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☆ U.S., UK and Australia carry out China-focused air drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Sandra Stojanovic | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] A F-35B aircraft from the U.S. Air Force refuels during the annual Red Flag military exercise between the United States, Britain and Australia, in Nevada, U.S., February 8, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos BarriaNELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nevada, Feb 8 (Reuters) - The United States, Britain and Australia carried out joint air drills on Wednesday over the Nevada desert and beyond as part of an effort to simulate high-end combat operations against Chinese fighter aircraft and air defenses. U.S. Air Force Colonel Jared J. Hutchinson, commander of the 414th Combat Training Squadron that runs Red Flag, said the annual drills were not tied to any recent events. Air Commodore John Lyle, commander of the RAF's Air Mobility Force, told Reuters the mission during the Red Flag drills would simulate bringing the air forces into "an area where there has been an invasion by a hostile country." Australia contributed EA-18G Growler aircraft, according to data provided by Red Flag organizers.

☆ Decades after winning the world's first jet-powered dogfights, US fighter pilots are still flexing their muscles over Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

That November, US Air Force and Navy pilots notched the first victories between jet-powered aircraft. The first, involving an Air Force Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star piloted by Lt. Russel Brown, occurred on November 8, 1950. Air superiorityUS Air Force F-80C fighters return from a mission in August 1952. The Air Force's 'first'A US Air Force F-80C armed with napalm bombs takes off from a Korean airfield in February 1951. The exercise, called Vigilant Storm, involved roughly 100 US aircraft and some 140 South Korean aircraft flying more than 1,600 sorties.

☆ A Swedish-made fighter jet could tip the scales against Russia in Ukraine, but it might not get there any time soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Sebastien Roblin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +16 min

Ukraine's air force remains in the fight almost a year after Russia's shambolic invasion. Sooner or later, Ukraine must induct new jet fighters into service — and they sure aren't buying them from Russia. JAS-39 Gripen: background and capabilitiesA Swedish JAS 39 Gripen at Bobo, Norway in October 2018. A Hungarian Air Force JAS-39 Gripen in August 2010. JAS-39 Gripen vs. F-16A US Air Force F-16 takes off from Aviano Air Base in Italy in June 2020.

☆ Losses in Ukraine are 'out of proportion' to what NATO has been planning for, the alliance's top general says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NATO leaders have been worried by the heavy casualties and massive ammunition usage in Ukraine. "The scale of this war is out of proportion with all of our recent thinking," NATO's top general said in January. Now the scale and intensity of the fighting in Ukraine has raised questions about the alliance's ability to fight a big-unit war against Russia. "Scale, scale, scale," US Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told a Swedish defense conference in January. That Moscow is buying artillery shells from North Korea suggests that Russia's military is no shape to fight NATO and Ukraine.

☆ Air Force general predicts war with China in 2025, tells officers to get ready
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

A four-star Air Force general sent a memo on Friday to the officers he commands that predicts the U.S. will be at war with China in two years and tells them to get ready to prep by firing "a clip" at a target, and "aim for the head." In the memo sent Friday and obtained by NBC News, Gen. Mike Minihan, head of Air Mobility Command, said, “I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me will fight in 2025.”Air Mobility Command has nearly 50,000 service members and nearly 500 planes and is responsible for transport and refueling. His order builds on last year’s foundational efforts by Air Mobility Command to ready the Mobility Air Forces for future conflict, should deterrence fail.”In March 2021, Adm. Philip Davidson, then commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing that “Taiwan is clearly one of [China’s] ambitions. “I think the threat is manifest during this decade, in fact, in the next six years,” said Davidson.

☆ Hundreds of armored vehicles are now heading to Ukraine to help fight off a looming Russian 'onslaught,' US officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Christopher Woody | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US, UK, and Germany have agreed to provide their tanks to Ukraine, as have some other countries. Those tanks now join hundreds of other armored vehicles delivered or promised to Kyiv. The 31 Abrams tanks the US will send to Ukraine likely won't arrive for months or longer, but the US and European countries have already committed to sending Ukraine several different types of armored vehicles. (On Wednesday, US officials said M88 recovery vehicles would be delivered with the Abrams tanks.) The US and Germany have agreed to send M1 Abrams and Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine.

