Russia's centuries of great-power status
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Robert Farley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

And yet Russian power and influence have waned in the past; the first 20 years of the 20th century represented a nadir in Russian power, as the Russian Empire lost most of its western territories after suffering a series of defeats at the hands of Japan, Germany, and Poland. Russian soldiers in World War II uniforms parade at Dvortsovaya Square in St. Petersburg in January 2019. AP Photo/Dmitri LovetskyBy virtue of its size and legacy, Russia is undoubtedly an important military power. Even as Russia has struggled mightily to impose its will upon Ukraine, nuclear weapons have ensured that NATO stays on the sidelines. Thomson ReutersBut is Russia a great power if it can't even crush its neighbor without help from China?

☆ Russia's air force is struggling to hit targets in Ukraine, but its missiles can still keep Ukraine's jets at bay
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

However, more potent air-to-air missiles are helping Russian jets keep Ukrainian aircraft at bay. However, a potent mix of air-to-air missiles — some of which out-range their Ukrainian counterparts — have helped keep Ukrainian aircraft at bay. The Kh-38 is a Soviet concept dating back to the 1980s, but the Russian air force never procured them "in anything like operationally useful numbers," Barrie said. Russian air-to-air missiles have been "effective in limiting the Ukrainians ability to use their own air force," Barrie said. For now, the only blessing for Ukraine is that Russia doesn't have a lot of these long-range air-to-air missiles.

☆ A top general said the US could use balloons in the Middle East, where the US military has seen suspected Chinese spy balloons
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A top US general said the US military could use balloons for surveillance in the Middle East. His comments come after the US downed a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina. A Thunderhead High-Altitude Balloon System, launched by US Army Pacific Soldiers takes flight during Balikatan 22 on Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija, Philippines, April 1, 2022. The general's comments come a little over a week after the US shot down a high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloon that had crossed over the continental US, fueling tensions between Washington and Beijing. The Pentagon later revealed that the Chinese balloon is part of a broader global network that Beijing operates.

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