☆ As fighting rages in Ukraine, the US is sending drones to keep an eye on another tense corner of Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drones deployed to Greece during the final weeks of 2022. Operating from Larissa air base, the drones will keep an eye NATO's borders in southeastern Europe. The deployment comes as NATO grapples with the war in Ukraine and with tensions between Turkey and Greece. Predator in the skiesUS Air Force airmen do pre-flight checks on an MQ-9 at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam in May. A US Air Force F-15C at Larissa Air Base in May 2021.

Together with Moscow, Minsk has also been bolstering the drills with weaponry and military equipment. The Belarusian defence ministry said only that "units" of Russia's air forces have been arriving in Belarus. Ukraine's Air Force said the apartment block was struck by a Russian Kh-22 missile, which is known to be inaccurate and that Ukraine lacks the air defences to shoot down. SOLEDARIn Ukraine's eastern Donbas region - the focal point of Russia's drive to capture more territory - Ukraine's forces were battling around the small salt-mining town of Soledar. Russian forces claimed to have taken control of the town, but Ukraine insisted on Sunday that its forces were battling to hold the town, with street fighting raging and Russian forces advancing from various directions.

☆ Belarus, Russia to start 'defensive in nature' air force drills, Minsk says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Belarus said its air force drills with Russia that start on Monday are defensive in nature to prepare for possible combat missions, but the move comes as concerns grow that Moscow is pushing Minsk to join the war in Ukraine. The exercises which will last until Feb. 1 are to involve training for "aerial reconnaissance, deflecting air strikes, air cover of important objects and communications", Muraveyko added. Together with Moscow, Minsk has also been adding weaponry and military equipment to the drills. The Belarusian defence ministry said only that "units" of Russia's air forces have been arriving in Belarus. "During the tactical flight exercise, all airfields and training grounds of the Air Force and Air Defence Forces of the Armed Forces of Belarus will be involved," the ministry said in a statement.

☆ The US Air Force's newest fighter jet just showed off a new way to fire missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Stefano D'Urso | The Aviationist | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In November, F-15EX fighter jets fired missiles from their new weapon stations for the first time. The new outer wing weapon stations increase the F-15EX's payload over that of its predecessor. This Operational Flight Program Combined Test Force mission was the first Air Force test flight to validate the weapons could be fired effectively and safely from those stations. Now, the new pylons are equipped with two LAU-128 missile rails each, adding four missile stations to the payload. An F-15EX takes flight for the first time out of Eglin Air Force Base in April 2021.

☆ The new F-15EX took a 'major step' closer to carrying more air-to-air missiles than all other US Air Force fighters in testing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The newest Air Force fighter jet recently conducted a successful missile test. The test was a big step for the F-15EX Eagle II, a new aircraft slated to replace aging F-15s. As Defense News reported, the F-15EX Eagle II will also carry more missiles than the other fighter jets in the Air Force's inventory. The advanced F-15EX Eagle II is a two-seater aircraft capable of carrying up to 30,000 pounds of missiles and munitions. Following the recent test, the Air Force said that after testing wraps up, operational units will receive F-15EX fighters able to carry a full load of 12 missiles.

☆ Here's why these US Air Force A-10 attack aircraft rock fearsome shark teeth war paint
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

An A-10 pilot told Insider about the history of the shark teeth war paint. Those planes are the ones rocking the ferocious shark teeth war paint, he said. US Air Force Senior Airman Brandon Hill, 74th Aircraft Maintenance Unit dedicated crew chief, guides Lt. Col. Matthew Shelly, the 74th Fighter Squadron commander, at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, June, 26 2021 US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. The first P-40s to feature the shark mouth war paint were the British Royal Air Force Tomahawks. The 74th and 75th Fighter Squadrons are still part of the 23rd Fighter Group while the 76th is now a Reserve unit with 476th Fighter Group.

☆ Prolonged fighting in Ukraine is revealing the Russian air force's fragility, researchers say
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Other decisions by Russian commanders are setting the air force up for future problems. Another sign of poor discipline is the habit of stacking munitions next to aircraft parked at Russian air bases. RUSI believes they have "corresponded with a significant reduction in the scale and complexity of VKS air operations over Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict." Mihail Siergiejevicz/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesStill more ominous are the implications for future Russian air operations over Ukraine. Russia needs to maintain a flow of properly trained pilots, as well as competent and disciplined ground crews.

☆ China accuses U.S. of distorting facts after aircraft clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SHANGHAI, Jan 1 (Reuters) - A U.S. military plane involved in a confrontation with Chinese aircraft in disputed southern waters last week had violated international law and put the safety of Chinese pilots at risk, a defence ministry spokesman said. But Tian Junli, spokesman for China's Southern Theatre Command, said in a statement late on Saturday that the United States had misled the public about the incident near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. He said the U.S. plane violated international law, disregarded repeated warnings by China and made dangerous approaches that threatened the safety of China's aircraft. "The United States deliberately misleads public opinion... in an attempt to confuse the international audience," Tian said. China claims almost the entire South China Sea as its sovereign territory, but parts of it are contested by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei.

☆ Russia's war in Ukraine shows why troops need to learn to put their phones away, top US Marine general says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

To do that, younger troops will have to unlearn some habits, the Marine Corps' top general says. New Marine recruits turn in cell phones at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in October. Targeting cell phones has been a feature of the fighting between Russia and Ukraine since 2014. Ukrainians and foreign governments have eavesdropped on Russian troops using unsecured phones to talk to each other and to their families in Russia. A Marine records a Drum and Bugle Corps performance at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in March 2014.

☆ Russia's long-range air force to get new hypersonic missiles - Interfax
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

MOSCOW, Dec 26 (Reuters) - Russia's long-range air forces are to be refitted with new wing-borne hypersonic missiles, the Interfax news agency reported on Monday, citing the force's commanding officer. "In the interests of long-range aviation, the development and supply of the entire range of aviation weapons, including new cruise hypersonic missiles, is being carried out," Interfax cited the commander, Sergei Kobylash, as saying in an interview with the Russian defence ministry's newspaper. Russia's fleet of long-range bombers are part of its nuclear triad, and are capable of launching both nuclear and conventional missiles. Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Robert BirselOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Vivid new photos give you a rare look at the South China Sea islands that a top US commander says China has fully militarized
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Beijing has used both natural and artificial islands to build up its military capabilities in the area. Island airbasesAn airfield, buildings, and structures on the artificial island built by China at Subi Reef on October 25. Port for Chinese warshipsAn airfield, buildings, and structures on the artificial island at Fiery Cross Reef on October 25. More than 40 vessels of different types appear to be anchored near Fiery Cross, the Associated Press said in March. These islands have sports fieldsAn airfield, buildings, and recreational facilities on the artificial island at Fiery Cross Reef on October 25.

☆ Ukraine gives all-clear after air-raid alarms
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Ukrainian servicemen take cover as an air-raid siren sounds, near an apartment building damaged by recent shelling in Kyiv, Ukraine February 26, 2022. REUTERS/Gleb GaranichKYIV, Dec 25 (Reuters) - Air raid sirens wailed in Kyiv and across all Ukrainian regions on Sunday morning but no new Russian attacks were reported, officials said. Unconfirmed Ukrainian social media reports suggested the sirens may have been triggered after Russian jets took to the skies in Belarus and that the all-clear was sounded after the planes returned to their bases. Yuriy Ihnat, a spokesperson for Ukraine's air forces, told national television earlier on Sunday that Russian military jets were flying virtually around the clock. Reporting by Pavel Polityuk Editing by David Goodman and Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ These are 10 most popular fighter planes in service around the world
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Miguel Ortiz | We Are The Mighty | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Using data from Cirium, FlightGlobal published their 2023 World Air Forces directory detailing military aircraft fleets around the world, including the most popular fighter planes. These are the 10 most popular fighter planes in service around the world:Northrop F-5An F-5 Tiger II takes off at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada. Despite its age, the J-7 remains extremely popular with 444 in active service. 522 Typhoons are in active service, including with all of the original collaborating countries except France. 545 F-35s are in active service, with more on the way as existing orders are filled and additional orders are placed.

☆ The US's experimental 'lighting carriers' are 'much more capable' than China's current carriers, top US admiral says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Lighting Carrier conceptAn F-35B launches from USS Tripoli in April 2022. A light aircraft carrier embarks with fewer jets than a fleet aircraft carrier — as many as 20, compared to more than 50 on a fleet carrier — but it costs much less and is more versatile. US Marine Corps F-35Bs approach and land on USS Tripoli during an exercise in June. "There is no comparison between a J-15 and an F-35B," Thomas said, referring to China's main carrier aircraft. US Marine Corps F-35Bs aboard USS Tripoli on June 10.

☆ Explosions rock Russian military airbases; new strikes hit Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Explosions rocked two Russian military airbases hundreds of miles from the border with Ukraine on Monday, according to local officials and state media. Russian authorities said they were investigating the media reports about the explosions on the base. A Tu-95 strategic bomber from the Russian air force prepares to take off from an air base in Engels, Russia on Jan. 24, 2022. AP“Engels airfield is one of the most important bases of Russian air forces,” said Ukrainian interior ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko in a tweet. Analysts said it was unclear that the new wave of Russian strikes were in any way retaliation for the blasts at the airbases.

CNN —Russian forces unleashed a new round of missiles towards Ukraine on Monday, ramping up attacks on the central and southeastern regions of the country. “We see that strategic bombers have taken off and the first wave of missiles was already launched,” said Yurii Ihnat, spokesman for the Ukrainian Air Forces, adding that there may be several more assaults. Citizens sheltered in the metro in Kyiv on Monday, as Russia released another missile attack towards Ukraine. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty ImagesMost of the Russian missiles were intercepted: KyivThe Ukrainian Air Force said they had intercepted more than 60 Russian missiles on Monday, repelling further attacks on power facilities. Air defense intercepted most of the missiles.

☆ Last of Mexico’s 'Aztec Eagles' World War II veterans dies at age 98
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: 1 min

MEXICO CITY — The last veteran of Mexico’s relatively small contingent of World War II veterans has died, Mexico’s Defense Department announced Thursday. Horacio Castilleja Albarrán was 98 when he died Wednesday. Castilleja Albarrán was one of about 300 Mexican soldiers and airmen in Squadron 201, known as the Aztec Eagles, who were sent from Mexico to help in the U.S. war effort against Japan. Mexico was late to enter World War II, but declared war after German submarines sank several Mexican oil tankers. Castilleja Albarrán joined the army in 1942 at age 18 and was trained as a radio operator.

☆ NATO troops hold drills in Poland's Suwalki Gap
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Kuba Stezycki | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KLUSY, Poland, Nov 25 (Reuters) - NATO forces took part in drills in northern Poland on Friday, an area of crucial significance to the security of the alliance's eastern flank. "As part of these drills there were exercises that... were formulated based on our experience and observation of the battlefield in Ukraine," said Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak. The TUMAK- 22 exercises involve 2,000 soldiers from land and air forces, the Polish Ministry of Defence said. On the snowy day, drills included practicing crossing water and landing. The drill saw dozens of Polish and allied soldiers cross the water with military vehicles on amphibious transporters, while U.S. troops in Abrams tanks simulated chasing the enemy.

☆ The scramble to rearm Ukraine is transforming NATO in a way that would've been hard without Putin's help
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Rachel Nostrant | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

NATO countries have scrambled to rearm and resupply Ukraine as it fights off Russia's invasion. Troops from six NATO countries during a joint terminal attack controller training in Latvia on April 6. Germany has agreed to send some older hardware to countries that send their Soviet-made tanks and armored vehicles to Ukraine. Interoperability with weapons and alignment on tactics will also make it "veritably impossible for these countries to leave NATO," Banerjee added. "The weapons are from NATO, they're going to be from NATO, they will be back-built, and these components will be from NATO countries."

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